For collectors or users?

[Dave G]

Hi guys, I'm brand new here and have a question. I'm a very recent convert to traditional slip joint knives, coming from modern single blade knives (all of them Benchmade) My first was a Tony Bose case sowbelly, and I like just about everything about it. Doing a little research on better knives, I came across Bulldog knives, and I just bought one from a member here, on eBay. It's a 3rd gen sow belly and I love it. I would like to pick up a few more of the older series, but I'm not a collector. I carry my pocket knives every day, and while I never abuse them, they are used. Am I doing a disservice by using them? or should I leave them to the collectors? I had no idea they had such a large following.

[Mumbleypeg]

That’s a decision you’ll have to make - they’re your knives. They were made (most of them anyway) to be used. Some of us collect them because we like them and want to preserve their history and the art of cutlery. The ones in mint condition are generally more valuable, so those who have a number of knives (too many to carry ) keep them mint. Those who choose to carry and use them, well they just make knives in mint condition more rare!

Carry on as you see fit.

And welcome to AAPK.

Ken

[kootenay joe]

All knives should be made to be used. To keep the makers 'on their toes' we need people to use their knives and if found lacking to communicate this with the maker.
If everyone was a collector who just looked at his knives the makers could make em with fat dull soft blades, but pretty handles, and get away with it.
Every knife should be a potential user.
To ensure future quality some knives of every make must get used.
Use any knife you feel like using. There are lots of knives costing well over $1000 that are daily users. Price is no excuse for not using a knife.
Rarity is a valid excuse if it is truly rare like a 1906 Jos. Rodgers & Sons ivory Sportsman's knife in mint condition.
kj

[rea1eye]

[image][/image]I think you should do what ever you want with your purchased knife. If it is extremely rare
and very costly and you are afraid to lose it, then I might consider just keeping it in it's home.

I don't have many knives ( compared to some of the guys here). I have 44 pocket knives.
None are rare or extremely costly. Everyone has seen pocket time; some with probably no
use at all in cutting anything.

MY RULES: *

Outdoor use Use one that if lost, little tears will be shed. Use one that has blade wear

Indoor use Use one that has blade wear; could be more costly than if it was for outdoor use

Church May carry a pristine / more expensive knife

Wearing pants with shallow pockets Same as #1 above

Wearing pant with deep pockets Same as # 3 above

Bob

p.s. * I am not perfect though. Sometimes when in a hurry just grab one without thinking ( then think
hope I don't lose this darn knife)

[Steve Warden]

First, welcome!

As others have said, it's your knife, your choice.

All my knives get pocket time. I am what I call an accumulator.
Those who have knives that have never been used, and will never be used, I call collectors. Not a thing wrong with going about it either way.

But that's me. Each to his own.

[Dave G]

Thank you for the welcome, and replies. I guess I didn't take into account that there were probably a lot of these knives made, and that not everything is an actual collectable. I do put a knife in my pocket every day, and use them daily often, but I never abuse them. The times I know I'll be using one hard while working on the property or on machinery, I have a few go to abusers. This is my first step into a higher end knife, and I love the fit and finish they have. I just bought a pretty little 1987 3 blade canoe to go with it.

[Quick Steel]

Dave G,

Congratulations on discovering Bulldog knives. They will provide you with fine service as users or as a brand to collect, or for doing both. The majority made in Solingen Germany and a few in the U.S. up to around 2010 are high quality. Some of these are wonderful examples of cutlery art and craftsmanship. A few years after 2010 someone bought the brand and began production in China. These are of a much lesser quality and I doubt they will provide you with the satisfaction of the original BDs.

Be aware that celluloid handles have the potential to outgas and destroy the knife. For this reason I do not acquire BDs with celluloid handles.
But some collectors have had celluloid handles for decades without developing any problems. If you have not yet checked out the Bulldog threads here you will want to do so.

The knife hobby provides you with various choices, e.g. collecting/accumulating certain brands or any brand that appeals to you. Or maybe using/collecting certain patterns, or handle materials, or blade shapes. Whatever approach appeals to you go for it and enjoy.

