My thoughts on my knife collecting...

F

Fisher of Men

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Feb 22, 2005
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Last night I sort of changed the way I think about knife collecting.

I've never really understood collecting. It sort of hit me last night when I lined up the small collection of Spyderco's I have. I looked at it and was like "what the heck am I gonna do with all these?"

I decided last night that I am going to stick with 2 good user knives. I'm going to get rid of the others that I have. I am not kicking on anyone else who collects but I just don't get it. I always use everything I have.

I'd hate to die tomorrow and have someone say "yeah.....he was saving those knives to use for later". Man forget that. I'm gonna use 'em.

I don't save "good china" or silver. I use it.

Just last night I developed this same attitude for my knives. I do like knives I just can't bring myself to keep many that I don't use.

I'm very utilitarian.

Just wanted to share. Again, not kicking on anyone else.

Anyone else ever feel like this?

Cheers,
David
 
I've really pared down my stuff, knives that I bought back in December are already gone! I've divided my stuff into what it will be used for. Shelf knives over here. EDC's over here. Gentlemen knives here. Fishing knives here. Camping knives here. Etc.
 
Fisher of Men said:

I am not kicking on anyone else who collects but I just don't get it. .......Again, not kicking on anyone else.
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I have seen threads before along this line. In most of them however I detected a tone of a put down of collectors. I guess it kind of bothered me because I am somewhat of a collector. I have knives that I know I will probably never use to any significant degree. I have “users” and I have “collectors”.
Thanks Dave, for making the point about not kicking on anyone. I figure it is all good if we share the passion for the sharp and pointy, be ye user, collector or a little of both.
 
I have decided to only Buy Knives I will use heavily. It would be a shame leaving a knife in a drawer, and IMO, Buying a knife deemed "too nice to use" is also foolish. But, to each his/her own. This is not to say that I dont enjoy looking at and handling many different knives.

But For myself, I would feel I was cheating myself by not using them. I guess I am a "User Collector"
 
I do both, really, but I tend more to keep to users. I have one collector knife, and it's the Auto-Benchmite I'm trying to trade right now over in the Knife Exchange. I like it and all, but I wouldn't use it, and I want to be able to carry all of mine.
 
"Anyone else ever feel like this?"

All the time. I think it's generally accepted that obsessing over knives is a mental defect. I haven't sought counseling yet.

Good luck.
 
I'm of the same opinion. My EDC knife quality has just gotten higher end.

I've got a G&G Hawk E.T. on the way soon, and that will be an EDC knife.
 
I have neither the cash nor the room for serious collecting. I'm something of a packrat but I've been trying to go through old stuff and toss out/ give away what I don't need or really use. Jackets, books, knives, whatever. I'm really trying to avoid impulse buys. Now each knife I get has to serve a purpose other than "This is so cool". I admire a nice themed collection, like I admire a nice aquarium, but I have the patience for neither. YMMV

Frank
 
I try not to buy knives that I'm not prepared to use, and I try to rotate between the knives I have—so they get some use. I don't have the money or space to just collect knives that appeal to me. Who knows, one day I might have the money and the space.
 
Mebbe one day I'll feel like that, but . . . I just like having a lot of knives around. I like to look at 'em, I like to handle 'em, I like to sharpen them, I even like to use some of them. What can I say? It's a disease.
 
Cool. Your well thought out and logical plan has motivated me to state my own:

I've decided to only buy knives that are visually pleasing or interesting. I've also decided to keep them all in new condition, with the original accessories and packaging. Should I encounter a knife suitable for carrying, I'll buy a duplicate for that purpose. Knives are mostly for lookin' at, but fondling, flippin', and snappin' are OK too.

Additionally, I wish to publicly declare my future shopping intentions. I will not be limited by any form of formal 'collecting'. I will buy kukris, bayonets, vintage slipjoints, modern tacticals, and traditional hunters.

And upon my death, I wish for my knives to be melted into a block and tossed in the ocean. If I can't have them, no one can.

I hope I have provided this topic some well-needed balance.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
Bob W said:
Cool. Your well thought out and logical plan has motivated me to state my own:

I've decided to only buy knives that are visually pleasing or interesting. I've also decided to keep them all in new condition, with the original accessories and packaging. Should I encounter a knife suitable for carrying, I'll buy a duplicate for that purpose. Knives are mostly for lookin' at, but fondling, flippin', and snappin' are OK too.

Additionally, I wish to publicly declare my future shopping intentions. I will not be limited by any form of formal 'collecting'. I will buy kukris, bayonets, vintage slipjoints, modern tacticals, and traditional hunters.

And upon my death, I wish for my knives to be melted into a block and tossed in the ocean. If I can't have them, no one can.

I hope I have provided this topic some well-needed balance.

Best Wishes,
Bob
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:D


Good post BobW!
 
Funny you should mention that Bob W.
I too save my original packing boxes and literature and I couldn't reason why I was doing that.
I am something of a packrat and I couldn't bear the thought of parting with any of my knives even the cheap pakistani folders.
I know I need help - I have this deep addiction to wanting to have all the knives even though I only use a few.
Those of you who have parted with some of your collection give me hope that I might be able to sell or give some away. :confused:
 
The only ones I keep are the ones that will see use. Granted, some will see much more use than others.

Paul
 
Fisher of Men said:
I decided last night that I am going to stick with 2 good user knives. I'm going to get rid of the others that I have. I am not kicking on anyone else who collects but I just don't get it. I always use everything I have.
Click to expand...

Feel free to send the ones you're getting rid of to me. ;)
 
I have been feeling the same Lately! I only want knives that I use, The big fixed blades that just lie on the shelf are going to go away. I have so many of them but I will sale them, and only have the knives I use alot!

Rickj
 
To each their own. Me, I use my knives. I really like the Benchmade Apparition and it looks all purty with those glossy scales but I know I'm going to rub or roll against something and it's going to get all scuffed up. So I didn't buy it. I wear my Benchmade 520 everyday now and it's getting alot of use. As soon as my Benchmade 551 arrives, I'll sell off my Kershaw Black Out.

I buy knives that will see everyday use. For a short period last summer I stopped carrying my knives but found that I was often finding myself needing a knife to make life easier. If I had the money to collect them, I probably would. I'm going into a poker tournament later this summer and if I win, I promised myself I'd purchase a new Strider SMF. :D
 
Surely everyone collects something somewhere along the line. Whether it be knives, stamps, LP records, DVD's, posters or in my case pens. I buy knives to use buy I can understand why people collect them it's a hobby.
 
I'm at the point where I can't decide if I should use the knives in my collection, or just put them in a display case. I've got 4 brand new knives sitting on the table, and I'm debating on if I should ever use them or not.

I enjoy knives for two main reasons; their utility value and their aesthetics. I enjoy purchasing a well designed knife and actually using it; seeing how well it performs. Once a knife is used and no longer mint, some of the aesthetic value is lost. This creates the great dilema; use the knives or lock them up in a display case. I've considered purchasing two of every knife I like; one to use and one to keep mint. This would likely be cost prohibitive though.

I enjoy knife collecting, but I also enjoy using knives. It's a tough decision.
 
hmm. Me to I guess, sorta.

Knives is my first and only collecting hobby. Never interested in collecting anything else. I too buy my knives for utilitarian carry, but for some reason, I just kept buying more and more. :confused:

I think it's because they're things that I actually use and also things that it is good to have a few of. I use my angle grinder a lot, but I'm not going to buy 9 of them...
 
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