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I once knew someone who's daily emotional state was tied in to whether or not his favorite sports team was winning or losing. If they lost a game, he would be moody, depressed, and sad for the entire week. If they won a game, he would be "on top of the world", happy, up-beat, cheerful, friendly, and kind.

What would you all think of a person who had that same basic mental state, but in regards to Spyderco knives: If a particular design was available and being made, and in stock, the person was happy, cheerful, and friendly, and if the design they wanted was out of stock or discontinued, or not available, they were down-cast, moody, and depressed?

Has anyone here on the forum ever allowed the availability or lack of availability of a specific Spyderco knife you wanted, to determine how you felt in that way, or not?

Not really. I actually like having a list of upcoming models that I'm looking forward to buying. I have plenty of knives and I don't pretend that the next one I buy will be better than all the rest.

I absolutely experience what you are describing. Usually it’s based on one of the following:

-Sprint drops at the wrong time, so I can’t buy it.
-Government of Canada bans import of all folding knives.
-Knife has been delivered but I can’t get to the post office for a few days to pick it up.
-Accidentally damaged a brand new knife beyond normal wear.
- Specific knife model drops at my local store but I didn’t see it in time, sold out.
-etc..

Anyway, I’m working on learning that I can’t have everything I want (obvious, I know) and shiz happens. Accepting those two simple outcomes have made this hobby easier on my brain.

I've been excited about plenty of knives...custom and production. I've never been depressed or out of sorts because I didn't happen to get one. And conversely, never felt that having obtained one that was on my radar, that my life was now "Golden". (So to speak...wink, wink.)

Sports will bum me out for about five minutes after a losing game or series is over...or vice versa, make me feel good for the same length of time. Then it's time to move on with my life.

That said, they still make me feel like a kid full of anticipation when one's inbound. That's not a bad thing, imho.

I don't get particularly bummed out or depressed about missing out on a sprint run knife, or about having a hard time finding the model I want on eBay or whatever. Occasionally I will get irritated, if I've been checking eBay for a few months and have seen no knives listed that are the model I'm looking for, like when I was searching for an Endura 3 and it took forever before I got one. Feels a bit like dying over and over in a videogame at exactly the same spot. But generally I just enjoy the hunt and the challenge.

And I know that I'll eventually get the knife I'm after, if I want it bad enough and am willing to offer a lot of money. Even if no one puts it on eBay, I can put an ad up on the knife trading Reddit and offer a lot of money, and someone will bite, even though they weren't thinking of selling that knife before. It's all about how much the knife is worth to me, and how much I'll offer to get it. And the long wait, and the time it takes to save all that money, makes me think long and hard about whether that knife is really worth it to me, or if I don't want it that bad after all and would rather put that money towards a new computer or clothes or a different knife.

Either I want it bad enough to get it one way or another, or I don't want it bad enough and so I move on and spend the saved money on something else awesome. Either way I end up happy.

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:52 am

What would you all think of a person who had that same basic mental state, but in regards to Spyderco knives: If a particular design was available and being made, and in stock, the person was happy, cheerful, and friendly, and if the design they wanted was out of stock or discontinued, or not available, they were down-cast, moody, and depressed?

I'd think they were being silly, and tell them to check eBay and the knife Reddits til they get the one they want. For the right amount of money, you can get almost anything. You can even hire a custom knifemaker if you want.

Liquid Cobra wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:06 pm

-Government of Canada bans import of all folding knives.

This is one of the cases in which my "throw money at it" problem-solving technique would not work. Yeah, if my country did this, I'd be majorly bummed out, it'd mostly ruin one of my favorite hobbies.

blues wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:16 pm

That said, they still make me feel like a kid full of anticipation when one's inbound. That's not a bad thing, imho.

This. :)

I think I experienced this with the M4 Yojimbo release from BladeHQ... I was following it for a bit, was stoked when I had the release date... but around that time I had other financial obligations. So there it went and my first reaction was "well, sh**", but I got over it quickly because in reality it saves me money and there will always be more sprints / models being released. I think the initial sting comes from knowing that once they're gone, your only option is to purchase them on the 3rd market.

