Knife Collection . . . Why ?

specgrade said:
Simply something to do. For me? I find very little else that makes me happy so I feed the madness. There will always be that next knife to add to the collection and searching for it is half the fun.
Click to expand...
Knives are my dominant hobby right now. It used to be guns but when stuff I like pushed over the $1000 mark, I eased off and bought few new additions for my collection. It has gotten to the point that I seldom even handle any of my collection and they may sit for years between my even looking at them. My tastes in knives don't run so rich and it's still fun.
 
For the same reason I have more than one screw driver. Having the right tool for the job makes for a safer job. That means one knife won’t handle the different tasks that need to be done.
Besides, it draws less attention when you use a knife to open a box as opposed to a gun :eek:. Guns don’t open boxes very well.
 
I write the following, not just about my knife collection, but about my entire collecting hobby, (one that may seem very eclectic).
As a kid, while growing up, I would see, (and sometimes get to handle), objects that were simply "cool" to me. I would often see such items in store displays, in museums, or in private home's walls & display cases. The combination of seeing these "cool things", and seeing the way some were being displayed, are the catalyst for my collecting "things" that today are a major aspect of my interior decor. I find the items in my collection to be very "cool", and just like when I was a kid, these "cool things" make me smile :)

So... why do I collect?... For the pure pleasure I get from it :)

Here are just some of my collection displays...













 
Last edited:
I don't think the answer to why knives is really any different than any other preferences or hobbies. The collecting sort of happens naturally because each new knife adds some pleasure. Then you have the nostalgia factor when a knife reminds you of your past.
Even if addictive, collecting knives is fairly harmless. I limit the number I keep so there's a lot of turnover.
 
Knives as a hobby is a natural progression from simply liking them beyond a couple knives that you might use. Most aren't terribly expensive if you have a reasonable job. Unlike guns, you can use knives every single day without putting forth much effort (or feeding them). Some of us have tendencies toward accumulating objects we don't really need beyond having the basics covered and others do not. The selling aspect is where I have difficulties. I know that technically I can sell them, but I never do primarily due to the hassle.
 
It is almost more about the hunt than the acquisition.

Not exactly the same thing, but wifey and I were heading up the central left coast and hitting antique stores. I was of course looking for knives but also a cast aluminum grain scoop for dog food dispensing. I first had zero luck. I really kept my eye out, my heart stopped a bit when I found one but they wanted $30 for it. I passed. The next day, I found one for $12.50! The joy of finding it was fleeting. The deflation of disappointment because the hunt was now over was really eye opening for me.
I may sell off a little of my early acquired knives to buy one I really want. Life is tough enough. Enjoy collecting if you have the means to
 
Last edited:
I'll do a better reply than my first, but select few describes VERY few collections of the folks on this board based on my experience over almost 10 years reading posts here.

I love knives. I love to fondle, or what some on the "porch" call "coon fingerin' " them. I enjoy the beauty of them, the craftsmanship, the quality.

Some knives just make you want to fondle them, others just don't do it for me.

My AG Russell (RIP) Acies, for instance. That knife just has the feel. It's a beauty, it functions flawlessly, it feels great to the touch. It just makes you feel good to have it, not to mention use it on a regular basis.

I also love Zero Tolerance knives, as I think they are one of the best values for the dollar in the business today - great quality and priced in the ballpark, particularly if you wait and get a model after the initial collectors furor calms down. Thus I have a large collection of Zero Tolerance knives which I love to carry and use in a rotation.

Then sometimes a knife just calls out to you. Why do I own a Busse WTF? Well - if you hold one in your hands and don't get a big, stupid grin on your face, then maybe you wouldn't want one, but everyone that I have handed that knife to gets the BSG-face. Is it a practical knife? No - not why I bought it. It just called out to me.

Same with several of the knives and guns I own.

Sometimes you get to know a maker, maybe because he or she lives in your area, and you want to patronize them and their products. I have many more JK Handmade Knives than I could ever put to good use, but I enjoy them and owning them and rotating them into use around the house and yard.

