Pride of ownership- less is more?

Less is more for sure. I own less than 15 knives. For the last week, I been carrying the 9th Balisong I made.

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Less is more. Im probably gonna trade off and sell everything but my ZT551 and Umnumzaan. After playing with the Ummnum for a few days, everything else just feels cheap. I swore by my barrage and how solit it felt and all. I pulled it out last night anf gave it a few flips and laughed at what i thought was awesome just the day before. I guess im officially a CRK fanboy. At least at the moment i am.
 
I agree with the less is more, but funny enough I moved back down to BMs and Spyderco's after having a couple of Sebbies. I guess the super perfect tolerances aren't really important enough for me to have $400-$500 knives. Especially cuz the price made them unusable at work.

I have about 5 knives I rotate through on EDC, but I am trying to shed a few more. One thing I do miss about the Sebbies is how easy they are to get rid of. They never stayed on the forums for more than a couple hours. A lot of my undesired knives now have no real sell or trade value on these forums. Probably just gonna end up giving them away to any friends that show any real knife interest.

I will add that legality in the UK is a big driver of knife purchases for me. I wouldn't own more than maybe on SAK slipjoint and a Peanut or something if it wasn't for the fact that my locking knives are illegal. I have picked up a few slippies just looking for something that makes me as happy as my Ritter Grip or BM 960. The Spyderco G-10 UKPKs are close at least.
 
More is more, the OP lays that out. Just the Insingo and the 3" XM. Oh, and a large regular. And a small 21. And the desire for a 3.5" XM.
 
There's an old saying that goes: "Beware the man with one gun...he probably knows how to use it." If you have two knives that you really appreciate, there's really no point in pushing the law of diminishing marginal return. I've got a box of knives under my bed and even more knives below deck. And while I can pick my knives like socks, it's not like I can have a deep appreciation of any one or two of them. In fact, if I was going to duck out the door with only a couple of knives, choosing them would be a problem.

Someone with only a couple of knives certainly can appreciate them. I've seen videos of desert nomads at markets where knives were very expensive. In that culture, knives are more difficult to come by and the knives these nomads have are prized possessions. Some of them have been passed from father to son for several generations. When I saw them using these knives to cut ropes, canvas, and even the throats of animals, I wished that I could have given them one of my large Ka-Bars or a Trailmaster and a few folders, like the Cold Steel Rajah II and a Spartan. Shoot, they may really like a knife like one of those huge flashy Espadas! Anyway, my point is that if I had only one or two knives, I'd probably appreciate them more than if I had that box of knives.

Still, I can't help it. When I see a new knife or a good deal, I fold like a cheap deck of cards. So it's up to you. Some people buy one or two mid-range knives and then beat the living daylights out of them. Others spend a lot of money on two or three knives and use them sparingly and enjoy looking at and handling them. I buy more than I need, but I like knives and handguns. It's interesting, but when the Trojan War was getting underway, Odysseus was tasked with finding the greatest Greek warrior, Achilles, and inducting him and his warriors into the Achaean forces. His mother put Achilles into a woman's school and disguised him as a woman so he would not be found. But the great tactician Odysseus arranged for two tables to be placed in the local market. One had silks and various jeweled garments; the one across from it had arms like shields, swords and spears. When one of the women wandered over to the other table and began thumbing the edges of the weapons, Odysseus had him and the rest is legend.

So many of us just can't help it. And it gets some of us into trouble, just like Achilles.
 
Less is more. For me there is no doubt that a handful of high quality knives beats a drawerful of lesser ones every time!
If I were you, and I wanted another Hinderer, I'd sell a couple CRK's to get it. The way I look at it, if you get another Hinderer and find yourself longing for the ones you sold to get it, you can always sell it and buy those again. The knives you are talking about hold their value very well, so you may lose a bit of money, but you won't lose much. It's a small price to pay, IMO, to find out the answer to your question.
 
hardheart said:
More is more, the OP lays that out. Just the Insingo and the 3" XM. Oh, and a large regular. And a small 21. And the desire for a 3.5" XM.
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He's probably meaning something like what I went through hardheart. I had to have all of the coolest (popular) Benchmades, Spydercos, Zero Tolerance and some other brands.

