prom52
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2014
- Messages
- 2,258
The wall is out there, for each it will be different depending on whether you are a user or collector, or maybe a mix of both. For me the wall came at 135 FB's. 
When I realized that I typically had no more than 12 in my rotation of users, plus with a little cheerleading by my wife, I decided to begin the journey to a more reasonable number of favorites. Truth be known I also had some spiritual guidance from my dear friend Phil, @Comprehensivist who gently encouraged me to declutter my collection and follow the light.
Andy's work has continued to evolve ever since I purchased my first Fiddleback, which was a simple Kephart in CPM-154 steel and Natural Canvas handles. I've had the privilege of watching Andy work in his several of his shops over the years and in developing personal relationships with him and his crew for which I am grateful. This is what makes it hard to let go of any Fiddleback I have ever purchased. When you get to know the people and the spirit that flows into every one of these knives, they take on more significance.
I must confess that I have been sorely tempted by some of Andy's more recent work, but at least for now I have been able to resist the temptation at the risk of taking two steps forward and one step back. My goal is to pair my collection down to the knives I'll keep in my rotation plus an 30 additional knives that hold a special significance for a variety of reasons. These are the knives that will become part of my final gift to family & friends when that time comes.
For those that are still in their active acquisition phase I encourage you to follow your heart and buy as many Fiddlebacks as you can afford. Building a personal collection can be very satisfying and definitely is a rewarding hobby. For those of you who are ardent users & avoid dupes, I encourage you to use the heck out of them and find joy in having one of the best made tools that money can buy. For those who have reached the wall, look for that glimmer of light and follow it to whatever place you feel is right for you.
Cheers to Andy, Phillip & Crew, and to all the supporters past & present who have helped Fiddleback Forge remain a sustainable business !
Peter
When I realized that I typically had no more than 12 in my rotation of users, plus with a little cheerleading by my wife, I decided to begin the journey to a more reasonable number of favorites. Truth be known I also had some spiritual guidance from my dear friend Phil, @Comprehensivist who gently encouraged me to declutter my collection and follow the light. Andy's work has continued to evolve ever since I purchased my first Fiddleback, which was a simple Kephart in CPM-154 steel and Natural Canvas handles. I've had the privilege of watching Andy work in his several of his shops over the years and in developing personal relationships with him and his crew for which I am grateful. This is what makes it hard to let go of any Fiddleback I have ever purchased. When you get to know the people and the spirit that flows into every one of these knives, they take on more significance.
I must confess that I have been sorely tempted by some of Andy's more recent work, but at least for now I have been able to resist the temptation at the risk of taking two steps forward and one step back. My goal is to pair my collection down to the knives I'll keep in my rotation plus an 30 additional knives that hold a special significance for a variety of reasons. These are the knives that will become part of my final gift to family & friends when that time comes.
For those that are still in their active acquisition phase I encourage you to follow your heart and buy as many Fiddlebacks as you can afford. Building a personal collection can be very satisfying and definitely is a rewarding hobby. For those of you who are ardent users & avoid dupes, I encourage you to use the heck out of them and find joy in having one of the best made tools that money can buy. For those who have reached the wall, look for that glimmer of light and follow it to whatever place you feel is right for you.
Cheers to Andy, Phillip & Crew, and to all the supporters past & present who have helped Fiddleback Forge remain a sustainable business !
Peter
