Escaping the rabbit hole?

took about 2 years of not buying a single knife and very content with what I had (3 customs) but then I sold a custom I was not using and was a little "too tactical" for my latest tastes, and got myself a new custom. back to 3 again right?
Well I just saw the CRK 31 and decided to give it 1 one more try :D:D:D (I had a 21 plain, a 25 plain, and a 21 CF insingo)
 
I have owned up to 40 to 50 knives at once. I think I'm about 11 now. Sold off collection while I was sick and couldn't work. Ya one knife I miss the most is the cryo And cryo 2. Loved both of those knives as well as a dividend and blur. Always carried case buck and kershaw. I've went through a spyderco phase that I see ending. Been carrying a para 3 for a month or 2 and am ready to sell it or trade i . In knife collecting there is definitely ups and downs.
As for the super steels,I'm not a fan. I would just as soon have a good carbon blade or some like 14c28n. Just my opinion but knives like all hobbies can be hyped up beyond what they are. Carried traditional until about 4 or 5 years ago exclusivemu. 99.9 percent of what I do can be done with a stockman, sak ,etc.
If you love knives you will catch the fever again,but till then enjoy whatever else that may peak your interest
 
Many people have several hobbies and switch between them. Also there are times in your life when time or money isn't available.
I bought 16 knives in a year and half, didn't like four and gave them to friends. I'm happy with what I have and probably will not buy anymore for awhile.
Just have fun.....
 
Out of my 3 hobbies I go through an 'on/off' phase with two of them partly weather related and partly due to cost.
Knives on the other hand still go through phases but I'm finding that its a warming/cooling cycle related to type. I love traditionals, specifically stockman, but as of right now I have been cooling on the traditionals and have picked up several modern single blade knives. Hogue EX-A01 and Deka along with a D2 Dividend and a few others. I am currently very content with the state of my stockman accumulation and now am on the watch for very specific things before adding the next modern.
 
I joined in 2000. When my second son was born, I decided to give up the knife game. Gave away a shit-ton of knives. Stopped browsing BFC.

Boys get to be older boys, and lo and behold they are into knives.

So now I'm back again... this time trying to help my offspring find THE perfect knife for them.

They have a pile each, with no signs of letup. And I'm right back trying to find MY perfect knife again.

Funny to watch my 18 year old when I tell him I've been on this forum for 20 years.
 
I'm with you there, 22... and I know there's no perfect knife.

But I'm beginning to understand Pellinore and his pursuit of the Questing Beast.

And I do meet some of the finest folk whilst a-Questing, so I'll be at the search for the Beast for a spell at least.
 
To quote Darth Vader

"There is no escape." And "You don't know the power of the dark side!"

The dark side being the enablers here at BF.

I just bought a new knife last week, and am going to take a break, focusing on saving/selling stuff for a new gun, mods, and accessories. Kitting out my M1 Carbine with a railed upper foregrip with red dot. Then an IWI Kidon for my Beretta PX4 .40.

I've taken breaks from hobbies before, but usually because something else sucks me in. Guns, knives, Legos/star Wars stuff, cologne, car stuff, stuff for my nephews.
 
Eventually you have enough knives where you notice a handful of nice blades not getting used.
Hate to see a nice knife go unused, especially when it's your own and was expensive.
Plus, none of mine are super pretty and decorative to the point that you'd be worried about going ahead and using
them as you like to cut whatever comes up.

I'm to the point where I want to at least knock every bit of the "new" off of every knife I own and maybe even use up a few
to the point that you can't even properly get an edge back from the primary bevels "thickening up" before I go buying more.

Let's face it though, one of my favorite knife makers or companies is going to release something I almost feel guiltier passing up than passing on :D Those freakin sprint runs and limited editions man.....:rolleyes:
 
For a while I was buying 2 knives per month & changing my EDC daily. My hunger for something new and the next knife seemed insatiable.

Now, I’ve bought 2 folders in the last 2 years and when I put something in my pocket it stays there for a week, or maybe a month.

I like what I’ve acquired, so it’s time to enjoy what I already have.

I still keep a lazy eye out for a few things on my chronic WTB list and I need to replace my Pac Salt at some point, but I’m no longer driven to to try every cool thing that pops up on the Exchange at a decent price.
 
Smiling said:
... I'm spending less..time browsing knives... and I no longer feel ecstasy or excitement when I see something.. I have zero desire of getting anything.... I also stopped to care.. I have zero interest in... newest ... when ... plain old ... is enough for me....
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sorry to have to break it to you pal,
but once the initial newbie's rush is
gone, that's when you know that the
honeymoon is over.
we can't all keep up with the joneses.
frivolous pursuits are for the wealthy.
then even so, would be entirely
meaningless to keep on accumalating
with no end in sight.
no need to be confused about having
a future knife direction once you have
all the basic tools at hand.
there is nothing more to need
with a pliertool, folder and a fixed blade.
when the time comes to replace something,
don't fall victim to fashion!
one can always aim for the best
but things don't always need to be
top of the line or the latest trendiest
model.
just stick to common sense purchases.
look, you're still young
and its probably better this way
for now.
until such time when the stars line up.
be happy that you are now free to
dabble with other interest and
who knows what rewarding
experiences await you in life?!
cheer up and welcome back to
the real world :)
i belive that you will live through this period.
in the long run it pays to be contented and
always grateful for what you already have.
 
