The "users" philosophy conundrum

So-Lo

So-Lo

Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Messages
5,364
So after a few years of chasing and chasing that next knife high I feel burnt out. :o

I am no collector, just a user... I like knives that look like they have served their owners well for years and years. It bothers me to have great knives that only sit around not being used as they should. This is where the "conundrum" part is. I really could get down to five knives to cover all my EDC needs and really use these knives hard for years an years to come. :thumbup:

Long story longer... I feel like cutting my perfect collection (IMHO) down to five or six knives that will see TONS of pocket time.

I could use a the "extra" money for a family vacation, new Mac Book Pro, invest in something for our families future... Or whatever. Not doing it for the "extra money," just really feel like I would be better off with five or six knives to "use."


So any old hands here have any advice :o

(cut them loose, or hold on to them.., maybe even tuck them away for a month or so and see how I feel after the month as passed without seeing them or using them?) They are just knives so this should not be a real "problem".... but it is :o
 
Well, I think you are right, put them away for awhile to see how you feel later. Take the ones you know you want to use, and use them, then you may appreciate some of the different aspects of the ones you put away. I am not a big user of my knives, I just collect what I like, but I too get tired of just the same old look and buy. So I am going to try, not very successfully maybe, but I am not going to buy anymore until I try a few different things. For example, I am want to learn to sharpen a whole lot better, so I will use the ones I do not mind using hard, such as my kabar short heavy bowie, CS Recon Scout, etc. Try different things to find out why you like knives so much, and maybe when you go back to the old stored ones, it may rekindle that interest. I may also try putting a few kit knives together..all in all, explore some different ways to use them. I really am interested to see how you use the "working knives." My Becker 7 and 9 are itching to be used. Although, I may still buy a Becker necker first to see how the thing works. Do you like Beckers and RATs?
 
If you've come to the point where you only use a few, and the rest just sit there, it might be time to start selling.
My collection is just over sixty knives now, and I make a point of using each one at least a couple of times a year. I appreciate having so many as it keeps things fresh. Each time I open my knife box it's like going to the candy store, so many to pick from.
One of the critical objectives with my collection is to not have overlap between knives. Whether it be the lock, steel, style, or intended use, all of my knives are different in some significant way. The ones I don't really see myself using very often are given away, selling them might be a better idea though.
 
I'm in much the same boat as you So-lo

I've got way more knives than I've ever intended to get. But I've sold some and I just end up buying them back. Caly 3 zdp, sage, stretch, wharncliffe urban, dodo, lava, spin
benchmade 710, military, para military.

All of those knives I have sold thinking I wouldn't want them again. End up buying them all over again :D

I think the real thing is to quit chasing the next one.
 
I'v had a little bit of everything :cool:

(click me for well over a thousand knife pix) and I still have 300+ knife pix that have not been posted to that thread :eek:


I also have hundreds and hundreds of knives on designed on paper :)

And have no problem getting a "hair whittling edge" freehanding... Traded the EdgePro and don't even know where my sharpmaker is. :o (not bragging, just don't care to go sharper than hair whittling :) )


:)
 
I hear what your saying So-Lo.I lost count of how many knives I have long ago.I find that I carry and use the same 8 to 10 knives most of the time.I still need a new knife fix every couple months,It's definately an addiction!
 
I,ve cut my edc down to 1. Small sebbie BG-42 (thanx by the way) & a game warden/ izula for fixed blade needs. not too many choices and I'm good with that...
 
when i hit 60 had 34 guns, no junk
sakos,wheatherbys's&w,ruger,browning,benelli' you get the idea.
sold off a bunch & kept about 10 essentials.
had a friend e-bay the 150 knives,razors, swords.
kept 15 knives.
too many possessions complicate you life.
 
So weird!
I've spent so much time looking for my personal interpretation of the ever-mythical "Perfect Knife", that I've now accumulated a few dozen that I really don't use, look @, or even care to own really (sad but true :( ). I'm sure many of you guys have found yourselves in a similar position @ some point or another.

