Use or ‘Baby’ a brand new knife that might be sold?

I like this topic because I struggled with it too but in a slightly different way from the OP. The reason I might be hesitant to use a new knife is not so much for the loss in monetary value as for the fact that I like it to stay looking as new as possible for as long as possible.

There in lies the problem with this hobby. Knives are meant to be used. If you have a slightly OCD way about you like that, you might be better off collecting stamps or coins. Those are meant to stay wrapped and unused as possible.

As I said previously, one way to get around that with a knife is to buy two of the same. A second way - and one that I’ve kind of settled on more now because it’s easier on the wallet, is to buy a user to begin with.

It’s cheaper annyway, and a lot easier to break the ice if somebody’s already done it for you. I’m a lot less worried about scratching or blemishing a knife that’s already got a blemish somewhere. It’s that first one that kills me. 😂

This whole thing reminds me of a meme I saw somewhere about a guy with a hot girlfriend. He was saying something to the effect of how he tried to avoid touching her too much so that she could remain as fresh and unused as possible for the next guy she dated. . . 🤣
 
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Ron Texas said:
There's nothing wrong with holding off a few weeks to be sure you like a new knife, but it makes a lot more sense to be sure of your choices before you buy. I find the argument that there's no way to know with out using it first to be unpersuasive. Knives are just not that complicated. People who worry about resale value of minor possessions so they can sell them to fund new purchases are not like me. It's more like they are renting their things. There are people who sign up in a lottery to buy a Rosie with the full intention of flipping it on eBay. I hope they stub their toes badly.

Knives are tools. Use the right tool for the job. Nobody needs a $500 knife to break down boxes when a $10 box cutter will to it just as well. Some knives are so ornate that they are not meant to be used. There are lots of functional Chinese knives which are cheap enough to call disposable even though they have a long useful life. That's what I use for cutting. That $35 knives work so well, makes you realize how expensive a mass produced $300 Spyderco or Benchmade is.
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Yes and no. I agree with you in spirit but if they are “just tools” this is probably the wrong forum for you. Obviously they are much more than that to most people who find their way here. You absolutely can just use a three dollar box cutter to take down a cardboard box. And you’re right, nobody does need a $500 knife to do that, but some of us enjoy doing just that.
 
BP Green said:
Yes and no. I agree with you in spirit but if they are “just tools” this is probably the wrong forum for you. Obviously they are much more than that to most people who find their way here. You absolutely can just use a three dollar box cutter to take down a cardboard box. And you’re right, nobody does need a $500 knife to do that, but some of us enjoy doing just that.
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I was pretty clear that knives are not "just tools" as I mentioned those which are too ornate to use. It's excessively judgmental to tell anyone they don't belong here because their values don't match yours.
 
Ron Texas said:
I was pretty clear that knives are not "just tools" as I mentioned those which are too ornate to use. It's excessively judgmental to tell anyone they don't belong here because their values don't match yours.
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I worded that poorly. Don’t take it personally or the wrong way. I’m not telling you you don’t belong here. I’m not anybody to tell anyone anything. I’m just making a general observation that the majority of people that are on this site are probably people who just enjoy using and collecting knives and not simply concerned with their primary use as a tool. We’re just having a conversation. I meant no offense.
 
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Ron Texas said:
I was pretty clear that knives are not "just tools" as I mentioned those which are too ornate to use. It's excessively judgmental to tell anyone they don't belong here because their values don't match yours.
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Btw, in the same vein, those knives that you say “are too ornate to use” may not be for someone else. Some people would never use a Rosie or a Shiro as they were intended because they are relatively expensive. Others with deeper pockets absolutely will.

This is the exact same conversation I’ve seen on gun forums where some guys collect very expensive custom shotguns and rifles and wouldn’t even think about hunting with them. Others do the same with custom handmade bamboo fly rods. Again, it just comes down to personal preference or situation.
 
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BP Green BP Green the odd thing is a Rosie looks like it was meant to be used. Maybe an ornate Spartan Harsey Folder looks like it was meant only to be admired. These things are objects of desire. They may be functional, but as you say, their high cost keeps them from being used. Years ago I went hunting with people who actually shot their expensive shotguns. They were also very well off.
 
Ron Texas said:
BP Green BP Green the odd thing is a Rosie looks like it was meant to be used. Maybe an ornate Spartan Harsey Folder looks like it was meant only to be admired. These things are objects of desire. They may be functional, but as you say, their high cost keeps them from being used. Years ago I went hunting with people who actually shot their expensive shotguns. They were also very well off.”they
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Exactly. I’m definitely not well off, but I am just comfortable enough that I’ve been able to acquire some nice things in my time. There have been times when I’ve questioned myself fishing expensive cane fly rods remembering back to how many times I had broken much less expensive synthetic ones. The joy of using them overrides the fear of breaking them.

Personal anecdote: My dad grew up in the depression era. He never once held back his generosity when it came to his family, but when it came to himself he was downright miserly. I remember when I was a young soldier I went home one winter and brought my dad a pair of brand new insulated Danners after my mom told me he had habit of going outside and shoveling snow in front of the house in a pair of ripped up sneakers.

When he died years later we found those boots in the original box still wrapped up like the day they left the factory. He never wore them. My mom said he thought “they were too nice to ruin shoveling snow” he was saving them for later…
 
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