Knife type that every collector needs one of...

[Kevin Jones]

I agree that every collector should collect what ever they like, however I have seen many a new collector have your attitude only to soon find a particular type of knife they are drawn to but are stuck with dozens of knives they are no longer interested in.

Notice how many collectors here are focused on specific areas and makers. Of course some will argue they aren't, however their collections state otherwise. Focused or varied, nothing wrong with either. Just different collecting philosophy's.

New collectors here can take it all in and learn from the many seasoned collectors and makers or they can believe they already have it all figured out.

Habber's post really sums up my internal response to Kevin's comments regarding how 'new collectors' think they know everything and should find themselves a collectorship mentor to tell them how to spend their money on knives.
I simply find this topic to be kind of a joke. Verbal masturbation.
Let's see some pictures of knives and quit having these circle:jerkit:s.

Lorien, you are both very mistaken and misrepresenting my words. I speak to many new collectors and MOST are very eager to pick up any and all knowledge they can get here or anywhere else for that matter. But some do think they know it all.
But I would not be referring to you as you have stated on this forum you are neither maker or collector and I assume you are not a dealer, but you do offer strong opinions directed at each. Not that there's anything wrong with that even though you have limited knife knowledge to do so since you are neither maker, collector or dealer.

 

[betzner]

Lots of highly opinionated people in this thread, most of whom have no realization that Kevin's purpose is to assist, to educate, to help - not to impose.

 

[Habber]

Thanks for the response Kevin
I agree that new collectors can gain from seasoned collectors and makers,especially when it comes to what makes a good knife good.
I was not one of the fortunate new collectors,I also have a few knives I bought early on that,after purchasing,was shown some flaws in them,a couple of them glaring flaws that most makers probably wouldn't let out of thier shops.Lessons learned.If I were to try to sell these knives I would have to point these flaws out to any prospective buyer,and likely wouldn't make the sale,or at the least,not make what I paid.The fact is though,I still like the aesthetics of the knives(main reason I bought them in the first place),and because it was early in my collecting,I still wasn't prepared to spend huge money(my concept of huge money) on a knife so I guess in that aspect I am lucky enough to be able to afford to keep them and actually still enjoy them(though,admittedly, a bit less than I would if not aware of the flaws)I still have never sold a knife,so I've been lucky that I've never had to dwell on how to get rid of knives.I still don't consider myself very knowledgable,I learn quite a bit here and at all shows I attend,plus from friends that collect,and makers.I still buy what I like!Maybe when my collection gets too big to manage,I might start thinking about resale.
You are correct in that newer collector's get excited(especially at that first big show)and that thier tastes could change later on.I started out looking for autos and folders mainly,the last few knives I have gotten have been big fixed blades,I used to hate stag...now I think good stag is awesome,I recently bought my first custom slipjoint(slipjoints never interested me when I started collecting).I expect my tastes to change more in the future.I don't dislike anything I focused on earlier,I just like more now!
I am glad to hear that I took the comment wrong and hope that the CKCA will take off and be a great organization(which is what my initial thought was when I first read about it here)I think patience in purchasing is a great thing to stress.I was impulsive early on,now I realize there is another great knife just around the corner,so I save and wait,and am hopefully in the right spot at the right time with the right funds to get one.

Thanks
Rob

 

[Kevin Jones]

Lots of highly opinionated people in this thread, most of whom have no realization that Kevin's purpose is to assist, to educate, to help - not to impose.

Thank you Bob as the above are my intensions, though I realize that I may not come off that way in my post at times.

Rob, thank you as well and I hope both of you will consider membership in the CKCA after you have more information. As we will only be as good as our membership.

 

[Lorien]

Sorry Kevin, I didn't really get your angle. I didn't mean to misrepresent your words, (which is why I didn't quote you!) but I get where you're coming from.

I'm here to learn, and I think that the time spent has been well spent. Even if there are folks in here who 'tell other people what to do', (which I suppose we all have the choice of ignoring or not. Beauty of the internets, compared with real life!) does not mean that valuable information can't be had from them.

I don't know a lot about knives, I suppose. After all, they've been around for a large portion of modern human history, so my guess is there's more to learn than any one brain can process.
However, I do know what I like. I use knives frequently to build trails, (as a professional and as a volunteer), so my 'collection' is full of used but handmade knives. Perhaps if I desired to acquire knives simply to have and behold I would diversify, as I like all kinds of knives. Perhaps that desire will grow. Who knows. That's one of the reasons I spend time is this forum, but for now I can only afford knives that I will use.

