Use or not use mint vintage knives

Monetarily it doesn't really matter to me. I just couldn't bring my self to use a mint condition old knife, even if it was given to me.

This was given to me:
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I'm not going to go play catch with it.

Ben
 
Good discussion folks. And considering that the topic is close to the heart of each member as to WHY he buys what he does, there has been very little rancor. Do please keep it that way.

Personally, I don't have the perspective to have an opinion, as I don't collect older knives. Of course the fact that I don't have older knives may itself be an opinion. I buy knives because I want to use them and that may be why I don't buy older knives. I'd likely be reticent to use them.
 
IMO, "knife enthusiast" may not be the same thing as "knife collector".

Both approaches are valid.

Seems to me that collecting is more about accumulating and curating a collection. It's more about preservation.

Being an enthusiast can be more about using the tool, even pushing the tool to its limits.

I make things. Worked for years as a bike mechanic. Work on a variety of other things now. I'm currently sitting on a mint condition bike from the early 80s. Practically unridden condition. Sort of like finding a vintage knife in unused, unsharpened condition. That mint bike is going on the auction block soon. It doesn't fit anybody in my family so nobody is going to use it. But as a bike mechanic and rider, it makes me sad to look at and own. Sort of like a caged lion in a zoo. "Pacing the cage", as Bruce Cockburn noted.

I'm an unapologetic knife user. If I buy an old knife, I buy it with the same intention as when I buy a vintage bike. I'm going to use them. I like to think that people who originally made it would take more satisfaction knowing that the thing they made got used for what is was intended for. On the flip side, knives (and bikes) made "as art" with the knowledge of both the maker and the buyer that the knife (or bike) won't be put to hard use, well... these leave me with a cold, hollow feeling. I get the artistry and craftsmanship. I get the desire and joy of owning such things. No judgment meant by this towards those who go that route. It's just not for me.
 
My Dad has been a collector all of his life. Notably successful collecting coins and antique china. For obvious reasons he does not use the coins and he keeps the china in a really nice china cabinet. His tastes have changed over a 60 year period, and he buys and sells the stuff all the time. I got the collecting genes from him.

I have a knife collection and I treat it much the same way. I buy what trips my trigger and I have about 35 or 40 vintage knives that are drop dead gorgeous. They are in a nice display case, and I get them out often, to coon finger and take pictures of. But I have no desire to clean quail, open letters, or whittle wood with these knives. I also have about 15 - 20 or so very nice Schrade USA, Camillus, Ulster, and Imperial knives, various patterns that I use and carry on a regular basis. I have bought, sold, and traded about 300 - 400 knives to get to this point. Thats how I deal with this knife obsession I have. I enjoy it a lot, always have several knives within reach, and truly give this forum a ton of credit for the enjoyment and relationships I've come across. And I'm always looking for another one...
 
I am enjoying this thread immensely!! I hope that those participating and reading, are learning as much as I am!
Thanks to all you thoughtful folks for expressing your ideas so well.
I hope my children's children will look at all the knives I've managed to preserve, and remark on what a golden age of cutlery there really was from the late 1800s to the early 2000s.
And I hope they look at the knives I've used, and remark on how very well maintained and used they are!!
 
This is the best thread that's been around in a long time! Thanks guys!! I do enjoy carrying some of my old knives, and I'd like to carry them all! But it doesn't make sense to carry them all. Some of them are
harder to find, some are just in better condition than others. I try to carry those that have been used and sharpened more. and might be easier to replace if lost!

Jason
 
This thread has made me realize I am not a collector, I am an enthusiast. I would not be a very good curator because I would just be tempted to use them all! I guess that's part of the reason I don't buy hard to replace knives.

At times it was difficult for me to understand the viewpoint of a collector, but it makes much more sense now, I've got a new found respect for those that put in the work to help preserve a piece of history.
 
To me, carry is all about replacement. If I can find or afford to buy a replacement for a given knife, I will
carry it. If it falls into the irreplaceable group, I probably won't, at least not as a beater/user.
 
cnas122 said:
As much as I loved using it, I would rather have it now and play with it every couple of weeks while sitting on my couch than only have fond memories of the time we once spent together.
Click to expand...

Stich2442 said:
But, if you never used it there would be no fond memories....
Click to expand...

Never underestimate the caliber of fond memories created on a couch.




Funny, but also true: the experiencing of value from objects comes in many forms, and the memories created in one's home, in the holding and having, are not less valid than those created in other circumstances or endeavors. It really does depend on the person, the object(s), one's determination of "value," etc.

~ P.
 
