The evolution of the traditional knife nut?

Woodrow F Call

Woodrow F Call

Joined
Jan 3, 2013
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I know some here have gone from collecting many knives and later parsed the collection to the few. I have bought and sold plenty of knives and have accumulated a few. I have also often said that there is not really a point in reducing your collection if it's what makes you happy, and maybe that is still true.

I have really gravitated to a couple of EDCs instead of changing out for something different every day. Most often, I prefer a Peanut in my pocket.... usually, it's a Yeller CV, Chestnut CV, or a Old Pocket Worn Redbone SS. I supplement the Peanut with a Case 6375 (Jumbo Stockman). I find myself buying other knives, carry a few times, then back to the usual Peanut/Stockman combo. It's kind of weird, as I've always thought it odd that a knife nut would give/sell most of their collection and whittle down the daily carry to just one or two, but I've find myself struggling to not adopt this concept now.

Being happy with what you have....... Something my wife and I were talking about the other day. I sometimes struggle with this and she was saying she works on it. I was thinking about this and pocket knives..... and maybe going minimalist for awhile. I still want other knives, but always seem to just want to carry the few. I've not yet gotten that sweet vintage Peachseed Schrade or even a Cattle knife (which I've always wanted, but never found the right blade combo (Spear, Sheepsfoot, and Pen or Spey) that was a price I wanted to pay...... but maybe I don't really need them.

I still enjoy having that sharp knife and using it for the chores I need it for, but I don't know that I need so many. Maybe take my extra nuts and put them in a shadowbox and parse the rest?

Anyone else feel like discussing?
 
I would love to discuss. Been thinking about exactly this a whole lot lately. Getting ready for work so don't have much time to put feelings into words so I'll come back later.
 
I don't know if I could call myself a knife nut or not, yet. I have a couple of clear plastic tackle boxes where I keep my mostly Case XX, GEC and Grohmann knives, and most of those are hand-sized and I purchased almost all of them in the last the couple of years. I'm not an outdoorsman, not really, but I have a couple of fine "hunting style" knives, too.

Your post resonates with me as I realize that I have only a few that I love to have in my pocket most of the time. Sometimes I worry that I paid all this money for them and so I should lock them away; other times I take the advice of some the posters here and some of the dealers and just use them -- they are knives, after all. Tools. And you can keep your tools in good shape and still use them. I have always carried a pocket knife. I take it out and look at it, I rub it like a worry-stone.

But as I await the arrival of yet another "gentleman's knife", I know very well that when I open the box I'll be alarmed by how small the knife is compared to its photograph and I'll have to learn, once again, to love it in all its miniature glory. I don't think of myself as a collector but I do have a collection. I don't want to have a large one, but having more than three of something kind of makes you a collector, doesn't it? It's probably large enough. And as long as I can swap out today's tribal lock for tomorrow's teardrop, I'll be happy. Right? Until the next time ...
 
I have way more knives than I could ever get around to carry. Maybe I'm making up for something missing from my youth, who knows. I know I'll never realize any vast riches from knives in my collection, most are fairly average, or previously used, so wouldn't get premium value regardless. I am always in search of a good bargain, so I find myself continuously buying knives off ebay or at flea markets, and am sure I don't need them.

I don't see myself selling knives off, unless I had a catastrophic financial need. I didn't have a lot growing up, so I value the things that I have now. That being said, I am more generous now in giving knives away then I had ever been growing up. You guys are a bad influence. (But in a good way)
 
Oh, I actually do enjoy taking the time to sharpen, cut food, cut string all the little things a knife gets used for. I just don't seem to enjoy doing those things with all knives. Mostly the one's I mentioned earlier. I've really been enamored with the fishing thread and have been thinking about taking up the hobby because of the knife talk around here.

I love looking at all the knives here.... it does make me want one every time I see one I like though.
 
Woodrow F Call said:
Anyone else feel like discussing?
Click to expand...

Sure, why not?

I didn't grow up using slipjoints, so I am not wedded to them like most here seem to be. Traditional to me meant balisongs, or butterfly knives. Those were the only folding knives I saw as a kid, other than SAKs of course. I started carrying a knife fairly late, during my college years, and it was of the one handed variety popularized by Spyderco.

Once I began my professional life however, I quickly learned that pocket clips and slacks do not mix. Not only does the clip draw unwanted attention, they also have the annoying tendency of destroying the delicate fabrics of dress pants. By this time I had become quite attached to Man's oldest tool, so I looked for a suitable option for my situation. That search directly lead me to slipjoints and this subforum. Their good looks, and pocketable characteristics, made them an excellent choice for the environment I was most often in.

At first I was drawn to the stockman.

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It remains one of my favorite patterns. Three blades, in a compact package, what's not to love? Carry and use revealed a couple of shortcomings though. First, all those blades make the knife heavy for its size. Second, the sheepsfoot makes using the knife uncomfortable during use. As I favor the clip point more than any other, this is a fairly significant issue. Taking stock of what I need in a knife, I put the stockman away.

Though not as versatile or interesting as a stockman, the single blade slipjoint quickly became my go-to piece of steel. Perhaps it's because of my formative exposure to balisongs and Spydercos, but I've never felt underequipped with a single blade knife. Even when a multiblade pattern gave me a choice, by far the most often selected blade was the long main, regardless of its profile. That being the case, I figured I might as well save the weight and stay with single blades. It helps that I consider them the most attractive, due to the beauty of their simple symmetry.

