Safe Queens?

BilboBaggins

BilboBaggins

Joined
Feb 14, 2016
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1,692
I would really appreciate it if this thread didn't devolve into a debate of whether to have safe queens or only users. Everybody is entitled to use/not use their knives as they see fit!!

I am however curious about what pushes a knife into safe queen territory for you (assuming you have any)? Currently, all of my knives are users, although I do baby some of them more than others. However, there are some knives that I lust over that I am not sure whether I could bring myself to use them (a rockstead higo ironwood comes to mind). I feel like I would use a Shirigorov though....Some others that I'm not sure I could use if I ever got my grubby little hands on aren't even near the price bracket of the rockstead (they are out-of-production or whatever).

So is your safe queen criteria simply monetary value? Rarity? Aesthetics? Sentimental reasons? Also, did you ever make a knife a safe queen that you had every intention of using or did you take one of your pristine safe queens and start beating the hell out of it?
 
It really depends. I have started to collect Terzuolas. I have a few productions, a few Midtechs, 1 semi custom and 1 custom on the way. I won't carry the custom (and maybe not the semi custom, have not decided). I carry his productions and Midtechs and use them and enjoy them. But I won't carry the semi or full custom cause they are irreplaceable and I can't afford to have them lost or damaged. I'm not sure how others feel but this is what I do.
 
I have knives that I use and knives that I don't use. I don't own a safe. Some of the unused knives were bought with the intention of using but I haven't gotten around to it yet, and may never. Some fell out of use because I found something else I liked better in the same category.

Main issue is that during my initial accumulation phase I bought more knives than I need. I realize that I will eventually sell most of them so I don't use them just to use them, thereby decreasing their eventual sale value. I have a decent number that are in my "user" drawer. I may or may not someday use some of the ones that are on the shelf. Consider it cumulative delayed buyers remorse.
 
Rarity and sentimental value. Of the many Emersons I have (too many, truth be told) that are either EDC rotation knives or safe queens, three of the safe queens are older green handled models each with a serial number corresponding to the birth year of my three children. Though I used and carried them joyfully at one time, my Chris Reeve's One Piece Range Knives (the ones I've kept) don't get fresh air anymore except when it's time for a quick fondle and mineral oil wipe.
 
I am just wondering if investing in a safe queen is a sound investment?
 
One safe queen. And it's a dagger I paid $10 for for no other reason than to fill the gap in my display cabinet. I use knives of sentimental value I use and have abused rare knives as well


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I have one it has American Eagle on the box and Dad bought them at a Lumber shed , they are numbered medium stockman bone scaled and have the Arkansas Razorback painted on it. DAD said they were only 500 of the made in 1974.
 
Sonnydaze said:
NO...it is NOT. But investing in a SAFE IS!
lotta crooks out there, friend.
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I disagree. If you have a favorite knife maker, they won't be around forever. If you purchase a custom I doubt it would ever lose value especially to other collectors. Many customs I have seen appreciate over the years.
 
I do not own any safe queen knives.

I keep my daily carry knife (BUCK 113) in my fanny pack. I keep the other knife (BUCK 119) in my oak drawer or I open carry it and the other knife (Ka-Bar 1211) is by my side of our bed.

My husband carries his daily folding knife inside his pocket and he always has a multi tool kit on his leather belt even though he has a high stress desk 24/7 type of job. Once in a blue moon he carries 2 knives.

He does not have any safe queens but he has a couple of knives that he does not use as much as his other ones now. He only has a few of them now since he sold and gifted many of his knives over the last few years as I did too.

I know some people who do collect knives that they do not use because they consider them an investment to sell or to pass on to their loved ones. I know people who do that with their firearms too.

We don't and did not do that with our former or present firearms. They get used or sold or gifted.

Today, I gifted my husband my BUCK Woodsman 102 knife because I was not using it as much as my BUCK Ranger Skinner 113 daily carry knife, my BUCK 119 Special knife and my Ka-Bar 1211 knife.

I have gifted all of my folding knives to him and to other people and that was some time ago since I only use fixed blade knives.

My husband keeps his small amount of knives in one locked place.

