Is it time? Reflections

ARtsig1

ARtsig1

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I've been tinkering with knives since I can remember. Growing up in a rural area of the south, knives were just a given. As 7th and 8th graders we toted our knives to school and carved and whittled to our hearts contents at recess. Even as a teacher in the mid 80's at a small and rural K-8 school, kids would bring their knives to school on Fridays and I would take the last hour of the day and instruct them in the fine art of sharpening. Try that one today!! My wife has not always been thrilled with the amount of time and money I've put in to this hobby but has sorta come to the realization that when she buries me A KNIFE IS GOING WITH ME! Here lately though I've just about grown tired of the routine of buying-selling-buying-selling-buying-selling, and have come to the conclusion that I need to pick out a few and stick with them. I have a few now that I've had in the past, but sold them, only to reacquire more of the same kind because their style, materials, whatever it was about them kept taking me back to them. So I'm thinking: Maybe it is time for a New Years Resolution :eek: :) Yeah...well, maybe not...hadn't really thought that far ahead :D But I have sat down and looked over what I think I would want to really keep. The type of knife I am most in to is the large single bladed folder. Two that I currently have are two I've had before, sold-replaced, sold-replaced. One is production, although custom quality...Camillus Cuda MAXX, and the other is a custom large Crawford Wortac. Like I said I've had both, the MAXX on several occassions and the Wortac two times before. A couple of various slipjoints which have really struck me due to their functionality and looks, both are made by Case. One is a Gunstock pattern and the other is a Sowbelly pattern. A couple of SAK's because you can NEVER go wrong with one of these. I have a Swiss Champ that I rarely use but it is such a knife full of tools that it is a shame not to have one. I have a Tinker, but am thinking about getting a Super Tinker and giving my wife the Tinker for her pocketbook. The last folder is a brand new production model but so well done that I want to have one, also a MEGA, so it's gotta stay, and it is a BM 630 Skirmish. Last but not least a man needs a fixed blade...maybe two. I have a BM 220 Resistor which I refrained from putting up for sale simply because I like it. My wife used it the other day to cut mucho cardboard and it sliced right through it and touched up right nicely with only a few swipes on the Sharpmaker. The other large knife I have is the Camillus OVB 7" bowie with the ironwood handles. It is up for sale, not because I don't like it but because I would never use it......and that is a shame because it is one damn fine piece of cutlery! So far a larger fb I may go back to one I've also had a few times before...Camillus CQB1...another fine piece of cutlery from Camillus that I might not be so reluctant to use!

***Forgot.....and I don't know how I forgot this! I have a custom Firetac 165 that Rick is building for me with a bowie style blade. It will go right in there with the others!!

Alright.......there you got it. Four tactical folders, 4 slipjoint folders, and two fixed blades. Can THIS be done?? Is it at all possible? Am I deluding myself into thinking this? Is this April 1st? I don't know but I'm going to give it a try...or something like it anyway!!! :D :D :D

Now, does this mean I'm getting out of knives? Go slap yourself silly if you think that! What I would like to do is start messing with some of the kit knives that are available today. Have Dremmel....Will use it.

Anyway just some reflections and thoughts as we near the end of 2004............any of you others feel my pain?
 
I like variety, and is why I have so many knives but I notice that there are only a selected few(10-12) that are in my EDC(one of them the John W. Smith you once had which now has a little brother :) ), and the rest reside in my safe. My wife on the other hand has 4 knives I can think of that is her EDC rotation,, and she is very happy with those, and not wanting anymore til maybe something intrigues her later on but she also has 75-100 in the safe that are just her collectors.
I have one overdue that was supposed to be my birthday present(12/2) but due to unfortunate problems is being delayed on the makers part. I tell my wife(Luana) that it is my last for a while but she knows better so I guess I am just fooling myself. :D There is always something that comes along I gotta have :D
I don't know but it seems to me it is my addiction but could be worse as my wife knows as the money I spend now used to(7-8 years ago) be spent on booze so at least now I got something to show for it, and glad she is so understanding but she is a knife nut as well but not addicted.
Maybe you like me are really looking for that "perfect" knife, and it is just not out there but we keep looking, and buying hoping so.
I have a pretty nice collection of production, and custom knives, and do not want to get rid of any of them, and happy with the collection, and seem to be slowing down some on buying but everytime I think I have found the one to complete the collection of EDC's I want to carry another pops up.
Look at it like my wife does that you could spend your money on worse habits, and as long as you can afford it why not do what makes you happy.
Sorry for this being so long but you are thinking what has entered my mind off, and on but as long as the wife don't complain then I will continue doing what I am doing, and enjoying it.
I am 62 years old, retired, and knives are my hobby, and what I spend my leisure time, and money on, and is what keeps me from being bored while the wife is at work.
My .02 cents rounded off to a buck twenty :)