Before I knew it I had a giant tupperware (I mean giant) filled with knife holders like PVT 18 folder cases, Sack-Up 12's, No-Name 24 and so on. I had close to 100 folders and only used a few of them. The rest sat there brand new in the carrying cases I bought.

Then I started eyeballing Sebenzas and Hinderers and decided to dump all but a two of my Benchmades, 2 Spydies, 2 Cold Steel and used that money to buy Sebenzas and Hinderers.

I've never been happier than with that decision. I can't find anything else I want in my pocket and I have back-ups for all of them too. I bought two ZT 0560s, two ZT 0551s and just had to let them go, because I was used to more.

I have 2 Spydercos and one inbound 2 Benchmades a 710 & a 940 Osborne, 2 Cold Steels and the rest are XM-18 & 24s and large Sebenzas. For me less is more.

All I want in my pocket is XMs & Sebenzas YMMV. :)
 
mantzao said:
How well does a small sebbie fits your hand Sonny? For me 3" folders are more than enough so it is perfect for my needs.
Ok so i won't tease you if i ever change my mind:D
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I pulled my new small lignum vitae (it's beautiful) out of its box and held it, along with my lge Sebbie and Umnumzaan. I guess my hand size is a bit too large for the small knife. It "almost" fits, but my lge Seb and Umnum are much more comfortable in my hand. Now, I'm mad. I really wanted to buy that from you, or one just like it. I could easily carry the small in an office environment, but if I want comfort, I have to go to a larger grip. From specs and measurements, your 3" Hinderer is just a tad longer than my small Seb, a bit heavier, slightly thicker blade-stock and 0.030" thicker in the grip. So, unless I get Rick to custom build me a knife, sized halfway between his 3" and 3.5", I guess I'm out of luck.

As I've mentioned before, my Hinderer-designed ZT 0550 is a beautiful knife and fits my hand nicely. Very smooth lock and unlock. I'd guess the real Hinderer is just like this...but even BETTER, which is difficult to imagine. My 0550 is a little too large and too heavy, though, for EDC.
Look at these handle thicknesses:
Small Sebbie: 0.395" or .490" with wood inlay (0.125" blade thk)
Lge Sebbie: 0.453: (0.125"blade thk)
Umnum: 0.465 (thicker blade 0.140" than 0.125" Sebbies)
ZT 0550: 0.560" (0.157" blade thk)
Hinderer 3": 0.425" (.140"blade thk)
Hinderer 3.5": 0.540" (0.165" blade thk)

For me, my comfort level in handle thickness is right there in the Umnum, lge Sebbie range: about 0.450. This is also the handle thickness of the Spyderco PM2's and Military models, which is partly why I admire the Spydercos so much. The FLUTED Ti Military actually is rounded somewhat for comfort, and comes in at 0.380"-0.420".
Sonnydaze
 
Knife collectors/enthusiasts/hoarders usually go through some sort of evolution. Our taste in cutlery changes as we learn more, try new things, etc. Our lifestyle certainly influences this as well: funds availability, daily activities and local laws all play a part in the knives we gravitate to.

My personal knife buying focus has changed a few times. For a while I bought lots of budget knives (FRN Spydies, Moras, etc.), then I got into carbon steel slippies and custom fixed blades, lately I've been drawn to higher end folders and I'm sure there'll be more changes to come. Sometimes I go back to a type of knife that I've neglected for a while, and fall in love all over again.

What I've learned is that it's good to keep an open mind and try as many different things as posible. I wrote a few knife articles for local magazines and websites, and I've got to admit that some of them embarass me and I wish I could delete them. Some of the things I considered set in stone back then have proved to be huge mistakes.

