The evolution of the traditional knife nut?

I'm definitely swaying lately more towards custom knives and away from gec/Moore maker/queen etc. Fewer knives of arguably higher quality seem to be my preference as of late. Or back to that anyway.
 
"I don't know if I could call myself a knife nut or not, yet." < This is pretty much where I am.

I have gone off and on collecting knives over about 25 years. Since late last year been accumulating traditionals. There are some I really, really like a lot. Some I am not as enamored with as I thought I would be. So, I buy and sometimes, sell. I don't worry so much about what I carry vs. what sits in my converted humidor/knife collection box.

I carry my GEC 92, 74 Autumn Leaf, 48 Weasel stag, Case Peanut and a few others. Day in and day out. I don't want to over think this at this stage in life. I have sold so much crap, I don't need or want any more and use that money to buy knives. Otherwise, I could not justify the expense.
 
I try to carry and use any knife I own, so only a few older "display" knives don't get used. I recently did something I thought I never would; sell off a handful of knives that for one reason or another, just didn't click with me. For that reason they didn't get carried and were sold.

At one time I thought I couldn't turn loose of any knives, because when I have sold guns in the past, I always eventually regretted letting them go. I was afraid this might happen with my knives as well, but that wasn't the case. Selling them was easy and liberating, as previously pointed out. And turning some cash was nice as well.

Will I eventually get to the point where I don't add any new knives to the collection? Probably, but I'm not there yet.
 
Hello. I hope to contribute something to this post. One of my earliest memories (1960's) is of my grandfather in southeast TX. He and my uncles were "shrimpers" and worked on the water. By that time, my grandfather was older and he worked on their nets. I remember him having a small knife with a whetstone always nearby, working every day.
He was a very humble person and grew up poor. His and my uncle's knives were working tools with plenty of "patina" and blades sharpened down thin and narrow. They would buy a knife when the one they had was no longer usable.
Sorry about my long story. Over the years, I've had many knives. Now, as I get older, like many of you I'm realizing what I "need" is less and less. I still have a number of nice knives, but my interest is less in obtaining knives and more in using and appreciating them.
 
I started carrying a knife when I was a little kid back in the 1950s. Like most everybody else back then, it was either a Barlow or a scout type knife. Nobody ever left the house without their pocket knife & I'm still that way.

Sometime around the turn of the century I got interested in modern folders, and they're all I carried for about 15 years. The last several years my interest in traditional folders has been renewed & when I buy a knife, it's almost always some sort of Barlow or stockman & they're all bought for using.

The Sebenza or a Spyderco still get pocket time occasionally, but there's always at least one traditional in my pocket.

That's been my journey so far & since we're talking about "evolution", things may change again, but it's nice to have choices.
 
The first knife I bought was a Bucklite 422 when I was a teenager. It was the only knife I owned for close to 20 years before I lost it. Went a few years without even carrying a knife and found a similiar Bucklite in a flea market in 2012 and found blade forums while researching the knife. Not sure how many knives I own now, but most were bought with the intention of being used. Then I get the knife and think to myself that it is too nice to use and its still in the box so I'd hate to ruin its value and in the safe it goes. Only a few were bought originally with the intention of putting away such as a 1969 Buck 110 and another 1967 110 for only $20 each.
So my collection has no rhyme or reason, but in looking for the perfect edc, I have a bunch of nice knives of varying patterns that are new and my 12 year old son loves it when we get them out and wipe them down to look them over and he'll get them all one day. But like you I only have a few I actually use and carry. A couple of Buck fixed blades, a case peanut, a case stockman, a 110 and a modern knife.
I've decided I'm going to start collecting with the intention of collecting and go for quality over quantity. I've had been averaging 2 knives a month. I've decided I'm going to limit myself to maybe 1 collectible knife every six months or so, maybe one that is collectible now (a more expensive knife) and then 1 that will be collectible in the future and is relatively cheap now. I am starting this after my next two knives that are in the mail arrive so wish me luck. :)
 
It looks like we've all changed a bit as we've aged. I'm an outlier..... as well as a terrible example of a knife collector.

I'm a serial monogamist. I'll carry a knife to the exclusion of all others for a year. Or two. Or five. Then a big change in my life happens and I'll get a new knife and carry it until the next big life changing event.

The actual "collection" never gets sharpened or carried. It grows by bits and spurts as I see things I want very occasionally and add them. But it's been a while since the last purchase.

Funny thing though, I'm only emotionally attached to the group of knives I've carried. I can lay them out and take you thru the course of my life with each knife representing a significant period when each was carried in its turn.

The one I'm carrying now might be nearing its retirement date. 6 years ago I bought what I thought was the most beautiful knife I've ever seen. I put it aside until I realized a certain very important dream or reached retirement age... Which is many years off tbh. It looks like things might be bringing that knife out of the bullpen in a couple months. Fingers crossed.

