Stupidest Knife collection

[fracmeister]

OK, "stupid" isn't the word I want. I know every knife collector is different. I suppose there is a whole universe of people who collect Case knives and I respect them even if I don't understand them or want to join their orbit. Likewise I know people who collect Mastersmith test knives. I am simply jealous of them. But there has to be some knife collections you just can not fathom. Now I know that somebody (maybe a LOT of people) collect that junk they sell on late night TV. I just feel sorry for them. But the knife collectors that make no sense whatsoever to me are the ones who collect "Franklin Mint" knives. I have never even seen a good looking Franlin Mint knife, whether it is a lockback folder with one of thirty wildlife scenes or one of a dozen "Civil War" or (presumably soon to come) "Iraqi Freedom" set (with the Saddam Hussein knife having a dull, rusty blade).

Surely, someone knows an even less comprehensible knife collection.

 

[Megalobyte]

Well, while I get your point, I can think of a whole bunch of non-knife things people collect that make very little sense to me, and I'd have to say, since I'm a knife lover, collecting any knives, even FM knives, has to be better than Beanie Babies, or any number of the truly absurd things people spend serious money on, I recall seeing, on Ebay, a collection of glass eyeballs! Presumably used of course... So, I'll take the ridiculous FM knives any day over someone's eyeball.

I agree though with the spirit of your statement, that in the world of knives, the FM knives are pretty bad, but still, maybe not as bad as those custom Frost Cutlery bowies, that come in sets of 100.

 

[ErikD]

I can't understand why anybody would collect Franklin Mint knives. My brother bought me one as a gift a few years ago. It weighs a ton, and is so dull you wouldn't be able to cut warm butter with it, and it has no lock at all. The design is butt ugly too. As far as I am concerned it is useless as a knife, and ugly so I can't say it is a nice display piece or anything like that. Basically I can't see why anyone would want to collect these things, especially at the prices they charge.

Honestly I really don't get why people would want to collect all those cheap knives seen in many knife catalogs such as Atlanta Cutlery, Edge Co., etc. But at least some of those are decent looking pieces, such as the UC Rambo knives. They are crap knives, but at least they are pretty faithful looking repros of the movie knives.

What I really don't get at all is why anyone would collect those cheap plastic knives, you know the ones that can be bought in bags of 100.

 

[Durwood]

I don't understand collectors who have no interest in custom knives at any price range. I can understand continuing to collect "antique" factory knives throughout your collecting career, but to never develop even a slight appreciation for custom knives, I don't understand...but I see it a lot.

 

[Planterz]

I can see a reason for collecting "crap" knives/swords from movies. Even though they're junk, it'd still be pretty cool to have a row of cutlery from movies like Highlander, Braveheart, Rambo, Lord of the Rings, and maybe a lightsaber or two.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Yep, why people collect Franklin Mint knives and United Cutlery fantasy knives is beyond me, but hey, the fact that I collect knives at all is probably something that would boggle many people's minds.

 

[fivelitermustang]

I laugh at the people that collect the clones on Ebay in huge bulk lots of like 5+ knives at a time...

The only clone I bought on Ebay was a Dalton Cupid for ~$10US cause I honestly have no use for a REAL OTF. Makes for a mighty fine letter opener though... LOL!

 

[Gollnick]

Years ago, I happened to be on a road trip with a friend that took us throught Nebraska. As one point, my friend exclaimed that we had to stop at this one place, Surplus Sales of Nebraska. So, we did. It's a campus of five or eight, I don't remember, huge warehouses. They buy all sorts of stuff and resell it. One of their favorites is production over-runs where a company literally made to many of something.

As we wandered through, we came upon these huge bins of pocket knives... Franklin Mint knives each with a different fire engine on it. They were over-runs and they were for sale for like $1 each. They were horrible, cheap knives.

Years later, my neighbor wanted to show me his knife collection... Franklin Mint, each with a different fire engine on it. HeLd paid something like $49 each for them.

I didn't tell him about Surplus Sales of Nebraska.

 

[Steven Roos]

Some people like to collect Smith and Wesson! :barf:

Anyway, I'd much rather be accused of being f*cking nuts than damn stupid. Mastersmith Daggers here I come!

 

[Grapevine]

I used to collect butter knives.

Well, not really. I spent a short time collecting place settings—fork, spoon, knife. Instead of buying a group of 4 or 6 settings, I bought each setting individually. I was fascinated by their different sculptural designs.

 

[A T Barr]

I know every knife collector is different.

That's what keeps most of us in business.

Sure, I wish that everyone collected customs, but the bottom line is, they are a knife collector.

Hopefully in the future they will move away from the dark side.

