what knives don't get used

hardheart

hardheart

Joined
Sep 19, 2001
Messages
8,968
So I see comments all the time about knives being made to be used, being wasted if stored in a safe, liking a knife better when it has blemishes that add character, etc.

But, what knives do you own for something other than using? Do you have any that you bought because you expect it to hold or increase in monetary value? Do you have any of very high sentimental value that you won't risk losing? Do you have any old/antique knives that would degrade quickly if used?

I think it's fairly safe to say that in a couple sub forums there are knives being discussed that don't get used, say, if you paid 5 or 10 grand for one, or maybe it's nearly a hundred years old or more. But, how about in the most frequented main forum?

I have a couple I bought because of the visual appeal of the materials used, and a couple because they are kinda rare. They wouldn't work any better than my mass produced 'me too' knives with 'super' steels, so they don't get used, just admired.
 
I've got a Victorinox Climber that I got in Switzerland with my name engraved on it that I keep in the box. It stays in the safe. I also have two of my grandfathers Case knives and another grandfathers Schrade Old Time 340T that stay in the safe. Other than that all of my knives get used.
 
I use all of my knives except a few. And the only reason I don't use those? I have better knives. The ones I don't use much include my Buck Nighthawks, my Gerber Mk 1, my Gerber Evo, my railroad spike, and that's really about it. Although I do use the railroad spike sometimes...
 
I have a couple of my Grandfather's old pocket knives that I'll never use for sentimental reasons. I also have some knives set aside as gifts for milestones in the lives of my friends and family. There are a few knives in my collection that I bought for myself that I don't think I'll ever use due because I have similar knives that are users.
 
I bought an extra BG-42, S90V and D2 Military to set aside as an investment. They have already appreciated in value.
 
I'm down to 2 custom folders, an old school Leatherman Wave & a Delica Wave. If I don't rotate between all of my folders, I'm justified to go insane. I can't afford not to use all of my knives at some point. If I had the extra cash, I see no problem in buying knives to keep in a safe.
 
I have a Boker that my dad carried for years. It's scratched and the main blade tip is bent a little. I use it at my desk but I won't carry it for fear of losing it. Same goes for an old Buck that was my dad's brothers. Pretty much everything else that I have I carry and use. Some get used more gently then others though.
 
I've got a few knives that my grandfather owned that I don't use because of sentimental value. There's one that was my greatgrandfather's that my grandmother remembers him having when she was young, and she's 91.

The only others I don't use are my Buck 110s because they're so heavy. But I love 110s, so I keep buying them.

I have a few assisted openers that I never use because I don't like them. But besides though, I'm open to using and have used all of my knives.
 
I have a bead blasted G-10 Tyrade which I bought as an extra. It isn't going to be used for a long time unless my first one is lost or I end up giving it away as a gift.

The other is my sub-hilt. High on my list of desires is that I will never need to use it for what it was designed for and therefore it is my hope that I will never use it.
 
A Buck 119 100th anniversary edition, that I bought a while back. It carries a lot of sentimental value from when I lived in MT 25 years ago; it kind of represents a trust that existed between me & my grandmother. She let me buy it at a time when I really needed a boost of self esteem. I keep it as a memento of those days.

Other than two other heirlooms that get light use, everything else gets some pretty serious use.

thx - cpr
 
I got a couple LE Benchmades I won't use. I bought them mostly because I just thought they were cool and because there is a limited supply. Not really trying to profit off them or anything, I just like having some knives that I can keep in pristine condition and admire every once in a while.
 
Yeah at this stage in my life (21) i can't buy knives just to collect them. I'd like to, but functionality has precedence. Like someone else said, the knives i don't use don't get used because i have what i consider to be better knives. I currently have an S30V random leek, A Drop Point Trance, and a full size Ritter Grip. the Leek and the trance, while great knives that i have done a lot of personalization to, rarely see any pocket time because of the steamy crush i have on my ritter. Two things at the top of my collectors list would be an M2/Carbon scaled BM Rift, and an M2 ritter....although if i could find someone to DLC my ritter's blade, i'd be ecstatic.
 
I pretty much use all my knives at one time or another, either as EDC or camp knives or whatever. :thumbup:

The only real exceptions are my small collection of tactical knives. Since I don't have much opportunity to silence sentries or fight hand-to-hand in the trenches I just don't have much practical use for them, although that does not stop me from buying them. :rolleyes:
 
I think anyone who has more than a handful of knives would have some that don't get used. If you take good care of a knife, even a cheap one will last a long time. Because of this, most people probably only have need of a few knives throughout their lifetime (kitchen knives excluded). The knife industry is predominantly supported by collectors, who by their very nature don't use many of the knives they purchase. I am a collector and a user, and of the many knives I have (somewhere around 350, give or take 25), I can only think of about 12 or so I've actually used (not just carried) over the last 40 years.
 
jbombelli said:
I use all of my knives except a few. And the only reason I don't use those? I have better knives. ...
Click to expand...

I have some that don't get regular pocket time. But only because their places in the EDC rotation got usurped by ones I like better.

I've never had one that I flat out did not use.
 
knarfeng said:
I have some that don't get regular pocket time. But only because their places in the EDC rotation got usurped by ones I like better.

I've never had one that I flat out did not use.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I used to use them. I didn't buy them and just let them sit... but as I got more into knives, I bought better knives. I prefer to use the better ones. I'll carry a Busse, Swamp Rat, Scrapyard, Fehrman, Strider, RAT, etc. long before I carry those Nighthawks or that Mk 1. That doesn't mean I don't like them, or don't want them... I just have better tools now.
 
use: boker trance

dont use: everything else I own, which is not an insubstantial amount of knives.

I dont care; I am perfectly happy just having them to fondle or w/ever. Maybe it is a waste, but so is owning a ferrari and only having 780 miles on it but thats like 75% of them and their owners dont seem to care either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top