The evolution of the traditional knife nut?

I have seen this basic subject come up several times and it is always a thought provoking thread every time . When we were younger we spent as much time as possible with our children and spent our money on them and saving for our future . I only had ONE Ulster Whittler and carried it for 40 years until I retired . Even though I have always liked knives , I was satisfied with having only one pocket knife . About 15 years ago , my children thought they could buy me knives for gifts , and that was okay with me . Since then there have been 120 plus knives just show up as if by magic . Most of them purchased by me . I have never bought a knife that I did not like and have never sold any . I also have bought probably 20 other knives that I gifted . I have no other hobbies . I kicked any bad habits that I had . I still give my family more time than I give to my knives. Some day my Kids , their kids , and their kids will get the majority of my knives and some of my friends will get the rest . Today is not that day . Until then , I will continue to buy what I like and still contribute more to Charities than I spend on knives . I have no desire to down-size .

Harry
 
For myself (and I'm guessing many others) we spend so much of our childhood wanting a knife like dad or grandpa has. Then we go through that rite of passage when we finally get our first one. I remember it like it was yesterday. I got mine as a birthday present when I was 9. I knew what it was by the size and weight of the package, but I was so excited to open it, and felt so proud that Dad trusted me to have my own.

I think to some extent I rekindle that feeling every time I open that new box or tube.

As far as my own evolution in the hobby, I started with just that one Swiss army style knife - made in Germany, but not sure of the brand. A few years later I got my first job at a local lumber yard and needed a bit larger of a knife. That's when I got into modern knives I guess.

Eventually I became friends with a guy who was huge into everything "tactical" and I was convinced that if I couldn't stab the hood of a car with it, then it wasn't a good knife. I sure felt cool having such cutting edge cutlery in my pocket. In a fraction of a second I could deploy my s30v blade to...open envelopes, cut loose strings from my clothes, and scare the crap out of someone who asked to use a knife for something similarly mundane.

Then we had our first kid. It wasn't a conscious decision, but I almost immediately began focusing more on traditionals, specifically Case. I haven't looked back. I still have a few modern knives, but I sold most of them to buy traditionals. I have a lot more GECs than anything now, but I enjoy pieces from all of the major manufacturers. I collect and I use. I don't see every pattern as being a good user for me, but I still enjoy experiencing them.

The next phase of my evolution is vintage. I need to do more homework so I don't get ripped off or embarrass myself (which is one reason I spend time here).

Thanks for starting this thread, and for forcing me to reflect on something that I have been enjoying for most of my life!
 
Woodrow F Call said:
I know some here have gone from collecting many knives and later parsed the collection to the few. I have bought and sold plenty of knives and have accumulated a few. I have also often said that there is not really a point in reducing your collection if it's what makes you happy, and maybe that is still true.

I have really gravitated to a couple of EDCs instead of changing out for something different every day. Most often, I prefer a Peanut in my pocket.... usually, it's a Yeller CV, Chestnut CV, or a Old Pocket Worn Redbone SS. I supplement the Peanut with a Case 6375 (Jumbo Stockman). I find myself buying other knives, carry a few times, then back to the usual Peanut/Stockman combo. It's kind of weird, as I've always thought it odd that a knife nut would give/sell most of their collection and whittle down the daily carry to just one or two, but I've find myself struggling to not adopt this concept now.

Being happy with what you have....... Something my wife and I were talking about the other day. I sometimes struggle with this and she was saying she works on it. I was thinking about this and pocket knives..... and maybe going minimalist for awhile. I still want other knives, but always seem to just want to carry the few. I've not yet gotten that sweet vintage Peachseed Schrade or even a Cattle knife (which I've always wanted, but never found the right blade combo (Spear, Sheepsfoot, and Pen or Spey) that was a price I wanted to pay...... but maybe I don't really need them.

I still enjoy having that sharp knife and using it for the chores I need it for, but I don't know that I need so many. Maybe take my extra nuts and put them in a shadowbox and parse the rest?

Anyone else feel like discussing?
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Aah— The philosophy of pocket knives! Wiser people than me have said that we are on this earth to serve god - or to just fart around. I believe we are here to propagate genes. And to have a good time, survive, and revere god while propagating.
I am 80, and I like pocket knives. For a hobby, I restored Antique watches for 35 years. They were mechanical, intriguing, and at times very beautiful. So are pocket knives. To me they are jewelry. I love handling them.
I have a collection of 10 GEC’s. If I buy one, I sell one. When I buy one, the first thing I do is throw away the tube. I carry all of them in turn. I have slowly been upgrading to what I enjoy most. I now have 2 35’s, 2 72’s, 2 73’s, 3 77’s, and a 78.
I also have 2 Cases. A 6235 1/2 and a Whaler with black walnut. I feel that The pinnacle of pocket knife manufacturing was Case in the 1970’s.
Absolutely no SS. If I need a tactical knife, I’ll buy a box cutter.
My 2 cars each have a Schrade Craftsman scout knife in it.
In Panama they have a saying. “Cada loco con su tema”. It means “Each person has their own madness”. No need for psychoanalysis!
 
WFC, I had these same thoughts several months ago. I don't think that I have the right mentality to be a collector, despite my best efforts. Unfortunately, I have a large materialistic streak in me. After taking some time away from buying and trying to focus on enjoying what I already had I realized that most of what I had and thought I loved was actually just garbage that was cluttering my life. I was never looking to collect, just always looking for something "better". Of course, when I obtained the "better" knife it quickly lost it's luster as something new came down the pike.

One day my daughter decided to go around the house and count up all of my knives. I don't know exactly how many she counted, but I remember it was over 150. That's just stupid. Most of those knives would never be used again, as I had already decided that they weren't as good as the ones that had replaced them in my pocket. I decided to start whittling down my knives to just the ones that would actually see use in the future, keeping only a precious few that had some meaning to me. I gave away a good many, sold some off, and traded away some more. I don't know what I'm currently down to, but I'd guess it's around 30. Even this number is way too large, and I'm hoping to eventually get down to the single digits. As I type this I have 8 knives sitting on my desk, none of which has been touched in several months.

I originally set out to find one really good knife that I could carry every day. It's taken me several years, but I think I've gotten back to that original goal. I have a couple of knives that I carry every day, and am completely content with them. I'm not looking for anything better. I'm trying to remember, but I think October was the last time I bought a slipjoint and it's been two months since I've bought any knife. I have a couple custom knives in the works, but other than that I think I may be done acquiring. I don't regret getting rid of any of the knives that I've unacquired, so that might be a sign that I'm cured. I don't know.

Anyways, I hope that you're able to find your equilibrium. I think that Brett is closer than any of us want to admit when he compares this hobby to an addiction. It's really an addiction to consumption and acquisition. That's a tough one to kick.
 
I love my few pocket knives that I do have, but simplicity is always my default mode in life. After experimenting with a number of different patterns over the years I know what suits my needs and preferences. I carry one or two on my person depending on the day's plans, but of the dozen or so I have - I only routinely carry 3 or 4 of them to any degree.
 
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