My OCD is starting to get in the way of enjoying my knives as tools

rileybassman1

rileybassman1

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Anyone else have this issue?

I have some great knives that I really like... but my OCD kicks in when I'm fondling them and then I obsess about keeping or getting them perfect (centered, sharp, no blade play etc) and then I start to lose sight of them as tools... and just end up annoyed at the dumbest things and spend my "knife time" cleaning, oiling, sharpening, tuning... almost obsessively.

Just picked up a BM Caspah - super fun, super cool knife that seems like a great user... but the blade is ever so slightly off center... and then it just gets me thinking about that as opposed to using it as tool that works 100%... but the few I have that are pretty much perfect, I don't want to ruin... so I end up just looking at them...

I have issues... lol.

How do you take a step back and just use/enjoy knives as tools??

I know... first world problems lol.
 
Lol. I've always had the same exact issue even if I use them. When it comes to budget knives I could care less but for anything more expensive I'm a stickler

The only thing that fixes that problem for me is owning a sebenza.
 
BellaBlades said:
Lol. I've always had the same exact issue even if I use them. When it comes to budget knives I could care less but for anything more expensive I'm a stickler

The only thing that fixes that problem for me is owning a sebenza.
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Oh I have a large Inkosi... yea it's great for sure and probably the best fit and finish on a knife that I have... but I still take it down and clean it every 2 weeks... play with pivot tension off and on all evening after cleaning, and strop it like every other day whether it needs it or not lol
 
rileybassman1 said:
Oh I have a large Inkosi... yea it's great for sure and probably the best fit and finish on a knife that I have... but I still take it down and clean it every 2 weeks... play with pivot tension off and on all evening after cleaning, and strop it like every other day whether it needs it or not lol
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I think it's just in our blood man. I'm the same way . I've got a mirror polish on my sebenza right now and I get annoyed if it's anything less than deadly Sharp.

I think my lifestyle has helped me with this because I've been way more busy with work, family and I've been spending a lot more time exercising and hitting the gym. It helps to clear my mind and make me care less about insignificant things.
 
I try to be like Nike and just do it.
If you never use a favorite knife, you’re missing out on the smile it brings to your face when you carry it and actually use it. Nothing is more rewarding than enjoying the fruits of your labor. When I go to a restaurant and order a nice choice cut of beef, when I get it, I don’t just look at it and admire what’s in front of me, I tear int it and enjoy every bite until it’s gone and I’m fat and happy.
 
I used to do that. Then I decided to get rid of anything I wouldn’t grab and use subconsciously without hesitation or thought. That’s helped quite a bit, not only to slim down the number of knives I own, but also allows me to enjoy the knives I do have. It was a win. A difficult win, but a win.
 
BP_ said:
I used to do that. Then I decided to get rid of anything I wouldn’t grab and use subconsciously without hesitation or thought. That’s helped quite a bit, not only to slim down the number of knives I own, but also allows me to enjoy the knives I do have. It was a win. A difficult win, but a win.
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That's a good exercise I think... I've thought about that as well.. I'm curious... did you notice any trends when you did this? Price range/steel type/ etc etc...?
 
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BellaBlades said:
Lol. I've always had the same exact issue even if I use them. When it comes to budget knives I could care less but for anything more expensive I'm a stickler

The only thing that fixes that problem for me is owning a sebenza.
Click to expand...
The only CRK I have is a Sebenza 25 that I got right after it was introduced. I got one of the last two at the CRK table at Blade that year. And it was mid way through a Friday afternoon! Fit and finish were beautiful except that the blade closed off center about 60/40. It has only been used lightly, but this has never changed. Maybe if I disassembled and reassembled it , the blade would center, but it has never bothered me that much. I guess I m lucky.
 
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whp said:
The only CRK I have is a Sebenza 25 that I got right after it was introduced. I got one of the last two at the CRK table at Blade that year. And it was mid way through a Friday afternoon! Fit and finish were beautiful except that the blade closed off center about 60/40. It has only been used lightly, but this has never changed. Maybe if I disassembled and reassembled it , the blade would center, but it has never bothered me that much. I guess I m lucky.
Click to expand...

Regarding the off center blade . That would drive me nuts! Blade play and off center blades give me nightmares lol.

But yeah. Because that doesn't have a bushing or assembly like the Sebenza 21. Assembly and pivot tension play into the centering.

But like you said. If it doesn't bother you. Then screw it.
 
As for oogling over and babying a knife(s), if it brings you joy, so what? Good for you!

I have a few hard use knives.
Most are light use EDC blades.
A couple are fondle pieces—largely because I have other knives to dork up.

There isn’t a “right” way to enjoy the hobby/addiction.
 
You are not alone. Try to create categories for your collection. Ones that are for working and one for looking. Keeping them in separate storage space might help too. Another thing to consider, do you really want someone else to use and abuse your stuff after your gone? All our favorite stuff is just a loaner, we can't take em with us.
 
rileybassman1 said:
That's a good exercise I think... I've thought about that as well.. I'm curious... did you notice any trends when you did this? Price range/steel type/ etc etc...?
Click to expand...

I think for me it was that I came full circle. I tried everything I really wanted to try, I had knives made, I tried different steels. When it all came down to it, the simple things were what mattered to me. Solid construction, quality materials, a company I can respect, all adding up to a knife I can trust. I found I like Buck 420HC, and also S30V, S35VN, and AEB-L. I do have one or two in M390, which isn’t bad at all either. Stainless, easy to maintain, takes and holds a good edge, not too expensive. I would grab any of the knives I own for their intended task, and enjoy any one I use. I just kinda like it better that way :)
 
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You may laugh out loud at what seem like first world problems, but if there are things between you and your enjoyment of your knives, then that is real enough to begin to address. What helped me with similar concerns was several people close to me passing away. That some of their remaining possessions came to me was cause for reinforcement of the truism that, "You cannot take it with you". It has been what has allowed me to use and enjoy the knives I have while I'm still able to use and enjoy them.
 
There was a spoken advice song maybe a commencement speech put to music? I really don’t remember more about it.

one small part of the song that stuck with me for some reason. Went something like this.

“I wish I had used that beautiful rose shaped candle instead of letting it melt in a box in the attic.”

So always ask yourself. “What am I saving it for”?

Too many nice knives and guns sit unused in safes and drawers only to be lost in fires and floods and thefts. Never to be truly enjoyed.

unless is a valuable art piece, sentimental, or hystorical. Use it as it was intended.
 
I don't understand the knife to look at thing just like I don't understand having a cool car that just stays in the garage.
 
I understand what the OP is talking about. On occasion , I have experienced a similar situation. So I buy doubles (sometimes triples) of certain knives that I wish to keep safe and pristine.
 
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