Head vs Heart; My Thoughts on Collecting and Using. How do YOU "collect"?

I should add that giving up some bad habits allowed me the time and funds to support my knife collecting hobby... I know it is trading one addiction for another, but I think it's a healthier addiction o_O My only advice to any people early in their collecting / accumulating is to be very aware that $30 x 200 knives = $6,000 and it can go by before you know it... so be smart and careful not to get yourself into financial trouble. I'm sure some other folks here would concur ;)
 
At the end of the day, I'm just a user who appreciates a well made tool.

Me too. Admittedly I prefer good-looking "tools," because why should art have a monopoly on beauty?

But my fascination with knives, really blades of all sorts, has always been in the context of them being used as tools. Whether it's Jim Bowie fighting with his namesake blade, Rambo with his knife crafting traps to escape an ego-tripping sheriff, a butcher breaking down a side of beef, or a whittler crafting a whimsy -- one common thread ties them together -- these knives are all being used as tools. That's what appeals to me, a well-made knife and the skill to use it. I've never wanted to be a museum curator managing a collection.
 
I use my knives. Only ever had one safe queen and I eventuelly gave it away to someone, who now uses it, which makes me happy. I get knives that I fancy and I already have too many, should probably try to sell some of them ... It's not like I have a huge hoard, it's probably less than 20, but I don't like having knives lying arround, when I only rotate between 3 or 4.
 
My traditional collection is mostly users, incuding the 'expensive' pieces in the batch (an ESNYX, a TA Davison, an Enigma, and a few other hgh end northwoods). But a few GEC 89s, a CSC stockman prototype, and a particular S&M Doctors Knife are never used because they are too perfect to blemish, regardless of value. I buy a lot of 2nd hand users with intent to tinker with and fix up or modify. I've plenty to keep me busy ;)
 
I should add that giving up some bad habits allowed me the time and funds to support my knife collecting hobby... I know it is trading one addiction for another, but I think it's a healthier addiction o_O My only advice to any people early in their collecting / accumulating is to be very aware that $30 x 200 knives = $6,000 and it can go by before you know it... so be smart and careful not to get yourself into financial trouble. I'm sure some other folks here would concur ;)
Yeah, funds are probably the number one determining factor to how one collects.
 
^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^

Couldn't have written it better myself ;) I just wanted to learn more about why the green bone Parker Frost "Johnny Muskrat" knife I bought had a "1978-3 Schrade" stamp on the pile side tang. Man did I open up a can of worms there when I found a thread on BladeForums narrated mostly by Bernard Levine about Jim Parker and Schrade along with a couple other stories from Codger. It was INTRIGUING to me as I had no idea about the history of knife making here and overseas. I was hooked and especially on Schrade Waldens and then Schrade Cut Co's and then NYK and then Electric Cut Co and then Walden Knife and then the Kastor line including Camillus, Wadsworth, Stainless Cut Co, etc and then ULSTER :D I soon spotted an old display case on The Bay for Schrade "Old Timers" and "Uncle Henry's" that I bought and wanted to fill. But not only did I want to fill it... I wanted to fill it with Schrade Walden versions, which aren't the easiest to find in nice shape. Some of the Old Timers were after Schrade Walden so the 77OT and 194OT in this were regular Schrades but the rest were S-W.

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Before long I had a lot of Schrades... (even more now)

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And then I hit the scout circuit... (even more now)

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And then pukkos, and then pruners and then Utica's... etc etc etc o_O And the rest is history... literally and figuratively. I buy old knives because I love the history and rarely do I buy a knife that is not for historical / curious purposes. I love knives but I love sharing pics and stories on BladeForums a lot more than just having knives. The Porch has been a positive in my life and I look forward to times like now to just sit back and share a little bit :D And it all started with a little research on BF about this knife:

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GREAT collection! I need to get more into the vintage knives. I see them a lot when I go to club meetings but I don't have many.

I should add that giving up some bad habits allowed me the time and funds to support my knife collecting hobby... I know it is trading one addiction for another, but I think it's a healthier addiction o_O My only advice to any people early in their collecting / accumulating is to be very aware that $30 x 200 knives = $6,000 and it can go by before you know it... so be smart and careful not to get yourself into financial trouble. I'm sure some other folks here would concur ;)

Yes. I have gone too hard at certain points. Especially considering where I am in life. I think it's important to be mindful of how quickly it can add up and use a solid budget.
 
I accumulate, collect, and use; have fun doing it; learn a lot in the process!

Monk's Maxims
- Know what you like.
- Accumulate and/or collect and/or use what you like.
- Have fun doing what you do.
- Own the knives. Don't let the knives own you.
- You can't take 'em with you when you go to sit on that Grand Ol' Porch in the Sky.

If it would have been possible to triple-like this post, it would have been worthy. The Maxims are words to live by, thank you for expressing them so eloquently MerryMadMonk MerryMadMonk

I, like many here, am an accumulator. I focused on buying knives I liked. Some I used, some were kept pristine. I was quite content with this arrangement and the accumulation continued to grow. Towards the end of 2018, as the number of knives exceeded 300 (a small accumulation by many collectors), I had to stop and ask myself, “what are we doing here?”. It was simply too many knives for me. It was becoming burdensome to keep the pristine knives pristine and the users used. I had knives everywhere. It was time to cull the herd. My goal for 2019 was to decrease this number by 100. Some have been sold, some given away. Not a single knife was missed, no remorse. I am over half way to my goal and I will probably repeat the process again next year.