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Smiling said:
I'm kinda focusing on university, managing work together with university, squeezing some workouts in my free time, girls and having some beers with my buddies.
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These are red flags, you could be heading down a dark path. I fear that if you continue down this path you could end up having a normal well adjusted life.

Dude you need to watch some Cold Steel cutting test videos right quick. Godspeed my brother.
 
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Like a black hole, there is no escape, once this hobby captures you. The best that you can do is to achieve stability, where you find a knife that adopts you and carry it 100% of the time.

N2s
 
Well if your bored with knives do like I did, I have 5 Tomahawks I've been playing with that all of a sudden showed up at my house. So yeah now My wife's like you got over knives and now it's Tomahawks, :D Oh! Well there's always Axes and Machetes and Swords Yeah Hmm...Swords. :cool:
 
guy g said:
I have all the knives I'll ever need. I am now retired, so funding is limited. No biggy as I have all the knives I need.
But! I shop A lot for knives I know I'm not going to buy. It's fun to see what is out there.
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That pretty well sums it up for me as well. I had planned on retiring at the end of August 2020 and bought what I thought was going to be my last knife a year ago at this time. However, what with the virus and all, I left work last March (high risk and co-morbidities) and owing to the good graces of our government, I was able to buy a couple more knives this year.

However, money will be somewhat tight from now on, so more important things will push out buying anymore knives, especially since I truly don't "need" anymore. But hey, because I'm on a diet, doesn't mean I can't look at the menu, right?
 
There's no perfect knife. Everything has a trade-off. Everything has a compromise.

I had 7 knives, now I have 3.
Warcraft Tanto (forrest and yard stuff)
Esee 3 (smaller garden stuff)
Boker GoBag (EDC)

I'm happy with those 3 and even thinking that's an overkill.

My university is starting, I'll have issues managing university, work and other obligations. I need money for all that and at the end of the day there's no point in me having more knives than I'm using. And I kinda have 0 desire to buy more. I know to appreciate a good knife but I feel no desire to own more knives. I'm like "...well, I probably don't even need all 3 of these..." as I realized I could live without that ESEE but decided to keep it just in case.

And yes, I'm the one who tipped the OP to lose the interest too.
 
I've always liked knives.
You would be hard pressed to find me without one (like all of you I'm sure).

I've had years that I would go without buying; being satisfied with a edc.
Recently having found I like spyderco and a instigators help. I've went kinda on a spree.

Now I have to be satisfied for awhile, wife thinks I'm crazy she's initiated a hold on knife buying. I may need a intervention. Plus I've run out of room for new additions
 
Smiling said:
I love knives I have, but I have zero desire of getting anything ese. I also stopped to care about super steels and that stuff too... I have zero interest ino newest super steels when even existing ones are pretty amazing and are an overkill already, and honestly even plain old carbon is enough for me.

Anyone else been there?
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I escaped the rabbit hole in 1997, with a giant downsize that involved selling off/giving away most of my 'accumulation'. I shipped all my customs like my small Randall collection, a couple of Jay Hendrickson's, and some others, down to A.G. Russell to be sold off on his knife lists. I don't know if Russell's still has that service. I took the money from the sale of the Randall's and the better half and I had a great month long road trip around the country and camped at all the big parks. Bad Lands, Yellowstone, Bryce, Grand Canon, Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde. Made memories to last a lifetime.

My factory stuff was laid out on a table and my kids, grandkids, nephew, nieces, friends and co-workers has their pick. I only kept what was my daily users and that little collection fit in one hand.

When I discovered this place, my accumulation grew and I had to have another downsizing. Got back down to the one hand size knife accumulation again and have managed to keep it there with great effort. I try to limit my habitual visits to the forums that seem to be like an alcoholic walking into a bar. So now visiting this place is like the reformed drunk and AA member going down to the corner pub to visit friends and having a club soda with a twist of lime.

It's got a hell of a lot easier as I've gotten older. I'm not sure why, as now as a retired old fart with lots of time to go fishing and woods walking with my better half of almost 50 years, I use a knife a lot more than when I was working. Working around the house playing Harry Homeowner, going fishing down on the river or over on the lake with my other retired friends, road trips to California to visit daughter and grandkids, some camping, I find a pocket knife or two on me to be invaluable. Lots of stuff to cut like bait, packages, jute twine for the garden plants.

But for 99.9% of what I do, any small pocket knife with a sharp edge will do. A small SAK, an Opinel number 6, my Japanese Higonokami, Douk-Douk, Sardinian Resolza, or the peasants knife from New Zealand. They all cut twine or slice piece of chicken liver for the hook to catch a catfish for dinner. I've long got over getting obsessed over material things. As I got old, I realized the people in my life are the most important things to think about. Stuff is just stuff and doesn't really matter. My love of watches, pens has also gone away. Now the 14.95 Casio on my wrist and any old Bic pen to sign the check will do.

Just drop a decent knife in your pocket and get on with life.
 
Yeah, a knife burnout is not a big deal. It's been a crazy year and nothing particularly exciting is going on in the world of knives right now. Keep cruising the websites. Eventually, you'll see a knife that brings back that old excitement.
 
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