I read somewhere (maybe here?) that if you own any knives that you haven't looked @ for 6 mths or more, you should just go ahead & get rid of them.
Chances are they will NEVER see the light of day again, stuck in a draw forever, destined for a life never lived.
By selling them, you can a) Make some $$$, and b) return them to the pool of available stock, hopefully to find their "forever" owner. :thumbup:

Although I ABSOLUTELY LOVE to use the knives I own, I am also a die-hard collector.... and that means there are several pieces that have seen no use @ all (& will remain in pristine condition until they are pried from MY COLD DEAD HANDS! :mad: ).
Honestly, I would love to get rid of most of my knives & whittle the collection down to the Favorite Users (prob 3 or 4), & the Serious Collector $h!t (prob the same #).

That way I can spend more time actually researching & learning about the knives I already own, rather than spending more time ( and $$$) on the eternal, never-ending, EXPENSIVE, quest of looking for more! :D
And honestly...... there is no feeling in the world more satisfying than learning.... for the first time.... what a REALLY good knife that you already own, but never used, can do!
 
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Great point, it is an addiction, so maybe it is a good idea to take a brief sabbatical from the quest for the next one......Notice I did not say giving it up all together. Enjoy what you got for now, and just enjoy the looking for awhile, safe in the thought that you know you do not have to buy. Hard as that is!
 
cbach8tw said:
Great point, it is an addiction, so maybe it is a good idea to take a brief sabbatical from the quest for the next one......Notice I did not say giving it up all together. Enjoy what you got for now, and just enjoy the looking for awhile, safe in the thought that you know you do not have to buy. Hard as that is!
Click to expand...

I think this is what I need to do :thumbup:


Just don't buy or trade... just enjoy what I have :)

Maybe I like the shopping for, waiting for, and unboxing that new knife. It's fun but not what I wanted from this hobby. Maybe that's what I need, a break from the exchange, eBay, and general knife hunting?
 
Consider this: Right now is a terrible time to sell your knives. The market is saturated right now, just surf the sale forum. Price reductions abound. If you sell into this buyer's market you might as well get ready to lose your shirt.
 
so-lo, always a good idea to gift some knives away. i've gave knives away over 20 yrs ago that the " kid " is just now using. do this with the parents knowledge/permission of course. :D
 
DennisStrickland said:
too many possessions complicate you life.
Click to expand...

Sage advice that some people spend a lifetime to learn, and many never do. :thumbup:

I'll add that having the most expensive, rarest, most, or best looking also is no guarantee of happiness, though some swear by it
 
I give knives away occasionally. Last one was a Bear MGC balisong ($60) along with the Seiko 200m auto diver I wore in Iraq. Both to the same person. It's good for the karma to do this occasionally. I'm nowhere near some of the guys here though. I have approx 25 knives, but I would value my collection at approx $5000 (+?)
 
DennisStrickland said:
when i hit 60 had 34 guns, no junk
sakos,wheatherbys's&w,ruger,browning,benelli' you get the idea.
sold off a bunch & kept about 10 essentials.
had a friend e-bay the 150 knives,razors, swords.
kept 15 knives.
too many possessions complicate you life.
Click to expand...

I think there's a lot of wisdom in this. I've accumulated a bunch of stuff and sometimes it seems like it has ended up owning me. A fellow only needs so many 'spares' of the ones he likes.

I've been selling a few knives on the exchange that just don't suit my fancy, but are otherwise quality pieces. I have a whole bunch of users and 'accumulation' I'll never need or use. Once the economy turns up I'm going to sell some of it and maybe give some of the knives away.
 
DennisStrickland said:
too many possessions complicate you life.
Click to expand...

Yup - I'm realizing that the hard way. We have too much of everything. Family photos (4,000+, unsorted); too many tools (most don't get used); too many movies (most don't get watched) . . . you name it.

I have around 80-90 knives of all types right now, down from 200+; I'm reducing my collection down to probably two dozen users, mostly slipjoints. I'm more sophisticated now, when it comes to knives, and I'm seeing where one knife can do the jobs of several. Sell the unused, invest in the family. (Fun times, etc.)

thx - cpr
 
everyone has their own limits. Mine probably go in somewhere 12 folders, 20 vics and 10 fixed blades. Then it starts to be problematic to fit them with 700 + DVD movies... *Sighs*
 
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