Keep em, pretty or scruff them up ?

upnorth

upnorth

Joined
Nov 25, 2006
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I am to the point of having back ups, for the back ups, of my back ups to my FB outdoor knives, and don't see much point getting many more now. My glistening little Porcine eyes are now focusing on Swiss bianco Canuckia. Do you folks stash away those glittering Apocalypse Green etc. Farmers to oil and generally fondle with aesthetic appreciation, then tuck them away lovingly in their bed of safety ? Or do you let them ride from your Victorinox belt hanger in pocket, and yank it out as need be, scruffing them up ? Some of them are so gorgeous that I wonder if I would carry and use them because the standard silver alox is there as a working tool, dunno, what say the obsessed ? They are about $125.00 a pop up here with shipping, so I'm on the fence about using them.
 
I have several Multi-tools and knives that I keep nice and pretty. And I have a couple that I put to a lot of use and they get scuffed up a whole heck of a lot.
 
My knives and tools earn their scuffs and dings by being carried and used.

If something stays pretty, that usually means that I don't like to carry it for some reason.
 
Carry and use the heck out of them. Nothing is as sad as a tool that has been horded for years and is still in mint condition because it's being saved for some reason.
 
I tend to be careful with them, but inevitably they get a scratch/mark on them. Then I care less and less. They are tools to be used but treated properly.
 
Buy some to use, some to collect....the collection is a legacy to my kids/grandkids. On new ones, I usually buy one to use, one to put back.
 
If anyone is concerned about scuffing up a multi-tool or knife, they are hobbyist collectors, and there is nothing wrong in that. Typically, though, most of us have a number of them we like to keep pristine while we bang up the others. It's like getting a new car. At first when you drive it, you are nervous about the first scuff or scratch until it happens, and then you can relax. On the very first time I used my brand new Charge, I got a significant scratch on the PE blade. Oh, well. Then I really got down with the tool, and by the end of that session, we were buddies. Frankly, I enjoy the process.
I once read that M. Kalashnikov, who was always being presented with engraved ceremonial blades, would ASAP cut stuff with it. He believed that tools were made to be used and not jewelry or trophies. But I'll never use my first production run commemorative Vic Soldier '08.
 
The question is easily answered: do you purchase to display and collect or do you purchase to use?
 
I used to carry assorted items in my pocket with my pocket knives...keys, change etc... so my ALOX Saks showed use. Then one day I changed my pocket knife....traditionals/Saks and the like to just solo carry in LFP. That said they're used but don't show much exterior use.

I still carry in LFP and my ALOX Soldier in horizontal belt sheath....again blade/tools show use but ALOX body does not:o
 
Use and enjoy. I will occasionally do some polishing from time to time, but in the end, its a tool, and its going to get used, so I can't be precious about it. Now I won't go using a cider block as a cutting board, there are limits.
 
Every single knife I have ever bought has been purchased with the intention to use it , but there is a difference between using and abusing .
Most of my knives over the years have been carried in belt sheaths or pouches with flaps to secure the knife which do a great job of protecting the outer appearance of the knife .
Over the last year I have been carrying Spyderco's and they are my first real exposure to carrying with pocket clips , interestingly the pocket clips seem to take a beating and show signs of wear very quickly , but the knives themselves are still in great shape .
I understand collecting , but it's not for me .

Ken
 
harronek said:
Every single knife I have ever bought has been purchased with the intention to use it , but there is a difference between using and abusing .
Most of my knives over the years have been carried in belt sheaths or pouches with flaps to secure the knife which do a great job of protecting the outer appearance of the knife .
Over the last year I have been carrying Spyderco's and they are my first real exposure to carrying with pocket clips , interestingly the pocket clips seem to take a beating and show signs of wear very quickly , but the knives themselves are still in great shape .
I understand collecting , but it's not for me .

Ken
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Same here, I use them alot but never abuse them. I enjoy using them, so I'm not a collector by any means. My SAK's are all Alox. They ride in a belt sheath most of the time or in LFP with change, nail clippers, etc.
 
my uncle got me a mora as my first fixed blade and its so shiny its like until i have to use it i dont wanna. i like buying lightlly used then im not worrying about a scratch if it has some. i clean mine i dont abuse them but i use them i only have one for display and thats because its an older more decorative knife with legality as a queation
 
Thanks for the replies. I guess that I have to do a test run and see how they hold up. The worst that can happen is that I have one more useful folder.
 
I have some very nice looking colored Alox knives on the way, but they are meant to be used. I don't like drawer queens and dust collectors ;)

Of course I won't put those beauty's in the same pocket together with my keys.. that's just cruel :)
 
glenfiddich1983 said:
I have some very nice looking colored Alox knives on the way, but they are meant to be used. I don't like drawer queens and dust collectors ;)

Of course I won't put those beauty's in the same pocket together with my keys.. that's just cruel :)
Click to expand...

lol , ya, my Pioneer or Farmer swing off my belt hangar chain and sit quite well in my jeans watch pocket.
 
Ive recently pared down my collection to just users, with a few exceptions here and there. If there is a particular model, especially a limited edition that catches my eye - I'll buy one as a user and another as a backup in case it goes missing during my lifetime. I can count on one hand how many of these duplicates I now have when it comes to SAKs. There's a gunmetal Alox Cadet that I got years ago that's seen heavy use - wish I picked another one at the time, because they are impossible to find now and the current prices for them reflect that. Nothing beats a well-used tool, from hammers all the way down to pocket knives. :)

Same with multi-tools, with the exception of the one thing that I "collect" collect: old Gerber Multi-Pliers (the non-locking ones from the 90's). Purely for aesthetics and the mechanical engineering that went into the early models. They're pretty inexpensive as far as collectibles go ($30 to $40 for a pristine one), so one here-and-there doesn't break the budget.

Remember - you can't any of this with you when you give up the ghost..... ;)
 
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