How many knives is TOO MANY?

C

crowinghorse

Joined
Sep 14, 1999
Messages
332
My fiancee has won again...
I leave for MCRD S.D. in 12 days and I now have a Mad Dog Shrike for sale.
My fiancee is on my back to "sell those damned knives...and stop ordering more!"
I have an outstanding credit card bill and have approximately $7,500.oo in loans to repay for only 3 semesters of school
(damndable PRIVATE school!!!)
My question is:
When does knife collecting become knife obsession and what is the differance?
My parents and fiancee say I am an "obsessive, compulsive collector."
I say so what if I like toys, comic books (we never grow old!), guns, and knives?
Jess
 
Come look in my warehouse and you will see what too many looks like
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I'll bet it will be very difficult to get a precise definition of "obsession", but I don't think that's important. The question isn't whether or not it is an obsession, but whether or not it is negatively impacting your life.
 
I don't know how many knives is too many, but it's somewhere in the thousands. Since I'm down in the hundreds I figure I have nothing to worry about for a few months. Now about this private school compulsion, are there no public schools available. I had a cousin who is a recovering education junky. Recently he got out of college at age 55 and got his first job in industry. Between undergrad, grad, postdoc, associate prof... activities he'd been in college for 37 years. He still goes back and takes individual courses now and then.

[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 01-12-2000).]
 
You have to draw the line between need and want. You need your health, an education, a home, comfort and financial security. Everything else is either a frivolity or an affectation. Only after securing the former should you consider indulging in the latter.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
James,
That is way too adult and responsible an attitude. You are also absolutely correct. We should not confuse wants with needs.

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Dave

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives
 
I believe that "too many" is a theoretical number only, similiar in concept to "infinity".Sort of like the term "a little while", when describing when you will paint the house.
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AKTI Member #A000934
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."-TACITUS (55?-130?)

 
StJames,
Well said! Bravo!

If you can't walk around in your own house, then you have too many knives.

If you fall into deep water and go straight to the bottom and drown from the combined weight of your carry knives, you have too many knives.

If you can't sleep at night because of the lumpiness of your knife stuffed matress, then you have too many knives.

If you set off metal detectors from a block away, you have too many knives.

If your wife is afraid to reach under any of the furniture to look for the remote, fearing she will get cut, you may have too many knives.

If YOU are afraid to reach under any of the furniture to look for the remote, fearing you will get cut, YOU have too many knives.

If your nieces and nephews refer to you as "Uncle Knife Dude" you may have too many knives.

If your neighbors start refering to your house as "Fort Knife", you may have too many knives.

When asked about the number of knives you own, you can't even give an estimate of how many you have, you may have too many knives.

If you have more knives than you are able to count to, you have too many knives.

Hope this helps!
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If it's stupid but works, then it isn't stupid!
 
compared to many of you guys here on the forums, i have a drop in the bucket. when i get too many, i'll let you know, but i don't think that'll ever happen. if anyone gets to the point that more than one of the items in the last post apply, STOP COLLECTING IMMEDIATELY!!! you need to give lots of those knives away to BF members, preferrably me
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[This message has been edited by leroys_45 (edited 01-12-2000).]
 
Dr. Lathe,

I thought that just means you need a new knife cabinet!
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At least that's what I'm doing...

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For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23


 
Joel Stave made a great point. If your collecting or other hobby is negatively impacting your life or the lives of the people around you, it is a problem. I would define "negatively impacting" as taking money away from the essentials of life in order to participate in your hobby i.e. running up huge credit card bills you cannot pay, borrowing from friends and relatives, being late on rent or other payments, skipping meals, you get my drift!
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Essentially, if you are a responsible, gainfully employed adult who doesn't neglect his obligations and chooses to use some of his disposable income to purchase knives it is not a problem.



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Travis Autry
My knives are just like rabbits---they keep multiplying!!
 
OK, let's look at this REALISTICALLY. I'll break it down into large fixed blades, med. fixed blades, small fixed blades, med-big folders, and small-med. folders. What I am about to say does not hold true for those with SPECIFIC reasons for a particular type of knife, such as hunters in need of a skinning knife. More than 2 of each type is probably too many. Having said that... how many people here have too many knives? Now, how many people want more knives? Yea, that's what I expected.

Seriously, let's assume you use them. If you buy them for using, too many is when you don't use all of them. If you just like knives, there's no such thing as too many. Let's face it; the truth is we're ALL obsessed with knives, no matter how you cut it (pun intended).

Howie
 
It depends on you. If you're mostly a user and outside life doesn't require much cutting, you can live with a simple folder, hopefully legal length. Get two if you're concerned about travel. Or get a mulitool and a folder. Lastly, a larger good fixed blade for house or harder utility.

I myself wouldn't go beyond 3 and that is pushing it for me.

BTW, don't forget Valentine's Day.
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"To many" to me is probably more than "to many" to my wife. Everybody has their own version.
On the serious side I have to agree with Joel. If it negetively impacts your life then you need to make a change.

rk

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As for me and my house...

Joshua 24:15

 
I hear a lot of philosophy and psychology being part of the question of "how many" -maybe you should look at your motivation ..I just like the feel and look and workpersonship ( can't be sexist here) of a good product - My "pile"includes some that belonged to my great great Grandfather.. and on down.. they link me to my past and my family and they provide a lot more than bills - mine are all paid - I talk to my wife and kids - and try to participate in life and community and faith... the leftover time and money is mine to play with - I guess you need to line up your priorities and clear up what is important in your life.

Frank

Is it a blessing or a curse ?

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I hear a lot of philosophy and psychology being part of the question of "how many" -maybe you should look at your motivation ..I just like the feel and look and workpersonship ( can't be sexist here) of a good product - My "pile"includes some that belonged to my great great Grandfather.. and on down.. they link me to my past and my family and they provide a lot more than bills - mine are all paid - I talk to my wife and kids - and try to participate in life and community and faith... the leftover time and money is mine to play with - I guess you need to line up your priorities and clear up what is important in your life.

Frank

Is it a blessing or a curse ?

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My wife gave me Levine's Guide to Knives for my birthday and in it he stated that people who collect kitchen knives, almost all for use, outnumber all other collecters put together. He has owned over 10,000 kitchen and butcher knives alone. You gotta figure out what's important in your life, what's not, and what's just fun.
 
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