Second thoughts about my knife collection

r redden

r redden

Joined
May 23, 2015
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I just got through putting about 30 of my knives in a display case and at least twice that many in roll bags. I then started thinking why do I have so many and have so much money tied up in them. I really only have 6 knives that I carry. A PM2, Griptillian, Blur, Case Trapper, Marbels Stockman and a Camilius Stockman. The rest I just look at occasionally and open once in a while yet I can't bring myself to sell any of them and continue to add more. I had 62 junk knives and gave most of them away a few months ago and started collecting much better knives and now I am almost embarrassed by the amount of money I have spent on new ones since. Does anyone else ever wonder what in the world they are doing with so many knives yet still buy them.
 
I have fought the urge for many years. I am a "collector" by nature. Vintage fishing lures and outboard motors, guns, and knives.

With knives I keep it practical. If I don't have a true need for it I don't buy it. If it's something that I just can't shake out of my head I ask for it for Christmas.

Of course I am human and do fudge the rules occasionally.
 
Not really, it's a hobby. People tend to spend money on hobbies. If your second guessing yourself, maybe you need a different hobby.
 
I only buy knives I will carry + one backup for each one I carry. You may be perfectly happy owning ~ 100 knives, I'm happy with ten — three Paramilitary 2s, four Opinel #8s, and three SAKs.

It's all down to preference. You need to ask yourself if you're okay spending that much money on knives you don't carry. If the answer is yes, congrats. If the answer is no, there's plenty of people on here who would be more than willing to "take them off your hands."
 
I collect video games so its not that weird to do what you're doing, collecting.

Just slow you're roll down if you think you're spending too much and acquiring too much in too short a time. Other wise you'll have to eventually sell. I had many similar experiences with video games. And I been collecting games since I'm five and twenty six now.
 
Stop collecting knives you will lose money on and collect ammo. Price will continue to increase, your government will make sure of it.:D
 
I have in fact discovered the same thing about myself. Back in the day I would have called myself a knife collector. That term is not very accurate for me I have found. I prefer the term knife enthusiast now. Because I have stopped "collecting". I have found that I have a few select favorite knives and that once I am bored with a knife I rarely if every revisit it. So at that point I simply cut it loose. For me I get to enjoy the hobby long term with minimal investment. The money I lose would be lost at any time I sold a knife. And keeping it in a collection only to look at to me just means its money I could have to try out new knives. So I keep about 10 - 20 at a time and sell them when I find I am no longer picking them up. So far I have only had 2 or 3 instances where I wish I could have certain knives back. But every time I start romanticizing the idea of getting any of them back I just tell myself if they were really that special I wouldnt have let them go in the first place.
 
I have collected many different things as my interest have changed over the years. I still have some old sports memorabilia, guns, and other antique things. I never set out to "collect" knives. But after my wife mentioned to me that I had them "laying" all over the place, I guess I do. I don't have any big money items. I just buy what I like or can afford. I have found that I really like the look of the wharncliffe blade. I may sell off some old stuff to finance one.
 
My answer is yes.

I have overhauled my collection twice:

First I was really into Spyderco/BM and had all the rarity's, that was my direction.

Then I bought my first custom.......

Sold everything and focused on customs.

Then I ended up with an SMF in a strange trade with a good friend, and never looked back.
Sold all my customs and now I am really into Strider/RHK/MKT and I just picked up a Tom Krien.

I think this is a journey, and the only way you are ever going to understand what you really like to use/collect is to try as many knives as you can.....it's completely normal.

EDIT:

Try not to go broke!
I try to fund my hobby through my hobby as much as possible.
 
I have 2 SAK's and a buck 110. I stay away from collecting, but I like these boards anyway. There's nothing wrong with collecting. Apparently you can afford collecting as if you stopped you might spend your money on booze and women. Then again what's wrong with that. Enjoy collecting, there are a lot of other things to blow a wad on and who knows you might end up with that one blade that could get a kid or grand kid through college.
 
Let's face it, none of us really "need" all these knives. Hell I didn't carry a knife for the first 25 years of my life and got by just fine. It's simply a hobby that distracts us from the real world and gives us something to look forward to.
 
bt93 said:
I have 2 SAK's and a buck 110. I stay away from collecting, but I like these boards anyway. There's nothing wrong with collecting. Apparently you can afford collecting as if you stopped you might spend your money on booze and women. Then again what's wrong with that. Enjoy collecting, there are a lot of other things to blow a wad on and who knows you might end up with that one blade that could get a kid or grand kid through college.
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I don't drink, 60 yrs old and married to the same woman for 33 years so I guess the booze and women are out. LOL Money not really a problem but definitely not rich just wanted to see if others ever felt they had become obsessed and just couldn't help themselves. I guess I have just found I love knives.
 
I think you just need more iron in your blood, doc says that's my problem, I have contracted the steel virus and it comes and goes, pretty cyclic in nature, so when you least expect it, it rears it's head and you just HAVE to have new steel in your possession, and I'm sorry to say, there is no cure...:)

g2
 
I ran into the same issue a year or so ago. I had 2 knives that I used for EDC, and 50-60 that were "nice" but none over $225 with the exception of a few. Then one day I sold a handful of them because these "$150-$225" knives weren't exciting enough anymore. At that point I decided I'd like to try to make knives and sold off all of my knives to finance equipment. I haven't bought a knife since, and still EDC the knife I did prior to selling off my collection.
 
My 2 cents is that half of collecting is finding the models you actually like, Being a broke student I would start selling off a good chunk and buying variations of the models you like and or trying a new model.

I find your interests, and what knives you appreciate and or will carry changes as your collection does. I started off wanting extremely overbuild hard use folders to justify the price, then I babied them, now I like more ergonomic lighter knives, and since I have more than a few knives now I'm not afraid to carry or use them. My price cutoff is still around 200-250$ though, I could never bring myself to EDC a Sebenza for fear of losing the thing.
 
None of us can tell you if your collecting is reasonable or not, that is completely up to you.

People collect all kinds of things. You can have as many knives as you want. You can look at them, use them, gain pleasure knowing that you have them, or you can sell them.

I struggle with this issue also. I have a lot of folders that I can use, and most of them I do use. I have a lot of fixed blades that I don't use, just look at. To partly reduce my anxiety at having a lot of knives that I don't use, I recently sold some and I have a few more I will try to sell. But I still have a lot. I'm whittling down to the knives that I most like to carry, and the fixed blades that I most like to look at. For me that is a good basis for collecting.
 
Every day I ask myself the same thing.
I have more knives than I'll ever use in five lifetimes and can't bring myself to move any of them. I just picked up two today that I don't need. but had to have these particular two for my collection.
But, it's still fun for me, doesn't interfere with my obligations and get to interact with some good people. I know one day I'll come to my senses and trim down my collection, but it's not today.
 
wtlj said:
Let's face it, none of us really "need" all these knives. Hell I didn't carry a knife for the first 25 years of my life and got by just fine. It's simply a hobby that distracts us from the real world and gives us something to look forward to.
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I will go along with that general thought, but in a different way.

I carried an Old Timer Stockman for longer than I can remember, at least until I discovered this site in 1999.

As a kid, my jeans always had a hole or a wear mark where that knife sat in my front pocket. Growing up on a midwest farm, I needed a knife, but I only needed one simple knife. I kept it oiled and sharp, and it was all I had.

I could go back to having only that Old Timer in a heartbeat. I'd probably be better off, really. I'd have more money, more time, and more drawer space.
 
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