Knife Collecting Thoughts And Addiction

I collect knives for two reasons:

1. I enjoy it.
2. I am retired and pretty well tied down caring for an invalid daughter and hardly ever get the chance to get outdoors anymore for any significant length of time. Knife collecting has become an alternative outlet.

Specifically I collect Busse knives. I have five or so that I have designated as users, although I hardly ever get to use them, except for some yard work.
55 or so of them are strictly safe queens that I have no intention of ever using. For the last several years, I have tried to have at least one knife delivery pending all the time. Gives me something to look forward to. One of these days I will sell a few, but for now I am content to accumulate. My wife recognizes the beneficial outlet that collecting is for me and fully supports it. She insists that we never miss a Blade show.

So what if I am a little complusive about it? It is not harmful to health, fattening, immoral or illegal, and I can afford to buy a knife occasionally. I had much rather have this compulsion than a lot of very harmful ones I could name.

Bottom line: If collecting puts you on a guilt trip, causes financial difficulty or family problems, then you should probably curtail it. I know that I would if any of these conditions applied.
 
Of course this is not a question of need - more of an issue of compulsive collecting. When you find a knife you like - you want more of them! Now with Walmart - except for the native and leek and the buck with the holes in the handle(special design ) andbuck 110 - the rest are just so so- so just get those and quit going to the walmart knife counter! - go buy tomatoes and underwear instead !
OR - you can keep buying those knives until you are sick and tired of knives and then quit for good ! Addicts quit - when they become "sick and tired of being sick and tired"
 
Addiction...

Well it's not like mugging old ladies and holding up conveinence stores to buy knives. But I will go weeks without buying food to afford a knife.
 
I dont consider myself a collector, just someone who loves knives. I cant afford to be a collector anyway, my money has to be spend on other things too, like getting a car. I have a few knives, and i use them all. Im not afraid to scratch them up and get them dirty. Knives just interest me alot and i love learning about them.
 
They make great gifts to special friends and relatives, especially those that have never had a good knife before.

I gave my neighbor who I bum stuff from all the time a new Spyderco Delica. This guy is a master carpenter who had never heard of Spyderco knives. He is tickled with his new serrated cutter.
 
I realize however that when I spend time here I just want to buy more knives. I think it's due to all the stuff I read about this knife or that knife. What helps me to not buy knives is staying away from knife discussion forums. That's hard enough in itself.

I think that message boards/forums are addicting as it is.
 
I'm even on the Forums at work, when it's slow. I quit buying knives for 10 hours a day, four days a week. Thats enough for me.
There are also "So many fine knife makers".
 
MikeH said:
Bottom line: If collecting puts you on a guilt trip, causes financial difficulty or family problems, then you should probably curtail it.
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I think that's the point I gotta agree with.
 
irabren said:
Yea - I love knives too - but after all - most all of them, after you look at them and play with them - go sit in a drawer ( unless you like to display them).
They cost money and keep costing you money which you could save or spend on something else - but better to save!
Bye
Click to expand...

everything is good in moderation. We have to save some money and spend some.
I am buying only 1-2 knives a month, I spend only birthday's / bonus money and always looking for a good deal.
R
 
"Addiction"? C'mon, really now.

I'm not addicted. I can stop any time I want.

I think.

I hope...
 
Do a lot of my knives sit in my safe neglected? Sure, I can only carry so many knives and certain knives are inappropriate for certain settings. Some knives don't see much use anymore but are retained out of good memories associated with it.

Last count I think I had around 25 knives. That number is pretty constant as I will usually trade 1 or 2 at the Blade show towards 1 or 2 new knives. As another posted stated, as long as it does not cause any financial problems it is all good.

There are several nice custom knives I would like, but I realize that on my budget I just can't go buy everything I want. Besides, when I do finally get that knife I have always wanted and been dreaming about, it is that much more satisfying and I appreciate it more.
 
I think I might have a problem, I buy knives and charge them when I don't have money. BUT all in all, I have a nice collection of ten knives...two fixed blades I will use for camping, two balis I will use for flipping, two knives I will use for carrying (one for self defense, one smaller for every day cutting) one small spring assist for when I am traveling light, one large spring assist for fishing, one cold steel ti-lite for opening my mail, one buck 110 for lancing blisters... I've spent about 1000 dollars, did I mention I started collecting in january?? heheh
 
My problem is that I have so many nice knives that I couldn't stand to depart with them. On the other hand, my crappy knives would make me feel guilty to give away knowing that they would probably fail catastrophically for someone (and possible injury), and yet I hate to just throw them in the garbage.

Anybody know of a turn in your knife program where I could get a gift certificate or something for getting rid of my trashy knives? :confused:

I do plan to concentate on not buying anymore knives...must concentrate...must concentrate. :o
 
BUY A HI KHUKRI!!!!! Support a starving nation.
That's the only incentive anyone should need! :D
 
What I meant was -when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired from losing the money spent on knives -then you quit - at least for awhile - there is always the danger of relapse!
 
Some people enjoy getting electronic gadgets, some enjoy cars, some enjoy knives.
I find knives best of these, because they are affordable and much more important - nice knife will last for years and years and still be the same quality. Briliance of proper mechanics :)

Has anyone ever seen 10-year-old electronic gadget that wouldn't be PoS nowadays? :)
 
Yea - I agree - I love knives too - but for those of us who have a problem - talking about it on this forum and admitting the problem - is a first step towards cure !
 
huugh said:
Has anyone ever seen 10-year-old electronic gadget that wouldn't be PoS nowadays? :)
Click to expand...

my gameboy's almost 12 years old. metroid, ducktales, supermario2, FF Ledgends, and tetris still work with minimal blowing, and the entertainment value is little different than that provided by my PSP, and the games are (were) significantly cheaper even with inflation. Does that count?

on another note, i just fed my addiction, Gander Mtn has new stock, so I had to pick up a Grip, and a Native III, and a Boker Badger (at least that's what they called it, I just wanted the blade, I've never seen the knife before.)
 
It's a compulsive/obsessive disorder! But it's safer than crack!
The anticipation of & buying of knives is the rush. To posess it is like winning a trophy or attaining a goal.
Trouble is the novelty soon wears off, then you get another & another & another..
Then you get a new hobby like fishing or collecting die-cast cars,etc and start all over again.
The only cure is poverty or death..thankfully!!
 
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