The Pain of Parting with Knives

[Infinite Zero]

The strange thing is that I used to have a very large collection with plenty of sprints back before I stopped collecting and carrying 10 years ago. I sold it all off without a care in the world aside from the handful that I kept as users.

This time, getting rid of any of them just hits differently.

[Fine Swine]

I’ve definitely sold some over the years that I regret (I’m looking at you numbered Lum titanium tanto and titanium ATR), but I just remind myself that I had a reason. Not necessarily a good one, but a reason. It’s usually been because I get bored and shift back and forth among a handful of hobbies and don’t feel like holding on to safe queens that can fund my current interests. It’s a cycle that regularly repeats.

[CDEP]

I don't have many rules, but, top three:

1) Never eat anything bigger than my head.
2) Never sell a bass guitar.
3) Never sell a Spyderco knife.

[RustyIron]

how do you evaluate new models to minimize the chances of ordering something you don’t end up liking?

Trying different things is the adventure of life. Experience tells you what you like and don't like. You try a few jobs until you find one you want to stick with. You date a few people before you find one you want to stick with. You try on a few pairs of boots before you find one you want to stick with. Knives are no different.

[aicolainen]

I'm not familiar with this feeling.

:-) And who knew bathroom knife stash is a thing.

Hahaha..
It's not something I establish by intention, it just happens because much of my clothes switching happens there, so for instance when switching to/from outdoor clothing, I'll often want to switch out my knife to something appropriate for the activity as well. And it's also where I empty my pockets before dirty clothes goes in the laundry bin.
There's a similar situation in the entryway, where a naturally occurring knife stash tends to establish.

[Mrj]

I'm not familiar with this feeling.

this

[Aladinsane]

I don't have many rules, but, top three:

1) Never eat anything bigger than my head.
2) Never sell a bass guitar.
3) Never sell a Spyderco knife.

Very sage advice!

[vivi]

I purge my collection every few years. I get rid of anything that's not sentimental or seeing regular use, and keep the stuff that is.

I enjoy the process. I like having a collection that lines up with my tastes.

Every once in a while I have regrets, but I can usually buy replacements. For example, traded my first Perrin Street Bowie for my first SE Pacific Salt, but missed the Perrin so ordered another.

As far as knives I've sold and haven't been able to replace that I wouldn't mind getting back?

Only two.

BG42/CF Military 1 I had modded for tip up. Really good knife, but I didn't get along with sharpening BG42 back then. Doubt I'd still have any issues.

Second? Swamp Rat Hairy Carry. Technically I could replace it, it just isn't a $325 knife to me, so I haven't.


Most stuff I buy I don't get to handle first. I try to pay close attention to specs but sometimes I forget to. I'm often surprised by how small knives are. Like the stretch XL I ordered without examining the specs, and when I got it,it was just the size of an Endura.

I handle knives when I can. Like last spring I visited Winkler Knives, and got to check them out. I always stop by new graham when I visit Ohio.

[Landshark99]

I have sold quite a few knives form my collection, I think about maybe or one or two that i should have kept but enough to buy them again. I buy almost all my knives online, research with reviews and yes occasionally buy something I regret buying. More often though the knives i have sold have sat in the collection for awhile, i liked them when they were bought but I have changed it what I like now as opposed to then. Spydercos are a good example, I had a few in the past and then ignored them for years, then recently rediscovered how cool they are to me and have expanded the collection quite a bit

[Jeb]

Heck I get one I don't like so much a find someone that does like it and gift it to them. I don't sell them. More into the gifting and/or trading.

For as a local place to be able to check knives out, we got a few, but they never have anything that is remotely special. They might have something I don't already have one of and they may not. So all my shopping is online. I have yet to buy one from China, just not that into those...

[StuntZombie]

Other than a few sentimental items, I don't have any problem selling off knives, especially if they aren't getting used, or I find that my tastes have changed. For example, last year I picked up a couple of Chris Reeve knives (Small Sebenza and Lg Inkosi) and I really enjoyed using them. Then a couple months ago, I realized I preferred a different blade shape, as well as a smaller knife overall. So the Chris Reeve knives are gone or going, and I'll use the money to pick up something more in line with what I'm into now.

[Infinite Zero]

I was digging around my old photos and found this picture of my collection from 2012. There’s lots here I wouldn’t carry these days on account of having wrong-handed locks for me, but there’s a lot here too that I wish I still had.

[SpeedHoles]

I was digging around my old photos and found this picture of my collection from 2012. There’s lots here I wouldn’t carry these days on account of having wrong-handed locks for me, but there’s a lot here too that I wish I still had.

IMG_0136.jpeg

There's some good ones in there!

[KeepCalm&Carrion]

I've only sold knives to pursue something better, and so far I haven't had any regrets. That said, I'm going to sell my Pacific soon and I anticipate feeling some kind of way about it. It'll be like selling an old, cherished toy that I've outgrown but still have nostalgic fondness for.

[jwesley235]

How many posts do I have to make before I need approval? Seeing a comment not approved after ~12 hours takes the motivation out of trying to participate.

[Wartstein]

Does anyone else feel horrible when they realize that a knife you own no longer has a place in your collection?
....

Honestly: Not at all.
Actually when I truly and literally "realize that a knife no longer has a place in my collection" this is a point where I feel good...

My approach and much of the joy and fun for me with Spyderco lies in the "narrowing it down to as close to perfection(for me!) as possible" - thing.

I want to own as few Spydies as possible, but for that each model I have really fills its particular niche and also really gets used frequently (for a long time I managed to "only" own ten Spyderco folders at each point in time.
Can´t do that anymore, nowadays it is around fifteen).

So when I am finally sure that I want to part with a certain model, cause after enjoying and really trying that model another one fits my particular needs and preferences even better, this is what I actually like...

... It is the process leading up to that point that can be a bit of a "pain" sometimes...

[brj]

I do have a bit of regret for parting ways with my Barong and Laci Szabo, but one I've traded for a Military version I just 'had' to have, while the other I've gifted to a very good friend on his birthday, so all good in the grand scheme of things.

[Bill1170]

I very seldom sell a knife, but I have given many to friends. I inherited my late father’s collection, plus that of another friend who gave me his stash before he died. I’ve gifted dozens of knives and still have more than I’ll ever need. I might need to sell some, but they’re so cool!

[spoonrobot]

How do you all cope with selling or giving away your knives?

I sold everything (and much more) in this photo over the span of a year or so. Due to medical issues and unemployment, at the tail end of the great recession.



Although I miss my collection, I took a lot of photos and wrote a lot about the knives so there's still some connection. At times it seems sort of silly to miss such simple things, but they were a large part of my life for many years. Made friends, went on interesting travels, and were a driving force in personal and professional development.

[TkoK83Spy]

How do you all cope with selling or giving away your knives?

I sold everything (and much more) in this photo over the span of a year or so. Due to medical issues and unemployment, at the tail end of the great recession.



Although I miss my collection, I took a lot of photos and wrote a lot about the knives so there's still some connection. At times it seems sort of silly to miss such simple things, but they were a large part of my life for many years. Made friends, went on interesting travels, and were a driving force in personal and professional development.

That's a good way to look at it. I sold a lot of knives the past year, I went from around 35 down to 14. Many that I sold I had for a while and used, but having that many knives made me rotate often and they didn't have a lot of wear on them. I made a couple thousand dollars doing that, which helped pay for a nice chunk of our new fence last summer. So I appreciate the them maintaining value and helping me down the road as well. A full circle of enjoyment I guess you could say.