When to not sell

[aicolainen]

This thread is kind of an offshoot from the Collection limiting rules thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=87702

It's one thing to limit what you buy, rules or not, but deciding on what to sell can be much more difficult in my experience.

It's one thing when you get a new knife and realize within the first few weeks that it will probably not stay around, but then there are those that you really like (at the time), but after a few years or so, something else comes along and takes its place.
For me who carry a lot more than I cut, it could mean that the knife has a very beaten up or at least a not very attractive handle, but blade, action and other internal parts could be almost like new.

Knife people, at least quite a few of them, strangely enough want their tools new and shiny, so a noticeably worn handle pretty much kills the resale value of a perfectly good knife.

This doesn't happen a lot, but it's a dilemma I run into from time to time. It could concern really nice knives, and I'm a fool to replace them, but that's how this hobby work. It could be an option to keep them around for just in case, or give to my kids when the become older, but there is no shortage of knives anyhow, so accumulating a "pile" of expensive retirees doesn't seem like a very rational thing to do. But then again, it's not very tempting to offload upper mid-range knives with barely used blades in fancy super steels for pocket change.

Curious to know if anyone else has this dilemma and your thoughts on it.

[curlyhairedboy]

You might find more of a market nowadays with the increase in custom scale makers.

[aicolainen]

You might find more of a market nowadays with the increase in custom scale makers.

This is probably true if you live in the US where you find most of the well known custom scale makers.
I've been considering this option already, to either "re-discover" the knife for myself and possibly keep it, or to make it more attractive on the secondary, but with shipping, VAT and processing fees, importing aftermarket scales isn't financially sound unless you really like them, and want them for your own use.

[Evil D]

Most of mine are used enough that I'd feel like I'm giving them away at the prices they'd fetch. The ones I have that are BNIB were for future replacements but will go to my son if I don't use them.

[aicolainen]

Most of mine are used enough that I'd feel like I'm giving them away at the prices they'd fetch. The ones I have that are BNIB were for future replacements but will go to my son if I don't use them.

Most of mine too, but there are a couple of my office EDC knives that got infinitely more pocket time than actual use.

I’ll probably just keep them. Could be nice gifts to have laying around for the right occasion. Rather give them away to someone I like, than sell for next to nothing to someone I don’t even know.

[vivi]

Sometimes this is a tricky thing to figure out. Sometimes its very easy.

I recently sold off two Manix folders, the old C95 I bought off ebay and the XL in S30V I posted here for years.

I decided as much as I liked the C95, the action on the one I got was a bit rough, I couldn't get it dialed in to where it had no side to side play, and the weight + lack of rust proofing means it was only going to be carried during half the year at most. I still think its the best folding knife handle I've used, but I had to admit my Police LW and Pacific Salts are much more practical EDC's, and can actually be serviced or replaced as needed.

The XL I sold when BHQ announced the M4 sprint. While I still haven't worked it into my rotation because I'm trying to carry and dull my Police 4 K390 currently, I plan to carry the M4 XL soon. The S30V version served me great, but I figured the M4 steel would suit that model better. Think I may dye mine OD green.

That M4 XL is actually my fourth Manix XL. I bought one the month they launched, hated all the handle jimping, and sold it. Gave it another shot, enjoyed it more the second time....always was a big fan of the CBBL. Ended up selling that one to a friend. The DLC one came after carrying a Para 2 DLC and being amazed at the corrosion resistance. The coated liners also softed the handle jimping a bit, making it my favorite version at the time.

Speaking of that Para 2, while I carried it for about five years and really liked the overall design, even carried it on my very first bike tour, after being bit by it opening in my pocket two different times I swore off compression locks and let it go.

I've sold off a lot of my Pacific Salt 1 backups once I decided I preferred the 2. I've carried the 1's here and there to be sure, and its not a model I want to go back to. I'll keep my PE first run since I've had it so long, and a beater SE, but the better condition ones are being unloaded.

Sometimes preferences change. I decided to let go of my ESEE 6HM I stripped, reprofiled and patina'd, because I realized I'd rather carry something lighter and thinner like an Aqua Salt or Perrin Bowie, and pair that with an axe as needed. The ESEE was too heavy to get used as much as I envisioned, I always reached for lighter blades.

