Your knife collecting strategy?

LastRodeo said:
I don't understand why some folks are wary of classifying themselves collectors. Your stockman "accumulation" alone is a collection in my opinion.

A collection is simply an accumulation of things. A collector, one who collects.
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22-rimfire said:
I don't have a strategy. If I see it and I like it, I buy it assuming of course I don't have to mortgage the house to do it. I buy what I like and don't care about what something might be worth in 10 or 20 years unlike firearms.

Added: I tend to like Trappers or "jack knives", but there is no theme to the buying.
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I'm not a collector but have accumulated a few folding knives, most of them within the past six months even though my first knife dates back to the 1960's, so depending on how it is defined maybe I am a collector.

If I like a particular knife I buy it and I too am partial to jack knives and stockman patterns but not to the exclusion of anything else and my "collection" runs the gamut. Now if I include kitchen knives, then I am definitely a collector but all my knives, kitchen or otherwise are users.
 
I do think some believe if they use their knives, they can't be collectors. Guess they think collectors keep there collection in a hyperbaric chamber and they only handle them with white gloves.
 
The only knives I collect are GEC #53 Cuban Stockmen: I currently have 47 of the 52 different offerings.

The other 160 or so knives are just an accumulation, not a collection. ;)

No strategy, just buy every one I can find, and it's getting very much harder for the last five,
as they only made 25 total (not 25 each) of the five I lack. :(
 
There is no method to my madness. I buy what I like, and can afford. I don't collect per se, as I buy to use them all. I won't by LE or collector series. I try to rotate them, but, there is no method to that madness either. Haha.

EDIT: I have to admit that after reading further responses and seeing what others have said, I have no choice but consider myself a collector at this point. Recently I acquired a knife that was autographed by the designer. Knowing I'd never "use it" (which burns me up by the way) I had to change my thinking on this.

Yes, I collect.
 
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black mamba said:
The only knives I collect are GEC #53 Cuban Stockmen: I currently have 47 of the 52 different offerings.

The other 160 or so knives are just an accumulation, not a collection. ;)

No strategy, just buy every one I can find, and it's getting very much harder for the last five,
as they only made 25 total (not 25 each) of the five I lack. :(
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:eek: holy cow! 47 of 52? that mustve cost some pretty pennys!
 
LastRodeo said:
I do think some believe if they use their knives, they can't be collectors. Guess they think collectors keep there collection in a hyperbaric chamber and they only handle them with white gloves.
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2nd time you've said that.
What one calls his mass of knives is up to the individual who owns them.

However, IMO, a "collection" has a focus or organization to it. As in, "wharncliffe trappers by various makers." If there is no specific focus, it's just a bunch of knives. So, by my own definition, I don't have a collection. But if somebody else has two or three knives and wants to call it a collection, I got no problem with that. That's his definition, which he is free to work by.
 
Yes, you are correct you can use whatever definition you want. Then if you are not a collector, why bother posting in a thread about your collection strategy, explaining why you don't consider yourself a collector.
 
You do not want to go down this road of imposing your opinion over that of everyone else.
 
I guess I possess a collection so that makes me a collector. I had some advantage in that I was a single maker and model collector. Many of you have bought more knives than me recently. I am collecting very, very slowly now for some reason. First of June was my last purchase.

Its just a ebb and flow of life. Some do it for years and some go quick and burn out. I am not sure where I lie. Maybe my gun buying has gotten in my pocketbooks way.

I agree with Rich in post # 5. 300
 
There is no plan to my acquisitions; I just buy what catches my fancy. I don't have an original thought in my head about the subject. Every so often, on a gun or motorcycle forum, someone will write about a style or maker that intrigues me, or my wife will give me a knife as a gift.

If the stars are all properly aligned, that may set me off on a binge of sorts. I am easily swayed. Thus, I read about Moras, and over a period of months acquired a few to see what they were all about. That in turn led me to Marttiinis; I bought a couple for myself and a couple more as gifts. Something similar happened with Condors, so now I have three and my son has a couple as well.