I admit freely that I am a very squirrelly knife collector.

Will
 
I started with modern folders, then something about traditionals caught my attention. Perhaps because I carried one when I was younger? These days most new knives to the collection are traditional. I've considered selling some that don't get carried often but then I think I'd rather pass them down to my boys one day, and perhaps to grandchildren eventually as well, (I'm not even 40 yet and my boys are still young so that's a ways off yet!) I've given a couple of the moderns away and have a couple more waiting till I see the people they're going to, but I'm not likely giving away any traditionals away any time soon. Even the ones that don't see much pocket time. I guess I'm more picky with traditionals so it's harder to let them go? Also, moderns tend to be very ergonomic specific, definite hand positions and that doesn't always work for my hand so they move on,(I can't handle before purchase as availability is terrible where I live) whereas traditionals tend to work well in all grips even if they don't excel in one particular grip for me.
 
I grew up around knives. My grandfathers and my uncle all carried traditionals. My dad always had knives and that was something we gave him as a Father's day gift just about every year. He's a big fan of the tiny Case pen knife. My first knives were traditionals. Since I've had a child, my interest in knives have grown. I think it's the sentimental side that I can associate that as something with the men in my life, and wanting to have something similar for my children and hopefully one day grandchildren.

I had a small collection of knives before joining this site but I wasn't an active collector. Most in my collection were from my grandfather or great grandfather. Since joining this site though I have begun to acquire a smaller collection. I have tried various knives and have several, but I tend to only carry one knife and not rotate very much. More often than not it's been a single blade knife. I'm drawn more to two bladed jacks, but multi-blade knives just don't find much time in my pockets.
 
WFC,

I'm definitely headed in the same direction you are, and have been for over a year now. In fact I've also gravitated to the Peanut and Barlow as amongst my "few favs" that now completely dominate my carry. The Peanut has been almost my only EDC the past two months. Half the time it's the only knife I have! :eek:

It's served me well and actually been my most-carried knife for over 3 years now. Lately it's become 100% in fact.

My Vic Pioneer and Farmer are still close by, as are the Stockman and #55. Beyond that the others (approx 10) see less and less pocket time. I keep gravitating back to the Peanut and either Stockman or Barlow.

I find I prefer the simplicity this involves.
 
I don't usually post on these types of threads but I really respect Woodrow and his thoughtful posts and comments when I read them. I had a few knives when I was a kid but quit carrying them shortly after adulthood. After a long absence I recently got the bug and now have way too many knives, both traditional and modern. I have many more than I can use and have decided to quit buying them for myself. I went through GEC fever based on this forum but now they don't interest me in the least. I'll probably keep what I have but I carry one of three traditional patterns and one of three modern knife patterns every day but generally it is a Spyderco Para 3 or a Delica 4 and a Case medium stockman or Canoe. All the rest (near 100) just sit in storage only to be carried once in a Blue Moon.

The only knives I will buy in the future are for friends who don't carry a knife but express interest when they see me using one of mine. Generally I give them a SAK Cadet, Case Jacknife or something similar and they are ecstatic and really seem to enjoy them. I've found it's more rewarding to give than to receive however corny that may sound.
 
Thought provoking, this thread. Sometimes, in a fit of introspection, I feel a little foolish or maybe childish is a better word, when I consider this thing called "knife collecting". Yes, in the grand scheme of things, it is somewhat frivolous to most folks and a waste of hard-earned money too. I've even been told by a certain pilgrim I know that he too "use to do that...", then he said in a sober and grave voice.... "but then I grew up".
You know what? I am 60 now and I still like knives. I like just about every kind of knife. If I could really convey how much I like knives there would be a lot of eyebrows raised and folks might scoot over just a little. :eek:
I really should stop accumulating them but I don't seem to be able to. It is my failing in life. :D Yes it is.
 
Fodderwing said:
You know what? I am 60 now and I still like knives. I like just about every kind of knife. If I could really convey how much I like knives there would be a lot of eyebrows raised and folks might scoot over just a little. :eek:
I really should stop accumulating them but I don't seem to be able to. It is my failing in life. :D Yes it is.
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I don't think that is your failing at all. It's a great thing to have a passion for something, even if some call it a frivolous one. It takes all kinds to make this world spin. And if you're one who still likes to carry a different knife everyday, or just spend some free time looking over years of collecting, that's just as cool as those who have found their knife or some other simpler rotation. That's what makes the porch a great place IMO.
 
I went crazy buying knives about 18 years ago, im sure ive bought 100 knives in that time. I will be 44 this summer and after buying all those knives ive gone back to carrying basically what i had when i was 14.
 
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