How/What do you buy/collect?

I call myself an accumulator more than a collector. I am searching for a few 'perfect" EDC knives for me. Mostly GECs but a few Case and Schrade Peanuts. I prefer to buy an already used knife as I hate to "use" a new knife, especially if I am not sure it is destined to be a keeper. I am after a small assortment that fills a need in size and blade shapes as well as have a nice appearance. I prefer natural materials but have one acrylic as it looks like an old time pattern. Basically after one of two tiny peanut sized knives w/2 blades, a small single blade and a larger single blade for fruit cutting and maybe a larger 2 blade for most other EDC tasks. So far this has been filled by the GEC #18 Coyote and Beagle, the #14 Lick Creek 1 blade , a #13 Clerk, a #15 Scout, a #66 Calf Roper, a #38 Special and a 2 blade #48 Improved trapper. Scored a #26 Sleeveboard Sunfish the other day which may bump the Scout out and the #48 may bump the Clerk and the #38 as it has both blades found in the other two. Really want no more than a half dozen, easy to fit in the pocket, slipjoint knives. The Case Peanuts are my "collection" and too mint to carry (yet). (I do have 4 larger folders for heavy tasks and a few bushcraft fixed blades)
 
I call myself a "collector". Having started it as a small collection of traditional pocket knives, it started to diversify to foreign made representations, and then into fixed blade (which are also domestic and foreign made). The diversification did not stop there, with other items, (not being knives), coming into play. The collection got so diversified, that I named it my "Man Gadget Collection". The traditional fixed and folding knives still hold the biggest overall numbers within my collection. With the knives that have more recently made it into my collection, the determining factor was usually that they add a little new interest (somehow unique from what was already there)... Just to keep things at all times "interesting" :)
 
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A few examples of old barlows that I "collect". The variety of handle materials, blades and bolster stamps as well as their history make these old knives fascinating to study.

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My goal is to not be a collector but I always seem to buy a new knife with the same intent which is to find the perfect knife that I can settle with for the long term. Of course that is a failing proposition since no matter what knife I buy I always seem to looking for something else :) Now if I could just get rid of a few of the ones I've stock piled that may just free up $$ to continue the search for the perfect knife.

The closest knife to perfection that I've bought quite a few of is a Vic Alox in either a Soldier, Rancher, or Pioneer pattern.
 
I am more of an accumulator than a collector. I buy what catches my fancy; that is usually only a couple of knives a year. I really have found what I think might be "the one." I only say that because it seems to always make it into my pants pocket. I don't find myself reaching for any of my other knives to include my CRK Mnandi. I do not think I am not the typical member when it comes to knife purchases.
 
But then you have to store it, protect it and keep track of what you have. Gone are the care-free days of youth when two cigar boxes held all your knife stuff. 300
 
I have more “avoids” regarding knives than specific traits or patterns that I seek out to add to my collection. But that being said, I tend to gravitate towards vintage congress and pen knives with carbon steel blades. In terms of makers, I do favor Joseph Rodgers and Schrade but have a wide selection of makers.
 
I mainly collect knives manufactured by Camillus, and also collect scout pattern knives. My favorite knives inevitably seem to be where those two aspects of the hobby converge.

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I am a accumulator with knives. I generally buy new knives and for the most part they have been GEC or Queen made in the last 5 years. I like jigged bone the best for using, but really like stag. Of all the handle materials used in recent years, only the acrylic ones turn me off although they make for a pretty knife. I tend to buy two bladed knives and mostly jack knives of varying sizes.

I go to knife shows and look at the piles of slippies and pick up a few to look at. The prices surprise me often. I have no earthly idea if something was made in 1950 or 2015, nor do I have any reference to some sort of value other than current pricing. So purchases are primarily impulse driven.

For a while I was buying Schrade USA knives at shows, but that has stopped to whatever I run into approach (impulse). I like the Schrades but I think the GEC knives are just better. Again, I'm not a collector.

I buy traditional knives that I think I will or may use. That is the defining characteristic and seldom buy ones with non-traditional blade types because I know I'll never use them. I like SAKs for their utility.
 
I aim for a variety of patterns/designs and variety of handle materials I don't really need 2 of the same knife despite materials though I am fine with 2 very similar knives as long as they are different enough, even if it is just size, but material isn't in my list of different enough. I do seek to get some rarer material knives which might cause me to bend or break that idea of no duplicates but it likely would result in the more common variant being sold, traded, or given away. This idea hold true whether it is traditional or modern and whether fixed or folding.
 
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