I already knew about Opinels, but reading about them on this forum got me started on other Euro country knives. So now i have a couple of Filmam folders, and have Mercator, Laguiole, Mercator and Douk-Douk on my acquisition list. This forum also got me looking at sodbusters. I have had a German-made sodbuster since 1970, but didn't even know the pattern had a name until I read about them here. Now a yellow Case and an orange Junior keep my Loewen company on the shelf, and get carried frequently. Meanwhile, I keep reading up on other traditional patterns, and will no doubt buy a few more in coming months.
 
I buy based on my perceived needs and uses, and then knife aesthetics.

Fixed, folders, size of blades, number of blades, shapes of blades, handle coverings ... Each knife I own has certain strengths and weaknesses. But they all cut.
 
I'm no collector, a simple amateur.
I always used knives and liked them.
Addiction really started with Case when I retired and discovered different knives not so much the shapes, but bone handles are rarer in France, no jiggging or fancy colors. I like stag, horn and wood but the bone treatment in USA and England is unique.
Beside I decided I would get some Sodbusters not only for me but also for my children and grandchildren, so each can choose his own that stays at my home. A way to stay near of them (son is 800km away and daughter a nearer 160km, but we don't move as easily as in the US, y' know!).
I really don't like aggressive knives I prefer those with a much quieter purpose such as cutting a dry sausage or pruning.
Then I discovered Barlows and GEC 15s. it was quite a revolution to me, compact, simple, good looking knives, until then I thought a knife had to be at least 4" to be OK!
 
I am both accumulator and collector; I have a collection of Schrade Stockman pattern, Case Stockman pattern, Case 1970's variations, and Buck 100 and 300 knives of all pattern types - those knives get some focus and I have a list I refer to. I have lots of other knives that strike my fancy and my approach is rather helter-skelter on them. As to use or preserve - both my collection of knives and my accumulation of knives have knives that get used and those that don't. OH
 
I normally just buy what I like or what I think I'll like. I've definitely focused on some makers, patterns, etc.
 
I am a new collector/accumulator/crazy person. when I got board in my retirement I started buying knives first folders then mid tech then custom then sold them when I realized I like old traditionals. I now am just buying old knives I find at yard sales, flea markets and of course ebay. I have more Barlows than anything else and second would be Stockman. I now have 39 traditionals and 16 folders. My strategy as such is buy as many old USA made traditional knives I can afford. I have 8 more coming and 2 of them are GEC a #15 single blade off of the exchange and a #77 Barlow from ebay. No rhyme or reason just an obsession and love of owning knives. The most important thing is I am having fun and this hobby has brought a renewed purpose and joy to my life. I also love this forum I hung around about a year when I joined this last May and man I like interacting with you folks you all are great people.
 
Hoo boy. I think about this fairly often, and I've concluded that I'm not very good at having a plan or sticking to it. :(

I started rotated my modern folders just before I got bitten by the traditional bug, so I carried that basic approach into traditionals: As I'm leaving the house, see what sort of knife day it feels like and pocket one accordingly. That seems to work pretty well for me, except that more often than not I pocket the same knife, my humble SAK Electrician.

I like my philosophy of only buying users, and giving every knife pocket time. I'm not a collector in the sense that I want to have stuff I don't use (nothing against those who are, of course!). I'm sticking with that.

But buying...my approach needs work. I took a hard look at my collection this past week and am currently selling over half of my knives. Most were carried just once or twice, and either never connected with me or occupied a niche that was already better filled by another knife. Others I just don't carry for some weird reason -- for example, some the Stockman patterns I have include a blade I don't have a use for (spey), and that bugs me. It feels inefficient.

Going forward, I hope to be a lot more selective. Do I need another gent's knife when I have one I love and one I like already? Probably not. Would I rather acquire a custom than another 3-5 production knives? Probably. "Buy-and-try" has been expensive. Fun, but expensive. :foot:

I guess that shakes out to something like, "If I won't sometimes carry [this knife I want] instead of [this knife I already own], don't buy it. Carry what makes me happy."
 
I have probably 100 knives, but I am more of an accumulator.

I am more fascinated by a knife's performance than by looks alone, so I don't have too many "safe queens."

It is their cutting performance and usefulness that I enjoy most.

I have almost exclusively knives that would be considered traditional. And have little interest in stainless. I like patina and I live in Oklahoma, so corrosion is manageable.

I am getting ready to try a Becker but I'm going to strip that ugly black paint off and get me a leather sheath for it though.
 
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