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At heart I remain a knife nut though. That's why I spend time on a forum discussing them. While I have very definite preferences and tendencies, I like knives. I may go long periods without acquiring any new ones, but I doubt I'll ever stop acquiring them.
 
I may be wrong, but it seemed to be age related, at least for me.

While I had many knives at one time, I noticed that the more I accumulated and tried other patterns, there was a hard core few that I always returned to. After a while, most of my knives were just sitting a sock drawer not being used, or even looked at for long periods of time. Somewhere in late middle age, I got tired of having all this stuff in my possession, and did what I called the great downsize. I set aside the few I really liked, a couple stockmen, a peanut, a few SAK's, and just got rid of all the rest. Did the same with guns.

It was sooooooo liberating.

I had spent a lifetime figuring out what worked for me and my lifestyle, and just lost interest in the "others." Never looked back. I really enjoy having less and using what I have more. It's like having a few really good friends than a ton of casual friends.

Beware of possessions becoming overwhelming and possessing you.
 
That's a German Eye Brand. At 4 1/4" closed it's more knife than I want to tote around most days, but she comes out for certain activities.
 
Woodrow F Call said:
I know some here have gone from collecting many knives and later parsed the collection to the few.

Anyone else feel like discussing?
Click to expand...

I came upon the accumulating knives quite by accident. A few years ago I wanted a good pocket knife and began a search. Eventually the search for a couple good EDCs lead me to accumulating more knives than I will ever use but since they don't take up too much of my space, time, or energy I've kept them.

If there comes a time I'm no longer enjoying them or want to exchange them for something else, then I'm sure I would dispose of them, but for now that is not the case. In fact I recently rediscovered some knives I had put away for awhile had somehow become elevated from just OK to highly favored and I was glad to still have them.
 
In all honesty, I would carry this conversation into the moral, ethical, and philosophical if I attempted to join the conversation.

Ive had my share. I liked owning several and having a collection but it never sat well with me. I couldn't justify it and still can't. I'm at peace with what I have now, but would sell them all if I needed to.

I appreciate knives. I enjoy them and wish I had more of a lifestyle that required more usage. Yet, what keeps me here and coming back is the people here, not the knives.

I read that someone is having a baby, is sick, is sharing their life and I log in. The deeper conversations and mentality mean more to me than the common knife talk. After a while all the knives look the same and I bet cut the same.


Anyways, I'll leave conversation to more knife talk.
 
I think anyone who likes traditional knives today probably has an accumulation phase of the hobby, to one degree or another, simply due to the dizzying array of patterns and materials available. It seems like you would have to try a few different patterns at least to find out what works for you.

But that is coming from a knife nut, and as such we are connoisseurs to an extent. We are much more picky than someone who just wants a simple cutting tool and that is it.
 
1. Got interested
2. Went overboard and bought too many
3. Came to my senses
4. Stopped buying knives
5. Dealt with cumulative buyer's remorse for having spent a lot of money on things I really have no need for.
6. Lost interest in buying anything else.
7. Still waste time on this forum but don't waste any more money.
8. Carry and use a limited number from my collection.
9. Not looking forward to the eventual hassles of selling most of them.

That's sort of the Cliff's notes version. There is an entire chapter behind each item, with various reasons and the journey through, but not really worth chatting about on a forum. Over a beer in person, sure.
 
I seem to go in a circle from #1. to #2 to #3. then back to #1, and so on. I need to get to numbers 4 and 5. But thank you for posting that, and for your participation here!
 
I'm battling much the same thing right now. I have two, three tops, that I carry lately. But I just can't seem to sell the others. I also have a shirogirov that I never hardly even touch but can't bring myself to sell. I know I can replace it if needed later but still.

It's all just things. And living wanting things is living in the world. Not exactly right. I am working on myself to not hoard this stuff (someone go buy what's in the exchange now and help me out! Lol) and only keep what I really carry often. I know I'm looking forward to the ploppert and ryu I have in order. But I looked forward to all my Davison's and GEC's also.

It's a terrible snowball. Lol
 
I'm at a junior level here and a noob but I'm all about selling knives that aren't getting used. Lately that means I'm selling off quite a few. Some I will have just for a few days, realize it's not for me, and then turn around and sell it. Just did this today with a Peanut I fixed up. Seems that most that come in have quickly gone back out. Not that I don't like them, they're actually all really cool from the Buck 309 to the Peanut, but they don't do anything different than what I already have and I am completely not the collecting type. I can't stand having STUFF around that isn't used. Also being that my first knives were Victorinox that seems to be where I am settling. Multi function makes sense to me. I also see the utility in having a knife you can open and close with one hand so I will always at least one knife that allows that. I say use em', sell em', or give them away.

Edit: Also I'll add that the stories of folks (Jackknife's father or buddy Wayne for example) who have and carry just their ONE knife are extremely appealing to me. I'm a less is more kind of guy, and having that one tool that you rely on and create stories with over the years is pretty cool.
 
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I'm definitely heading the route of collecting old knives, new ones not so much. I'm most into old schrades (specifically pre swinden and pre delrin) by far. I've downsized recently, but more so to focus on nicer knives I like more. There's also a great deal of history involved with patterns, companies, etc. which keeps me occupied enough to not have to constantly buy knives when I can stay very busy learning more about them. Frankly that's just about as good as the knives themselves.
 
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