My preference has clearly shifted from being a “collector” to a “user”. I will always have some nice pieces best left to display duties but I really love using my knives. Then again, I can really only use so many. I don’t yet know where my “happy spot” may be but I am pretty sure it will land south of the 100 mark. As @MadMerryMonk so aptly stated, you can’t take them with you. About the only thing I am sure of is that a well used knife passed to a future generation has far more real value than a shelf piece that was never used.
 
Thanks, Jamie. Great insight for us all. That "happy spot" can indeed be a moving target... I've tweaked my sight alignment/sight picture more than once along the way.

About the only thing I am sure of is that a well used knife passed to a future generation has far more real value than a shelf piece that was never used.

Yup.

"Dad/Granddad kept these knives in his gun vault." vs "Dad/Granddad used these knives to clean fish and small game and do various tasks around the old homeplace. I remember the time when.............."
 
I largely stopped buying new knives several years ago. I have made a very few exceptions. Last year's Buck forum knife, for example. Only knife I bought last year. I think I also bought one each in 2016 and 2017, or maybe it was 2015 and 2016? Northfield 77 Barlow SFOs.

I accumulated way too many during my 2 year or so buying spree. I really only carry and use a dozen or so and could get by fine with half that. The remainder sit in their boxes or tubes, pending that day I finally get around to selling them and recouping some of the money tied up in them. Not sure what it was that triggered that period of needless over-consumption but it has cured me of ever doing it again.
I'm similar. I have tried to be much more restrictive as to what I buy and the yearly numbers. I take it one year at a time and I don't concern myself about the past. I certainly have a tendency toward getting every Trad Forum knife.... but I have restricted my purchases even with them to essentially patterns that I like rather than "just getting the forum knife".

I don't consider myself a knife collector. I don't want to be a knife collector but I am certainly a knife accumulator. My stages were similar to yours as long as I don't use the word "collector" or "collection". At first I bought and carried knives because I needed a knife and used them frequently as a kid. They were important to me. I generally had ONE knife I used at that time and had little need for any fixed blade. I still have the fixed blade bias in that I just don't use them much outside the kitchen, but I love them.

The second stage of the knife disease happened after I began working (career type jobs) and I bought knives as the urge hit me. I was cheap and didn't spend money frivolously. I liked knives a lot and only purchased knives that I might use or thought I would use. The numbers were small... probably 5-6 knives total in the stable.

The third stage happened after the Rambo First Blood movie. I was drawn to the survival knife concept and at that time a survival knife was a robust fighting knife along the lines of the Randall Model 1 or 14/15 with some urges for the mass produced movie knives. (I resisted those.) I did the Randall type knives as some of my early fixed blades and they didn't get used. I liked the classic look of Randall's and still do.

This is also the time I discovered Victorinox Swiss Army knives (1980's). Thought they were gadget knives for kids and city folks.... I learned to love them over time. Still do! I bought occasional traditional knives at gun shows; generally jack knives (two blade folders).

At this point, I really didn't care how many knives I owned whether I used them or not. I just liked them. I bought the occasional handmade knife, folders, and so forth. But I really only used a couple knives on a regular basis. The Schrade 250T was my work knife since around 1976. It was used hard and I never caught the Buck bug.

Enter Blade Forums in 2005..... A much wider world opened up to me at this point. My buying has been pretty consistent from year to year. Caught the GEC bug in 2008/2009 because of the definite tilt here in the Trad Forum toward them.

Today, I am cutting back like JC57 (even with GEC's). I have acknowledged and accepted my urge to acquire knives but I resist that urge more now. I just like them and always have since I was a kid! I may eventually sell some. That has not been important to me. I still don't collect knives. But I have a fairly sizable accumulation and most are unused.
 
One buying requirement NOW is that I won't buy a knife that I have no intention of using. This helps temper the buying urges for me. A possible exception are selected traditional forum knives, but it has to be a pattern or design that appeals to me and whether I use it or not just depends.... I still have not used the 2018 knife.

I am much more apt to buy a traditional knife or one that is similar to a traditional knife today than in the past. I generally prefer simple designs and function.

OP, I didn't say it, but I enjoyed your dissertation on your hobby and the title is telling and applies to me now very well.... head vs heart. There is always a conflict between the two; rational needs or wants versus emotional wants.
 
In my case, I initially thought I'd like to collect knives, but soon found out that I liked to use and carry them too much and thus I have turned more into an accumulator than a collector. My accumulation has shrunken some in the last 3 years as I have found that I wanted to use my money on some things besides knives. So, I'm (slowly) moving toward a small group of favorite users rather than a "collection" or an "accumulation". I've not been in this forum very much in the last year as I find it dangerous to my wallet. That "What are you totin" thread has been a bad influence on me over the years, but I can't stay out of it; it's a terrible addiction...

EJ
 
I have somewhere around 100 post 1970 Case knives - I have bought many more than that and only keep those with good snap and no wobble, full blades and nice sides - those with lazy snap that I can’t work in or otherwise fix go back on eBay, usually the next day. I’m also an admitted bottom feeder - I spend way too much time hunting deals & almost never pay full retail. I guess I’m very particular - my Case’s are basically an all star team of exceptionally functioning American cutlery. And you might have guessed I use every knife I own ... def not a collector for the sake of collecting.
 
I feel like a complete novice seeing some of these collections

I can fit my whole collection in a single hand

They are all users if i get a knife and don't use it I tend to give it away
 
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