I am now, though, at the point in my collecting where I am selling off some of the knives that I don't use or that I don't rotate into my pocket, or that I just want to liquidate so I can buy something else. I think I have invested enough that now, heading into retirement, I will use proceeds from sales to fund new purchases more as a rule than the exception.

I have done some of that recently, and doing this (selling to buy) has been a refreshing addition to the hobby of collecting, particularly here on BF where I know most of the people and can feel comfortable with the dealings. It is adding to the enjoyment, and I am getting to fondle some knives that I didn't buy when new due to budgetary concerns.

I apologize for the wall of text, but the question deserved a little thought and a decent reply.

best regards

mqqn
 
mqqn said:
.....Then sometimes a knife just calls out to you. Why do I own a Busse WTF? Well - if you hold one in your hands and don't get a big, stupid grin on your face, then maybe you wouldn't want one, but everyone that I have handed that knife to gets the BSG-face. Is it a practical knife? No - not why I bought it. It just called out to me.

Same with several of the knives and guns I own.
Click to expand...
I like Randall knives in general. Picked up a Blackjack 1-7 in a store and the big stupid grin appeared..... bought it. Have done the same thing with Randalls. Do I need it? Nope. But as the pile grows, I am a bit more selective. I seek the stupid grin.

Do I need two or three Kepharts? You know the answer to that. ;)
 
I have tools that i use every day. They wear out and have to be replaced. So i end up trying to find higher end tools that, sure may cost more... But offer longer lasting craftsmanship. And if i take pride in some of these tools i want to give them good looking materials. The knives market is just one of those markets that offers so much customization.

Other than that... Addiction. Its human nature to be addicted to something or multiple things. There are bad things to be addicted to and not so bad things. Overall you have to be careful about addiction. If you cant afford something but you get it anyways... Thats becoming a problem. You have to live within your means or make your means into something to afford your addiction. Avoid the addictions that could be life threatening and replace them with knives or whatever lol. Gambling addiction is pretty bad when it goes too far. Key is moderation and knowing your limits and setting them lower and staying within those means and knowing that its okay to pass up on something. Its not going to matter in the long run if it slips by.
 
I own pocket knives because they are useful. I collect knives because they are pretty, shiny, fun to fondle, and occasionally works of art. Often I collect because it is my entertainment. But mostly it is the stories and history attached to the knives that draw me in.

I am happy I finally have a grandson that eventually I can leave my beauties to - because I cannot imagine selling any of them.

Brian
 
Japacheze said:
What drives folks to collect knives? I have many pocket knives and a ton of kitchen cutlery. I can't seem to get enough. However, I feel that I could not possibly use all of them at a level that they deserve. Why am I obsessed with knives?

Let me know your story and how you deal with this addiction. How does one settle on just a select few?
Click to expand...

This doesn't apply to just knives people who don't understand collection wonder why people need to have so much junk surrounding them it just is.

I'm a B-bag kind of person i.e. if it doesn't fit in my B-bag I don't own it and the lighter folks would say that if it's not on your person at a dead run you don't own it.

If you leave it a differnt strokes for different folks you're life will be much easier
 
Japacheze said:
What drives folks to collect knives? I have many pocket knives and a ton of kitchen cutlery. I can't seem to get enough. However, I feel that I could not possibly use all of them at a level that they deserve. Why am I obsessed with knives?

Let me know your story and how you deal with this addiction. How does one settle on just a select few?
Click to expand...

I've carried and used pocket knives for almost 60 years. I've always had a thing for them. But mostly a pocket knife has always been just a handy tool to have in my pocket. I picked up a few over the decades, but not a huge number. Now that the kids are grown and out of the house, I have a bit of extra cash and it's fun to buy a knife here and there.

These days I don't "collect" so much as I "accumulate".
I like to try different patterns and blade styles and blade alloys to see what works best for me. My "collection" is mostly a history of the different knives I've tried. I keep them to act as reference points for what I've tried. They remind me what features worked for me and which things didn't.

As I've figured out my likes, my buy rate has decreased. But I'm always interested to see something new, and if I think it would work for my needs, I might buy it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top