My knives are way too cool to use!

Mine are collectors until I decide I want to carry a new one then they become users. Nice to grab a new blade when you want one lol
 
I never could bring my self to use the Case Bose knives I had. Other than that, I use most at one point or another. Generally they get sharpened immediately, use is easy after that.
 
Don't feel bad about your useless production knife collection; I have a collection of almost 100 forks, unused, still sealed in their off-the-shelf boxes. When the apocalypse comes, I know I won't run out, if I can bring myself to use them then. They might go up in value. Even if they don't, I like to admire the craftsmanship and design. Many of them look like they would work very well, but I'm afraid of ruining them by using them.
 
medusaoblongata said:
Don't feel bad about your useless production knife collection; I have a collection of almost 100 forks, unused, still sealed in their off-the-shelf boxes. When the apocalypse comes, I know I won't run out, if I can bring myself to use them then. They might go up in value. Even if they don't, I like to admire the craftsmanship and design. Many of them look like they would work very well, but I'm afraid of ruining them by using them.
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You should put them in a glass case so you can admire them without ruining them. :D
 
I have a couple of knives that are gun safe queens - carried only occasionally and cleaned/fondled often. Nothing wrong with that. But the rest of my blades are carried hard and the patina/scars they carry just speak of good memories. Like Zieg said above, patina on a carbon blade is a beautiful thing. It's like I have a couple of prom queens, but lots of biker chicks that are always there for me and you love them just as much. Or more.
 
medusaoblongata said:
No, your knives are not too cool to use. They're mass produced tools. Your hammer, screwdriver, and pliers aren't too cool to use either.
The vast majority of one-of-a-kind custom knives are not too cool to use either.
These are not Faberge eggs that will crack into tiny pieces if you fart near them the wrong way. They're quality tools designed to give years and years of use.
Rubbing them down, like other forms of knifesturbating, might make you feel good, but is in no way necessary.
Feel free to idolize them and fetishize them all you like; no one here will tell you it's silly to do so.
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Knifesturbating! You win @ Bladeforums and or possibly the whole internets!

Production knives are just that- mass produced and meant to be used to get dirty and bloody. I would not feel bad about getting a Benchmade or Spyderco bloody or dirty. I might feel a lil bad if I made or had somebody custom make me something, but probably not because the whole point of me making or getting made a custom is to make my tool perform more efficiently to my requirements, not look mo pretty.

I have never had a cheap knife, even when I was a kid- a Buck (American made) was the cheapest my parents allowed me to get. This made me spoiled I guess for buying and using quality tools, not junkshit from China. I have seen others use junkshit, and it made me feel good that I didn't use junkshit myself; but the most important part I guess was that I learned to recognize quality, and that I used it.
 
medusaoblongata said:
Don't feel bad about your useless production knife collection; I have a collection of almost 100 forks, unused, still sealed in their off-the-shelf boxes. When the apocalypse comes, I know I won't run out, if I can bring myself to use them then. They might go up in value. Even if they don't, I like to admire the craftsmanship and design. Many of them look like they would work very well, but I'm afraid of ruining them by using them.
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Forks? Can we get a picture please?
 
The Logical One said:
Out of all your posts in this thread you keep emphasizing on USING IT USING IT USING IT... it's a TOOL it's a TOOL it's a TOOL. What if a person has no need to use a knife in their daily life? You do realize that the majority of people can go about their daily lives without ever NEEDING to use a cutting tool right?
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Then they're on the wrong goddam forum.

As for the car analogy, I understand. But somewhat of a strawman. I mean yeah, be careful with a car worth many multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars. (I'd still drive that bitch like I stole it) But only look at your knife every other Sunday, annointest it with oil and lay it back on the crushed velvet under glass. I've had some pretty damned expensive knives, and used every one of them I knew I would keep for any extended amount of time.

Let's just agree to disagree. I think knives are tools that should be used. If anybody wants to simply collect them to look at them and fondle them occasionally, so be it. I just pity them because the beauty (to me) is in the use.
 
WillardCorspe said:
It's more so that one can resell the knives at a later date for profit. My manager has his retirement money set aside because of his massive knife collection. (Still a few he'll never give up, since they're such great users.)

Either way, it's not like it matters what someone else is doing with their own collection. If someone sees their actions as being worth the cost, you're not going to convince them otherwise. They've likely already considered their options.

As for my own family, they know almost exactly what my knives are worth... which doesn't matter since I use almost all of them. :D



Now I'm a little surprised you take such offense to collectors collecting. Please take it easy on the stamp guys! :p
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Your have to be extremely lucky to actually pull any sort of long term profit from hoarding production knives. You'll be lucky if what little profit you actually see even covers inflation. There are about a million better ways to stash money as an investment. 99% of any collectors on this forum will never see anything but a net loss.
 