[Dinadan]

Dave - let me add my welcome. Like the others said, it is your knife and your decision. Like most of the folks on this forum I have way more knives than I can carry on a daily basis unless I carry four or more at a time. For me it comes down to how easily I can replace a knife. Some knives are expensive but there is no problem finding another one if you are willing to pay the price. I am fine with carrying those, though it would hurt to lose one. Other knives are hard to find, period. If I have one I really like and I suspect that I could not easily find another knife of the same pattern then I will not carry it.

[doglegg]

Hey Dave welcome. There is a thread here "WHAT ARE YOU CARRYIN RIGHT NOW? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE EDC" look through that thread and you will see some mighty fine knives being toted. I only have two knives I carry regularly and the rest are in a box or in the safe. It is knice that there are still things in which it is up to you. Enjoy that privilege. Did I say welcome? I'll say it again, Welcome.

[Dave G]

Dave G,

Congratulations on discovering Bulldog knives. They will provide you with fine service as users or as a brand to collect, or for doing both. The majority made in Solingen Germany and a few in the U.S. up to around 2010 are high quality. Some of these are wonderful examples of cutlery art and craftsmanship. A few years after 2010 someone bought the brand and began production in China. These are of a much lesser quality and I doubt they will provide you with the satisfaction of the original BDs.

Be aware that celluloid handles have the potential to outgas and destroy the knife. For this reason I do not acquire BDs with celluloid handles.
But some collectors have had celluloid handles for decades without developing any problems. If you have not yet checked out the Bulldog threads here you will want to do so.

The knife hobby provides you with various choices, e.g. collecting/accumulating certain brands or any brand that appeals to you. Or maybe using/collecting certain patterns, or handle materials, or blade shapes. Whatever approach appeals to you go for it and enjoy.

I've been pouring through mountains of posts here for some time before joining. So much to take in! I kind of decided to stay with the "3rd gen" Bulldogs and earlier, as it seemed to be the better end of manufacture, but that's certainly open for discussion. I tend to stay away from plastic or other synthetic scale materials unless it's G10 or dymondwood on a modern blade. For these more vintage knives, I'm going to stay with stag or bone.

[Dave G]

Dave - let me add my welcome. Like the others said, it is your knife and your decision. Like most of the folks on this forum I have way more knives than I can carry on a daily basis unless I carry four or more at a time. For me it comes down to how easily I can replace a knife. Some knives are expensive but there is no problem finding another one if you are willing to pay the price. I am fine with carrying those, though it would hurt to lose one. Other knives are hard to find, period. If I have one I really like and I suspect that I could not easily find another knife of the same pattern then I will not carry it.

I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to anything older and not currently available any longer. It there were some kind of shortage in the collectors arena, I would leave the stock to them, and seek another brand. From the comments here, and doing more shopping, I'm assuming that the reasonable prices would indicate there isn't any problem with finding good examples of these knives. I'll most likely never become a real collector, but I do love a good pocket knife and have more than I need. Up to now, I haven't really considered a traditional slip joint, but for some reason, I picked up a decent Case sow belly and was kind of taken back to being a kid and living with my old cub scout knife in my pocket as a constant companion. It's just a fun knife, and has a feeling unlike any of my modern Benchmades. Since I got it, this BD sowbelly has been in my pocket, and the BM has been put back in the knife drawer.

[Dinadan]

Dave - when I was a kid or teenager I carried scout knives and stockmans a mostly. When I went into the Navy in 1973, Buck 110s were what most sailors carried so I carried one also. After the Navy I went through a few more stages of carry until I hit sixty or so. Then I switched back to traditional pocket knives similar to the ones I carried when young except better quality.

There are still a couple of more patterns that I have never go around to buying and want to try. It never ends!

[Dave G]

Dave - when I was a kid or teenager I carried scout knives and stockmans a mostly. When I went into the Navy in 1973, Buck 110s were what most sailors carried so I carried one also. After the Navy I went through a few more stages of carry until I hit sixty or so. