You buy a knife to be a user but can't bring yourself to use it!

[Durwood]

Can anyone relate to this? I'm not a collector. A few years back I got a bonus at work and the opportunity presented itself to buy a Grimsmo Norseman from the factory. The thing is AWESOME! Best action I've ever experienced by some measure. Great ergos. It's a knife I've wanted for a long time.

The intention was always to carry it daily. Every time I take it out to play with, I can't stop smiling like a goofball. But I can't get over the hurdle of actually putting it in my pocket and leaving the house. It's not the first expensive blade I've purchased either (although it is the most expensive blade I've purchased).

I'd love to hear from folks who know the issue I discuss here. I fully realize it's a first-world problem, but still..

You just became a collector

 

[Officer's Match]

Nope, but I do think if I ever decide to pick up a Norseman the first thing I'd do is regrind the blade into something I'd find more useful.

 

[BD_01]

Every time I take it out to play with, I can't stop smiling like a goofball.

And there you have your answer.
Maybe the day will come that it’ll be a true user for you….or maybe it won’t. As long as the knife brings you joy, so what?

I have a habit of babying higher end knives until I dork them up somehow (which usually doesn’t take long) and then they start getting used harder & harder.

Lately I’ve been rediscovering some of Spyderco’s evergreen models (like the Endura) that go straight from the box into the dirt (or whatever) without a second thought. That’s kinda gratifying too.

 

[rileybassman1]

Just drop it on the pavement "accidentally" once - one little scuff is usually enough to break me through that boundary and be good with using it

All seriousness tho, I have some that are special occasion knives and some that are daily drivers... nothing wrong with that! Everyone gets enjoyment out of them a different way, and that's ok!

 

[sgt1372]

Haven't had this problem. I've used every knife that I've ever purchased to be a "user."

However, none of the knives of the type that I've purchased here and elsewhere are knives that I would ever consider using because I purchase them strictly for collection. Some of these knives may have been used prior to my purchase but they are never used after I acquire them.

 

[mauser9]

Often a cheaper blade but sturdy is good for a EDC. that might see some heavy use. Kershaw makes a reasonable price knife for many tasks. My 66 made Puma Skinner turned into a rather expensive blade over the decades so I kinda turned it into a safe queen. Guess those old carbon blades became popular with collectors.

 

[Knives&Lint]

I was once this way, but have since grown to actually prefer the look of a well used knife over a pristine one. When I get a new knife these days I typically can't wait to throw it in the pocket get some use on it.

 

[Another Shepherd]

As Donald Rumsfeld said, stuff happens. If I really, really like a knife, I usually buy a second one as a back-up. Although even one Norseman would be outside my price range.

And I agree that it is a good idea to carry more than one knife, including one that is replaceable.

 

[K.O.D.]

Just do it! I used to have more knives in my safe than in my edc rotation! Not anymore. If I don’t carry it I sell or trade it. The ONLY knives I won’t carry are sentimental pieces from family members.
That Grimsmo is built to last the rest of your life. Use it and pass it down when the time comes. Imagine…… “This was my Grandpa’s knife”

Completely agree. I have three knives in my case I don't use. I'm not a traditional guy anyway, but I have an old well used Case lockback (similar to a Buck 110) that my dad gave me for my 12th birthday, and a Case ini copperlock that my friend gave me for my 40th birthday. The third is a Matt Bailey model 2 geek edition that was a gift from my mother while I was in the throes of encephalopathy from liver disease. She had seen I had been looking at it on my phone before I became incoherent and ordered it for me. I've carried it a few times, but now I don't, because its very shallow clip makes me terrified to lose it.

I got quite a few shocked expressions at the knife show when I showed people that I was carrying my Alan Davis. However, I'm the guy with no qualms about shooting my great grandfather's .22LR bolt action rifle made around 1900. These are tools meant to be used. I wouldn't own a Ferrari and not drive it. I'd be the guy with 300k miles on mine if I could ever afford one. Maybe if I stop buying knives.

At first I was afraid to ruin the mirror polish blade on my new Biryukov, but figured if I really got concerned about it I could send it to get that mirror polish back. In the mean time, I enjoy flipping it open and doing my hair in the reflection on the blade.

I'll be honest, I'm a weirdo. I have weird rules about things. I won't own two of the same model of knives guns, etc. There are just too many options out there, always something else to try. The exception are clothes and shoes. I'm an odd size in both, so when I find what works, I try to buy those. If I wear my pants as hip-huggers, I'm a 38 waist and 36 inseam. If I wear my pants at my "waist" I'm a 38 inseam which is impossible to find and also makes it too high in the crotch. I'm not paying for custom clothes.

 

[DMG]

I have to ease into using stuff like my Magnacut Sebenza. I carry it now but will never use it at work. I use a GB2 at work.

 

[baxtrom]

In my experience, the first period carrying and using a new knife may be stressful, because you will note every tiny scratch. But then over time the scratches compound and make for beautiful patina. It’s a bathtub curve, from pristine to one or two prominent scratches to well-used

 

[badmatt]

No Idea what you're talking about...

But seriously, some are more users than others, a lot of mine see extremely light duty, untill they dont.. like my REN.

 

[TimButterfield]

My idea of collection is entry into rotation. I buy all of my knives with the intention of using them. However, that intention does not always survive their arrival. As an example, I bought a Buck 110 and 112 (BCCI 35th with jasper handles). They are very pretty knives that I had intended to use. But, when they arrived with a padded zipper case instead of a sheath, it was obvious they were not intended to be used. So, they are drawer queens for now. I will enjoy looking at them for a year or so, but will likely, eventually, sell them.

 

[K.O.D.]

No Idea what you're talking about...

But seriously, some are more users than others, a lot of mine see extremely light duty, untill they dont.. like my REN.

So much YES!


I will admit though, if I know I might need to use my knife in a more "agressive" way that day, I will grab one of my older well worn folders.

 

[toker]

That's like buying a nice gun and never shooting it. No thanks.

 

[Way-Barney]

Looking at a knife is like a picture in a top shelf magazine, using it is like an orgy.

 

[LostCause]

Cut some sandpaper with it and resharpen it afterwards... putting some scratches on it is what you need.

 

[Monofletch]

That's like buying a nice gun and never shooting it. No thanks.

I bought a new AR just after Christmas last year. I bought a Romeo 7 to mount on it too. Both are still in the boxes sitting in my closet.

 

[bikerector]

If you send it to me, I can return it used for a small fee.

I've been there. Had a bunch of GEC's that I didn't want devalue. Eventually, just sold all of them I didn't use.

 

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