Preserve a Knife for Future Generations

H

herder

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I would like to present an opposing view to the "Use the heck out of them" thread.

We can all agree that a knife is essentially a tool meant to be used in some form or another, but...

What I strongly disagree with is the idea that all knives should be "used up". I dislike the term "safe queen" and prefer the term "preserved". In my opinion, a knife can be as much an object of art as any other item. And while I carry and use many knives, I also believe that some should be preserved for future generations to study and appreciate. As a collector, historian, and author of a variety of cutlery related topics, I might see knives in a different light than some, but I hope all would acknowledge the importance of a well-crafted original knife. Not just for the overall beauty, but also for the materials and talent involved in creating more than just a tool.

One misnomer stated is that a knife passed down without use has no sentimental value. Absolutely wonderful to see a knife that Grandpa used at length, but why shouldn't a knife that he kept in like-new condition have any less sentimental value? That well preserved knife that Grandpa treasured as he would a gold watch should have more heart felt meaning than one he used up. I would be honored to receive such a cherished gift.

We all see things differently, but I take the stance of trying to preserve some things for future generations to learn from. Given the choice, I would love to see more museums and park lands, with less emphasis on a disposable culture. To say that material things don't matter is simply absurd. We don't necessarily have to own things to appreciate the art, history, and evolution of our existence, we just have to be wise enough to respect and preserve what already exists.

My hope would be that some knives get used, while others are held in nice condition for future caretakers once our time as current custodians has past.
 
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I have a bad habit of buying two or even sometimes three of most knives I get. One as a backup, and one to ultimately preserve should the model or configuration ever be discontinued. No particular reason why I do it. I just like to, some kind of OCD maybe. I don't have kids but someone is going to stumble onto a jackpot after I'm dead. Hopefully it's someone who can appreciate what they've found.
 
sailfish said:
I have a bad habit of buying two or even sometimes three of most knives I get. One as a backup, and one to ultimately preserve should the model or configuration ever be discontinued. No particular reason why I do it. I just like to, some kind of OCD maybe. I don't have kids but someone is going to stumble onto a jackpot after I'm dead. Hopefully it's someone who can appreciate what they've found.
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Great idea, the best of both worlds!!!
 
"My hope would be that some knives get used, while others are held in nice condition for future caretakers once our time as current custodians has past."

My feelings exactly. I'm not a collector, but every time I visit the "Old Knives" thread (every day) I'm very grateful there are those like you who invest time, effort, and money in preserving unique, irreplaceable, or just plain interesting knives for the rest of us to enjoy and learn from.
 
I’m happy with both well used and preserved - there are many hats in life...

In turn, those knives I have that are just admired, fondled and looked at, may pass into the hands of future custodians who may see fit to use them - whatever, I’ll have no say in the matter then...

No children to pass them on to either, though my apparently entitled eldest godson has already made mention of various possessions of mine :confused::( Instead, I will likely make a list of various friends and family who I trust will enjoy them..!

Also, though not meant as a generalisation, some of us are fortunate enough to have the means for both users + non-users. Having been lucky enough to meet many makers and buy custom pieces too, I’m very much in favour of preserving the painstaking hours and stunning craftsmanship of some pieces, exactly as they were made........but then again, some makers will ask, aintcha gonna use it, boy...!
 
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There are knives to use up and knives to preserve and that doesn't have to be a hard line one way or another. There are a lot of pre-used knives out there that are free game to use up, some are not. Choosing which ones to preserve and which ones to use can be obvious but can also be subjective. Old knives that have gone unused should definitely be preserved.

It is also possible to use a knife without using it up. I have a lot of knives that I really enjoy carrying but I use them carefully so as not to damage or wear them down significantly. Many of these are my most treasured knives to use. The ones that I don't mind using up or beating up are knives that I'm not very attatched to.
 
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I still say use 'em.
Let's face it, we all have too many knives to "use one up" that we've purchased new or barely used in the last decade.
No they won't be pristine, but they'll be preserved enough for future generations to enjoy however they see fit.
Better yet they'll be able to be used and enjoyed by those future generations because the bandage has already been ripped, they'll already have a scratch or two and some patina.
When I was a kid my dad gave me a Schrade 33OT my grandfather had sent him for Christmas while he was in the ARMY around '86 or so, it was still new in box and the first thing I did was drop it in my pocket.
My dad looked at me and said " I knew you'd appreciate it " " for some reason I never used it ".
Sure it was just a dime a dozen old timer, regardless it was " preserved " for about 20 years but I saw it as a knife worth using so I used it.
 
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Don't obess over any possession, just about every human religous or philisophical tradition teaches not to. One way to fight that human compulsion is to use a custom slipjoint and crack the scale dropping it in church :) That teaches you what a bolster on both ends of a fancy knife is for.

If you don't use it you miss understanding the object for what it is...a knife.
 