Cate
PS: I will be 66 years old soon. I have pared down my personal belongings even more from A to Z! Since I no longer can deal with the weight of some of my sweet, tack driving, former, beautiful, black walnut lever action rifles that I gave to my husband and since he uses far LESS firearms now... they got sold within the last 2 months too.
 
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My only safe queen is an Al Mar Shiva. Although its a knife still in production, it still goes up in value. I also have other knives that do better for what i need a knife for. I would probably only use it as its marketed for, a tactical knife. Just for a rainy day, rather to sell or use.
So i guess my reasons why i would have a safe queen is price, use, or collectabilaty if it's a rare important piece to the knife community.
 
I have lots of sit in a cabinet or on shelf knives. But haven't purchased any one knife that was so expensive that I felt needed to be locked up. The bulk of knives that just get looked at are mostly very inexpensive. And the slightly more expensive knives (ZT's, Spyders, BM, etc), I like to rotate through, so want easy access to them. Plus I like to "play" with them on occasion. I love them, and hug them, and pet them, and call them squishy. [emoji23]

I know the term "safe queen" has slightly different meanings to some. Maybe for most, it simply means stored away untouched, or simply unused but fondled. But I take it a bit more literal. Maybe because I have multiple safes for both guns, ammo, and important document storage.





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People are Strange, When You're a Stranger....
 
I used to say i would not buy anything i wont use.

But then i have some knives that are tather rare and expensive or hard to find that i just wont use.

I will say these.


The more you use a knife the more character it develops and the more attached you get to them.

I have a few custom slipjoints i have to geow some balls and start carrying them.


But peoblem is..

I have to many nice looking special expensive knives.

I carry a tony bose and a swiss army everywhere i go.
 
Buying a safe queen is like buying a car you never drive. It rots in the garage while you hope its value appreciates. Then the flavor of the week changes and you're either stuck with it or sell it at a loss. Or you gets lucky. I use every one of them. Sentimental value is no good unless you use it. I lost grandpas knife damn it. How many knives you think he lost?
 
Sosa said:
Buying a safe queen is like buying a car you never drive. It rots in the garage while you hope its value appreciates. Then the flavor of the week changes and you're either stuck with it or sell it at a loss. Or you gets lucky. I use every one of them. Sentimental value is no good unless you use it. I lost grandpas knife damn it. How many knives you think he lost?
Click to expand...

Cars will always be made. Like I said before in this thread, your favorite knife maker will not always be alive. Once a designer is gone no more of their knives will be made. Can you say the same for cars? How would a knife rot?? If you are a collector I can see why you would have safe queens. Some things can never be made again.
 
I acquired safe queens by accumulating beyond need. Too much thinking about doing something and enough doing it.
 
We're not even on page 2 and people are already, "Devolving."

Sosa said:
Sentimental value is no good unless you use it.
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I agree with this part. My grandfather would want me to use his knives even if I lost or broke them. I enjoy adding to the patina he put on them over the decades. The knife my dad got me for my 16th birthday is scratched to hell and back from use too.

To answer the OP:
1) High end scales (i.e. mammoth molar/ivory, meteorite)
2) Hand engraved (especially by renowned artists)
3) Excellent scrimshaw (http://artknives.com/peter_pruyn.html)
4) The obvious holy grails from the obvious makers
5) Hand polished blades too sexy to mar
6) Delicate/valuable antique (I'm talkin really old)
7) If I ever bought a REAL katana/waki/tanto
8) A knife covered in precious metals and gems

The knives I don't use are on display throughout my home, because you know, they're works of art and they look a lot cooler than anything you'll find at kirklands.

Why the hell am I awake? Happy Father's Day!
 
I use all my knives. There are some that I did not want to use, but ended up having to/wanting to. I have one with a damascus blade and great Mokume bolster, but I told myself if the Mokume ever gets ugly, I can just polish out the scratches. The funny thing is I finnally found a rare knife I have been looking for since I started buying nice knives, my "grail", and after a few years, when I finally found it, completely unused, it went right in by pocket. That damascus Mokume one tokk over a month to get into my pocket. So I don't know what made me do that. Possibly the materials used.
 
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