What has collecting taught you about yourself?

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Lapedog said:
I am a sucker for stupid self defense knives I will almost certainly never use.

I also learned that I don’t have to own every knife I think looks cool. Usually the only knives I really end up carrying consistantly are ones that are light and comfortable and are relatively socially acceptable to carry around other people.
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Yes. I like to carry a knife, not have it carry me.

Kreyzhorse said:
I have expensive hobbies.
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As do I my friend, as do I. Course all hobbies are expensive now. If it weren't for parents, savings, and disability, I'd be up the creek without a canoe.

There was another lesson I learned as well. Don't cut your finger off, or nearly do so...
 
Every knife is a compromise.

Knives are still just things, and things can be lost, stolen, or broken, without warning.

I'm not ready to spend more than about $150 on one.
 
It's taught me that I'm not a collector.

I buy and make knives that I enjoy, but I don't collect them.
 
Geometry>Steel.

Justify needing more than a Victorinox. That utility, quality and price make a good argument not to bother carrying anything else for most of us.
 
Good thread. What have I learned about myself... I've realized that impulsive buys below a certain price threshold are fun to try new knives, and if they don't work out, who cares. Impulsive buys above that price point are a lot more painful because I fret about the loss on a resale. So, if it feels impulsive above (for me, about $150), then I need to do more research before buying.
 
NapalmCheese said:
  1. It's not that I like knives, it's that I like tools.
  2. Knives ARE tools.
  3. I keep trying to find the right tool for the job, so I keep buying knives.
  4. I'm less concerned about fit and finish and polish and man jewelry, and more concerned with a knife's ability to do work.
  5. Every job has some sort of specialized tools but general purpose tools usually do well enough.
  6. I buy a lot of knives (things) just to see if I like using it, only to find out I don't, and then never sell them.
  7. Lots of people do real work with simple knives that most of the people here would deem wholly inadequate, if they can make do then so can I.
  8. I don't need a locking knife for EDC.
  9. I don't need a big knife for EDC.
  10. I like flippers.
  11. I like thumbholes.
  12. I'm okay with thumbdiscs.
  13. I hate thumb studs.
  14. I dislike framelocks.
  15. I really dislike linerlocks.
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Good job- you hit the nail right on the head. The only thing I would add is I don't mind thumb studs, and that I prefer fixed blade knives, which you don't even mention. Otherwise, great list!
 
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Those Dealer Exclusives are the Devil himself !
 
bobobama said:
I prefer fixed blade knives, which you don't even mention.
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I do like fixed blades but rarely carry them. In California you are allowed to carry fixed blade knives of any length, but carrying a fixed blade concealed is illegal. Since I don't have a lot of use for a large fixed blade in my day to day life, and the chances of small fixed blade (particularly in my favorite carry position - horizontal above my left front pocket) getting covered by a shirt are extremely high; I mostly carry folders. I could carry a sword in public without any legal issues, but all hell would break loose if I were caught carrying 1.5 inch bladed bird and trout knife under my shirt.
 
On the positive side, i have realized / confirmed that i like things that are useful.
I am definitively not the “contemplative” kind of guy. I like what is useful.
I purchase knives to use them and if I don’t use them for too long, i end selling them.
As a consequence the size of my collection never really increase too much.


On the negative, I have sometime too easy on tacticool DLC blades.... It took me some time to control this bad habit and restrain my purchase to stonewash and satin blades... but sometime it happens again ;)
 
1. I learned that the value of nostalgia far outways the value of a Sprint run for me. 2. I learned to distinguish between the feeling of Want and Need, I.E. I want a Todd Begg timascus knife but all I need is a Sabenza.:confused: 3. I love to learn and do research. That's how stumbled across this board :):thumbsup: 4. I've learned that to more I research the less I buy. I started out buying a knife a week then one a month and now it's been two months with no purchases w8ting for that perfect priced Sabenza to show up on the exchange. 5. I've learned that knife nuts are few and far between so that's why we congregate in places like this :thumbsup:. 6. That Big black assisted knives scare people in an office environment or the Mall. 7. I love to take the knowledge that I retain from this board and pass it on to future knife nuts. 8. Last but not least, I've learned that servicing and sharpening knives for friends and coworkers is very relaxing and rewarding to me much more so than Tournament bass fishing was. < I do miss that tournament money though.
 
  1. I prefer lighter knives to heavier ones always
  2. Just because they have a cult of mesmerized followers promoting them, I need to stop buying Sebenzas and hoping "this time will be the time I feel the magic"
  3. Ditto for the dopey PM2--no matter how many of them I buy, I'm clearly not going to like the big-handled small-bladed hunk of pocket-wasting junk
  4. Knife quality is as likely to go down as up for every dollar you spend past about $200
  5. I appreciate a good cheap knife as much as a great expensive knife--the CS Tuff Lite still makes me happy when it's in my hand cutting something, despite it's diminutive price tag
 
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