To each his own. It's your knife do as you please. I enjoy a little of both. I buy already lightly used vintage knives to carry and use. Some lightly used or near mint vintage knives are too nice to use for my collection. Those are better left in the preserve category.
Have a good weekend everyone :thumbsup:
 
H herder : I guess that I agree with you to some extent . About 10 to 15 years ago my Kids started giving me knives for gifts because they did not know what else to get me . With one or two exceptions those knives are preserved and will be go back to whoever gave it to me . I also have been trying to buy GEC First Production products and usually get 2 of them . One for use if I desire and the other is preserved . Even though I have 4 Kids , 9 Grandkids , and soon to be 7 Great Grandkids , I , like many on these forums , have more than enough to leave each one of them multiple knives . This is in part because I want them to know what traditional knives were like . So some of my friends will also get some . Some of my most favorite carries though are some of my older knives that are not as Eye Appealing as the newer ones so I expect that they may get jettisoned as Rusty Old Knives and that would be a shame . That is one of the reasons that I sometimes buy or gift knives now for my Grandkids . I think we all need to educate our young people now on the joys of what we consider to be Traditional Pocket Knives or their idea of traditional will be different than ours .

Harry
 
Both views have merit in my eyes.
It's up to the user/owner.
Everybody's different.

It's nice to look back nostalgically about granddad and the basic knife he had for 40 years, the one he sharpened down to a nub. But we don't live in that world anymore. We are in a globalised, Internet-fueled, service-oriented economy that is getting further and further away from "the farm." There's a dollar-store on every corner instead of a mom & pop.

We are consumers now more than at any point in the history of humankind.
To think that one of us would carry the same knife for 40 years is probably absurd.

We lament the folks we've lost, of course. That's natural. But to think any of our granddads would buy as many knives as we do is not realistic.

To miss them is natural, as is to miss the times we may have grown up in.
I still feel using (a knife) is living. But recognize we live in different times where some folks buy knives without ever planning to use them.
 
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Pinemoon said:
Both views have merit in my eyes.
It's up to the user/owner.
It's nice to look back nostalgically about granddad and the basic knife he had for 40 years, the one he sharpened down to a nub.
To think that one of us would carry the same knife for 40 years is probably absurd.
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I very likely would not carry one for 40 years if I was much younger and had it to do all over again but I did in fact carry the same one from 1961 into 2001 and maybe even until 2003 . I do not remember for sure when I did retire it . Those were different times and knives were not as important as my family and money was a lot tighter .

Harry
 
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I guess I am opposite of most. I have 1 knife for an EDC, that I have carried every day since 2013. I don't need a knife often, and likely this knife will last me quite a long time, if not forever. Opening mail, and cutting open box tape isn't really that hard of work for a knife blade. By contrast, I have 50+ that are mint pristine, oiled, and stored in a environment/humidity controlled area. I take them out to show others, or to photograph them, but they don't see pocket time or get used. We all have different quirks about our habits and personalities.
 
I definitely have enjoyed collecting "things" during my lifetime, and have lately been appreciating more the finding of nice minty condition vintage/antique specimens, (oftentimes at bargain bin prices).
I collect "things", (new and old), and again, I very much enjoy the hobby.
At some point, I too will cease to live, and many of my "things" may wind up in the hands of people doing the same thing I had been doing with them... Just enjoying a collecting hobby. Some may wind up finally getting used as solid little tools. In any case, they will have served my purpose, and will be put forward for others to use them for their purposes. All's good, I don't lose sleep worrying about how others think I should be purposing the things I purchased with my hard earned money. I enjoy the collecting of these items, the hunt for these items, the decorating with these items, and enjoy the smiles these items regularly cause me and others to have. I obviously own some knives that I own to purposely be used as tools, and are not part of my collecting hobby. I have zero desire to "use" the ones I have in my collection, other than how I use them as collectables.
To each his or her own, and as long as you get from the items what you want from them, all is good :)

PS. I am very much a picky sorts, and condition is a big consideration when I make my purchases. That said, when I'm out and about hunting for these items that I collect, I often run into boxes of pocket and fixed blade knives. I do like to sort through these boxes, looking for the potential gem(s). Most times these "boxes full of knives" simply contain what I consider not acceptable for my purchasing. They are usually in these boxes because they are broken, rusty, and/or badly worn down, (at least to my eyes). They may make someone happy, but are simply not for me. Again, sometimes a minty gem can be found amongst them.
On the other hand, some of the sellers with these "rough specimen" boxes, also have displays, (often protected by a glass topped lid), that contain specimens that are in really nice minty to new condition, and those are the ones that are more likely to come home with me.
Just another example of "to each his or her own" :)
 
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Old Engineer said:
I very likely would not carry one for 40 years if I was a much younger and had it to do all over again but I did in fact carry the same one from 1961 into 2001 and maybe even until 2003 . I do not remember for sure when I did retire it . Those were different times and knives were not as important as my family and money was a lot tighter .

Harry
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Well there ya go. What kind of knife was it, Harry?
Yes, different times...
 
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