Why I sold most of my expensive knives (anyone else feel like this?)

I think that after a while we realize that like all desires, you will never quench the thirst. I think once that is realized folks start to appreciate the knives they have, and try to thin the herd to keep a balance.
 
I sold off most of my super expensive customs. It wasnt really because I couldnt justify the cost of such an object. How can you really in the first place? This isnt really a hobby of justified spending. Literally anything over $20-50 and its a want not a need. Arguably I dont need a knife to begin with. My real reason for dumping my customs was because I saw absolutely no performance advantage to them. Many made great lookers and conversation pieces but they made horrible knives. They seemed to be an exercise in what could be done for the sake of doing it rather than someone trying to improve a tool. And since I like to carry my knives and use them I always found myself grabbing a higher end production knife and enjoying it more than my customs. And when I really looked them over I didnt feel they were superior in quality and surely not design over those production knives that cost less than half that they did. I guess you could say they couldnt be justified. But it had more to do with the knives not making good knives and therefore just going to sit there and do nothing. And since I have a few other hobbies once got as much enjoyment as I felt I was going to get I punted them.
 
It's about the hunt, and we all hunt different things. For us here it's knives. There are flashlight forums and gun forums, and car forums, and bike forums and, and, and ... all in the hunt. It's about achieving the kill ... to be able to feel the rush and the pride ... and we need that rush often. It is in our DNA.
 
While I know that I should size my collection down, I couldn't imagine going from $500-$1000 customs down to production knives. Sure, a custom can perform like a production knife, and the extra expense is not going into better cutting performance. However, there is something special about having a one-off or something rare and unique that is not readily available. There are about 5-10 knives I could never part with, and they are what I feel what represents my style and taste in knives best.

Honestly, I find myself becoming less interested in "other" knives, since I have refined my taste. I've tried this-and-that, and sometimes the knives that get the most press do nothing for me.
 
I think most of us are fools in the eyes of most people who can't understand why we'd buy a knife that costs more than 20 bucks. These same people then go out and spend 1000 bucks on a bottle of wine or 500 dollars on a certain golf club or 3000 dollars for a specific set of tire rims. Some people spend 5000 dollars for a dog and feed it all organic beef while they eat McDonald's everyday and have trouble paying their mortgage. Some people don't have a job yet spend 5000 dollars for laptop computer when a 1000 dollar laptop works great, if they really need a computer to begin with. I can't see why anyone would spend 50 grand to sup up a Subaru that they can only sell for 20 grand, but that's what makes em happy.

If you have more wine than you can drink, more golf clubs than you'd conceivably use, or rims that are so expensive you're afraid to actually drive your car, then it may be time to throttle back a bit, but to each his own. If you like knives and can afford them, buy em. If you find yourself unenthused anymore, sell them. It's cool. We all have a soft spot for something, just don't neglect your duty to your family and spend money you don't have to satiate your hobby. It's just a hobby, not your life. Cheers!
 
I think that some people may go through phases (Materialistic, minimalist, collector, downsizing due to what they really USE, etc.) or their tastes change in knives as it may or may not change in other objects and tools in their lives. Physical issues may make a difference in their lives at any age too!

I figure to each their own - knives, books, movies, music, art, firearms, furniture, sail boats, power boats, clothing, trucks, cars, etc.

Disclaimer:

I have never seen a $1,000. knife IN PERSON and if there was one out there in a store or at a big, famous gun show... maybe I missed it or I did not look at the price.

I have seen prices for other NIB tools and 'collector items' go pretty high in firearms and in all kinds of new and older household goods though.

My husband has a few well known Montana made knives. I can't see where the prices go for them now even compared to several years ago. He has OLDER knives from this famous company. They cost him a pretty penny in those days when he bought them brand new here in Montana. He gifted one to an old hunting friend too.

Do I want one of his famous, more expensive knives? No, I like what I own in my simple knives more. He has offered to let me carry one of them too. Use it as much as I would like on a daily basis but it does not interest me. Many men/women and collectors would jump at the chance. It is a sweet knife but it does not TRIP my trigger so to speak. The quality knife would not be hurt by carrying it so that is not the issue. It is just not my THING.

Use it or lose it is my motto. I am not into safe queens. What does not get used gets gifted, donated or sold in my life. My late husband was that way. My Montana husband is that way... he has his absolute favorites in knives and in firearms.

Cate the Minimalist
 
I have a drawer full of knives that never see the light of day. In the process of selling them now.
 
Who do you think you're kidding. :rolleyes:

1djIUYe.jpg
 
Kinda of ironic that the voice of that character just left the show. :D

There is something to be said though for still being here and being a minimalist.
 
Nope, I just want more... but I only bought users thus far, if (or when..) I buy a safe queen I would probably only get 1 really nice really expensive piece.
 
Really interesting thread and responses...

About a month ago I sold about a bunch of knives, most of them were my most expensive models - certainly not uber expensive stuff but we are talking sebenzas, a hinderer, a les George etc...

I don't have any sense of regret whatsoever - I find myself more and more reaching for a spydie FRN stretch, or H1 something, a cold steel recon in AUS8 or an ESSE Izula. I did keep 2 sebenzas and the jury is out as to whether I will keep them - beautiful knives.

Personally I enjoy using knives and I like good honest working knives, I'm also not a hard user so I don't really need heavy duty folders, if I need something strong I will pick out a fixed blade and run with that. The likelihood of me breaking a survive GSO or a fall creek in S35VN is nil!

