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

[22-rimfire]

.... I can fit my whole collection in a single hand.

Sometimes I wish that was the case with me, but I know my tendencies and keeping an accumulation of knives actually helps to reduce my urges to acquire new ones that I might use. I just don't worry about it much. It's a hobby and most people spend money on hobbies they are interested in. There is usually an ebb and flow to it all.

 

[colin.p]

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

No friggin kidding. I get cold chills when I look at what I've spent over the last couple years. Thank goodness I didn't go into debt (or any farther into debt that I already am) to buy any of them. However, I truly enjoy using what I have.

As far as where I am in the collection journey? I think I'm getting at the stage of narrowing down to a handful of favourites. However I am seeing quite a few that rarely get the call anymore and my buying has slowed considerably.

The big problem is that most of my knives are modern folders. I only have a half dozen traditionals, so I may have to address that problem soon (not to mention Case knives are a heck of a lot cheaper than the modern knives I have been buying).

 

[mrknife]

My philosophy has always been, if I like a knife enough, I'll try to buy at least two, one to rock and one to stock so to say. This way, should I lose one, I will still have a back up. However, certain knives are irreplaceable as they were gifts from fellow porch members. (some still with us, some passed on, RIP @BigBiscuit)

Don't get me wrong, I have always loved knives, every kind, folder, autos, everything. I have a very broad collection but these last few years have been mostly dominated by traditional knives. They were the first knives that I was ever able to buy and there is just something elegant about its simplicity.

 

[CelloDan]

My interest into pocket knives started in and odd sort of way.
Remember the fidget spinner craze about 3 years ago ? My kids had a few cheap plastic ones and that started my adventures into the EDC world. I bought a few "premium" spinners for adults LOL and other EDC tactile contraptions.

I noticed when people posted photos of their EDC stuff they often included a knife, along with beads, watches, a gun etc.
I wanted a knife but could not think of any uses I may have for it. I know !!! I even googled "uses for a pocket knife". Modern life is doing away with the necessity to carry them, at least in my case.

But I wanted a knife and I was only to buy one, so I searched for the perfect knife for me, the perfect combination of price to materials, etc at about & 50 price. I narrowed down to the spyderco tenacious or the Ontario RAT 2. I bought the RAT 2 and was exhilarated when I first started carrying it. And then the chance to use it came up !!! I had bough new wiper blades and I could not open the package, I was thrilled and also very self conscious when I pulled my knife and opened the package at the store parking lot.

Well, and the rest is history . I right away went into traditionals, looking for the history, for meaning, for a story behind the stuff I bought.

In about 2 1/2 years I accumulated 25 knives to date.

I grew up very poor helping support our family and my Dad to barely make a living, first back in our native country and then as immigrants to Canada. So I have internalized a very strong feeling that money is only to be spent for the good of OUR family, not on myself. Now that I have the means to buy some stuff for myself I can not escape the guilt that comes with it.

Anyways, I decided to see how much I had spent on 25 knives ( bucks, opinels, victorinox, cases, a laguiole, etc ) and I got shocked. My meager little collection fits in one shelve and the price came to about $ 1500 canadian WOW.
To that we need to add like $250 in two sharpening systems.

My wife is actually my biggest supporter when I am dealing with conflicted emotions or guilt re spending on myself. She is happy that knives make me happy, she does not think that I spent the money irresponsibly.

Still I feel I need to slow down or at least have a thought out plan because that's the only way for me to continue enjoying knives. So we came up with a little plan. Every two weeks on pay day I get $20 and put them in a box. That's 520 dollars a year. With that you can buy from 2 to 8 nice little traditionals. At an average of 5 a year by the time I retire I would have bought another 75 knifes .... NOT BAD LOL

Anyhoo, will see how it works out. Who knows , my interest in knifes may fizzle or shift to something else but I think the point of it all is to find harmony and balance in everything we do and that is a very personal thing, different for everybody.

Chau

( and on second thought, over the long term, I will have to adjust the above plan down still some more )

 

[Markeologist]

I am a collector by nature and only collect things that excite me. I have to have some passion for the items, otherwise what's the point? That said, I'm really good at staying focused on certain eras, genres, or models, keeps me from going broke! Get to know an item, study it, know the history, and know the market! As far as modern traditional pocket knives, go...GEC 15s hit the mark for me.

