"Use it or lose it"

d2eux

d2eux

Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
289
Maybe it's just me, but has anyone got that nagging feeling in their head that tells them, "Look, if you're not using this fixed blade or folder" then sell it to someone who will.

I don't understand the origin of it I guess it's just stemming from the idea that a good blade should not go unused. I have the James Williams Hissatsu folder meant for self defense/special operators and I can't see myself ever using it. But I bought it for the "cool factor."

Whats even worse is that none of my knives are what you would call 'collector' pieces i.e safe queens or knives that look like works of art to be put on display. So they're sitting in my drawer not getting used. I feel almost sorry for them just sitting tucked away :p
 
I acknowledge my hoarding instinct, and embrace it. Every other area of my life is under control, so I allow myself this obsession. So no, I feel no compulsion to send them to a better place. They are happy right where they are.

v02uRHm.jpg

My Precious.
 
powernoodle said:
I acknowledge my hoarding instinct, and embrace it. Every other area of my life is under control, so I allow myself this obsession. So no, I feel no compulsion to send them to a better place. They are happy right where they are.

v02uRHm.jpg

My Precious.
Click to expand...

We have different opinions....but that's a damn cool pic and it just made my day!!
 
I understand your feeling exactly. I know so many people who don’t even own one quality knife and I have more than I need. So when I don’t use one regularly, I start having the same feeling. I have sold and given a few knives to friends and have really enjoyed seeing the amount of good use that they’ve seen. In order to remedy this, I usually try to avoid getting knives that I realistically don’t see myself using. Also, I “make” myself carry knives every so often just for the sake of carrying them. My Spyderco PM2 and Benchmade 940 are the two biggest culprits of this need.
 
Any knives worth using that I had that just sat around went to my cousin before I found this place, otherwise I would've offered them up in the pay it forward thread.
My cousin was just getting started in knives though, he probably needed them more than a bunch of knife nuts who've been at it a while.
 
I always feel this guilt, I'm tempted to collect but unless the knife is getting used or has a specific use for me I just always end up selling them.
 
Some knives are worth too little to sell, some were gifts and I won't sell. Otherwise, yeah, if I won't carry/use it, it goes.
 
Cow51 said:
My personal policy is I won't buy a knife I'm not going to use. If I get one that I don't use, I get rid of it.
Click to expand...

Same.

But there have been a few times where I bought a knife at an insane low price and turned a profit.
 
d2eux said:
Williams Hissatsu folder meant for self defense/special operators and I can't see myself ever using it. But I bought it for the "cool factor."
Click to expand...
If you bought it for self defense and think its cool why sell it. It's good that you haven't had to use the blade to defend yourself...but you look cool carrying it while you wait
 
d2eux said:
Maybe it's just me, but has anyone got that nagging feeling in their head that tells them, "Look, if you're not using this fixed blade or folder" then sell it to someone who will.
Click to expand...

No.

They are my knives and I do whatever I feel like with them. They and other people don't nag me.
 
powernoodle said:
I acknowledge my hoarding instinct, and embrace it. Every other area of my life is under control, so I allow myself this obsession. So no, I feel no compulsion to send them to a better place. They are happy right where they are.

v02uRHm.jpg

My Precious.
Click to expand...
Do you carry tip down or do you just throw the knives in the collection pile as they come from the factory....A lot of the black clips show no wear.....Thats a cool looking pile though!
 
marcinek said:
No.

They are my knives and I do whatever I feel like with them. They and other people don't nag me.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Though I use knives everyday and usually carry one clipped in, I also collect knives as a hobby.
And it's my hobby, to do so as I wish. Some knives are collectable to me and I can use a lot of others w/o the
collectable ones needlessly being used and losing some of their collectability as I perceive it.

To me it's like coin collecting. Some folks do so as a hobby. Though they use coins everyday, those that do collect
have many in their collections that they never intend to use/spend. Yep, those coins were originally made to be spent.
But they've moved on to another use with collectors. And I'm not going to argue with those that collect them
that they should spend them as they were originally intended...
 
All my knives were bought to be users and they are, or, were at one time. I've never even thought about selling the ones that I don't use anymore. My one son is always happy to accept one of my hand-me-downs & now one of my granddaughters has taken an interest in knives. Knives don't take up that much room.
 
The active buying, selling, and trading of knives is what keeps me from going overboard with the hobby. I have a few sentimental pieces I'll never get rid of but anything else is fair game if something better comes along.
 
I can't say I've ever bought a knife with the intent of not using it or just putting it away in a safe ... but I have purchased several knives that either didn't find their way into use and ended up sit aside and through the years I have purchased some duplicates of some of my favorite knives to have thinking down the road the one I carried may break ... get lost ... damaged ... etc ...

But I have just this fall noticed several duplicates and a handful of knives that have never been used either because they weren't what I expected or once I had them ... seemed to nice to put through my daily uses and I always thought ... oh I'll carry that on "nice occasions" ... well I should have remembered I'm a pretty simple countryboy and rarely go to any event or function to truely think I need a "gentleman knife" ... and always reach for my old faithfuls anyway ...

So I have actually sorted and made a list and will slowly be putting all the knives that never found use up for sale or maybe gift a few here when I get pictures and everything ready to list them ... because I realised how many were sitting there unused and I'm sure someone would get some good use out of them.

And watching some of the great work forums members do modding their knives ... think at this point in my life I may start giving that a try instead of buying so many new knives.
 
Every knife I buy is either a) auditioning to become my EDC, b) auditioning to become my EDC in specific situations (a larger knife for when I'm outside Seattle, etc.), or c) for some specific purpose (backpacking, bug-out bag, truck glove compartment, etc.). I've held onto some knives for sentimental reasons, or because I can see myself going to back to EDCing them, but over the past year or so I've sold most of those as well.

I don't see anything wrong with collecting for its own sake, or for any other reason, but I tend to be in the "use it or lose it" camp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top