Lets talk GEC!

Frailer said:
I don't find the artificial distinction between "users" and "collectors" to be productive. Lord knows *all* of us have more knives than we need.
Click to expand...

That he does. We can probably agree what everyone should have at least one. Jesus himself being a carpenter, I would imagine he probably carried or at least used some kind of knife. And I’d like to think if he carried a pocket knife it would be a GEC.

JohnDF said:
That's not true... I need one more. ;)
Click to expand...

I keep telling my wife this next GEC will be the last... I think I’ve got no credibility remaining.
 
Quite frankly, I don't understand the offense one takes at being referred to as a collector. Even more, I don't understand why there has to be a distinction between "user" versus "collector". I have enough knives that it is unlikely that I will get around to using them all in any sort of meaningful manner. Does that mean I will be afraid to use any one of them should I desire to? No.

I am most certainly a collector.

I also am most certainly a user.

The two terms do not have to be mutually exclusive.
 
Who are these people taking offense? Collecting, in my mind, is an activity done with a purpose in mind. Charlie, with his passion and knowledge, is a collector. I, on the other hand, am simply a guy who likes knives and picks up the odd one here and there. Since I've been at this for a while this has resulted in a fair few number of knives. They have simply accumulated over time, I have never thought of them as a collection.
 
JohnDF said:
That's not true... I need one more. ;)
Click to expand...
Me, too! Right now, I am quite sure that the new #29 is the perfect size and blade configuration that could be The One that would meet all my knifey needs and I will carry it every day and truly bond with it. Of course, that would mean I'll become so attached to it that I'll want to buy a second to have a spare...
Pàdruig said:
Quite frankly, I don't understand the offense one takes at being referred to as a collector. Even more, I don't understand why there has to be a distinction between "user" versus "collector". I have enough knives that it is unlikely that I will get around to using them all in any sort of meaningful manner. Does that mean I will be afraid to use any one of them should I desire to? No.

I am most certainly a collector.

I also am most certainly a user.

The two terms do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Click to expand...
I wonder if some of that comes from the arguments that pop up about 'bushcraft' and various other types of knives. One guy doesn't like the other guys knife, and at some point it turns to "You don't know what you're talking about because you don't even use your knives! You just collect them to look at!"
 
kamagong said:
Who are these people taking offense? Collecting, in my mind, is an activity done with a purpose in mind. Charlie, with his passion and knowledge, is a collector. I, on the other hand, am simply a guy who likes knives and picks up the odd one here and there. Since I've been at this for a while this has resulted in a fair few number of knives. They have simply accumulated over time, I have never thought of them as a collection.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I should reword it --- "Repeatedly points out that one is not a collector"

For the record, I am not singling you out. There was a time where I would rankle at the notion of being considered a "collector" versus a "user". I stopped kidding myself quite some time ago when I realized that I had accumulated quite a pile. It isn't reasonable for me to continue to make the claim that I am strictly a user when I have knives that remain unused in my collection (accumulation, pile, assortment, etc.).

Again, the terms aren't mutually exclusive.
 
r8shell said:
I wonder if some of that comes from the arguments that pop up about 'bushcraft' and various other types of knives. One guy doesn't like the other guys knife, and at some point it turns to "You don't know what you're talking about because you don't even use your knives! You just collect them to look at!"
Click to expand...

That is an enormously valid observation. I couldn't agree more. Ultimately, knife discussions (much like any discussion) involve numerous differing opinions. One can hope that they don't devolve into less than productive conclusions but the internet proves that we don't always get what we want...
 
Pàdruig said:
Perhaps I should reword it --- "Repeatedly points out that one is not a collector"

For the record, I am not singling you out. There was a time where I would rankle at the notion of being considered a "collector" versus a "user". I stopped kidding myself quite some time ago when I realized that I had accumulated quite a pile. It isn't reasonable for me to continue to make the claim that I am strictly a user when I have knives that remain unused in my collection (accumulation, pile, assortment, etc.).

Again, the terms aren't mutually exclusive.
Click to expand...

Never thought you singled me out Dylan. In any case, I still don't consider myself a collector. I am a user and accumulator. While some think the line between collectors and accumulators useless, artificial or nonexistent, I think there is fine and subtle distinction. That is the reason I use the term I do, I think it most accurately describes the motley assortment of knives I have.
 
I’m not really sure anyone is taking offense to being called a collector, or perhaps I’m misreading something.

A betting person would gamble that any person who collects knives for any reason other than use also probably carries a knife for use. In my estimation it’s more likely that people have knife collections featuring unused knives rather than people who only have collections of used knives or safe queens.

