Use or Collect?

If most every knife I was interested in cost $500+, I would question my need to acquire more and more just like firearms. Have guns for every purpose I might normally need. Another one comes along from time to time however.
 
I have used every one I've owned. I sort of rotate through them, but some become favorites. A few get used less, some more. Some I generally reserve for special occasions, but they're still used if I need them. I wouldn't buy a knife I couldn't/wouldn't use.
 
sabre cat said:
LOL.I recently told my wife that I wish to have one of my knives buried with me. She looked at me like I was crazy.

Most of mine are users, BTW.
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Make sure you preserve it nicely so that in 2 thousand years they'll find a decent copy and not the usual pitted and rusted ancient stuff.
 
I have an EDC team that goes with me daily. At present the team is: Starbenza, Victorinox Explorer, Leatherman Wave. The rest of my knives are part of a collection that will not be used until called up to join the EDC team when a team member retires (sold, etc). In my collection I have a ranking system ... the knife at the top will graduate to the EDC team next. There are knives that will never go to EDC because I want them to remain spectators. Spectators are knives that I wish to keep pristine for various reasons.

Once a knive graduates to become part of my EDC team it cannot go back to the collection. It's carried, used and then sold when the time comes, unless stolen, lost or broken. No knife is ever abused.
 
I've bought knives just because I thought they looked cool, with no specific purpose in mind, but I've carried and at least lightly used them all at some point.
 
sunandsteel said:
Can knives be mummified?
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Burry it in a tin of renaissance wax.
What if the tin rusts? Cover it in gold foil. What if something scratches away the foil? Surround the foil with another vessel made from stainless or better yet titanium. Against fire a few bricks and then maybe a layer of glass to seal it from the elements.
Maybe some thick rubber against earthquakes.
Should take care of everything short of a volcano.
To fit in in a grave you would almost need a Pyramide.
:-p
 
I have only a few quality knives so far spyderco/kershaw/benchmade and a whole bunch of lower end gerber/crkt/etc type knives. The lower end ones I'll use for anything and beat up at work without a care. Most of those are now retired into my emergency packs/car kit as backup knives since I started getting nicer knives. I got a Byrd cara cara to carry to work and not worry about beating up or even losing. I also sometimes carry a gerber to work on occasion instead.

My Spyderco kershaw and benchmade all get carried on the weekends and at home and get lighter use. I wouldn't carry one of those to work. Not because I wouldn't want to use it for hard use, but because I wouldn't want to lose them which has happened before at my work place. If I'm going outside hiking or hunting I'll take the benchmade triage that I will be buying soon. If seen those things take abuse and they sure can get any job done.

So basically I really don't mind using my nice knives, just depends on the use. I wouldn't want to "abuse" my nicer ones but they all get used!
 
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It's funny - since posting to this thread a couple of days ago, I got out my "show knives" and handled them and thought - "I should sell these and get something I can enjoy everyday!" :)
 
KenHash said:
How do people balance between "Using" their knives and "Collecting" their knives?
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I do both. One of my favorite field knives is a USN MK1 in WW2 sheath. It is just about the perfect belt knife but not rare. I would be bummed if I lost it but there are 100's more to replace it with. Further, I find something every month for my collection but only have a few daily users. The same principle applies to them as well. There is nothing I could not lose and replace with the identical model or close equivalent. This tactic all goes back to the one time I took a valuable & rare knife out into the woods and came home with an empty sheath. That still ticks me off.
 
I find knife models that I like to use... and then I collect them (for future use, of course, all in due time).
 
sabre cat said:
LOL.I recently told my wife that I wish to have one of my knives buried with me. She looked at me like I was crazy.

Most of mine are users, BTW.
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Yeah, as a matter of fact I told the wife last week. Make sure my Spyderco Stretch is in my right front pocket. Dressed in my blue jeans. black Tshirt, and my Blundestone boots on.
 
I have read...That a knife must double in value every 10 years,just to cover inflation...I buy them to use them......FES
 
I do both. Carry one and use it till I get tired of having the same thing and basically retire it out of the EDC. I carried my SAK with me until I got my Blur. Retired the SAK somewhat and went to the Blur. Recently bought a Cryo 2, after I had lost the Blur then found it about 4 days after it came. The Cryo is basically sitting in the box waiting for the Blur to give up the ghost or be retired.

My wife wants to buy me a ZT 0350 this weekend. I have never held or seen one in person so i don't know if I will like it or will carry it. If she buys it, it may just be a collection piece or put in the backpack for my short hikes. My other collection pieces are my grandfathers EDC knife that my grandmother gave me when he passed away (because I was his favorite grandchild out of 6). My dad gave me his old pocketknife a few weeks ago so I have them together. The ZT may turn into one of those sentimental gifts that I just don't want to mess up or lose. Of course she might get mad if she spends that much money and I don't carry it. But then again i can always buy a blemished one and she would never know.
 
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