Safe queen logic?

C

cnote306

Joined
Aug 9, 2018
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safe queening is one practice in the knife world I admit I have a lot of trouble understanding. I mean I get it, but I really don’t.

My logic is “they are tools meant to be carried and used to be truly appreciated for their intended function”

Hit me with why you agree or disagree with safe queening.
 
What's so hard to understand? It's more or less the same as collecting anything, whether that thing is a knife, art, classic cars, instruments, sports memorabilia, whatever.

I can understand what you're saying to an extent. I would have more trouble leveling with someone safe queening Kershaws as opposed to say, a $1000+ custom.

I have a lot of safe queens. Around 15. I carry around 5-6 in rotation.

It makes me happy and that's good enough for me.
 
To each their own. Same thing with people who lock up a Carrera GT in a climate controlled garage and never drive it.
You can look at everything like art and/or an investment. Not me, but if it makes them happy..
 
My .02 only. There’s not much to get or agree to. Let’s face it, many of the folks here on BladeForums have long since passed the “need” of knife collecting. We love this strange hobby because it brings us joy.

For some people, collecting every PM2 variant to keep pristine new in box brings them joy. I don’t have safe queens, but different locks and opening mechanics trip my trigger. For others it’s exotic Japanese waterstones. People have safe queens because it makes them happy...or at least keeps the howling voices at bay.
 
To each their own.

I have no safe queen knives, but play bars with a custom guitar that cost 5 figures but I am very careful and take care of my stuff. I use all of my knives, but don’t try to destroy them. I don’t own a $1000 knife though.

If someone wants a safe full of $1000 knives to look at, good on them. No different than having a bunch of high end watches you never wear or art you never touch or a baseball card or comic book collection that are all graded and in protective sealed casings.

Whatever floats your boat IMO.
 
"Queening?"

Buying knives to put away is just collecting knives. I don't see how that's hard to understand.

Buying knives to carry in a pocket slip for three weeks, using it to cut apples or soaking it in vinegar to 'force a patina', and then selling it -- that one I have a hard time understanding.
 
It's just a matter of choice.
For me, having a rare, hard to find knife that I admire for what it is and wanting to keep in pristine condition by not using it, well, that's just my choice. Am I doing the knife an injustice by not using it for it's intended purpose, absolutely. I didn't buy it to use. I've got users. I get as much pleasure from having a virgin knife to admire, as I do having the user of the same brand.
I do have a small collection of knives that will never see any use at all.
The collector side of me says that knife is too rare and hard to come by to use. Put the user, sister knife in your pocket. The user side of me wants to use that rare piece and do it justice, but, it also knows what it's capable of and enjoys seeing a unmarked, perfect condition knife to be admired more than used.
 
It's not all that hard to understand, even from a "to each his own" view point. And actually it isn't a requirement that you understand it, only that they do. Now if they are doing it from compulsion, and can't explain it, then they may have a problem. I think I just bio'd myself. lol

Some such as yourself, view knives as tools meant to be used. Fair enough and perfectly valid.
Others view knives as an investment. Not a very good one IMO, since there are far better places and ways to grow your money. But if that is their thing, so be it.

Still others view their knives as art. This can take on several forms, starting with the pricey, highly ornate, engraved, embossed, embarrassingly over the top examples some have made and purchased. But others view knives as art from a different point of view. Sleek lines, immaculate fit and finish, brilliance of design or concept, engineering, anything can rise to the level of art in the eyes of the beholder. (or is that beer holder?) Just as few would use Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" to cover a hold in the wall of some tenement flat, some knife knuts refuse to use their collection of art pieces to cut so much as a breeze.

I personally have my feet planted squarely in the ground for both, users and art. Some I buy just for the beauty they display in one form or another. Others I buy strictly to be my EDC, or gentleman's knife, or user come hunting season. Some I have bought and not used or carried, or sharpened. At first because they were only to be collection pieces. However, I am finding that with some of them, they no longer hold the allure for me that they once did. Call it growth as a knife knut, a return to sanity, or ramping up to higher end knives, now believing, hey it's only $400!. lol By keeping them in pristine unused condition, I know I will get the most I can for that knife if I decide to sell it later on. So on that end, not using the knife, lowers my out of pocket expenses should I no longer feel the need to hold onto it.

So go ahead, I completely understand you thinking of knives as tools and would never own a safe queen. Perfectly sound argument. Though it does not apply to all knives very well. It falls on it's face when talking about museum pieces. Anyone using King Tut's golden or meteorite daggers to cut anything should be drawn and quartered. :D

Dagger-of-_Tutankhamun.jpg
 
cnote306 said:
safe queening is one practice in the knife world I admit I have a lot of trouble understanding. I mean I get it, but I really don’t.

