New vs Old

Are you a new knife person or a vintage knife person?

  • Strictly new knives for me, I like to break them in

    Votes: 9 13.6%

  • I am only interested in the latest technology

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Pre-owned knives give me the creeps

    Votes: 1 1.5%

  • I will buy whatever catches my fancy, new or old doesn’t matter

    Votes: 51 77.3%

  • I like classic proven knives that have widthstood the test of time

    Votes: 5 7.6%

  • Older knives have interesting character and historical relevance

    Votes: 12 18.2%

  • It depends on my intended use

    Votes: 10 15.2%
  • Total voters
    66
not2sharp

not2sharp

Platinum Member
Joined
Jun 29, 1999
Messages
20,668
This discussion hasn’t come up here in a while, and I don’t recall if it was ever put this bluntly. I am courious to know whether you have a preferance for new over vintage knives, or ‘vice versa, and why you feel that way.

n2s
 
It comes down to lines, comfort, function, performance, and aesthetics for me, not necessarily in that order. Hence my vote for "I will buy whatever catches my fancy, new or old doesn’t matter". But it seems like newer knives usually fit what I like in those criteria more often than older knives.
 
I like older knives. Once you have satisfied your basic user needs, older knives tell a story. They are a product of their time and place and give you a connection to long gone places and events.

n2s
 
I prefer new knives. I enjoy putting my knives to use and seeing what they're capable of. It's not that I think vintage knives aren't capable of meeting my needs, but I know myself well enough to realize that a knife with that character and story would be hard for me to bring myself to use and would likely end up as a display piece.
 
Most of my accumulation is vintage by now , but not when I bought them . ;)

I just buy whatever appeals though , no prejudice over new vs vintage .
 
New.

Generally speaking, I buy stuff to use, not to collect. New knives, new cars, new motorcycles. Furthermore, I'm not smart enough to figure out what a "good, used ______" is. I prefer to buy new and be the first one to break it. :D
 
Oklahoma Outlaw said:
I’ve had two used wives, a starter wife, a mid wife, and my new wife (married 16 years), so I prefer new. Draw your own inferences from that.
Click to expand...
My wife was new but was poorly made and expensive maintenance cost caused me to get rid of her after one year.

I'm not into the wife/gf/significant other hobby anymore. Too expensive.

As far as knives go, I prefer contemporary designs mostly, however it doesn't stop me from buying lnib or users. Most "users" are in perfectly serviceable condition. I don't keep safe queens, which is why it's been difficult for me to pull the trigger on a Microtech Star Wars model.

The only "vintage" knife I'm interested in is the ever elusive Wenger Nomad from the 1980s. After 31 years of ownership the one my great uncle gave me disappeared. It was my first knife. I was 7.
 
Over the years people have mentioned buying new knives because they were concern that they could be buying something previously used to commit a crime. Or, they were concerns over toxic contamination. Didn't some cultures tend to apply poison to their fighting blades? There was even the remote possibility of radioactive materials; especially when dealing with knives that are centuries old and made all over the globe. It is an interesting perspective, but not something that I am overly concerned with.

n2s
 
I buy only new knives. However , if a discontinued knife that I wanted was on the exchange and was NIB then I’d consider it depending on the seller.

My taste seems to be ever-evolving so perhaps down the road , I’d be interested in classic or vintage knives. But not at the moment.
 
Mister Coffee said:
New.

Generally speaking, I buy stuff to use, not to collect. New knives, new cars, new motorcycles. Furthermore, I'm not smart enough to figure out what a "good, used ______" is. I prefer to buy new and be the first one to break it. :D
Click to expand...

Won’t comment on the wife thing, otherwise I get in trouble. Except I had a check-list for #2, and that seems to have worked so far.

Only new motorcycles. Always used cars though: 30-40k miles, 3 years not more, < half the new price. Less risk with a car than a bike when there is an issue.

Similar with knives than with cars, some usage is OK, if the price is right, but in the end, I want my knives to tell my story, am selfish that way. :)
 
I prefer new knives. That way I know that the steel was heat treated properly and not messed with by someone else. There are people here on BFC that I would trust though.
 
I like a knife that hasn’t been used or carried too much.. idk how that figures in when talking about a 15 yr old knife tho.
I have a couple 0200s, and 0400s I bought in the last couple years but they are in like-new condition.
I don’t want some knife that someone already beat the snot out of just to save ~$50-100.
 
I voted "What ever catches my fancy, new or old".

Now a days, I rarely buy a new knife. There is nothing out there that screams I have to buy it now. Sprint runs or limited editions don't interest me.

I buy what I like and what my budget allows.
 
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