What would you do?

Railsplitter

Railsplitter

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I bought this XX era Case 62055 Cigar Jack in October 2007 and I've managed to keep it in the same condition it was in when I bought it nearly nine years ago. It's not in mint condition but it has survived the test of time very well. Most likely never carried or used.

Now all of a sudden I'm thinking about adding it to my EDC rotation. Someone kept it in good shape all those years before I got it and using the knife would make those efforts all for nothing, so to speak.

On the other hand, it isn't doing me any good unless I carry it or put it up for sale in the distant future.

What do you folks think? Continue to keep it preserved or just carry the dang thing and stop overthinking it?





 
I say carry it! I've had a few rare/pristine knives that I bought and had some worries about carrying, but I've never regretted it after doing so. Knives are tools after all, and what better way to appreciate it than use it?

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Are they still easy to find (purchase)? If so, use it without hesitation. If you are a collector, you may want to hold onto it. If it's got a little value and you're not a collector, than maybe sell it to purchase something you've been looking for.

I realize that's pretty much all the possible answers to the question, so I'm not much help. Most people will say it's a knife, use it. But if you've got a lot of knives in rotation, this one may only get limited attention, so it may be a waste to mark it up for limited use.

Glenn
 
glennbad said:
Are they still easy to find (purchase)? If so, use it without hesitation. If you are a collector, you may want to hold onto it. If it's got a little value and you're not a collector, than maybe sell it to purchase something you've been looking for.

I realize that's pretty much all the possible answers to the question, so I'm not much help. Most people will say it's a knife, use it. But if you've got a lot of knives in rotation, this one may only get limited attention, so it may be a waste to mark it up for limited use.

Glenn
Click to expand...

I have to admit that the bold text does concern me quite a bit. I do have a tendency to get bored with a knife after awhile. Good chance it would only remain in my rotation for a limited time.

Thanks for the advice, Glenn. Good food for thought.
 
admiralfuture said:
I say carry it! I've had a few rare/pristine knives that I bought and had some worries about carrying, but I've never regretted it after doing so. Knives are tools after all, and what better way to appreciate it than use it?

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Click to expand...

I have those same thoughts as well but my decisions have always been whether to carry an expensive knife like a custom or a high end knife. I've never been faced with the decision to carry an oldie in great condition. Thank you as well for your thoughts.
 
glennbad said:
Are they still easy to find (purchase)? If so, use it without hesitation. If you are a collector, you may want to hold onto it. If it's got a little value and you're not a collector, than maybe sell it to purchase something you've been looking for.

I realize that's pretty much all the possible answers to the question, so I'm not much help. Most people will say it's a knife, use it. But if you've got a lot of knives in rotation, this one may only get limited attention, so it may be a waste to mark it up for limited use.

Glenn
Click to expand...
All good points here. I will say that even though I have a lot of knives and do rotate them, I always come back around to particular favorites for decent stretches. I guess the question here would be, would it become a favorite carry?

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I still haven't decided what to do but you guys are helping me more than you know. Please keep the comments coming.
 
I am not a collector so my advise is obvious. Carry the knife, this way you will enjoy it the most. Keep it in a pocket slip if you like, but carry the knife.
The other option is to keep it as safe queen and get the limited chance to handle it once a month, or more, while you oil it.

Mike
 
If you can't use it, what good is it?
Forgive me, but I do not comprehend the "safe queen" thing.
 
It's a Case XX (old knife) in mint condition. If you don't want it, sell it to a collector and use the $$ to buy yourself something else. IMHO, it's too good an old mint knife to use.
Rich
 
That's an easy one for me Rick. I'd use it. One of the reasons I've never sold my unused knives is just in case I decide that is the knife I need, it's there. In the back of your mind you probably thought you'd use it when you bought it. Sometimes it's just a matter of timing.

Alan
 
I'm an accumulator of knives, not a collector. If I end up with a knife I'm afraid to use, I sell/trade it, or give it away. I seriously understand the hesitancy to put it into carry rotation. But, if I like the way a knife looks and imagine it might be fun to use and/or carry, I'll throw it in my pocket.

I've never regretted putting a knife into carry rotation, no matter what I've spent on it, or how "special" it is deemed to be.

Just this past weekend, I put a Silver Dollar into my pocket for daily carry (for keeping my hands busy, when playing with a knife would be taboo). It immediately lost value, just by leaving the plastic holder. But, I already spent the money to buy it, and while it looks pretty sitting in a box in my safe, it is much more interesting to show off, or admire on a daily basis.

Yes, someone took pains to keep that knife pristine for all these years, but maybe they did that so that you could now enjoy it! :D
 
I'd sell it. I have too many knives as it is. I'm not saying that's what you should do, but that's what I'd do.
 
The good people at Case made that knife to cut stuff :) So I say carry and use it. I think if you do decide to carry it you'll like it even more :)
 
If you carry it in a pocket by itself, it shouldn't get marked up if you only carry it a little. If you find you like it enough to carry it a lot, a little wear will only endear it to you further.
 
If you think it's a better knife that the ones you currently carry, I'd suggest carrying it. If you don't think it's significantly better than the ones you're carrying now, sell it. It's not doing you any good in the safe. Just because the previous owner neglected it all these years doesn't mean that it should continue to be neglected. Then again, I don't see an old knife that's never been used as pristine. I see it as a sad waste. If knives were in pockets instead of safes there'd be a lot more pockets with knives in them and we'd have a lot more companies still making great knives. Not a knock on anybody's preferences or collections, just a comment on my own mentality. Use it like you stole it or send it on to somebody that will.
 
I've made my decision.

I believe that the benefits of carrying the knife are greater than the benefits of not carrying it. Even if I sold it later for a hefty price I would still consider that a loss because I've owned it all these years and have never really enjoyed it to its full potential. Buggering up a 52+ year old knife in great condition concerns me more than the monetary value but the good thing about doing that is that despite its age, all of the wear and tear the knife sees will be induced by me. I have a Tested era 6345 that I carry occasionally but the wear and tear was already induced when I bought it. Putting my own "age" on an already old knife will be a first for me and something I just might enjoy.

One other thing I realize is that now that the thought of carrying it is in my head, I won't rest easy until I stick it in my pocket. And I do like the knife very much. So instead of stressing out over it for a week or more and deciding to carry it anyway, I might as well just go ahead and do it. So in the pocket it goes.

Many thanks to everyone for the helpful comments.
 
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Trade it to me for a user in the same pattern or something else, but don't mess up that old beauty by carrying/using it... please! :eek::mad::(:eek::confused::grumpy::o
 
How much is it worth, how much will it be worth when OP dies, and how much will its worth be diminished if it does get used?.
 
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