Why do people collect and frame up good knives?

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wongKI

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Jul 9, 2009
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Why do people collect good knives?

By "good knives", I mean premium steels, premium handle materials, etc. Maybe the BM Gold Class, Spyderco S90V Militaries and Manix2, Sebenzas.

If you collect a knife, you intend it for show, right? In which case, the best bit of using a premium steel is lost-that of usage. In that case, you'd be better off with a stainless that polishes nicely-420, even 410 stainless.

I know that part of it is because the company discontinues the knife, or it is a limited run, and if you ruin it you'll never get another. It's because of this that I get angry when I hear things like "I bought 4 of such and such a knife for $140, now I can sell them for twice the price. I never use any of them anyway".

But that wouldn't stop me from EDCing a BM Gold Class, for example (assuming I had enough cash to fork out for the thing.)

I'm not trying to bash collectors here-I know pretty little about collecting and knives. Just trying to get an insight onto what you guys think. Be gentle:)
 
Because collecting knives isn't just about pretty knives for everyone.

For a lot of collectors, it's about showcasing examples of both form and function.
 
If it's a really valuable knife, like something handmade for thousands of dollars with gems and gold, I'd NEVER use it. However, a Sebbie, Spyderco, Benchmade or whatever for under 500 bux I'd think the whole point was to use the crap out of it. I mean, if I'm buying quality I wanna be able to use it. Otherwise I might as well just get a blade for 50 bux and use that.
 
Have you ever been to a vintage car show? Most of them come in on trailers. :D
 
stoffi said:
If it's a really valuable knife, like something handmade for thousands of dollars with gems and gold, I'd NEVER use it. However, a Sebbie, Spyderco, Benchmade or whatever for under 500 bux I'd think the whole point was to use the crap out of it. I mean, if I'm buying quality I wanna be able to use it. Otherwise I might as well just get a blade for 50 bux and use that.
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My sediments to the very dollar.. 500 is pretty much my limit for a daily use knife, anything over that I'll keep in a case or my knife drawer and admire and appreciate as any other fine object or work of art..
As far as buying and reselling at a higher price, for a lot of people, that's one of the fun things about collecting. In your example, I've no doubt the seller will use the profits to further his hobby. Maybe he'll buy a knife which he intends to also hold onto then resell, or maybe he'll buy a knife he wants to keep- which fits into the overall scheme of his collection more than the 4 he sold..
 
I have a few that I collect, but mostly buy to use.

Knife collecting is very addictive and expensive too.
 
banana-clip said:
I have a few that I collect, but mostly buy to use.

Knife collecting is very addictive and expensive too.
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That's the part I wasn't counting on when I started collecting. I've spent enough on knives to own a new Corvette Z06, but now that GM has changed its name to Government Motors, I wouldn't buy a Z06 anyway. :barf:
 
All my knives I own or have owned are always to use and never have time to be displayed. the ones I have that are not being used at that moment are tucked away in a safe secure felt holder tucked away. I do however get and fully understand why people/collectors want to and like to display their knives.
 
My knife collection revolves around function, knives that I can and at one time or another use. I don't have a problem displaying a scratched and scuffed blade. Patina doesn't get polished off.
 
i buy to use, mostly. i have a very few that i don't carry daily mostly because i don't want them damaged or lost, but i've used just about every knife i have. i'd rather spend $500 on several good users than one art knife that i'll just keep locked up in a drawer (unless it were a sebenza :D) and never use at all.
 
Real collectors don't sell... they collect.

Flippers call them selves collectors, but cash in instead of collect.

Nothing wrong with that, it can be good business.

I've seen plenty "collector" knives, most are cheap steel, cheap construction. Some people must collect them, but they are not likely to be on bladeforums.
 
wongKI said:
Why do people collect good knives?

By "good knives", I mean premium steels, premium handle materials, etc. Maybe the BM Gold Class, Spyderco S90V Militaries and Manix2, Sebenzas.

If you collect a knife, you intend it for show, right? In which case, the best bit of using a premium steel is lost-that of usage. In that case, you'd be better off with a stainless that polishes nicely-420, even 410 stainless.

I know that part of it is because the company discontinues the knife, or it is a limited run, and if you ruin it you'll never get another. It's because of this that I get angry when I hear things like "I bought 4 of such and such a knife for $140, now I can sell them for twice the price. I never use any of them anyway".

But that wouldn't stop me from EDCing a BM Gold Class, for example (assuming I had enough cash to fork out for the thing.)

I'm not trying to bash collectors here-I know pretty little about collecting and knives. Just trying to get an insight onto what you guys think. Be gentle:)
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Many high end custom makers use 440c or ats34 steel and simple handle materials, wood, stag, etc.

Certainly those knives are more then capable, but very, very few people who buy them will ever use them.

Now production companies still have to mostly make knives that people will want to use, and their is definetly a market for better steels, different handle materials.

But these same companies would be unwise to ignore the growing collector base, so they put out models that don't skimp on materials. Collectors often don't mind a high price. Collectors want something worthwhile to collect.
 
I use very few of my knives, in fact if I bought them just to use I'd see no point in owning so many. I like them in pristine mint condition. I just like looking at a nicely made knife and it's new as it was when it was first made. If it gets all marred up it just looses it's appeal for me for collecting. It's not uncommon at all, most collectors want NIB.
 
I know a guy that was with the FBI. He was on a SWAT-type team that responded to riots and bad situations at federal prisons. He had some home-made prison knives that he had taken away from prisoners displayed in a frame in his office.

I thought that was pretty cool, but probably wouldn't display anything myself....
 
I collect them and use them.
They aren't on display because I have no room for a display which would do them justice; if I did, however, I'd still use tham.
Even if I weren't using them, why would I wish to make a display of cheaply made crap? "Hey everyone, come admire my wall of junk!"
 
I carry Benchmade Gold Class knives and handmade customs. I often modify these knives to fit my particular needs. Using is more fun than collecting.
 
i use what i own, but if i could there is one framed collection i would put up on my wall
ppf_military1.jpg

i have a thing for tools that are purpose built and i really love his knives
 
Why do people collect anything? They get pleasure from owning things that are beautiful, valuable, and interesting, which fine knives certainly are. Me? I'm not a collector. For me the pleasure comes from having a fine tool on my person, and using it skillfully. Nicks and scratches are souvenirs of time well spent with a fine instrument, doing something useful. I am not that different from a collector, I just find pleasure in a different aspect of ownership.
 
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