Small knife collections: Anyone else happy with theirs?

S

sharkattacksw

Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
626
Hi all,

I've been thinking about my "collection" lately and it's paltry compared to what a lot of your guys have. But, the thing is, I like carrying the ones that I have an awful lot. The ones that get the most pocket time are my Spyderco PM2, Spyderco Native 5 G-10, and my newly acquired Benchmade Crooked River. I've got a couple of Delicas, a few Bucks and a really nice Cold Steel American Lawman with some great file work done on it, but those knives just don't "do it for me" like the main three I listed. Unless something really, and I mean really grabs my attention, I'm fine with what I have. Does that make me weird?

I'm wondering how many of you guys really only carry a few different knives, like your favorite 2 or 3. Even if you have many more knives than I do, do you typically only carry your favorite 2 or 3? I've seen some pretty cool knives, but they wouldn't be too practical to carry, and if I'm buying a knife, I like to carry it. I was never much of a collector, only letting them see daylight once in a while. I definitely prefer to carry the knives that I like, as opposed to just keeping them to look at and play with now and then. Not that there's anything wrong with that, haha.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. Your thoughts? Am I silly for being content (at the moment) with my relatively small collection?
 
EliteBlades said:
Who is a Spyderco lover?? Let's get this feed chatting!

What Spyderco Blade is on your Wishlist this holiday season???
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I also am a spyderco lover! The chaparral is on my list and I just preordered the Para 3!


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Something nice about a smaller nicer collection where the majority get used. My knife collecting life kinda followed the path below;

Phase 1) collect lots of different low and mid priced modern stuff to work out what I liked;

Phase 2) sell a lot of the 'rubbish' and focus on high priced folders from the better brands

Phase 3) sell everything except a few

Phase 4) focus on traditionals and go through the steps 1-3 again!!

Phase Now) keep the collection to around 12 high quality users and 6 or so safe queens with sentimental value. Lots come and go but I try not to accumulate too many these days. I actually enjoy just using the knives now rather than accumulating.
 
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Hi. I can very much relate to this :). I’m mostly interested in modern folding knives. I own different pieces from different brands and I am not exclusive in this, just the opposite in reality! I currently own a dozens of "good quality" folders (not necessarily “expensive”, the most expensive I own is around 280 EUR) which I rotate weekly. They are all users, mostly put through “light utility” EDC tasks, if we want to try a definition :). Fortunately I am a rather frugal person with an utilitarian and simple approach to life so I never fell into “accumulation mode” with any object. If I use things they stay around, if I don’t, they go away (mainly I gift individuals or organizations, e.g. old kids toys go to local public kindergarten; old books to public library, old cloths to charity, etc.). Currently I purchase 3-4 pieces/year.

What I enjoy most in this hobby is to go out and “play” with my knives every day, at work, at home or out in the Nature :). Also I like maintaining my knives (sharpening, disassembly and assembly, cleaning, etc.), researching, discussing, writing something about (on here, in a hobbyist way :)). Also I like to take some pics of them, always as an amateur :p. Not necessarily I have to own all the knives I like and my purchases are very much pondered (fit for use, value for money, etc.). Knives for me are tools, some nicer than others but tools. I don’t consider any consumer good (even the durables) purchase as an investment, on the contrary, I know already I lose money in the buying (surely the VAT value, as minimum, will be lost).

Having a weekly rotation, I think my maximum “accumulation limit” is set on 52 pieces, I want to use one knife at least one week/year. But that’s more a joke with myself, I’m far from that and will likely never get to that point. What I do is to regularily “walk” all my knives, so all of them see some use, sure some more and some less. New acquisitions, for example, stay quite long in my pocket, disrupting somehow the weekly rotation rule :D. Along the years, I have surely bought some knives which I found out, during use, they were “not for me” and I gifted someone with those. My taste hasn’t properly “evolved”, I was and still am more into modern folders but I have learned what works for me and my type of use so I can see a consistent trend in my acquisitions overtime. Anyway hobby should be a joy so, as many say here, “whatever floats your boat” is fine :thumbup:!
 
Mine is a small collection. I only really carry two knives edc nowadays and am happy with them. The rest sit in a box ready to be passed on to my kids. I'll still get something that suits my fancy, but it's not a priority.
 
I have a small collection of very high quality small folders: Full Custom, William Henry, CRK Mnandi, etc. But I usually just carry the William Henry carbon fiber, Mokume, and damascus that my wife gave me one year. I carry it in my coin pocket every day.