Dano1987 said:
Anyone else feel like that? I have quite a lot of spydercos and they're way to nice to use and they get a good rub down after being handled. The ones I do use and work with I have doubles.
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That is why so many Busses are like new in the trade and for sale forums. Even ZTs, Striders, Benchmades, CRKs etc are lightly used if at all. I understand it. Some knives are so pricey, that one would be hesitant to use them for anything other than cutting tape or paper. I would too. That is why I prefer 50 dollar folders for edc. There is a video on YouTube of a ZT 0560 (if memory serves) where the reviewer talked about letting a coworker borrow it, only to find out that they "abused" it by cutting cardboard, and that "they were not knife people, and didn't know how bad cutting cardboard is for a knife". Mind you, ZTs are supposed to be hard use knives.
 
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I can understand people not wanting to use knives and be a collector, I just not one of them. Nothing I own or carry is worth keeping in a safe. I guess if I stumbled upon a rare Randall at a garage sale, I might sit on it until I needed $ or looked at it like an investment and hoped the value would increase over time like a mutual fund. But that is a one in a billion scenario. :D
 
AntDog said:
Then they're on the wrong goddam forum.

As for the car analogy, I understand. But somewhat of a strawman. I mean yeah, be careful with a car worth many multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars. (I'd still drive that bitch like I stole it) But only look at your knife every other Sunday, annointest it with oil and lay it back on the crushed velvet under glass. I've had some pretty damned expensive knives, and used every one of them I knew I would keep for any extended amount of time.

Let's just agree to disagree. I think knives are tools that should be used. If anybody wants to simply collect them to look at them and fondle them occasionally, so be it. I just pity them because the beauty (to me) is in the use.
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I consider myself a "collector", but almost all of my knives get carried.... just not used. I have one or two knives that I carry at work and they get used, and they're nice knives, but I have other ones that I carry on my days off where I don't need to cut anything. I'm not going to go batoning wood or cut a tire or cut a bunch of cardboard just to "put my knife through its paces".

I agree with you that it's doing the knife injustice to leave it in a glass case just to stare at it once in a while. But I don't agree that you should make every knife you have a user just because it's a "tool". As you said.... we can agree to disagree.
 
AntDog said:
(to me) is in the use.
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Most of my knives fall under the collector status and as such totally understand that knives like anything else are collectable and it is not the devils work that they don't get used.

I do agree with you 100% on the quote, to me it is in the use also. But for example I will never use one of my ZT0801CF's because the blade is too thick to be what I consider a good cutting/slicing knife. I have other knives that perform way better. It has nothing to do with the resale value or the original cost. If one of my EDC's cost $500+ I would not worry about loosing it and certainly wouldn't be concerned about keys or other pocket demons scratching it up no matter how beautiful it looked new it's a friggen tool.

I would love to carry and use many in my collection but they are too big to comfortably carry (bout 3" for me) and they don't cut for shit do to blade thickness and geometry. I very much appreciate the quality and function of them, I like owning them occasionally flipping them but I have no desire to cut anything with them, I know what they cut like.
 
I have a few doubles too. My purpose is to have an immediate replacement if needed for the most part. After you have more knives than you need, then I can see special knives for whatever reason.
 
What you want to do is your choice, but I think it all comes down to a simple question. Why is the knife you refuse to use so amazing that you cant use it?
It is made out of premium steel that works better across the board for cutting things, has great fit and finish with no flaws or blade play that could compromise safety, and was made by a manufacturer with a great heat treat and superior overall construction. These all make the KNIFE a better KNIFE. The very reasons you are admiring it are the ones that should make you use it! If you admire a knife with s90v, but use one with 440A, then somethings wrong with your logic. The features that make the knife collectible, make it a better overall tool. Thats why those features were created in the first place. People started using CF because it gave them lightweight strength, not just because it made the knife cooler. Super steels exist because people wanted better performance, not because they wanted to continue using lesser steels and gawk at what a great steel they heard the super steel is supposed to be..... Like "oooh look at how good this knife is! It has carbon fiber inlays in a Titanium frame lock handle, special bushings, anodized standoffs, and s110v! Isnt that knife so awesome! I mean look at how great it is! Lets just stare at it and say how "good" of a knife it is, instead of taking advantage of the upgraded materials!" The Ti is there for strength and weight savings, the s110v is there for edge retention, the lock is stronger than a liner lock, the bushings increase speed and smoothness. These are all things that help to make the knife better for USE! Everything about an "amazing" knife allows you to use the knife harder, longer, and have more pride of ownership because of who made it and what its made out of.
The better quality the knife, the more usable it should be IMO. Otherwise, why are safe queens made out of great materials? Why not make them beautiful, but with crappy steel and handle material? Seems like all the people collecting these knives are wasting the potential of the materials used in them.

As far as limited editions and special one-offs that you couldnt bear to see scratched, just take care of them. I have a bunch of users that show little to no wear because I use them as intended and take care of them. I dont beat of many of my knives, because its usually not necessary when I could just get a better tool for the job. That said, I dont baby them either. Besides, if they were to get scratched, It would just add to the character. Think about if your grandpa gave you knife that he owned his entire life. Would it mean more to you if it was pristine and you couldnt even tell if it was his, or if it had a cool backstory to its countless dings, scratches, and marks? Id appreciate the latter more
 
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