Knife collecting - a lonely experience?

JDRanger

JDRanger

Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
399
Like all of you I love knives. I’m definitely a collector- I have four great knives for hard use but the rest of them are on display and never see active duty.

I have my Reeve folders lined up in two symmetrical lines beside my Emerson’s, ZT, Benchmade, Spyderco s and all the other usual suspects.

There’s even a lineup of one-of-a-kind Knives from custom makers.

Unfortunately, I have virtually no friends who care about knives. So when I spend time polishing or rearranging my collection it’s a solitary activity.

When I get a new knife I’m excited about (all of them) there’s no one to marvel at its attributes with.

I spend a lot of time on this forum because it makes me feel like I’m not some miser sitting in a tower by myself cherishing my fine art but never sharing it with others.

Out of curiosity, are you someone who can share their knife addiction with others or are you like me - your affection with knives is just your thing and you don’t have other people to share in the experience of having really great knives?
 
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We are a rare breed. I know one guy who owns a general store about 15 miles away who collects. He has a good assortment for sale and we talk knives, but other than that, I can't say I know any knife collectors. They may be out there and just never mention their addiction because they think people will think they are mentally ill.

I was working at an older mans house this week and noticed he had a few very nice Case stockmans laying around and I struck up a conversation, but that doesn't happen often.
 
Knives aren't a subject that normally pop up in a conversation. There may have been times when we were talking to a fellow knife enthusiast without knowing it.
 
I believe that what you are describing is a common sentiment shared by all collectors. Collecting anything is a fringe activity and an individual pursuit. Let’s face it, most of the crowd would rather be socializing, listening, drinking, eating, dressing, driving, thinking and speaking only whatever happens to be commonly in fad.

Collecting is more of an intellectual pursuit, an outlier activity. In accordance with our own interests we become experts in what is usually arcane subjects. We teach ourselves about the physics of using knives as tools, metallurgy, and the detailed history of long gone companies who were obscure in their own time.

We are scientist and historians, who in our own small way seek understanding and to create order. We contribute to the lore by rediscovering it and passing it down to future generations; even as we preserve the skills and physical artifacts.

That is an important and critical role. Even if it is not central to the social scene, we at least have the ability to entertain ourselves and can find challenges and self-esteem in places that most never will.

n2s
 
There are a few people I know who share the knife affliction. A few friends I met here on the forum, my brother (also a forum member), and a few coworkers.
 
I'm in the same boat as you. What is more, my own family has never really supported my hobby. I don't get knives for Christmas unless I gift them to myself lol. I do share my enjoyment of knives by giving knives as presents to my friends and co-workers. I have also shapened knives for my co-workers and family.
 
JDRanger said:
your affection with knives is just your thing and you don’t have other people to share in the experience of having really great knives?
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Put it this away . . . I got my excoworker interested (I thought) he talked a good line now and then. Most days he would ask to borrow my knife because he left his at home o_O

A few weeks before we canned him I looked over and he was cutting his apple with a plastic throwaway knife like from MacDonalds . . . :( :mad: :( :poop:

Our new owner . . . he carries his Dads old Stockman. I offered to sharpen it and before I got the words out of my mouth he was pushing it at me and saying coolcoolcool.

I explained when I gave it back to him that is was sharp enough to whittle little curls off a hair.
He is pretty handy and has done a fair amount of commercial building remodeling etc. . . . It wasn't a day or two and he had cut himself fairly badly.
:rolleyes:
I haven't seen him use it since, uses a break off box knife all the time, and there are a few other owners and none of them have shown up to get their knife sharpened. They are very kind to me and have done a lot for me so I would be happy to give back . . .
They all own a brew pub together besides the business I work at; I offered to do any "emergency" kitchen knife sharpening they might need. It's been a year and nada.

So . . . yeah . . . I'm glad I got you people to yammer on to about sharp stuff.
I love you guys (he said quickly brushing something out of the corner of his eye)
:):):):p:):):)
hahaha
 
It is a lonely activity, and that's ok. Collecting in and of itself kinda its nature. You are accumulating, owning things. That's singular. On top of that, the pure subjectivity of buying something that speaks to you personally is also in play. Paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for something that "just cuts stuff" is as alien to those who collect cars they will never drive or toys they will never let their kids play with.

I like that my collection is deeply personal. My wife and daughter indulge me. I know of a couple of sharp and pointy things hanging out under the tree right now. My wife really has no idea about what she has purchased from my wish list, but she has her reasons as to why she picked out what she did. So everytime I use it, I'll think of her and my daughter.

I have knives my grandpa snuck into my posession when I was a kid that my mom would have confiscated. I have a Harley knife my dad bought for me when I turned 18. I've got a knife custom made by an artisan on a dirt floor in Nepal that I used to cut my wedding cake. I've got a couple of knives hand turned by folks on the board who are big deals now but were just starting out when they made these.

All of this information is just personal connection. No one else could appreciate them the way I do, and I like that. 100s or maybe thousands of stories that tell the history of, well, me. A chronical of who I am as told in bits of steel.
 
I always have my knives and axes somewhat laid out in the house for my enjoyment...when company comes through, they are hidden in a drawer. This about somes out the hobby for me.

I always looking for that knife clip in a stranger's pocket in a line that represents a quality knife. Knives seem to be a lonely collector's hobby, because to me collecting is for you in the first place. My enjoyment comes from using and appreciating your investment for what its worth and designed for....using. You pay so much for a super steel or quality heat treat. It means nothing unless its used. You can buy a beautiful art piece blade for 10 bucks....quality vs cheap steel will always look the same unused. I am on forums because I never see that pocket clip while waiting in line. My friends like their folding box cutters for carpentry and anything that cuts for commercial fishing, my girlfriend wants the better things in life. Me having a 500 dollar blade arriving in the mailbox is not going to bring her that peace of mind..... but keeps me sain and content in my hobby....hence hide the hobby and enjoy it alone or with you
 
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It is lonely, I guess. I don't really collect, I use, but I have about 37 or so in my little "collection". The guys at work like looking at my knives, I have sharpened some of theirs as well. Even given them tips on sharpening. But they're not into it like me, and that's OK. I just like talking about it.

I see people at times with a pocket clip hanging out, but I never say anything. Just not like me to strike up a random stranger lol!
 
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