 

[urbantrapper]

This forum has put my collecting desires into overdrive. Ive always been into knives but carried on and off over the years, mostly saks. But ive always liked the old style stuff like my dad had, old timer stockman comes to mind. Last year I decided I wanted to see whats going on in that world nowadays. Enter=GEC. I now know what its like to hold a very fine pocketknife. I was able to get the 82 for christmas last year and its been a downhill slide ever since. That said, im currently a stay at home dad for the time being. Im actually a journeyman plumber used to having a fair bit of "spare" money, but right now the budget is locked (planning a move soon as well). So we have this hunger combined with budget restraints and the fact that the more desirable GEC patterns are difficult to come by... well now youve got a man havin withdrawls. I want a TC barlow or a beer scout so frickin bad! Haha anyways I digress, maybe I can swing a stag pemberton for fathers day/birthday if theyre still out there then. But ill be on the forum here checkin in every day or so, seeing whats bubbling in the trad world. Lovin it so far. Great bunch of dudes on this forum!

 

[Markeologist]

This forum has put my collecting desires into overdrive. Ive always been into knives but carried on and off over the years, mostly saks. But ive always liked the old style stuff like my dad had, old timer stockman comes to mind. Last year I decided I wanted to see whats going on in that world nowadays. Enter=GEC. I now know what its like to hold a very fine pocketknife. I was able to get the 82 for christmas last year and its been a downhill slide ever since. That said, im currently a stay at home dad for the time being. Im actually a journeyman plumber used to having a fair bit of "spare" money, but right now the budget is locked (planning a move soon as well). So we have this hunger combined with budget restraints and the fact that the more desirable GEC patterns are difficult to come by... well now youve got a man havin withdrawls. I want a TC barlow or a beer scout so frickin bad! Haha anyways I digress, maybe I can swing a stag pemberton for fathers day/birthday if theyre still out there then. But ill be on the forum here checkin in every day or so, seeing whats bubbling in the trad world. Lovin it so far. Great bunch of dudes on this forum!

Urbantrapper, there are still Huckleberry Boys 15s out there for reasonable prices...even some at retail including Antique Yellow Jigged Bone with the chains. While not a TC or Beer Scout they are awfully dang close, way closer than a Pemberton. Hang in there, raising kids way more important than a pocket knife.

 

[urbantrapper]

Urbantrapper, there are still Huckleberry Boys 15s out there for reasonable prices...even some at retail including Antique Yellow Jigged Bone with the chains. While not a TC or Beer Scout they are awfully dang close, way closer than a Pemberton. Hang in there, raising kids way more important than a pocket knife.

Im playing the long game for now. The huckleberrys are nice but I feel I might find a beer scout sometime in the future and will hold out for it. I like the pemberton a lot and have a hankering for some stag. It will hold me over til things stabilize. Who knows what will come out late 2019 early 2020!

 

[PaulS.]

I'm not a collector and don't want to be, but I really like a well made knife. Not including kitchen knives and knives in the cars, tool boxes, tackle boxes, emergency kits (I'm not a prepper, but am prepared), etc., this is the extent of my collection:


The top one is my only "safe queen." It's Buck 301 single blade build out knife. I didn't realize it wasn't a 302 until after I hit the purchase button. With less than 50 made, I just can't use it.

The Case natural bone teardrop has been my EDC for at least six months. The other teardrop is a gift from Will which I carry sometimes. The Buck 302 was my EDC carry for years, but I mostly retired it because I like the Case better. The peanut gets occasional carry. The Victorinox Manager has been on my key ring for many years because of the tools. So, I don't rotate knives, but do carry all but the 301 at least sometimes.

I'm retired, so I really don't use my knives often. I like having them when I need them though.

Boring family story : When I was young, my father collected model trains and coins to a lesser extent. I began collecting coins, so he turned his collection over to me. I'd say I collected coins for about 40 years, probably at least tripling his collection, but grew tired of it eventually. I passed my collection to my daughter, but she wasn't really interested. I'm sure she still has them, but never built on my collection. Before my father passed away, he gave away his model train collection, because neither my brother nor I ever became interested in them. Now I know how he felt. Anyway, that's a big reason I don't collect anything now. Unless one of my grand kids starts collecting knives, I'm afraid my collection would just be given away or sold before or after I'm gone.

There are 3 knives I'm eying now: a Hess fixed blade, a single blade lambsfoot, and a certain Case mini trapper. They are priced between $70 and $95 USD. I may buy ONE, but am struggling to justify the purchase of any.