Anyway, on to your question about selling the CRKs to get a Hinderer. I'd say, go for it! CRKs are great, but they are easy to find, while a Hinderer takes a bit more work (especially for those of us outside the US). You can always save up and get those CRKs again in the future. Also, if you happen to dislike your Hinderer for whatever reason, you'll be able to sell it quickly (and probably make a few bucks, too).
 
cziv said:
For me less is more.
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Just a matter of perspective. For those who carry a knife, most only own one. How many do you have on your person, and how many are still sitting in a knife holder? You still have more knives than you carry at once, and that is just folders. Do you also have more blades for use in the kitchen and for doing yard work? Still have a beater or utility knife in the toolbox? Why own Spydercos and Benchmades at the same time? Why own Cold Steels when you have those? Why own any of those when you have a Sebenza? Why have a second Sebenza? Why have any CRKs when you have a Hinderer?

I own a bunch of knives because I like knives. So more is more, because I don't have a knife just to have a knife, I have a lot of knives because I like a lot of things about knives. I don't own XMs or Sebs because I dislike frame locks. I own BM because I like the axis. I own Spyderco because I like the compression lock and the sprint run steel. I own CS because I like the tri-ad and the big folder blades. I own customs and other brands for the other designs, features, and materials. More is more because I won't ever get to own all the things I like in knives from one single knife, one single model, or one single brand.

Now, if you can narrow your wants to those contained in one knife, then less is more in that you have one knife, use one knife, and all your interests in knives is in that one knife. But a different knife for every day of the week plus back ups and pending orders is still in that 'more' category.

The desire to accumulate has gotten more refined, but less is more generally applies to getting the job done with less input. Ten knives doesn't out cut one knife when nine are still on the shelf. Basically, does anyone here own the same or fewer knives than their friends, co-workers and neighbors? And did any of us spend the same or less in total? Well, if we have more knives, and spent more money, and still do the same amount of necessary cutting, then where do we fit on the 'less' scale?

I'm certainly not saying that everyone should buy dozens and dozens of knives. But going upscale isn't really stopping most of us from browsing and buying regularly. It's just budget constraints mean you blow your allowance in one purchase instead of five. But the next time the kitty fills up, that one purchase happens again.
 
Just a matter of perspective.
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That it is HH. It was not my intention to lecture anyone but share my experiences. I approve of owning all the gear you want, my perspective is based on a limited income and the pleasure I derive from a handful of knife makers.
 
I made that turn a year or two ago and went from around one hundred $50 to $150 knives to a point where I have 10-24 $200 - $600 knives at any given time with a small handful of well made cheap knives in the $25-$50 price range for good measure.

I don't see this changing any time soon.
 
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cziv said:
That it is HH. It was not my intention to lecture anyone but share my experiences. I approve of owning all the gear you want, my perspective is based on a limited income and the pleasure I derive from a handful of knife makers.
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I don't mean to come off harshly either, it's just that we're talking about collections of knives, and the pride that comes from that. Someone with 20 Sebenzas probably doesn't feel worse than someone with 2 - as long as both have budgeted for them. And I really don't know if 60 Spydercos is less worthy of pride than 20 Sebenzas. The 'less' is the number of knives, but the price paid is roughly the same, at first. But then, sometimes, we end up buying a bunch of more expensive knives, because it isn't just finding a good knife, it's about getting a bunch of good knives.

Now once you've gone from 10 bucks each to a hundred each, maybe your collection goes to one tenth in size. Then, it grows to the old size. Then you reduce the collection proportionately again when you go from one bill each to four or five bills each. Oh, but then there are still so many lovely knives available at even that price level. So we balance the amount of money we can spend and the number of knives we want in our grubby little paws, and the budget rarely suffers as long as we are paying the bills in all other areas.

I fully embrace the sickness, in any way our members express it :D It took me several years to pay more than 300 for a knife, and then I went and got over two dozen once I broke the barrier.
 
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