Obsessiveness about knives

J

James Y

Joined
Feb 18, 1999
Messages
6,504
Whenever I plan on buying a knife, I find I spend varying amounts of time obsessively comparing a few (as many as possible) examples of the same model, checking the cross-section of the edge bevels, blade centeredness, lockup position, play or no play, position of blade tip when knife is closed, assembly screws, etc.

Occasionally I walk in, see the model I want, receive it out of the display, and I'm lucky that that's the one, it's perfect to me. Other times I have to torture myself looking for the right clone...if the edges are too steep or coarse out of box I have taught myself to move on or come back when the next shipment comes in.

There are certain things I don't really worry too much about, such as, for example, whether the G-10 scales align perfectly with the liners at the end of handle, etc.; or if the paint wears off the black screws...to me that's not a big thing.

This may sound weird, but I have spent up to nearly 45 minutes before checking out different knives of the same model, then if i find 2 of them that have what I'm looking for but in a different way, it can be even harder.

I wonder if what I am doing is a typical behavior in knife-buying. I have seen guys step into a knife store, point to a certain knife without even checking it, pay for it, then walk out, basically sight unseen other than the brand name and model it was. I suppose this obsessive behavior is not unreasonable; after all, quality-made knives are NOT cheap, and I must be sure I'm happy with my purchase or I'll mentally beat myself up afterwards...I've had knives i bought and never carried due to some perceived or real defect...I know some things are self-correctable, but I feel a near-perfect one out of box puts me in a head start to easier/better knife usage and care.
Jim
 
Don't feel bad I'm the same way, when I see something I want, like the Hilliam Henry P10 Lancet it took me months of research, handling the knife, and looking for the best price till I bought one. Drppin' $200+ on a knife for me is not an easy decision, not with a wife and an 11 year old daughter, to look after. My choices have to be made well, and for me most of the fun is in the research, makers profile, type of steel, handle material, and history. It's always a learning experience for me, and when I meet another person as much into knives as me it's nice to be able to have an intelligent conversation.

Add to that all that research leaves me with lots of opinions to post about. :D
 
Sounds like me, too. I agonize over types and styles. I drive Josh nuts! Sometimes I buy duplicates with different colored handles just to have "the set." Collector knives never get sharpened, but the EDC's get touched up on the Edgepro; the angle of the edge is cross checked with a lighted loupe.

I have a high polish knife that lives in a glass topped box so my boorish friends don't get their pizza encrusted fingers on it. I don't even touch it. I wear out Tuf-Clothes. I smell like Nevr-Dull, Break-Free and strop rosin. My bowie is a custom made from Eric Chang; that's right, the knife I whack weeds with is a custom!

I know this sounds bad, but it's not. I had a separate room, complete with dehumidifier, built in my new house JUST FOR THE GUNS.
 
Fairly obsessive here, too. But I seem to spend more time worrying about which model to buy and searching for the best price. All the great information on this forum helps tremendously but sometimes makes my relentless search for the 'next great knife' more complex.
My knife learning curve has a slight bend in it now, but I'm still way behind many of you guys.
 
Don't feel bad about studying and taking your time when selecting
a knife, mate. THAT is the glorious part of the knife hobby. WE understand
what it takes to make a superior knife.......the steel, the grind, the handle, etc.
All learned because we enjoy all the very subtle things that make up a knife.

Those guys that walk in point to a knife and then buy it are all ....barbarians!!
They could be buying a flat tire iron and wouldn't know or care about the knife.
Yep, and then they bitch and cuss when it won't sharpen or hold and edge.!!!
It's the knifes fault yada,yada,.......Nah, it's the dumb barbarian that bought it.

Like anything else........if you won't take time to learn about what you are buying
you deserve to get screwed.
 
Heck.., never feel obsesive about the behaviors you mentioned AT ALL!! In honesty.., if more people actually took the time to QA most items they buy.., it would probably have a very positive impact for manufacturers in a universal sense. Sadly.., many vendors, suppliers.., manufacturers, etc., actually rely quite heavily on comsummer ignorance.., so what you do is actually a service to everyone that buys edged tools. Keep it up!


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
Neglected to mention that my knife obsessiveness caused me to send a new 710 back to Benchmade because I could see a tiny bit of light between the liner and spacer material on the axis end. Evidently, all 710's are like that. (I think a screw in the handle just below the axis lock would close the gap, but they aren't designed with a screw in that position.) BTW, Benchmade's warranty/repair department (Angie) was very helpful and cordial, and the 710 was shipped back quickly. Excellent customer service. I'm just sorry I didn't post a question here before sending the knife back. Bet some of you have noticed the same thing.
 
Hey James -

Sounds like a great modus opereandi to me. I tend to make a lot of impulse buys (like I wake up in the morning and remember with glee that I ordered a bunch of way cool pointy instruments last night). The fact that I do it over the internet means it is sight unseen. This results in some disappointments i.e.unwanted grind lines, a failing liner lock, uneven bevels... most of the time they are just what I wanted though, and I can always sell the rest.

If I had good quality knife shops nearby I would do as you do (on those occasions I felt like paying full retail prices!)

Kallisti.
 
I'm glad to see I am not alone in this obsessiveness. :)

Kallisti:
I can understand that you must buy over the net, when there is no knife shop nearby. It is cool to share our different knife-buying experiences; I know only one other person I have talked to around here who is similar about knives. I have become picky by my own mistakes...that is, have become more picky as time goes by. Things that didn't concern me too much before have become a big deal to me...for example, edge bevels must have enough width/thinness, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Or if a knife, in closed position has the point not deep enough in the handle, I obsess over when (whether) the tip will become exposed after much use and many sharpenings. Never mind it hasn't happened yet and may not ever reach that point of wearing away; it still bugs me.

Oh, well, there's always that next 'perfect', 'final' knife...

Jim
 
As far as I can see - you act much like many of us.

The same keen eye will serve you well with a custom knife selection. Somewhere, maybe in these archives, Darrel Ralph wrote an article about how to evaluate a folder. That started the obsession with me.

I go one step further and fret some over a potential purchase! I search the websites, for prices, search the BF for articles, etc. However, one learns so much in the process.

Join the club.
 
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