When you know it's just "RIGHT"!

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

Joined
Oct 28, 2006
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How many times have you pulled up a website and seen a particular knife and just bought it? Or saw one on a show table and instantly knew it was "just right" and laid down the money?

I did it not long ago when Don Hanson posted a very nice Bowie here on BF, and that's unusual for me.

A Sfreddo Bowie was posted yesterday and sold almost instantly.

So what about a knife or what characteristics causes collectors to just go for it?

Want to share some stories about impulse knife purchases?

Have these types of purchases worked out for you?
 
Impulse purchases are a relative rarity for me - though you'd never guess by my recent behaviour. :o I have developed patience in my advancing years and don't mind waiting for a knife built by the maker of my choice to my specific preferences.

Impulse buys for me tend to be primarily maker-driven. They are almost without exception knives made by makers whose work I know very well and thus know what to expect. If the maker is in the hard-to-get category: Andrews, Farr, Newton, Fogg etc. - that ramps up the pressure on the impulse-buy trigger a good bit.

Next criteria is that there has to be a pretty good QPR - quality / price ratio. If the seller is asking what I perceive to be the very upper limit of the range that piece should command, I'll probably manage to sit on my hands.

As for design, on an impulse buy I am more likely to venture a bit outside of my wheelhouse as comapred with a custom order - which is often a good thing.

I don't consider knives purchased at shows to be impulse buys - I usally have something resembling a plan when I am at a show and I am there to buy (as well as eat, drink and be merry and such).

Roger
 
Hi Kevin,

For me it comes down to design elements. I've been waiting to find a Winkler that suited me just right for a few years now. I have a few older orders that have/are coming in so my knife budget is depleted but I saw a cowboy bowie that fit the bill recently on Nordic. Unfortunately I couldn't pull the trigger even though it was priced fairly. I think most of the time I can instantly spot a knife I like by the design and then it's just a matter of looking it over for proper HT, geometry, ergos and so forth. Although there were a few times I've bought over the net and sent the knife back after handling it, I pretty much ordered the knives immediately after coming across them.
 
I recently bought a Lin Rhea that he posted before the Little Rock show (S Guard Bowie). I emailed him and he let me have it. No! I do not regret the purchase. I do like to order knives that are built for me, yet once in a while the "need" just comes!:p
 
There are some knives that just "speak" to me, and I just have to have. Of late, a Mike Obenauf knife "spoke" too me!!
 
Last Sunday evening. There are certain web sites I check on a regular basis. Opened one from a seller I have bought from brfore and there was a John Young small hunter. It arrived via FedEx today. Talk about impulse buyer.....:D
 
A folder from DMknives spoke to me....I was glancing at his site and saw one that I just HAD TO HAVE!. I have had that happend with few knives, but evey once and a while one calls your name:D
 
Good points Roger. I usually go to a show knowing what I'm after, but quite frequently stumble upon an impulse purchase.

Jose, I know the Winkler Bowie you are speaking of. I handled it in Reno. Nice weight and feel.

JC, considering how hard it is to come by John Young's hunters that was a wise impulse purchase.

Chuck, that Rhea is a spectacular bowie.

Seems like impulse purchases usually turn out for the best.
 
RogerP said:
Impulse purchases are a relative rarity for me - though you'd never guess by my recent behaviour. :o I have developed patience in my advancing years and don't mind waiting for a knife built by the maker of my choice to my specific preferences.
Roger
Click to expand...

Perhaps for a seasoned collector they are not impulse purchases but rather "Instinct Purchases".

Do you think there's a difference?

Perhaps, an impulse purchase is when you but something purely because it catches your eye and you really want it.

An instinct purchase is when you buy something because your experience or knowledge tells you it's a wise purchase because it's a good buy or rare or most likely to rise in value.
 
"Seems like impulse purchases usually turn out for the best."

Boy, I wish that were true in my case. It took me a couple of years learning what to look for in a knife, and in the process impulsively purchased too many clunkers. At the time I was also too hesitant to return purchases. Yeah, it's my own fault. However, they do make great gifts to my nephew who's starting to share a stronger interest in knife collecting.
 
Well - for example with the Sfreddo bowie - I would call that an "impulse" buy in the sense that it was not a planned purchase. But it was a knife from a maker whose work I was very familiar with - so I was confident that it would be much nicer than even the very good pictures suggested. It featured a pretty unique bit of construction with the integral fighter guard. It was offered by a dealer with whom I have done business many times and trust completely. And the price was very right. So the time lapse between seeing it and deciding I wanted to purchase it was shorter than the time it has taken me to type this out. It was an impulse buy, but an informed one.

Now, I made MANY impulse buys when I was very new to the custom knife world - as is pretty common among newbies. Most of these were poor purchases - not bad knives, mind you - just the wrong ones for me. I think one of the best lessons a newer collector can learn is to sit on your wallet a little longer and look and learn before you buy. I don't mean that to sound condescending or overly paternalistic - there will always be an element of trial and error and one's tastes will evolve over time. But learning by spending first can be awfully expensive. (I pause here to observe that a trade-in policy such as that offered by Les is one heck of a safety net for the newer collector).

Shows I consider something other than "impulse", inasmuch as I can see and handle the knife, ask the maker questions and make decision in my own time.

Roger
 
Roger,

That sounds like darn good advice to me! :thumbup:

Kevin,

"Perhaps for a seasoned collector they are not impulse purchases but rather "Instinct Purchases"."

I think you are on target with the notion of an Instinct Purchase.

Perhaps "trained reflex" may be closer to the truth.

P
 
malextwo said:
"Seems like impulse purchases usually turn out for the best."

Boy, I wish that were true in my case. It took me a couple of years learning what to look for in a knife, and in the process impulsively purchased too many clunkers. At the time I was also too hesitant to return purchases. Yeah, it's my own fault. However, they do make great gifts to my nephew who's starting to share a stronger interest in knife collecting.
Click to expand...

I agree with Roger and you in that my statement "seems like impulse purchases usually turn out for the best" was more directed to the experienced collector. Impulse purchases most always turn out bad for newbies. New collectors, need to be very patient and study knives and the makers before putting their money down. Sorry I was not clearer.
As Roger said, even thought he considers the Sfreddo an impulse purchase, his experience and knowledge with knives and makers drove the decision to purchase that knife.
 
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