Either way we’re all collectors of some sort, or if the semantics means anything to anyone, accumulators.

r8shell r8shell you’re probably right as far as disparaging comments about collectors are concerned. I think it derives from the practical and useful nature of the knife as a tool. I would imagine similar things might be said of a collector of socket wrenches or gardening implements. I suppose on face value collecting anything just for the sake of having it could seem absurd, but I think people start talking about “user” versus “collectible item” went there’s a group of people that could get use out of an item and a group of people competing for the same scarce item as a “collector”.

In this case I’m referring to a collector as someone who keeps the item as a show piece. Think historic guns, historic cars, GEC’s beauties... this type of thing.

Whatever you do with your GECs, I’m just happy the company is earning our dollars. Long live GEC!
 
I did not understand how “collector” became a pejorative word for many people. My uncle collected, meaning he purposefully took and bought items of a particular kind to add to those same kinds he already had: safety razors, bottle openers, plastic tabletop AM radios, plumb bobs, checker sets, dirt or rocks from every National Park and Monument he ever set foot in. The list goes on. He was certainly peculiar and odd, but why consider him, or his collecting as something wrong or to be disparaged? Made him happy and didn’t harm anyone else.

Same with knives. I am obviously a collector (I have one, maybe two knives that won’t get used but are there for my enjoyment) and a user because I collect certain knives that please me and are suitable for daily use.
 
Pàdruig said:
Quite frankly, I don't understand the offense one takes at being referred to as a collector. Even more, I don't understand why there has to be a distinction between "user" versus "collector". I have enough knives that it is unlikely that I will get around to using them all in any sort of meaningful manner. Does that mean I will be afraid to use any one of them should I desire to? No.

I am most certainly a collector.

I also am most certainly a user.

The two terms do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Click to expand...
I could not agree with you more.
 
Pàdruig said:
Quite frankly, I don't understand the offense one takes at being referred to as a collector. Even more, I don't understand why there has to be a distinction between "user" versus "collector". I have enough knives that it is unlikely that I will get around to using them all in any sort of meaningful manner. Does that mean I will be afraid to use any one of them should I desire to? No.

I am most certainly a collector.

I also am most certainly a user.

The two terms do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this and I think it's a subject that gets entirely too much thought.
Personally, I collect users...
 
kamagong said:
Never thought you singled me out Dylan. In any case, I still don't consider myself a collector. I am a user and accumulator. While some think the line between collectors and accumulators useless, artificial or nonexistent, I think there is fine and subtle distinction. That is the reason I use the term I do, I think it most accurately describes the motley assortment of knives I have.
Click to expand...

I have nothing but respect for your position on this and I am certainly not trying to project my own perceptions onto you or others. The world would be a rather dull place if everyone agreed on absolutely everything.

That said, I would be one of those who find the aforementioned line to be unnecessary and that particular belief (on my part) is borne by my own experiences up to this point. It does not mean that others share in those experiences nor do I expect others to necessarily adhere to my line of thinking.

Diversity of ideas and experiences is what enriches a discussion board.

EngrSorenson said:
I’m not really sure anyone is taking offense to being called a collector, or perhaps I’m misreading something.
Click to expand...

My thoughts pertain to a recurring observation of these sorts of discussions that happen all over the forums here, even extending to discussion boards beyond the scope of BladeForums. It is a topic that incites rather passionate responses on both sides of the discussion.

--- And to reiterate, I was not calling anyone out in particular.

JD Bear said:
I'm with you on this and I think it's a subject that gets entirely too much thought.
Personally, I collect users...
Click to expand...

Agreed. It is a topic/argument that gets brought up rather frequently.
 
Would it be unethical to collect collectors of GECs? “Here’s my shelf of GEC user collectors... and this shelf is my GEC safe queen collectors...”

“Ah wow engrsorenson, that’s a spectacular vintage of kamagong kamagong and Pàdruig Pàdruig ”

XD

Would then your knives become mine by default?
 
EngrSorenson said:
Would it be unethical to collect collectors of GECs? “Here’s my shelf of GEC user collectors... and this shelf is my GEC safe queen collectors...”

“Ah wow engrsorenson, that’s a spectacular vintage of kamagong kamagong and Pàdruig Pàdruig ”

XD

Would then your knives become mine by default?
Click to expand...

If that's the case you better set your sights on someone else. I only have four GECs. That's a pathetic collection or accumulation or whatever you want to call it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top