Why do you collect knives?

K

Knifelvr97

Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
41
I love knives and I decided to start a collection. Currently I only have 4 fixed bladed and 5 folders but that's already more than the average person has, aside from his kitchen cutlery. Therefore most people here in Europe would call me a Weapon Freak but I do not consider myself as such. I appreciate knives in many ways and certanly not because the are potential killing tools! So I wonder what your reasons are? simply to discover maybe new points to defend my new passion.
Thanks and have a nice day
 
For what I am concern I think there is 2 reasons why I collect knives.

the first one is what I would call the McGyver “always have a tool on you” effect ;)
Since I am 9 or 10, I have always had a SAK with me.
A one hand opening folder is for me the natural extension/companion of the SAK.
I use my folder 4/5 times a day and my SAK 2/3 times a week.
They are handy tools for me.

my second reason is the interest in the mechanical assembly and precision machining involved in the manufacturing of modern knives.
I am an engineer and I like mechanical precision.
This second point is IMO the main driver in my collection. I like to try new design, locking systems, material and to try to understand/evaluate them.

i have experimented +/-100 different knives from $15 to $900 but I try to limit my collection under 40 pieces.
 
I think there is definitely something to with the history of knives - they have been a very important tool from the beginning of time. A knife, even in its crudest form, has allowed mankind to prepare food, make other tools, construct, tear down etc. There is something very powerful with having such a tool in your hand.
Then there is the historical trip - why was a certain knife made in a period it was, what was the technology at that time (bronze age, iron age, space age...).
It might be that a certain maker builds knives of a design you like, maybe it is a style that you like and you collect across the spectrum of makers of that design (eg Bowie knives). There could be any number of things.
I am building up a number (I won't say I'm a 'collector' just yet) of hard use folders that have certain design elements I like - steel type, locking mechanism, opening mechanism - all of which would do the same job, but differ slightly.
For these folders I have the following - Cold Steel Recon 1 tanto, Cold Steel Code 4 spearpoint, SOG X-Ray Vision, Blackhawk CQD.
For fixed I started out with a Camillus Air Force survival knife, I now have several KaBars, SOG SEAL knives and Cold Steel Recon, Gerber Prodigy, TOPS BOB. Generally 5"-7" hard use field knives. I use some of these regularly, one or two I have yet to use.
 
I like them and buy them because they are useful tools and they're nice. I collect them because I'm always on the lookout to try another one I think I'll like more for one reason or another.
 
I believe collecting is a genetic traits therefore collectors don't know why they just do.

Why knives and not stamps is probs a better question. Could be many reasons.

How many knives before you call it a collection All my knives are completely different so are they a collection of just a bunch of knives?
 
For me there are several factors why I like, use, and collect knives.
1) knives are the oldest tool and I find the history and tradition interesting. I also admire how far evolution has taken them.
2) I like the hunt for better, more useful tools. That will give me perform better in a certain role.
3) My job and ethos require me to always be prepared. Having a knife on me makes me a more useful member of society.
4)I like art. I find more beauty in a piece of mechanical art that I can take with me and use, than one I cannot.
5) I enjoy the skills of sharpening, modifying and knife making that are attached to the hobby. They give me useful skills to work at and improve.
6) They take up less space than cars, art, or guns. I try to be a minimalist where I can. Knives are my outlet.
7) I enjoy interacting and being a member of a niche, near cultlike, society. There are many great people in and around this hobby.
8)I have a addictive personality and knives are only damaging to my pocketbook not my health.
9) This hobby is pretty easy to get out of. If I ever had to sell off my stuff it would not be too difficult to do. Life is short, I like to keep my exit strategy visible.
 
Houlahound said:
I believe collecting is a genetic traits therefore collectors don't know why they just do.

Why knives and not stamps is probs a better question. Could be many reasons.

How many knives before you call it a collection All my knives are completely different so are they a collection of just a bunch of knives?
Click to expand...

I agree. Collectors have a genetic predisposition to collect. They have a need and curiosity to study objects and create order. If not for knives, you would be collecting something else, and most collectors have multiple collecting interests, like stamps and knives.

Knives are generally attractive for their utility, historical, engineering and artistic values. Not only are they one of man’s earliest and most important tools, but they spawned the science of metallurgy, and are still universally used for just about everything that we do. It is a deep and rich subject full of unique objects and uses.

n2s
 
Just something about a beautifully sculpted chunk of steel that can bite you if you're not careful. Same goes for cars, but knives are much cheaper and smaller.


And beanie babies are lame
 
Because they are eye catching to me anyway. Also flint and fire are What elevate us from other species. Without that combination our brains a might never have evolved beyond throwing rocks!

James
 
I honestly don't know why, but I've been buying knives for 48 years.
Started with pocket knives at swap meets and then catalogs. Then there were knives I "needed" because I started hunting at 14 years old.
Today at 61 it's still the same, but I've had the Internet for the last 20 years.....
 
Because I enjoy it and it doesn't hurt anyone, I genuinely don't think it needs to be any deeper than that.

If someone asks why I collect knives because they're expressing interest in my hobby I'll happily talk about the different uses, mechanisms and such that I find fascinating.

If, on the other hand, they're asking because they're being a jerk, I find the two points above are more than enough time to spend on those people. Everyone spends money and/or time on impractical things simply because they enjoy them. Otherwise the entertainment industry would be nonexistent. Given that, I think, "I enjoy it, it harms no one, and is none of your business," is plenty for those folks.
 
There are a lot of good answers in the above posts.

Knives were everyday work tools for me. It was normal to acquire what I needed and learn more about them. My time in retirement has included an education on BF I wish I had 40 years ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top