Use or Collect?

marcinek said:
Do whatever you like! :thumbup: They are your knives.
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Nailed it.

Nobody can tell you what to do with your own property.

Me personally - I use all of my knives. If I get ahold of one I can't bear to use, and I keep it all pristine and new for a while, I wind up selling or trading it off.
 
As long as you don't hurt anybody with it, there's no wrong reason to own a knife.
 
I've got six knives for the sole purpose of collection and not ever using. The rest I've bought with the intention of using, I've got enough knives to last ten lifetimes. I rotate about a dozen for EDC, the rest may or may not be used. And yes I have bought duplicates.
 
I believe the following quote is me also. Except I do have 4 semi-safe queens, but, I still like to handle them from time to time. I don't believe I could ever buy a knife just to never touch it. :D
EChoil said:
I'm one who appreciates a good knife. That I have ended up with 'several' can define me as a collector. I don't purchase knives thinking about "adding to my collection." I buy a knife when I see one that appeals to me. Over time I happen to have accumulated a lot of good knives. I'm a 'collector' by definition but not by intent.

Only bottom line for me is that It's nice to have different types and varieties of knives to select from for daily carry.
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I buy to use my knives. However i have yet to use/carry half of what i own. I may need to use them soon or part ways.
 
I have several that are in my regular carry rotation. Some have duplicates because I would hate to be without one if I lost it. Then I have a bunch that I just like to "collect". Your money, your knives, your choice.
 
Unless it's a gift from a close family member, it doesn't get bought or allowed to hang around unless there's intentions of using it and enjoying it.
 
I will buy two of the same if I really like it or think it will be sought after down the road. I use one and stash the other.
 
I also like to use them, although sometimes i am hesitant on some to use because im not sure if i will end up carrying it and dont want to decrease the value if im to get something new. I am starting to narrow down my collection and just have some that i use on a regular basis
 
I started off thinking i need 2 of every knife, but realized the knives i get arent rare or custom so now they get used. I have multiples of the fixed blade skyline because I dont see them that often, other than that they all service me at one point in their life. I have about 30 knives and i still use them. Im hoping to get a ZT 0561 soon and when i get it i will have fun cutting stuff :D
 
Use them. I don't think there is anything cooler then a well loved knife. I'm not talking about thrashing it but a knife that looks like it could tell some awesome stories appeal to me.
 
I like to think of mine as a collection of users. :)

There are a few I really try to keep pretty and new looking, but I'm not afraid to open an envelope or box with one like that. If it's something I buy multiples of because I think there may be some collectibility there, I'll usually pick one out to use and the other to leave NIB. The only way I'll have a knife I don't use is if I have one copy that I can. Hence my username.:o
 
I'm solidly in the "use" camp. The only ones I might think of "collecting" are actually the sentimental knives. Like the one handed down to me that was my grandfathers brothers (died as a boy, kept as momento by grandfather, now mine), my original boy scout knife, etc.

Everything else is mostly for a specific purpose, so while I may have more than one knife, each one does its "thing" (take to church, take camping, edc, wood processing, carving, etc). And as of right now I really only have one redundant blade, and one blade I'm not using much. Both of those I'm thinking about getting rid of/gifting. I think if I counted everything, I'd be around 15.
 
David Lowry said:
Always use.

Life is too short to waste things.
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I don't know, David. If I carry a knife I probably won't use, am I wasting it? What if I carry a knife that I might use? Is that good enough or do I actually have to cut something with it in order not to waste it? What if I don't need to cut anything? Do I have to seek out stuff to cut whether it needs cutting or not to justify owning a knife? And rather than beat up my expensive knife, what if I decide to reach for box cutters or a multitool or a pair of office shears to open a box or cut something? Does that mean I've wasted my knife?

Walking around trying to figure out what I'm using and what I'm wasting is a waste of time as far as I'm concerned. And whether or not I use a knife really isn't that important to me nor can I figure out for the life of me why it would be important to anybody else. I buy and carry knives because I like knives. That's all the justification I need. YMMV.
 
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bld522 said:
Walking around trying to figure out what I'm using and what I'm wasting is a waste of time as far as I'm concerned. And whether or not I use a knife really isn't that important to me nor can I figure out for the life of me why it would be important to anybody else. I buy and carry knives because I like knives. That's all the justification I need. YMMV.
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Exactly. I like owning what I buy, so that's not a waste to me.
 
I buy with the intent to use them, with the thought that it may suit me better.

But what winds up happening is that no one knife is perfect for every situation, some knives are simply better suited for different purposes. Therefore I've got some knifes that get used a lot more than others.

Therefore 3 knives and 3. multitools a get the majority of my use while the rest are infrequently called into service.
 
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