My logic is “they are tools meant to be carried and used to be truly appreciated for their intended function”

Hit me with why you agree or disagree with safe queening.
Click to expand...
Here . . . allow me to elucidate . . .
Here is an example that will be perfectly obvious to anyone :
This knife (Para2 all black S30V) is a safe queen. One scratch would ruin the knife for all time.
IMG_3753_2.jpg

This knife (Para2 Camo scales with black DLC S30V) is a user. It was made to use; marks on the blade makes it even better.
See ? Perfectly obvious right ? Right.
;) :p
IMG_5157.jpg
 
I have a few knives just for the sake of having them. I would call them wall hangers rather than safe queens since they are of little cash value. A few E-bay finds that for a few bucks remind me of the knives I had as a kid. My collection would all fit in one pocket with a combined value of toss all, the others are an accumulation of tools that get used. I figure that my knife hobby doesn't make any more or less sense anyone else's.
 
BilboBaggins said:
My .02 only. There’s not much to get or agree to. Let’s face it, many of the folks here on BladeForums have long since passed the “need” of knife collecting. We love this strange hobby because it brings us joy.

For some people, collecting every PM2 variant to keep pristine new in box brings them joy. I don’t have safe queens, but different locks and opening mechanics trip my trigger. For others it’s exotic Japanese waterstones. People have safe queens because it makes them happy...or at least keeps the howling voices at bay.
Click to expand...

The voices just won’t stop though!
 
I have about a half dozen heavy users. They’re working knives that I’ll throw at anything; a PM2, PacSalt, Crux, SOG Zoom, 940-2 & a few more.

Most of my EDC blades get lighter use, but use nonetheless. The majority of my knives fall into this category.

One or two get “pocket jewelry” treatment. They come out and ride along because I like them, but they may be carried in tandem with something else that’ll cover primary cutting duty.

I have a few knives NIB in my safe. One is a backup of my favorite knife. The rest are knives that I really like, but just haven’t felt the need to work into my EDC rotation.

Does that make them safe queens? IDK & IDC. It’s how I’ve decided to roll.
 
A couple reasons I may “safe queen” a knife:

-Discontinued model/limited production: I have 3 Spyderco GB’s because the are discontinued and I got them at a good price. I like the model a lot so why not. I doubt they’ll depreciate. Doesn’t hurt to have a couple backups.

-I purchase a knife and figure out that it’s not for me after fondling it for a while. It may take me a few months to get around to listing said knife. No point in carrying something I’m not going to like while hurting the resale value in the mean time. I guess this could be consider a temporary “safe queen.”
 
Easy answer, some people are collectors and some people are users. And some people are collector/users, like myself. I have 30 safe queens. And they will most likely never be used. It makes me happy just knowing that I have them. But they still don’t keep the howling voices at bay:D They are in my safe but I don’t consider them a safe queen for that reason. I also have 16 users. Some of which I have an exact duplicate of as a safe queen. I love them both equally and that’s what makes me happy:thumbsup:
 
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What's the logic behind buying dozens of brand new knives just to use them all, when you haven't nearly worn out the first one you have? Logically people shouldn't buy anything that serves the same purpose as something they already own. Hobbies aren't logical though, they're a pastime. Something we pursue to pass the time, not because we need to. Everyone goes about it in their own manner.
 
My most sentimental and treasured item is a switchblade given from my Grandpa to my dad and passed down to me. It has no choice but to be a safe queen. Even if I would EDC a switchblade it would be a different one. I have some knives no longer in production and long discontinued which are also safe queens as well. They hold a intrinsic value and monetary value that is more valued then the use of a tool.

It's like why do you buy a Rolex just to tell the time? Well that's because most people don't buy a Rolex to tell the time but more so as a status symbol. I'm not saying safe queen knives is a status symbol. People will buy and collect and use at their will really. A car is meant to be driven, some collectors don't want to add any miles to their car They will literally tow it to car conventions.
 
cnote306 said:
safe queening is one practice in the knife world I admit I have a lot of trouble understanding. I mean I get it, but I really don’t.

My logic is “they are tools meant to be carried and used to be truly appreciated for their intended function”

Hit me with why you agree or disagree with safe queening.
Click to expand...
So you've never , EVER , had some brand spanking new shiny thing you loved that you wanted to stay that way and felt some ( or a lot of ) pain when it first got scratched and dirty and then finally worn out ? :confused:
 
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