Use your knives?

A bunch of used knives does not make a collection.
In terms of collections, usage is a blemish.
Whether collecting makes any sense or is just a fetish matter, is an open question.
But most high-end knives are not going to be used. Sure, Bob Loveless wanted his knives to be used, and one would love to use them. But when you collect customs, you're not likely to find more use than collectibility for them.
 
I use all of my knives. Hell, I've even scratched the hell out of several of them when I reprofiled them. My Sprint run Jess Horn got reprofiled flat to the stone and looks all beat to hell, but boy does it cut! It's the same as my gun collection is now, if I can't use them I won't buy them. My $2400 Customized Remington Police rifle with $1200 Leupold Long Range Tactical scope goes out in the field with me when I hunt. It has some dings and has hit the ground scope first before, but it still shoots well under a half inch at 100 yards for 5 shots off of a bipod, and the dropping on the scope never shifted the zero. That's why I bought it, for the quality, accuracy, and toughness. It is a superior tool. It would be a shame to have that as a safe queen and not get the full enjoyment out of it.
 
I don't buy a knife unless I have a use for it.My collection is mostly fixed blades.I cary my big high carbon blades for inland treks and my stainless for treks to the beach.(there are a few inacessable beaches in my area that can only be reached by crossing large swamp areas).
i don't think there's a knife in my collection that hasn't got a few dings or scratches.It gives them personality.
 
If a knife of mine sits unused, it's because I haven't had a chance to use it lately. :p
I also have a sizeable accumulation of knives, but I use most of them. There are a couple that aren't realy practical, but they're 'neat,' so I keep 'em around.
Some are investments (a couple old ones, a few discontinued balisongs, etc.), which I don't use and will probably sell some day (no sentimental value attached to them).
 
One fixed blades of mine sits unused, a SRK. The reason that I don't use it is because I have a duplicate that I do use and this one sits in my BOB. Because I use its twin, I know it works.
 
All the knives I've purchased are for using.
Then there are knives that I've been gifted some very nice stuff over the years some of witch I have used and others I just will not but I wouldn't sell them either.
For instance my wife gave me a BM 910TI for our anniversary a few years back, don't use it but I wouldn't sell it either.

Jesse
 
when I buy custom hand made or almost hand made knives like Sebenzas I dont buy them to resell. That makes no sense to me. I buy a knife if It appeals to me. Then I carry it and maybe show it some. If I want an investment I shall buy stocks or gold coins.
 
When (and IF) I sell any knives of my own make I will get each owner to cut a piece of paper in front of me, if I can- that way I know that the owner has used it- at least once! Why have something that cuts and not cut with it? That is like having a toilet that never gets sat on (why have it then)?:D :D
 
I have a list of knives I use.

My Burt Foster Camp knife was used quite a bit this summer and fall. The Blue Collar Hunter and Birchfield Cashmere have been swapped, carried, and used regularly! I swap between three folding knives (Spyderco Manix, Large Sebenza, and SNG. My actual deer hunting knives are made by Ingram and May. The only thing I've not used yet but plan to is a Wilson 10V hunter.
 
I use to only collect the expensive knives and I never used them, but as I get older I figure if I don't use them now, I never will, so I try not to keep any safe queens, but there are many of us who have a few knives that are just too nice to get all scratched up...Or at least we use that excuse to keep them nice and minty to show off, lol...
 
I have a large and small sebenza along with a project one that i currently arn't using. However the only reason for this is because I plan on selling these knives in the future. Otherwise I use all of the knives that I buy. Nothing like chopping up firewood with a nice custom fixed blade
 
I use mine, that's what I got them for. I try to take care of them, and not beat 'em up too badly, but they do get taken out and used for what knives are intended for.
 
Nope, I don't use knives from my collection. About 280 knives and only two of them are designated as "Users". Don't worry, should one of the "Users" become discontinued, lost, stolen, broken, or misplaced, I have a NIB duplicate set aside. :D

No, I don't buy knives as an "investment" either. Some have gone up in value, some haven't - doesn't matter to me, although I enjoy keeping track.

I'm a particular sub-species of knife buyer, an "Accumulator." Other folks might be "User," "Swapper," "Collector," "Casual Owner," or "Investor". I best most BF members are a combination of these (I'm probably 20% Collector, 80% Accumulator).

Best Wishes,
-Bob

I know quite a few people who only COLLECT used, old knives.
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I know of no one who purposefully collects used knives. Would a vintage collector really prefer a used knife instead of mint example of the same knife model? I think vintage collectors buy used knives because identical mint knives are unavailable, not because they actually wish to collect used knives.
 
I don't have many knives- a little over 30 maybe- and I'm not looking to grow it out. I have a hard enough time trying to use the stuff in my collection now and feeling like some of them don't get taken advantage of that I wouldn't want to worsen it. Plus the stuff I have now has scratched my knife itch for the past couple of years now. I've got a solid EDC that isn't going anywhere. :cool:
 
All the knives I bought was for using them. But taste and expectations change so I got new ones. In the end I am using as EDC about 16 from ca. 100, which are left from about 200.

Stefan
 
I carry a Schrade 8OT. My collection consists of three more of them...brand new and unused. They'll go in my pocket, one at a time when I break a blade on the one I'm carrying or lose it.

I bought the other three the day I heard that Schrade was folding like a cheap scout knife. They're in my top dresser drawer, waiting...
 
I bought every one of my knives with the intent to use them. Although I'm a piker by a lot of you guy's standards, I've got about 65-70 knives. Other than kitchen knives, I only use 5. My SAK Bantam Alox, Spyderco Calypso Jr., Ka-Bar Dozier, Shrade Sharpfinger and Himilayan Imports WWII Khukri.

Why? Well, these 4 do a great job and if I ever really want to sell the rest, they are basically all LNIB. I didn't intend it that way, but that's what happened!
 
I find it kind of funny that some folks seem to take almost an offense to others that buy knives to collect rather than use. I don't have any really expensive knives, but I do have some that have never and probably never will see any pocket time or any use other than handling. That being said, I carry and use a pocket knife on a daily basis. Working as an electronics tech / installer, I truly pull out a pocket knife (typically either a SAK or a Buck cadet) to use at work all day long. I recently purchased a few older NKCA club knives. I don't forsee them being worth millions of dollars or anything, but I just don't see the reason to strip wire and cable with a 25 year old collector knife when I've got a $20 SAK that does the job just fine. I have to admit though that all the models I've managed to get my hands on so far have the looks of being absolutely terrific EDC knives. I've got one in particuliar that I'd love to carry and use, but I don't know, there's still a little voice in the back of my head telling me to leave it at home where it won't get all scratched up.
 
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