my knife passion is diminishing.

Ive actually just went through this myself, where I havn't bought a new knife since sometime last year... musta been 4-6 months now...

Thing was.. I had bought an XM-18... and it pretty much replaced every knife I had in my collection in terms of pocket time...so I had no urge for a new knife.. "I had found the 1"..

Yet, here I am with a sebenza 25 on the way.. and on the hunt for a large 21 and umnumzaan and mnandi..

I know thats a bit different then what your going through but eh... you'll get thru it.. and if you dont have another hobby to keep you busy try getting into flashlights... thats another favorite thing of mine... and I went thru a period during that 4-6 months without being "in" the knife world.. being "in" the light world... I tried getting into zippos but considering I dont smoke I thought it was quite weird and sent the wrong message to people around me... so I let that idea go =p..

It's good to diversify.. especially considering how much you use light in a day... a lot of people use light during their day than their knife... though they wont admit it (haha)..

Goodluck my man!
 
Don't get caught up in the bandwagon group think going on. Check out some offbeat companies. There are plenty of quality brands out there that barely get a mention on the boards. Good luck!
 
These last two posts make a ton of sense. Very well said, and I find myself in those boats. I'm building $$ back up again, went crazy for two years.

Can't say buying more made me more happy, but I certainly do appreciate the ones I have.

Next step, one I haven't been able to pull the trigger on yet, is getting rid of the ones that just don't speak to me anymore.

Out of the 40+ I've acquired, I'll bet 10-15 are what I keep once I get started selling them.

They need better homes than just gathering dust.

But great advice, guys. My recommendation to the OP is what was said. Carry one knife for at least a month straight and get to know it better, and see if you miss another one in the process.

That might bring back some of the excitement, give you something to look forward to.
 
It happens sooner or later. A knife is to cut stuff. Fancy knives, the latest steels or the old 109 blades all do the same thing, they cut, some better than others. There is no perfect knife and never will be. They old Case sod buster or what have you is supposed to cut stuff. Way too much hype in the world of Knife Nuts. From reading some of the stuff on the forums it is plain to see that a lot or some of the folks are disappointed in their newest or older knife for a couple of simple reasons. They have been hyped beyond reasonable expectations and another reason is they some never learned to to sharpen a knife to begin with so there is no way they will ever get satisfaction from said knife. Just my two cents.
 
Hobbies come and go in waves... No matter what it is. For example, I'm also an avid coin collector and I'll go through stretches of not really caring about or buying new coins for a while... Them I'll see something that "renews" my interest and I'll end up spending an unreal amount filling holes in my sets, as well as often starting new ones. And the same goes for most of my hobbies. Including 'purchasing' knives, for a while I'll buy 5-6 (or more) a month... And then I'll find myself going for a 6 month stretch without buying another. Though I always carry one wether I'm in that "unbuying stretch" or not. I just find them useful on so many levels that if I don't have one I feel naked. But then again my knives not only used for mundane daily tasks but also coincide with many of my other hobbies... Ex. Hunting, bushcraft, survival. So though I go through phases of not adding to my hobbies/collections I don't have the urge to sell them off.


I believe that's what keeps hobbies fresh. I definitley wouldn't recomend selling them as there's a good chance that spark will relight and you'll be mighty dissapointed if you've sold everything you own.
 
Sometimes it helps to shift focus. I've found that it's often expensive and empty your hobby is *buying* something.

Instead, maybe shift the hobby to *using* a knife. Like whittling balls in cages, or becoming an incredible freehand sharpener, or learning to dice onions like a pro. Those hobbies are also skills that transcend any particular knife, and last a lifetime.
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This is a good post . I think knives would mean ALOT less to me if I had no practical use for them . I live in the country where I hike and snowshoe and make fire when I do so . I also have a fireplace in the house and a fire pit in the back yard . Sometimes I even do some whittling .

What I'm saying is that my love of knives comes at least somewhat from my using them . Maybe you need a reason to carry or shop for that next knife now . Buying expensive knives just to own them gives only very short term satisfaction . But finding the right knife for carving , bushcraft or kitchen work can be so much more gratifying .

Lastly , only spend money you don't really need on your knives and sell off ones you loose interest in to fund the next one .


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HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS ! :emot-yarr:
 
If you're into traditional knives, try hunting down early knives that are rarely seen on here. Cutlery companies like Waterville, Southington, Empire, Cattaraugus, Keen Kutter/ EC Simmons. It's really fun, and I find that some of my knives from the late 1800s and early 1900s are of the same quality if not better than my newer, more recent slipjoints. :)
 
Don't overindulge, give it a rest for a while, and come back with a more open mind. Try a knife that's crazy, and different, like a traditional, slipjoint or Bali-song, or something. Using knives is an important step in appreciating them IMO.
 
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You need to take a break dude and get some more hobbies! Like a combo hobby maybe using knives out in the woods!
 
I think I'm on the same boat OP. While I still enjoy going to forums and look at other people's knives, I don't think there's even one I would consider buying. As far as customs goes, I have given up on that already; I don't have the passion to try and go on somebody's "list" to buy something that may or may not be made in the future. In fact I'm on a couple of "lists" at the moment and when my name comes up I'll just pass the slot onto someone else.

A little off topic here: I came to realize that "hunting" and "waiting" is not my preferred mode in pursuing something I want, I might be passionate about XX Custom knife but any waiting time over 3-4 months is not going to work for me. Life changes and things happen, perhaps that's why we see "catch and release" sale...the knife that was once your grail is just "meh..." by the time you get your hands on it.
 
TBL said:
When you cannot find something you are looking for do like the good ol' days and make it yourself! There is a wealth of knowledge from the individuals on this site that will help you in doing so! Then you can still have your hobby and expand upon it. Don't get it right the first time? practice practice practice! (and send me your failures to play with ;))
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I agree. If your passion, as a consumer of knives, for consuming is waning why not try creating instead. Buy a dremel, a cheap drill press, maybe a grinder and lay into some cheap chinese steel.
 
If you're looking for a new hobby though, might I suggest stand up paddleboarding? Not terribly expensive, keeps you in shape and gets you out of the house and on the water. And when you get tired you can just plop down on the board and use your alox cadet to open a beer and cut an apple and some nice sharp cheddar. (Keep a cooler strapped to mine)
 
It's perfectly acceptable to decide you have enough, or have found the right knife or knives, and move on.

Quit buying stuff because someone on the Internet says how great it is. Buy stull because you need it, or you have a personal desire to accumulate.

If you feel like it's becoming an obsession, AND you are no longer enjoying it, then follow your gut and stop buying new stuff. If you don't want to carry a knife, don't. Use your feeling of self-loathing to help you break your buying habit.

It might help to take a break from Internet knife forums too. They just keep reinforcing / creating the desire to buy some new wonderful thing.
 
Looks like most angles have been covered and a lot of good advice dispensed. All I would add is that knife collecting (if that's what you are actually doing) is like anything else. It starts out with an interest that is soon overwhelmed with brands, steels, styles, nomenclature and the like. Sooner or later this all becomes very familiar to you and you may even feel as though you've "exhausted" or "tapped" the hobby out with nowhere else to go. Just follow the natural progression of things into flashlights, firearms, perhaps watches, and all the other interesting things out there and you will probably find that, in time, your interest will return to sharpened steel. I can't speak for everyone here, but, I'm sure our collective interest in most things tends to ebb and flow at times.
 
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