Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on April 9, 2014 at 6:29

Review on my Canal Street Trapper:OK - I carried it all day yesterday and plan to carry it today also. When I got it, I thought it would be to heavy for the pocket. But it wasn't, it felt good in my pocket and has a very good feel to the hand, it just fits nicely. I had thought I had put a ding on the bolster already, but when I got it in the light, I saw that was the #19 stamped on the bolster. I only used it once, to cut open a box. I am sure I will use it more as I carry it more. It is so nice to look at, I hesitate to carry it, but whats the use of having it if I can't use it.. I give it so far, an excellent review. My only issue would be that it has a soft snap to the blades, I like a good hard snap. I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Evans on January 3, 2015 at 1:55

Jan, That is the best excuse to collect knives that I have ever heard. Brilliant!

Jan Carter said:

Now this is an answer!

I only really need one knife. I just haven't found it yet.

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Permalink Reply by Jerryd6818 on January 14, 2015 at 18:40

I only need one so that's all I carry and it's rare that I change my carry knife. The rest in my pile are not to use nor are they an investment. They're just to look at, occasionally fondle and to satisfy my inner compulsion to "have stuff..

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on January 14, 2015 at 20:25

I know that feeling!

Jerryd6818 said:

I only need one so that's all I carry and it's rare that I change my carry knife. The rest in my pile are not to use nor are they an investment. They're just to look at, occasionally fondle and to satisfy my inner compulsion to "have stuff..

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on January 14, 2015 at 20:27

My latest looker, a repro German Hunting Dagger!

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Permalink Reply by Alexander Noot on January 15, 2015 at 2:29

Never realised I didn't even respond to this (by now) year old topic.

Let's do so right away:

l. Am I happy to have some knives I use and some I just look at (collect)?

I'm slowly coming to grips with this. I started out claming to be a "user". However last year I started carrying one of my own knives and nothing seems to be able to kick it out of my pocket. So while I used to be a user and carried everything I collected (even down to the fancy/expensive blades) nowaday they're just kind of sitting there while my personal handmade knife does all the work.

2. They say life is to short to carry a bad/cheap knife?

It really is. Although I'd strike the word bad in that question. No one should carry a bad knife because it's simply dangerous.

A cheap knife is a different question. Let's just say that everyone should carry something they can be PROUD of. Regardless of price.

3. So, I have some knives worth $100 or more - could I carry them and enjoy them, use them, without hurting there value.

I've done this. But currently I don't anymore. Not because I"m worried abotu hurting their value, but more because I just fine that I enjoy my pocket fixed blade more.

4. What about old knives? ie. Cattaraugus, Robesons, etc. Would I hurt their value by carrying them?

You might. However unless you completely wreck the knife the actual value that it'll go down in is usually not very much. So in general I don't think about it.

5. How about a numbered collection - like Remington year knives? What if I want to carry some of those, do I hurt the value of the set?

See previous answer. I'm only collecting one set....but I've carried them plenty of times because...well they're excellent knives and I'd hate not even trying them out.

6. Should I worry about value at all? or should I just enjoy the knife whatever the value, by carrying it as often as I like?

In general I don't worry about it too much.

7. What about knives I want to pass down to kids or grandkids? Would they rather have a knife that has not been used, and has a better value? or would they rather have a knife that Grandpa actually carried and used?

My kids can pick their own knives when they're old enough. I'd rather have them own something THEY like than what I picked out for them

Things have kind of gotten to a weird phase in my knife collecting. Somehow my "I'm a user" reasoning went out the window somewhere along the line. Let me explain. After a knifeshow in April last year I was left with a larger amount of leftover knives than what I'd hoped.

So I figured, I'll just pick a nice one for myself. After all a knifemaker should have at least ONE of his own knives for use right?

So I picked one and I've been carrying it ever since. And......I like it too much. I can't seem to carry anything else that works as well or makes me as happy. My collection has been reduced to fondling it and looking at....and whilst it's fine that that's the case....I kind of angers me since I bought them for the joy of using.

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Permalink Reply by Billy Oneale on January 15, 2015 at 21:42

I have both, well mainly just too many to use. i used to take them out and take pictures or just look at them, but I don't have time anymore. I like to be able to go and just pick one out for a grandkid, nephew or niece, son or daughter to give as presents. I never really think a lot about whether use will devalue them if used. I will go pick a different one out to carry and use once in a while, but I have the same problem as Alexander. And that is, If it serves me well and I am happy with the performance of the knife, it is hard to use a different one. I do however have some for mainly collection purposes, such as the Remington bullet line, although, I do think about using some of them once in a while.

I also have some less expensive knives that I collect in handle materials or series just to have a whole set to look at. I usually try a different knife from the manufacturer just to see how well they work. Truth is you usually get what you pay for. You just have to make yourself happy with what you buy and use. I have some cheap knives that I wouldn't use for fear of failure, but I like the way they look and that was why I bought them.

I have a little RR lockback that I have been carrying for about 3 months now. I pulled it out of my pocket the other day and noticed the shield was gone. I was that had not happened, but it doesn't effect the performance as a user. the lock holds good and the blade touches up real well.

I have a victorinox climber II that I have been carrying for about 18 months and I have used every function on it at least once. I also have a Spyderco Tenacious that I have been carrying for 6 months and find it extremely hard to want to carry something different. But, one of these days , I will decide to break something new out just because I have it and an curious about how well it serves me.

I guess for me, collect what makes you happy and use what you want. I don't worry about what others think . when my grandkids are old enough, I will probably throw a bunch in a box and just let them pick what they like. After all, I can't take them with me when I die, but I can sure enjoy them and pass the joy of knives around while I breath.