Speaking of the Perring Bowie, aka Street Bowie, I'm on my second. I traded my first in 2014 or 2015 for my first SE Pacific Salt, so no regrets as that choice has defined the cornerstone knife of my EDC for half a decade. But at one point I decided I missed owning one and wanted another in my carry rotation. So even though the trade led to good things, maybe I shouldn't have let go of it, huh?

Usually I don't regret letting knives go. Through experience I filter out the fluff and hold on to my most used knives. A few years ago I sold everything besides, if I remember correctly, my Police 3 PE, a PE and SE Pacific Salt, a SE Tasman, a Spin and an Aqua Salt. I can tell you from experience that combo covers all my bases.

I'm looking hard at my Szabo Folder these days. I think its one of the top 3 Spydercos in terms of visual appeal, but I couldn't tell you the last time I carried it. Big, slow to open, thick blade with a saber grind. While I love the looks, the ergos and the unique compression lock with a self close, I know I'll part ways some day.

Generally if I hold on to a knife for 5+ years, that's long enough I don't consider selling it. Or if a knife is really inexpensive, like the Mora I haven't used in over a year, it isn't worth trying to make $3 off of it after paying for shipping. Even though I rarely carry my Spin, I bought it really early on compared to almost every Spyderco I own, so it seems silly letting it go for the mere $30 or so I'd get. It makes a nice desk knife for mail anyways.

Sometimes I buy knives a second time, like I did with the Perrin, and end up selling them again. I was one of the guys on here hoping for a Spyderhawk sprint. It came and I bought one. Then I hardly ever used it. I never came across a situation where I wished I had it in my pocket instead of my Pacific Salt. The times I did use it, I found it worked worse than my usual carry. So out the door it went.

Sorry for such a rambling post.

[jpm2]

[Rather give them away to someone I like, than sell for next to nothing to someone I don’t even know.

That’s how I do it.

[Menipo]

This thread is kind of an offshoot from the Collection limiting rules thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=87702

It's one thing to limit what you buy, rules or not, but deciding on what to sell can be much more difficult in my experience.

It's one thing when you get a new knife and realize within the first few weeks that it will probably not stay around, but then there are those that you really like (at the time), but after a few years or so, something else comes along and takes its place.
For me who carry a lot more than I cut, it could mean that the knife has a very beaten up or at least a not very attractive handle, but blade, action and other internal parts could be almost like new.

Knife people, at least quite a few of them, strangely enough want their tools new and shiny, so a noticeably worn handle pretty much kills the resale value of a perfectly good knife.

This doesn't happen a lot, but it's a dilemma I run into from time to time. It could concern really nice knives, and I'm a fool to replace them, but that's how this hobby work. It could be an option to keep them around for just in case, or give to my kids when the become older, but there is no shortage of knives anyhow, so accumulating a "pile" of expensive retirees doesn't seem like a very rational thing to do. But then again, it's not very tempting to offload upper mid-range knives with barely used blades in fancy super steels for pocket change.

Curious to know if anyone else has this dilemma and your thoughts on it.

In my country the secondary (used) market for foreing knives is close to non-existent. National products are more commonly used than the imported ones as the quality of the navajas manufactured in Toledo or Albacete is quite good and the price is a fraction of the cost of any US, Japanese or German folder. So I don't have even that option. The only way to dispose of the knives that I do not want to keep for any reason is just giving them away to my friends.

My collection consists of two parts: (1) "for admiration and fidgeting only" and (2) EDCs. EDCs represent 1/10 of the total approximately. I do not care if the EDCs get some battle wounds from time to time either in the handle or the blade. I am perfectly OK with that and many of them have been with me for decades. Used, scratched, dulled, sharpened and back to the pocket. However, if I find any (even hardly noticeable) damage/scratch either in the handle or the blade of those which are in the showcase ... the knife has to go. The last one that I gave to a good friend of mine last February (I paid for it +$250) got (I don't know how, as I used to fidget with it very rarely), a small scratch in the black coating of the blade. The good part of it is that it made room in its shelf for another folder that I have had on the radar screen for months. That is probably weird, but collectors (or the collectors I know, including myself) save their logic for use in other activities.

[Tucson Tom]

Why would I want to sell my knives?

[Peter1960]

Why would I want to sell my knives?

Yep, that is the question of all questions ... :p