Where did you collecting interests start, evolve, where are they headed?

H

heekma

Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
226
Howdy folks,

My own interests started with tactical-type knives/automatics--still have an interest in those--but my main interest moved toward lightweight/EDC friendly knives.

As for the future, I'm starting to feel a strong pull towards slippies, which when I was first bitten by the bug, never thought I'd have more than a passing interest in.

Just wondering what started your collecting interest, which direction its' evolved over the years and where your furture collecting interests seem to headed.

Best,

Heekma
 
I started with a Case slipjoint in my pocket about 20 years ago. That morphed into a Gerber EZ-Out folder (low end, but plenty good).

After peaking out on my flashlight addiction, and then guns, I got in to knives. I don't really consider myself a collector, as every purchase is something I convince myself that I will use. But my buying has run the whole gamut from slipjoints to Spydies to fixed blades and everything in between. See my sig line. My buying has slowed down a good deal, though I am still likely to buy the latest Spyderco or Cold Steel folder.
 
I started out with folders(framelocks). From there I moved to the oh so addicting autos, which, even though I have mainly been collecting custom fixed blades for the last couple years, I still have a fondness for them. I also have been dabbling in Victorinox. Those are highly addictive as well. I will also add, I use over 90% of what I have and am actually getting rid of the safe queens to make room for more users.
 
I have in the past only purchased or traded for what I can use, no safe queens. Started out with a Schrade Cave Bear that was too cumbersome for me to use comfortably (little did I know I would like the big knives, like the Skirmish and SMF). A small junk shop near me had some Benchmades, Spydercos, SOG etc. Well, I bought the junk knives he had, like Jaguar and Frost. After almost severing my thumb on a broken Jaguar folder, I decided to move on to Cold Steel. I've gotten something from most major knife brands, and have gone through many different "acquiring" phases (I don't consider myself a collector ;)). Right now, I mainly have Benchmade, Spyderco and Chris Reeve in the way of folders, and custom woodcraft fixed blades.
 
I started with the first little jack knife my father gave me at the age of seven. Since then I've just accumulated whatever came my way that I liked, folders and fixed blades. I've made a few primitive fixed blades. I specialized briefly in collecting scout/utility knives; sodbusters; marlinspike sailor knives. I use everything, at least once. I have somewhere over 100.
 
After using a Cold Steel Voyager for five or six years, and in ignorance replaced it with more CS knives made of 420:grumpy:, I jumped on the steel junkie bandwagon and moved on to a Kershaw Boa in S60V and Benchmade 710 in M-2.

The S90V Military, and ZDP-189 Caly 3 are still the highlights of my addiction.

That said, over the years the importance of design has finally sunk in. Just because a knife has the latest super steel doesn't mean it's worth buying (though it usually is:D), and a knife doesn't need super steel to be worth carrying (though all knives would be better with super steel:p).
 
First knife I got when I was 10. After that I made due with what worked for me. Around the start of my freshmen year of college I started getting into knives in general. I love some modern designs and materials, but I still keep reaching for my Case Swayback Jack as the knife that goes everywhere with me. And for where they are headed, I recently got bit by the ESEE bug and I'm getting into fixed blades now.
 
I'm a user, not a collector. I've accumulated a fair number of knives in my search for a perfect EDC, but think I'm about done. If what looks like a better small sodbuster comes along, particularly if it has a lock, I'll probably pick one up, but I am not actively looking. I'm satisfied with what I have.

Same with fixed blades. I found Mora's early. They do what I need doing, and I have several. Got given a Maritini which I like as well, and hilted several Mora bare blades with stag. I'm set. Don't rule out buying a particularly nice Scandi if one comes my way, but I'm not looking for one, either.
 
Honestly my collecting habits started off very eclectic and still maintain that to a degree. The first style of knives that I focused on (sorta) was SAK's. I still collected other things like a BRKT, and a Rat 1. Then my tastes shifted over to Spydies. Now they've shifted over to more tactical oriented knives. Buying a few of those now. I'm not sure what I'll collect in the future but I would like to own 1-2 traditional slipjoints. I don't have any of those in the collection.
 
I try not to collect anything, and like to own as few things as possible. Unfortunatly I am also very curious to find out what works best for me, and I end up with a collection of sorts. Luckily I can rationalize my collection by spreading them around, one in the car, one at the lake, one in the desk.
 
I started out 20 years ago with a Victorinox Explorer Plus when I was 7 years old. In my teens I was into Tacticool folders, then after highschool when I had a job I got into high-end spydies, benchmades, and Ti framelocks from the usual sources (except Yuna, I still want to try a Yuna). After all the time and money I invested in knives I've come back to the humble Vic SAK. Why? because although it may not hold an edge as well as the latest supersteel, it's thin blade, flat grind and distal taper make it outslice damn near anything on the market, and I find myself using the other tools as much or more than the blade on most days. It can do nearly anything a $500 ti framelock can do and a whole lot more that they can't. It's sheeple friendly, legal damn near everywhere, affordable, super easy to sharpen, high quality, and durable. I still have my original Explorer Plus, but these days I mostly carry my Hiker, or my personal favorite the vic Swisstool Spirit X.
 
Seriously, powernoodle....you are insane. By the way, you got any experience with the LumaPower Avenger GX? Was thinking about making this my pocket/keychain light.
 
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