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Permalink Reply by Ms Data on January 18, 2015 at 11:56

I am probably the oddball here because I primarily collect Buck fixed blade knives, not folders.  There are always exceptions though, but what I collect are mainly beautiful knives to fondle and look at and not carry.

As for what I carry, for many, many years I carried Kershaw flippers, such as the Leek.  Great knives, and I bought a few before the prices got ridiculous so they were inexpensive but not cheap.  The last Kershaw I carried was a Kuro, a $20 Chinese made Kershaw and it was a great carry knife that I really never had to worry about losing or damaging because it didn't cost a lot.

Then, the rest is TC's fault, because he sold me a Benchmade Triage.  I love the Triage because I am a first responder in my motorcycle group.  It is a fantastic first responder knife, none better.  That's probably the first time I ever started carrying a knife worth more than $100.  But dang those Benchmade Axis lock knives and dang TC!  I now have a Griptilian H2O on the way, like most Griptilians but made to be more water resistant, especially around salt water.

But the thing about putting some away and never using them - you just never know.  I had a Buck Paradigm Pro, first production year, that I put away and never carried.  You never know when the collectors value on some of these things will skyrocket.  I just traded it for a beautiful Buck 120 General with a stag handle.  So it is trades like that, when both parties are happy, that make what we do worth while, and why some are safe queens and some are users.

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Permalink Reply by Sue OldsWidow on January 18, 2015 at 12:13

If you collect for investment....of course you want mint in box or the best specimen you can find

but  there is always a knife that you will carry, enjoy and show to others it makes it special to you...and of course who may 

get it when you are gone....make sure you leave a story with it so history will continue.

My personal favorite to carry and talk about is the Ole Case Doctors knife circa 1902 W.R.Case & SON..it is well used and I would love to know it's full history like who owned it , was it used by a doctor or farmer , hunter etc, that sort of thing...so imagination is the best there is left......All i can imagine is that it had a good useful life for over a hundred years...

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Permalink Reply by Bob Robinson on January 18, 2015 at 20:33

Valid points to all. I have some I use that are somewhat nice, but usually if I buy one myself I do so with the thought of using. I do buy some for the sole purpose of giving to my grandsons and granddaughter, but I also use enough knives to be able to give to grandsons that they know that grandpa used them and leave a story for the knife. I also buy a spare usually to give my son or son-in-law if the funds are available.

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FeaturedPermalink Reply by dead_left_knife_guy on January 19, 2015 at 13:51

It's funny that this is always such a lively topic among knife collectors, but I suppose that's what happens when you're a tool collector.  There are those who almost solely buy only for collecting purposes, those that would never buy a knife they wouldn't use, & then there's the rest of us, the collectors/users in between those two poles.  And I suspect most of us do at least a mixture of both, even if it's only 5-10% of one & 90-95% the other.

The same debate happens among art collectors -- do you put the piece out on display so it can be viewed & enjoyed, but also exposed to light & heat & dust, or do you preserve it for future generations?  That's why most museums rotate their collections -- so that they can get the pieces into more controlled environments & away from sun & other forms of light.

I edit the North Star Blade Collectors newsletter.  We just had a meeting this past Saturday, & the topic was a recurring one:  How do we get more members to replace those that are leaving in one form or another?  One of the guys brought something up that really had some teeth to it:  older potential members tend to be collectors, while younger potential members tend to be enthusiasts.  I'm in the latter category on both -- I love to acquire, but I also love the prospect of using my knives, I buy almost all of them with at least one use in mind.  How better to put "form follows function" to the test?  Oh, & I'm in my 40's, easily one of the youngest members of the group.

Now, we could get into the hows & whys -- good knives are often out of the price range of younger individuals (& they know it, because they're online & they can see how that cheap big-box knife compares to pretty much anything else, unlike when I was growing up & the best source for good knives around here was a decent hardware store), for example.  Or that younger people with some income are mostly spending it on things like child care, student loans, adjustable rate mortgages & car payments that are astronomical, while wages have not kept up with inflation for at least 40 years.  Economically, things are quite different for 30- & 40-somethings today than they were in the 60's, 70's, & 80's.  And as was pointed out earlier in this thread, knives are not a good investment, even as far as collectibles are concerned.

But coming back to the point, it would seem that things are definitely going more towards the "user" route, as the younger knife collectors will usually come to it as enthusiasts & have a harder time justifying the expenditures on knives any other way.  

This, of course, will also impact the knives being collected, as will simple but long-term advances in technology.  My dad used a Sharp 300 every day for many years at his work.  This knife was a lockback -- I've grown up around lockbacks.  The Buck 110 is older than I am, & it influenced a lot of knives in production as was evident at the hardware stores I went to growing up.  I have a couple slip joints, & I've seen some exquisitely beautiful ones, but I have a strong tendency to avoid anything without a lock, it's just deeply ingrained (& there are a lot of choices -- & yes, locks fail, my Buck Vantage Pro failed on me just this weekend).  

Which is all to say that the knife my father carried was vastly different from the knife my grandfather carried (if he carried one at all, I don't know -- he was an inner-city postal worker, so I'm 3rd generation urban).  Nostalgia is a highly personal thing, and as knife collectors I think most of us covet a bit of that nostalgia in the knives we acquire.  And a knife that's been used gathers more nostalgia than one that sits tucked away where no one can see it.  So if you're like me & you tend toward using your knives, it's not only okay but you might also actually be adding value to that knife, at least for those people you love the most, the ones that are likely to inherit your collection.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on January 19, 2015 at 19:12

Bob,
you sound just like Donnie. There are plenty of EDC's to go around and another just like it in the safe

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