A.T.

 

[Kohai999]

"I used to collect butter knives.

Well, not really. I spent a short time collecting place settings—fork, spoon, knife. Instead of buying a group of 4 or 6 settings, I bought each setting individually. I was fascinated by their different sculptural designs."

That takes balls to admit in public.

I think that collecting miniatures is stupid, if not the stupidest, and always have. Think the makers are wasting their time, when they could be making a real knife, and it is usually the white haired old ladies that collect them, the whole thing makes me want to :barf:

I blame it primarily on Earl Witsaman for putting together the Miniature Knifemaker's Society, and that fat, ugly bastard Ken Warner for publicizing them in the Knives Annuals.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Stephen F]

Well, I have the knives I keep pulling out of my back every day at work ... does that count?

On a serious note, whilst to the knife literate some collections may seem a little strange, my view is that any form of knife collecting is good, as long as the motives are not sinister. If the spark is there then there is an opportunity to indoctrinate another member into the joys of collecting fine custom and production knives, the types of knives discussed above (FM, Movie, TV Sell) are often collected because people are unaware of alternatives, and these others land on their lap interms of advertising.

Now wheres my FM John Wayne Lim......., crap did I say that out loud!


Stephen

 

[RogerP]

....collecting any knives, even FM knives, has to be better than Beanie Babies,...

Well, I've got to disagree with you there. Give me the beanie-babies any day. At least my daughter could play with those. The FM knives.... ugh. Yeah, I know it takes all kinds, and whatever makes people happy, and so on. But those things really make me want to :barf: .

Roger

 

[RWS]

Any hobby is just a temporary distraction from the harsh realities of life.
I think any collecting of any types of knives, including cheap knives, is ok.
Personally, I don't understand the tactical thing. That's one ugly bunch of knives, IMO.

My wife tells me that collecting knives is one of the stupidest things a man can do and a waste of hard earned money.

I told her, "yep, it's right up there along with being married".

 

[Pete Peterson]

"I used to collect butter knives.



I think that collecting miniatures is stupid, if not the stupidest, and always have. Think the makers are wasting their time, when they could be making a real knife, and it is usually the white haired old ladies that collect them, the whole thing makes me want to :barf:



Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

What!! Didn't you know that is how they make split pea soup!!!!! Got to have those little things or no soup!!!!

I make the little things for fun, Its a challenge to see how small I can get them and still have them work. 7/8 inch long slip joint folder is the best I have ever been able to do.

Any knife I make is for the sheer fun of making the darn thing. Talk about a mental hangup, I guess I got one!!!!

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I bought 13 of the Franklin Mint Gas Pump Knives, I want to make a clock out of the knives, is that stupid?

 

[Shann]

Most of the people I know think that collecting knives is stupid in and of itself. My office manager was picking on me about it. He said you spend too much money on knives. I said maybe, but you just spent over 3,000.00 on a new tv set, and I haven't spent that on all my knives put together.

 

[Megalobyte]

Well, I've got to disagree with you there. Give me the beanie-babies any day. At least my daughter could play with those. :barf: .

Roger

Actually Rog, your daughter can play with the FM knives too, the edges are probably similar in hardness to Beanie Babies... Rc .2?

My point was, any knife is a good knife, when you consider the things some people collect and often spend serious $$$ on, like used glass eyeballs. And don't get me started on people spending $500 on a limited edition Beanie Baby that cost Ty Corp. a few pennies to make, and that has literally zero intrinsic value. At least with a FM knife, you're getting some sort of metal and if you're lucky, a relatively worthless inlayed buffalo head nickel in a faux turquoise bezel.

I think Stephen had it right, people who collect FM knives probably aren't aware of the alternatives, and, FM stays in business because they cultivate the collector's mindset for those unable or unwilling to be a real collector, limited editions, monthly new items, newsletters, it's a premade collection that takes little time or effort, most people aren't like us, and are ripe to get sucked into something like FM knives, and really only because they are either lazy, or aren't aware of what they could have for the same money.

Now, RWS, we need to talk, , sure, there are some tacticals that aren't all that nice looking, but some of them definitely are pretty nice, and some exhibit a smoothness and precision you generally won't find on the fancier, non-tactical customs. For example, one of the most precise, smoothest, finest folding knives made, and, it also looks pretty nice to me.

 

[SharpByCoop]

Some years ago, I paid $34 for this on eBay...

It is some of the best money I have ever spent. I learned to NOT accept crap and stop impulse buying. It's a valuable lesson and a knife that I will cherish. What a dope I was. :barf: :footinmou :grumpy:

That blade opens with sand in the mechanism, and the edge is round.

Coop