It is all relative though - if my mates knew the value of the knives Ive kept they would think I'm nuts... let alone if they knew the value of the ones I just sold.

Plus I totally agree with the comments about each to his own - Ive drooled over many of the customs Ive seen on this site and can appreciate the desire to own them...
 
So long as people are making knives, I will have a knife. So long as I feel comfortable using it. Value has nothing to do with price.

I've grown fond of fixed blades. I'm down to two folding knives: SAK Alox Cadet & Benchmade Griptilian; and those are in my right front pocket everyday.
 
The person that sees a custom knife as just a more expensive cutting tool should not own custom knives. Owning a custom knife is about owning somethng special .. made by the hands of a craftsman and the price charged is paid with joy to compensate the craftsman for his/her time, effort and skills (skills obtained over years, often paying substantial "schoolfees"). When I look at the expensive custom knife I don't see a cutting instrument but art. If one cannot appreciate a custom creation as art then a factory knife will do just fine. Obviously good art and bad art is a subjective matter. The buyer of art must be happy to buy that which suits his/her tastes. Buying and selling will then be driven by changes in tastes over time ... but the basic principle will always remain the same for many of us: custom art costs custom money.
 
I really appreciate the design and craftsmanship that go into a knife. I do think that a good knife is a work of art. But I get more pleasure from using a good knife, and how it performs, than I do from looking at it. Using a knife as a tool just resonates with me. I'm a pretty practical guy, and the idea of carrying something on me that I can rely on is an indescribable feeling. But I must admit, the sex appeal of a blade does influence me a bit. For me it's about an 80/20 balance of usability/sexiness. Hence why I carry a Hinderer XM-18 over a ZT0560.

I EDC a couple of high end production knives, as well as a couple of customs knives (on the more affordable side of the custom world), and I use them all hard. The response I get from these knives, when I ask them to perform, is what helps me to justify having them. I ponder the topic that you have discussed from time to time, and I mostly agree with you. My answer (for me) is that as long as the knife justifies itself, then it's not too pricey. There is nothing I could ask of my $400 Hinderer XM-18 that it couldn't deliver. So I guess that's my line. Why would I spend more than $400? When that Hinderer provides everything that I could ever need in a user knife, and satisfies my appreciation for design and craftsmanship.

If your main motivation for collecting/owning knives is to appreciate them as art, then I can understand why a $1500 custom with all sorts of fancy file work, a damascus blade, anodized bits, artistic bone carving, etc... would satisfy you more than my user knives. On the flip side, a lot of people would say "What does your Hinderer do that my ZT0560 can't? I'm just gonna own ZT's." I can't argue with that. As I stated above, sex appeal does play a bit of a role in my purchases. But the bottom line is, if the knife doesn't perform, it does absolutely nothing for me.
 
Nellem said:
The person that sees a custom knife as just a more expensive cutting tool should not own custom knives. Owning a custom knife is about owning somethng special .. made by the hands of a craftsman and the price charged is paid with joy to compensate the craftsman for his/her time, effort and skills (skills obtained over years, often paying substantial "schoolfees"). When I look at the expensive custom knife I don't see a cutting instrument but art. If one cannot appreciate a custom creation as art then a factory knife will do just fine. Obviously good art and bad art is a subjective matter. The buyer of art must be happy to buy that which suits his/her tastes. Buying and selling will then be driven by changes in tastes over time ... but the basic principle will always remain the same for many of us: custom art costs custom money.
Click to expand...

Great post Nellem!

I feel that some people buy certain customs because of the hype that surrounds the maker. To me, that isn't a reason to spend big bucks. It almost comes across as buying a knife to show off, and not use; more of a "status symbol".

A custom should be very personal, and should suit what you feel a knife should be. Not what others think... I've seen this happen too many times. Even kind of recently, there was a thread about someone who bought a direware (his "Grail"), and just wanted to show it off. The guy couldn't even bring himself to use it, so he sold it. Is that what buying customs is about? I don't think so, but who am I to judge...
 
I don't have too many high end knives, but what I have "collected" are extras of knives that I really like and use.
For instance, I have a NIB Gerber Yari(original one). I have one that I do use, but soon after buying it and really liking it, I found a killer deal on 2 of them as they were being discontinued. One of these I gave to my brother as a gift. The second is the NIB, unused knife. I also have a a few other extras of knives that I have really liked that were being discontinued.
I don't think I am a hoarder, but just in the last few weeks I have taken a look at how many knives I have. I have about 20 now that are NIB, waiting to be used someday.
 
Been thinking about this stuff recently...i have a accumulated a few knives that i never see myself actually using, every now & then i think of selling, but keep putting it off...
Very true what has been said about the chase & anticipation...that is really what it is about...
 
I'm selling this one because it is the knife I carry the least.



There was a time when I carried it every day... for 5 months. Things came up though... projects I have been waiting on for some time. Those projects need funds.
 
There can never be too much of a good.thing.
It is in human nature to possess and amass.
What would anyone's life amount to if he had nothing to show
But for the many material.things he has had the good fortune to own?
If one should ever doubt his own instincts towards imaterialism,
It could signal the loss of vigour in wants
And more now a redirection towards reasonable needs.
At the end of the day, one can only take joy in the collection
Of memories of having had the experience of youthful.extravagance
Which for many, borders along momentary blindness in decision making.
It is of no use crying over spilled milk.
Cherish the good times as a blessing
And swear never to repeat what might have been episodes of shortsightedness.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top