Larry
 
Art, as the year draws to a close,
and the holidays bring thoughts of eternal repose,
you're stuck with the age-old question, and the answer is -- nobody knows!

It's always good to re-evaluate,
as long as you burn no bridges, it's never too late,
so go ahead and buy a kit knife, and modify, and decorate!

By now you know what you like. You don't need to pick up a similar or another or a supposedly latest and greatest. Go to a show, meet up with friends, stop by a shop and try them out, but why buy any more? You always had a thing for making the best of the knives you had and improving the action and the appearance. I don't think you've gotten tired of knives, I think you're moving on to a new level, where you need to do it yourself, not buy what someone else already made.

have fun! :D
 
You can do it Art. At least until the next Gotta have mega folder shows up calling to you. :D

I have a different relationship with knives. Can't part with them. I have never sold or traded one yet. Still got every one I ever bought.
 
Thanks for the replys guys. Esav, you a poet my man! Larry I agree on addictions...! Hawaiian, have you heard anything about a new MEGA??? Huh have you, have you..... :D :D :D

Just so you know fella's........I dearly respect and appreciate ya'll! :D :)
 
That goes right back to you Art. We are lucky to have you around!
Gus
 
I remember reading in a book of knives and their values, that in order to collect knives you have to know what you want to collect or specialize in.

For years if it was sharp I wanted it, that was good enough, I went from traditional patterned knives through utility, tactical and multi tool, I've dabbled in customs, and made my own, still as I near my mid 40s i realize my accumulation has no focus except for volume, at 300 + knives I have many sub collections, CRKT's, Bucks, Spydercos, Benchmades, Schrades, Lock backs, Mid Locks, liner locks, Walker Locks, Autos, the sub classes just goes on.

I guess there comes a time when ya realize that ya don't need 300 + knives, I'd like to focus on collecting 1 or 2 traditional patterns, like Stock mans, and Trappers, I'll still keep a few of my favorite EDC's but the rest will have to go to put fresh blood into the collection.

I can't do it, how do you let 'em go, how do you decide what stays and what goes, why can't I keep 'em all, why huh?

Forget it I'm doomed, I'll never change, I'll always be the knife nut with all those knives. :(
 
I know the feeling Art. ;)
I've settled on:
Victorinox Settler...my main EDC
CRK Mnandi...mt other main EDC :D
Schrade Sharpfinger....my hunter
V-nox Trooper...my woods walking buddy
V-nox Compact....my travel knife
V-nox Swiss Tool RS...my multi
V-nox Pocket Pal...my whittler
V-nox Bantam and Classic....for when I need to carry something smaller :rolleyes:

There are others laying around, but these are the ones that see actual use.

Paul
 
A lot of us get obsessive compulsive about our collections. One day, you gotta get one, and then soon after it's on the block to be sold, ready to fill its place with another. This is especially so if you decide from the start that you only want to have a certain amount of funds put into the hobby and then you also want to experience a lot of knife styles that you ordinarily cannot handle if no store is around. Add to this the ethusiasm others express and then you go for the apple of thier eye in addition to ones you already have your eye on. After some time and experience, a person can start to settle upon what materials, usage, build quality, size and maker they like and try to stick with it for a while, maybe to make a promise to yourself to only buy and trade up during knife show visits, or some other method to limit wild abandon. For the folks with massive collections, it could be time to do a rediscovery of knives bought long ago. It becomes like getting a new knife, with wonder centering around why it wound up on the backburners in the first place.
 
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