Use it..Or Not?

bucksway

bucksway

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
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It's a old question in knife collecting..Should I use that new Buck or carefully save every bit of paperwork, box and shieth even to the shipping box and receipt and save it for the next owner? When I first started collecting 112's (2007) the plan was to only buy 'factory' knives complete with correct shieth and box and of course with excellent horn,wood or other handle material's but that plan lasted only a month or so! So many odd nice knives came with a shieth if I was lucky. I held out for 'new" just a week or so after that. Now that I have a fairly large collection (close to a hundred) I find myself wanting to use many that I have acquired instead of leaving them in the famous mushroom closet. Since so many were bought used and are still worthy of display ,for instance a statin blade Lacy, I can't see NOT at least carry and use carefully a few that most folks would not because they are too pretty..like the new BOTM 112 in S35VN. The one from last year in S30V I took right out of the pine LE box and cut stuff with! And enjoyed it too. So with the exception of a few prototypes and a some that are clearly historic like the recent Mastodon Ivory CS 112 ..Why Not?
 
view


This 1of only 13 212, is ruined by some standards. To me it’s beautiful.
 
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This line of thinking came up for me a few weeks ago with the D2 Custom by Pete and with the new BOTM. I had put away the D2 Custom because it was Pete did such a nice job but he made it for me to carry. The drop point S35VN is special too..but the new Colobolo handles feel fantastic in hand. My thoughts were both (and others) will still display very nicely with carful use ..
 
There are some knives I will die owning. So what is the point of "saving" them?
There are a few I my eventually sell, I don't use those so much.
 
I completely understand your hesitation. I’ve mostly stuck with using them as most of my acquired knives are production models. I have only a few that are special built, custom or sfo. The last few are a bit more rare and they are definitely nicer prettier ones that you can’t just get another one like it such as this 112 botm, a Akouna with s30v, a orange g10 handled 110 auto, my 112 custom and a 1989 110 Damascus Stag,,,unless you were fortunate enough to find one in a estate sale or something like that.

I will probably do like you plan and use them very carefully and try to keep them as near like new as possible. That’s what they were made for! I never could understand why a person would buy a knife that has premium steel blades, solidly built with extra durable handle materials made for extreme duty and then only display them. My thinking would be get the mirror polished 420hc blade with nice looking exotic materials for display. Then I’ve seen a few guys buy a highly finished knife with those exotic materials and high polish with a cutout blade with gold etching and use them to cut up dirty rope, open a can of soup, scrape gaskets, dig a hole for a fire pit and totally destroy the finish and bend the blade. Lol go figure!
 
if anyone is storing knives
best reconsider the aim of it.
if one's plan is to dispose of it all
at the 11th hour,
beware that the grim reaper has probably
set the alarm clock with your name on it
a little different from
what one would have imagined it to be....
don't hold on or put off things for too long.
do plan well ahead from the moment anything is bought.
if its going to friends and kind
make sure everything is well prepared
in documentation and the likes.
the fun as many have come to discover is that its not mearly about acumalating, but in
experiencing the joy of having used a fine tool.
don't rob yourself on the pretext of saving
it for others who may or may not share your ideals concerning your "collection" or hobby.
 
eveled said:
View attachment 1272804 This 1of only 13 212, is ruined by some standards. To me it’s beautiful.
Click to expand...
It is beautiful to me, too. More so than a pristine never touched example. Yours has been used, cared for, and loved. Not abandoned and left to rot in some dark closet, or in some bank's safe deposit box.

Since knives, guns. automobiles, snowmobiles, boats, antique glass and ceramics, etc., etc. are a mighty poor investment to "get rich off" or to retire on, why not use them? (OK ... I suppose that depending on the boat, you could move on/to it, and use it as your primary home, before or after retirement. But still no reason not to take it out on a run every so oft, (presuming it is seaworthy and not hauled out of the water or in dry dock for repairs) and enjoy it before then.)
 
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some i just like and dont want to carry or cut with. I like them to look at. I have firearms like that too. to me that's their use, it ain't wasted. I didnt used to be that way but I changed as I got older.

when I die and someone else gets it, I hope they enjoy using it or looking at it whatever....dont matter when I'm dead. these cutting tools go on far past us.
 
Everybody wants something beautiful, it's a good thing. Sometimes I fully realize how much I like the knife during use. If it is one that is easily available I'll get two. If it's top steel and limited, I'll also get two, budget providing. I try to use all my knives at one time or another but never abuse them. As JB said, they go on past us.
 
I have to admit to saving some things I really loved (Knives and guns) and ended up selling or trading them off without ever enjoying them like I would have had I used them. Now some knives are works of art and become more than just a knife. I don't have any of those but if I did, I probably would not scrape the rust off my truck with them.
 
GIRLYmann said:
beware that the grim reaper has probably
set the alarm clock with your name on it
a little different from what one would have imagined it to be....
Click to expand...
Amen to that! I never expected to see 54! I'm 10, almost 11, over that now ... :eek:
I'm pretty sure that at age 41, Koby Bryant and his 13 year old daughter, did not expect to leave yesterday. :(
Unquestionably both had planned on/expected several more years. As everyone else who were killed in that helicopter crash likely did. :(
 
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I have inherited (and used) several guns the original purchaser kept unused. I look at things I buy as users (if I want to use it) - I might as well enjoy using that new Buck Knife because eventually one of my children or nephews will be using it! OH
 
When I started buying knives, it boiled over into an obsession pretty quickly. Now, I can call my obsessive behavior "collecting", and try to logically explain why I have drawers and bins filled with unused knives just sitting in their boxes. When you look at the knife exchange, it's not like many of these beauties are gaining any value by sitting there. In fact, most will sell at a loss even if you don't don't cut anything with it. So, I have decided to go with a use it or lose it approach. I have 10-15 knives that I rotate in my pocket and if it's in the pocket, it's getting used. I am going to start selling off the ones I don't use and try to lighten up the collection to only include things I actually use and love.

My guess is that if you're on this forum, you probably know what comes after you sell off a bunch of knives, though... you just buy a bunch more knives!
 
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