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WHY WE COLLECT – THE VISE VS. THE VICE

As I write this blog I am thinking about my brother and sister collectors on the iKnifeCollector forum as well as the passion of collecting in general. These deep thoughts are prompted by roughly six to nine months of trying to find a really decent American made woodworker's vise that I could afford and realizing they are extremely difficult to find because there are people out there who have a garage or barn full of American made vise's that they do not use – they collect them. I thought it strange that so many people would have so many vintage vise's but then I have to concede that many people may find it strange that I have so many knives or, also in my case, vintage Hewlett-Packard calculators.

So why do we collect the things that we collect?

My research has led me to understand that we do not necessarily collect for the monetary value of the objects of our desire, more-so it is for the emotional value. We collect things that bring back fond memories from our childhood. We collect things that attach us to a specific period in time that we feel connected to, such as the Civil War. We collect to preserve the past for the future.

Another aspect of collecting is when we collect to fill a part of our own self that we feel is empty and we are attempting to fill the emptiness. We feel the thrill of the search until we acquire the object that we desire and we temporarily feel elation and excitement. When that wears off we feel empty again and we need to begin the search again. I am only stating this as a fact, I am not judging as to whether or not this cycle is healthy or unhealthy. It just is what it is. (Also because I know we all do this and I am not going to call myself or my fellow knife collectors unhealthy.)

When collecting becomes harmful it is called hoarding. Hoarders are not collectors, they are demonstrating pathological behavior that often interferes with normal daily life and becomes unmanageable and unhealthy. The hoarder's possessions often have no value and are thrown into disorganized and dangerous piles. A collector, on the other hand, lovingly catalogs and displays his/her items, tends to them, keeps them clean and in good working condition, and when asked for a specific item can tell you exactly where it is and everything about its' history.

I began to think about my collections and my motives and I believe with my knife collecting I fall into the category of “preserving the past for the future”. Nearly all of my purchases of “vintage” knives are made while thinking of my grandson and what this collection will mean to him one day. With my Hewlett-Packard calculator collection I believe I am reliving a part of my past that has special meaning for me; i.e. it is an emotionally valuable collection.

One could really dig deeply into this subject and find that Freud would have claimed it was because of poor potty training or some unresolved sexual conflict while Jung would have postulated that it related to our cave-man consciousness fulfilling the need to collect and save nuts and berries for our survival. Fabulous, we'll leave those theories to the psychologists.

So I ask all of my fellow iKnifeCollectors . . . why do you think you collect and what do you collect other than knives? No one is going to laugh at you, I promise. I just admitted to complete nerdism by admitting I collect calculators. If I can do that, you can tell us what other things you collect as well.

And by the way, I think I have finally found my vise (not my vice) on Craigslist. It is an old American made Columbian vise that is a bit rusty and needs some TLC but it is in good working condition and will do what I ask it to do. So for American made vintage vises – I now have a collection of one.

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In Memoriam Comment by Terry Ray on April 4, 2014 at 17:17: Cindy thats a intresting view... but i think you are dead on. I collect vintage Lawn and Garden Tractors, Its about a time , that is past that is never going to repeat itself again... its about history and quality, This tractor was built to last, work,perform, and you just cant let it die... This is the International Harvestor that became the Cub Cadet

very rare in this configuration, it shortly became yellow and white and was called cub cadet in 1960

Comment by Tobias Gibson on April 2, 2014 at 18:00: Good points. I think I collect for a combination of the points you brought up. Some of it is the dreamer in me and some of it is pure escapism...I think that is the filling of voids. Part of it is history, part of it the search for knowledge, and good chunk of it is sharing my thoughts with like minded folks.

And it's cheaper, safer and less deadly than having an affair! LOL

Comment by Paul Evans on March 30, 2014 at 21:42: I enjoy collecting because money is so damn hard to hold on to. I collect KNIVES, Coin Banks, Salt and Pepper Shakers, Puzzle Boxes and only God knows what else. My collections were pretty weak before E bay. Now I can really get a value on what I have by browsing through other peoples auctions and comparing them to mine. PS I also love MOPARS and Fresh Water Tropical Fish.

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on March 30, 2014 at 19:15: Michael, I have never heard things put that way but I think you are correct about collectors.

Comment by Ken Vigil on March 30, 2014 at 11:00: It is really a lot of different things for me. I love the beauty, the function and the history of the company. It is also the thrill of the hunt, to find something rare or odd? It makes life much more colorful and fun, I don't know what else to say? Thank GOD for knives

In Memoriam Comment by John McCain on March 30, 2014 at 10:33: I like to think of my love of collecting in part as being a " search and rescue" mission-Searching for that vintage gem be it at a yard sale,flea market, pawn shop,estate sale,online, etc is just food clean fun IMHO.Actually rescuing a vintage knife from a fate of rusting away in disuse gives me the sense of preserving a small piece of history-It will be treasured and cared for and shared with my fellow collectors-Researching that "find" is also both pleasurable and informative-Over the years, I have had many vintage knives given to me by others who appreciated my passion and did not want to see their treasure unseen or forgotten.Someday they will be passed on to another generation- I just discovered my nephew who lives in another state is also a collector !! I guess it runs in the family -LOL

Comment by Ms Data on March 30, 2014 at 9:37: I love your thoughts on this Michael D. I couldn't agree more.

Comment by Michael D. on March 30, 2014 at 7:54: Personally I find most people who collect are usually more interesting, more inquisitive, better conversationalists, and a good source of info in general. They usually are willing to hear opposing views, are good debaters, often have phenomenal memories, enjoy history, are very detailed oriented, are more precise in their expressions and happier.

I think these avocations offer a pleasant respite from the daily grind and keep them focused in all their endeavors - work, family and play. Collectors seem to have the ability to successfully compartmentalize their lives and this usually helps them achieve goals no matter what they are - in their lives, their vocations, their hobbies.

Naturally this is a personal view of people I know who collect things. I've also come across collectors who revel in the fact of their great find which usually translates into swindling someone out of something who doesn't know what they are selling. They seem to enjoy the hunt and finding prey. I've seen this especially in the coin collecting area. You generally don't find coins at tag sales so its often a one on one transaction. I haven't collected coins for decades - too rich for me.That's also why I think eBay is a great leveling factor in this respect. There are "bargains" still to be found but you need to out-search the searchers!

For myself I occasionally collect and repair pens. I use them also. I usually write a report, for example, before I enter it into a computer. Recent research has shown that writing notes rather than typing them into a computer produces a better retention rate of information. This research was done because of the rapid disappearance of cursive writing.

Comment by Ricky L McConnell on March 30, 2014 at 7:12: I think as a boy a pocket knife was the ultimate gift, and I generally did not have many of them, especially nice ones. Now that I can afford to buy a few good ones, I cannot help myself to own a few of them. I do also like the history behind them. The only thing I am behind on is documenting the collection. I also enjoy antique tractors, I have a 1966 International cub, and I also collect antique tractor memorabilia.

Comment by Ms Data on March 29, 2014 at 17:26: We got up early today and managed to get some stuff done. We got all of Aaron's swords mounted on the walls of his room, it looks awesome. Now the next project will be to mount the new vise to the new workbench that I am building. It is still pouring down rain so we will be productive inside.