Here is one point I forgot to mention. One thing I enjoy about knives is seeing and exploring the different patterns and how they are made. I've been lucky enough to come across many great custom slippies that, at least in my eyes, are very expensive. I will buy a knife to appreciate it for a while, and then I will sell it and use the funds to buy another knife I am interested in. If I were to use the hell out of it, I wouldn't be able to own all of these other crazy cool knives.

For instance....years ago, I bought this R. Bose backpocket. I already owned backpockets, but none by Reese. I wanted to check it out. I spent a few years playing with and admiring it. But I never used it to such an extent that it would be considered less than "mint"
DSC00277.jpg


Once I had my fill, I sold it and bought a new pattern I was interested in....this T. Bose sleeveboard. I owned it for a while and it was a super cool knife. I had no intent of using it or owning it as an investment (because I paid a premium). But I was able to examine a pattern I was interested in by a maker I loved.
DSC01378.jpg


So I guess my point is that by not using these knives, I have the opportunity to own them, sell them, and then buy new knives I'm interested in.
 
First of all, I want to thank Mateo for starting this thread, and to everyone else for their insights; as always, it's great to discuss about a topic with respect of other people's (different) opinion.
I'm not even sure I can express my opinion on this...but I will try.
First, I have to say I know almost nothing on vintage knives (except for Sardinian traditionals), so I speak out of pure heart.
I'm not a collector. Not at all.
I agree that examples of certain old, rare (and possibly well made) knives should be kept safe in public or private collections meant to preserve them for the future. I do not expect someone with a Ferrari 250 Europa to use it to go to the beach on Sundays. And I'm thankful to collectors, cause in 50 or 100 years they will allow people to catch a glimpse of old beautiful things.
On the other hand, I'm not a collector. For me, there's no old knife or new knife: there are knives that I like, and knives that don't really catch my eye. So if I buy a knife, no matter which year it was made, I buy it to use it. Oviously, if I stumbled into a very rare vintage knife, being aware of it, I would probably email Rick or Charlie or Campbell or any collector I know, and sell it or give it to them, or to some knife museum (assuming there is some serious one). I wouldn't want to ruin some historic knife inheritance (for 22nd century knife enthusiasts).
But if it's a "normal" vintage knife (meaning not that rare or unique), and I like it, I wouldn't care of its age; and carry it.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

Fausto
:cool:
 
To me, it´s like this...

I don´t have much old knives. Most of the older knives I have are in very good condition. They might be 50 years old or even older. Well, so far, so good.

And I carry them, because I wouldn´t need them if I won´t doing that. BUT (!) I would never do any work that could damage the knife in any case. Peeling and slicing an apple and opening a cardboard box has never damaged a knife at all. There´s no reason for me, not doing that. I like it to carry them in my pocket and they just feel good (may be imagination, but that´s it ;) ).
I also think, there´s a difference in collectors and enthusiasts. I might be somewhere between.

It was a pleasure to read this thread. Great discussion. Keep it going.

Kind regards
Andi
 
Whatever makes you happy. I have an old Remington R111 jack in awesome condition with the same edge on it that the guy who made it put on it. I know this was a lower end model with little value as far as money is concerned, but I cant bring my self to use it as it is a link for me to the days of old. I use every custom knife I own cause that makes me happy and I make my living by cutting. Butchering with a Menefee makes work a lot of fun.
Only us knife nuts, right? -Izzy
 
If I could afford one of those Remington Bullets, using it would be like burning money. I would rather sell it to some collector who can appreciate it it in an unused state more than I can appreciate using it. If I found a vintage but clean knife that isn't worth more than $75-100, I would use it, except if I found a knife that gave me a love at first sight feeling and made me want to hold onto it forever.

Connor
 
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I only buy knives that speak to me. I carry a 196-1952 Imperial EO jack a lot, or my 46-56 Imperial Kamp King. I carry several 40+ year old knives. I'd love to find a 100+ year old knife to carry every day.

To put my opinion into perspective. I shave with several different razors. Some single edge GEMs from the early part of last century, but mostly I shave with a Fenney Tally Ho razor made pre-1854. I cherish it, but I use it. I have an 1830s John Barber straight that I need to get off my butt and rescale in some nice horn I have. Will I use it? You bet! I had a pre-1800 razor I won off eBay. I loved to hold it and look at it, but owned it less than a week because it was warped for some reason and I could get it to shave. So I sold it to someone who'd enjoy it more. I am a user.

Would I use a brand new Remington bullet? Probably not. But not because it is brand new, but because brand new knives just don't do it for me and I only buy what trips my trigger. :D

Fascinating thread, by the way.
 
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