- Joined
- Feb 3, 2001
- Messages
- 32,359
Why do I collect/accumulate knives?
Somebody asked me "the" question we as knife people as always asked and after answering his question I thought this was the best answer I've come up with in 40+ years so I thought I'd share.
Why do I collect/accumulate knives? Wow! If I could answer that effectively I'd save myself a lot of money on therapy.
I guest I'd have to break it out into a couple different areas.
1) Historical
2) Functionality
3) Aesthetics
4) Emotional
Historically: It's man's 3rd oldest tool preceded by his brain and a rock/hammer first. There's something about a tool that can trace it's roots back a half a million years. There's a lot of history between that first piece of chipped rock early man picked up realizing it made separating things, (skin from meat/flesh from bone, branches from trees and even trees from their earthen trap) and today's modern edged tools that allowed us to conquer our environment.
Here's an old 1800s Josef Sziraki Pearl Lobster I happened across in a box lot at an estate sale.
Functionality: There's no such thing as that "one" knife, if that were true there'd be no reason for places like this, we'd all have the same knife and we'd use it for everything, end of discussion. There's a problem though, there's no such thing as that one perfect knife. That's why we have different patterns, some blade shapes and geometries are better at certain tasks than others and that's why I collect. One knife will never serve all my needs perfectly so I'll spend the rest of my life trying and searching for the best compromise or the exact/best tool for the specific job.
When it comes to functionality you can build a collection on Swiss Army Knives alone. One of the first to try to fit as many functions into a pocket knife as possible and certainly still tryin'.
Aesthetics: Pretty self explanatory, I love a beautiful handcrafted knife, when the cutler's hit his stride and everything comes together to create a functional piece of art/jewelry.and what person doesn't like surrounding themselves with beautiful things right?
Some knives I collect because they look cool while being knives too.
Emotional: This covers everything from knives my Old Man and grandfather carried to gifts from friends whether it's a $5 yard sales knife or a custom a friend's made for or given me, this is the hardest category to explain, Knives just speak to me, some of my most prized knives are crazy Franklin Mint knives given to me by well meaning family and friends. The fact that they took the time to get me something they know so little about means a lot so I have a few "novelty" knives and even a few gems they got lucky with.
I have many knives that fit into this category from my Old Man's hunting knives form 45 years ago and my grandfather's pocket knife from a hundred years ago or like this gift from a friend because he knew I liked knives.
Somebody asked me "the" question we as knife people as always asked and after answering his question I thought this was the best answer I've come up with in 40+ years so I thought I'd share.
Why do I collect/accumulate knives? Wow! If I could answer that effectively I'd save myself a lot of money on therapy.
I guest I'd have to break it out into a couple different areas.
1) Historical
2) Functionality
3) Aesthetics
4) Emotional
Historically: It's man's 3rd oldest tool preceded by his brain and a rock/hammer first. There's something about a tool that can trace it's roots back a half a million years. There's a lot of history between that first piece of chipped rock early man picked up realizing it made separating things, (skin from meat/flesh from bone, branches from trees and even trees from their earthen trap) and today's modern edged tools that allowed us to conquer our environment.
Here's an old 1800s Josef Sziraki Pearl Lobster I happened across in a box lot at an estate sale.
Functionality: There's no such thing as that "one" knife, if that were true there'd be no reason for places like this, we'd all have the same knife and we'd use it for everything, end of discussion. There's a problem though, there's no such thing as that one perfect knife. That's why we have different patterns, some blade shapes and geometries are better at certain tasks than others and that's why I collect. One knife will never serve all my needs perfectly so I'll spend the rest of my life trying and searching for the best compromise or the exact/best tool for the specific job.
When it comes to functionality you can build a collection on Swiss Army Knives alone. One of the first to try to fit as many functions into a pocket knife as possible and certainly still tryin'.
Aesthetics: Pretty self explanatory, I love a beautiful handcrafted knife, when the cutler's hit his stride and everything comes together to create a functional piece of art/jewelry.and what person doesn't like surrounding themselves with beautiful things right?
Some knives I collect because they look cool while being knives too.
Emotional: This covers everything from knives my Old Man and grandfather carried to gifts from friends whether it's a $5 yard sales knife or a custom a friend's made for or given me, this is the hardest category to explain, Knives just speak to me, some of my most prized knives are crazy Franklin Mint knives given to me by well meaning family and friends. The fact that they took the time to get me something they know so little about means a lot so I have a few "novelty" knives and even a few gems they got lucky with.
I have many knives that fit into this category from my Old Man's hunting knives form 45 years ago and my grandfather's pocket knife from a hundred years ago or like this gift from a friend because he knew I liked knives.
whenever I asked the Old man about the balloon machine he'd give me 4 quarters and send me to the other machine where I'd get a knife and a bird call. 
John