IMG_0212_zpsdc8c6157.jpg
 
I have recently completed stage 1 of Matt009au's knife collecting list. I'm not sure I will follow the remaining steps, I may sell off some but I like having them as a collection. Going forward I will move to buying fewer of the more expensive knives. Like trying to get my first ZT, or maybe even find a 0561. Also working on finding a nice fixed blade that I can take camping and use for things like food prep. The key would be to get one that actually sees use and isn't just another member of the drawer.
 
There is nothing wrong with having a small number of user knives that you actually carry and use. That is the most logical and cost-effective approach.
 
Im really happy with mine, I just need one Rockstead and I think that will be enough, although every time I want my EDC to be one knife I love, when I get it, theres already another one I want, so I guess the Rockstead will come, then it will be something else, but Im not buying any more cheap knives,
 
Davor said:
In small knives you can't beat a Chris Reeves Mnandi. It was perfectly made.
Click to expand...

I might be wrong, but I think we are discussing collections that do not contain a large number of knives, not collections that only contain small knives.

Small knife collection vs small-knife collection. :D
 
It goes on the sell list if I don't carry it. However, I like variety and go through cycles. So many great knives... I guess I think of my self as an enthusiast, not a collector. Glad you found what makes you happy.
 
I have half-a-dozen that get carried & used regularly, and those I'll keep. Everything else is up for grabs. As much as I like the Spyderco SuperLeaf, I just don't carry it much at all. I have a few others like that: I have them for their unique features, but I just don't carry & use them. I end up purging once or twice a year.

~Chris
 
I only have 3 knives at the moment....

That number has fluctuated over the years anywhere from 1 to 30.

I doubt I will ever have more then 3-5 knives max at any given time anymore, only so many knives I can juggle as EDC's, and I have lost interest in starting yet another collection....
 
My collection is around 30 but only about 6 of those are EDC's or fixed blade users.
My main EDC folder then a Kershaw Launch 4 backup blade.
 
matt009au said:
Something nice about a smaller nicer collection where the majority get used. My knife collecting life kinda followed the path below;

Phase 1) collect lots of different low and mid priced modern stuff to work out what I liked;

Phase 2) sell a lot of the 'rubbish' and focus on high priced folders from the better brands

Phase 3) sell everything except a few

Phase 4) focus on traditionals and go through the steps 1-3 again!!

Phase Now) keep the collection to around 12 high quality users and 6 or so safe queens with sentimental value. Lots come and go but I try not to accumulate too many these days. I actually enjoy just using the knives now rather than accumulating.
Click to expand...

Phase 1: Check. Guess I am mostly still there. But, I have generally figured out what I like. Phase 4: Yep, but I still like modern folders. Phase 2 and Phase 3: Nope. Have no intention of selling and have no intention of just having a "few". I only carry a few with any regularity however. So, I can relate to your Phase 2 and 3 comments. It's a hobby. Why sell? I might want to gift one or change what I carry.
 
I have way too many knives, and the appeal of thinning the heard a bit makes sense to the ones I like to grab for EDC, or ones I know will be used later, for whatever excursion or task. Then the sickness kicks in again, and I see small fixed blade knives that I think would make a good utility knife, as if I did not have enough already, and I realize thinning the herd is a lot tougher than believed at first. The one good thing about my larger collection, something cathartic I guess, is that when I feel the urge to purchase another one, the fact I can handle so many different ones, and appreciate how they are put together and the aesthetics, that seems to satiate the impulse buyer in me. There are 2-5 that I do seem to reach for EDC first, my 1/16 big Chris hunt in 01, the Blind Horse Maverick colt, or the JR small scalpel necker in 1084, and a SA.
 
My collection is on the small side. I have three dedicated work knives. 2 folders which are carried daily and a fix blade that only gets carried when needed. Outside of work i have a small selection. What gets carried depends on the situation. Sometimes I prefer a deep carry folder. Sometimes a thin slicer. All together my collection consists of about 8 locking folders 4 fixed blades and four slip joints at the moment.
 
My first knife was a delica which I got about 25 years ago, then this crazy thing called the internet came along and people started telling me there were better knives out there. My "collection" started growing until I started to see diminishing returns on quality vs. price. Now I am at the point where I am very happy with the quality of knives in the $100-$300 range. That is what I EDC and use. Now I only buy if it is something that I think I will really use and fits my style. I buy quality and try it out, and if I don't like it I know I can sell it off. Current EDC lineup is a Benchmade 940, small Sebenza, Southern grind spider monkey and an Inkosi. Or if I need something larger I go with a BM 710 or PM2
 
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