In the end, it shows you "What you really want", if it's for practicality or vanity's sake. I personally have a small collection of knives, anything added now needs to be justified. I usually do my research on the model, or steel before making the decision and the price has to be right. Last exclusive / sprint I participated in was the DLT 20CV exclusive pm2. No regrets because I have been dailying my s30v pm2 and wanted a suitable replacement for her once she get's retired, or worse case scenario broken / lost. But to answer your question... people's lives shouldn't revolve around objects, or sports teams because "attachment is the road to suffering" -Buddha.

Over this last few months I've decided not to chase sprints. I don't even read most of the threads abt them. It's not healthy to want something and not get it. This type of consumerism is nutz and I refuse to participate in these sales. Spyderco often does not make enough of them or the timing is wrong for me financially. That is why I brought up a Custom Shop where sprint runs could be ordered for six months online.

Sure, I'd love to get in on a few of them (missed recent 204P Para, and missed recent M4 Yojimbo) but whatever. If they're not sitting on the shelf when I have the cash then so be it, I buy something else and because I collect knives from everyone, most often it is not a Spyderco.

If my finances change then, maybe I'll get back in. It's no biggie. I'm sitting on $20,000 in knives, so what is my logical complaint?

In answer to the OP's post, I'd say that to allow that kind of thing to dominate one's mood is both silly and immature. There are so many things in life WAY more important than getting the latest new knife.

Am I silly and immature about getting the knives I want? Yes, sometimes. I know the feeling. But I try to not let it dominate my mood to that extent. Feeling bummed for a bit about missing a desired Sprint Run is understandable; letting it dominate my entire mood for the week is something else.

I try to be pretty stoic. I am a leaf in the wind. I try not to let anything effect my mental or emotional state. Neither pro sports nor material possessions are important enough to me to get worked up over.

I have too many knives anyway. If anything I am sometimes happy when I miss out since I lack self control and don't really need any more. I feel relieved when a knife is officially sold out and I didn't buy it because the temptation is finally gone and I had the willpower to resist it.

I find the idea of tying my emotional state to the availability of a particular pocket knife laughable.

Same with watching sports.

Every now and then there will be a knife that I absolutely "need" in my life. If the release comes and, for some reason, I can't secure one then that definitely bums me out for the rest of the day. I'm usually pretty good about being where I need to be to acquire it if it's that big of a deal to me. This doesn't happen to me very often. It's happened maybe twice on certain sprint runs but so far I've been fortunate enough to find one either at retail or no higher than MSRP after the fact.

I may get a bit bothered at first, but quickly get over it. Knowing I've already got 11 other Spyderco's. Also knowing their pumping out new releases and sprints/exclusives at a record pace. There's always more options to come.

Nope. Just nope. I have well over 50 spydies right now and honestly couldn’t care less when I miss out anymore. So much going on in the world right now that worrying about “ the latest steel” is as Vivi said “laughable”. I have amazing spydercos and enough to outlast my children’s children. Sports are ridiculous as well. It’s a game fellas. Now if we start talking about pollution, conservation, global warming, poverty, hunger, etc. then we have something to worry about.

There will always be others. Spyderco is constantly putting out good stuff - it's not like Spyderco is closing up shop - at least that's what I have to remind myself

biZ wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 04, 2018 4:23 pm

My favorite model was discontinued in the 90s. :spyder:

I don't feel much of any particular way about that, aside from wishing they were cheaper on eBay and being occasionally vaguely irritated that they won't be getting any cool new sprints. But I don't go around constantly feeling this way and it doesn't get me down; there are hundreds of more important and stressful things going on in my life to worry about (career, friends, family, health, the weird sounds my car has been making lately, etc) and any knife-related emotions I find the time for are mainly comprised of "I sure do love this knife I have" and the occasional "maybe I should buy a backup" rather than "sucks that they aren't making any more."

I get a little antsy when i wait for a knife i really want,and i'm happy to admit it.I feel this way right now,waiting for the Bow River.A store in Europe says it will available from december,so i hope Santa will be on it.

I mean it's exciting to get one you've been looking forward to and a bit disappointing if you miss out, but that's all.

Missing out on an anticipated knife is usually a bit of a downer, but I generally have very good reasons WHY I missed it, so I can't feel too bad.

I just enjoy what I have and keep the collection in flux!