I feel that the motivation for this thread should be, 'let's categorize each type of knife and then tell each other which ones we're most interested in collecting, to find out if we've missed any'.
Since the topic of handmade knives is so vast, we could include any kind of handmade knife from any culture. There are hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of knives in the world. So perhaps it would be appropriate to specify the regional context of the majority of collectors in here.

Ahg! I didn't mean to sway this topic anywhere. Don't mind me, just carry on

 

[Kevin Jones]

Sorry Kevin, I didn't really get your angle. I didn't mean to misrepresent your words, (which is why I didn't quote you!) but I get where you're coming from.

I'm here to learn, and I think that the time spent has been well spent. Even if there are folks in here who 'tell other people what to do', (which I suppose we all have the choice of ignoring or not. Beauty of the internets, compared with real life!) does not mean that valuable information can't be had from them.

I don't know a lot about knives, I suppose. After all, they've been around for a large portion of modern human history, so my guess is there's more to learn than any one brain can process.
However, I do know what I like. I use knives frequently to build trails, (as a professional and as a volunteer), so my 'collection' is full of used but handmade knives. Perhaps if I desired to acquire knives simply to have and behold I would diversify, as I like all kinds of knives. Perhaps that desire will grow. Who knows. That's one of the reasons I spend time is this forum, but for now I can only afford knives that I will use.

I feel that the motivation for this thread should be, 'let's categorize each type of knife and then tell each other which ones we're most interested in collecting, to find out if we've missed any'.
Since the topic of handmade knives is so vast, we could include any kind of handmade knife from any culture. There are hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of knives in the world. So perhaps it would be appropriate to specify the regional context of the majority of collectors in here.

Ahg! I didn't mean to sway this topic anywhere. Don't mind me, just carry on

No problem. You probably know much more about knife use than I do, as I don't use them much since I stopped hunting.

Custom knives cover such a broad spectrum these days that it's all but impossible to have large broad knowledge of them, not that there's not some that do.

I have become interested in folders as of late, however know very little about them but am studying up on them.

 

[RogerP]

Kevin,
I hope I'm just reading this wrong,but that sounds to me as if you think that 'seasoned' collectors can or should "help" people in choosing what to collect.If that is the case,in my opinion,it bodes very poorly for any organized collector group that might be in the works.It's one thing to help folk out with showing certain things to look for in a knife(of any style),such as fit and finish,quality materials,even maker's reputations,but to presume you can teach people what styles of knives should be in thier collection just sounds ridiculous,and,I think,would turn new collectors off to knife collecting if people tried to do it to them(unless they seeked out the opinion).
I believe the new collector has already figured it all out,in the terms of they know that they are interested in knives and want another one,they don't need to be told what type of knife,just what makes a knife a good knife.

Robert Lindquist

Exactly correct Rob - and well said.

Roger

 

[jdm61]

I can only comment on fixed blades. I would agree with Mr. Richards. Everyone should have one nice drop point hunter, be it a user or safe queen. The folder guys would probably say the same about a nice slipjoint or small locker and I would agree. I have one custom folder in my dwindling collection and I feel that I would be remiss if I did not have it.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Exactly correct Rob - and well said.

Roger

Roger, perhaps you should read my response to Rob's post above and then his response back to me acknowledging his taking the comment wrong and you could get a better understanding of my and his communication rather than just taking the first to take a stab at me.

 

[Doug C]

After reading the entire thread,I think a better thread title would have been,
Knife type that every collector enjoys,or,
Knife type that every collector would enjoy acquiring more of,
anything but Knife type that every collector needs one of...

Sorry,Joss,but your thread title needs tweaked a bit.

With that said,I'd like to add Sub-Hilts to the ones already mentioned.

Rock On,Blade Brothers. :thumbup:

Doug

 

[RogerP]

Knife type that every collector enjoys,or,
Knife type that every collector would enjoy acquiring more of,
anything but Knife type that every collector needs one of...

Sorry,Joss,but your thread title needs tweaked a bit.

With that said,I'd like to add Sub-Hilts to the ones already mentioned.

Rock On,Blade Brothers. :thumbup:

Doug

Problem is, there is no one type of knife that every collector wants / needs / loves / enjoys.

A forged bowie collector may not particularly enjoy ownership of the latest and greatest tactical folder.

A slipjoint collector may not feel that he "should" attempt to seek out ownership of a finely crafted wakizashi.

A tactical collector may not feel any "need" to own an elaborate art dagger.

And then there are those who collect all types of knives, with the only criterion being that the piece pleases them in some substantial way. Nothing at all wrong with that.

And so on...

Of course, for every type of knife there will be many collectors who enthusiastically pursue examples for their collection. But the suggestion that is any one type of knife that all collectors should own is fundamentally misconceived, IMHO.

I take a decidedly less condescending and paternalistic view of newer collectors than others do.

Roger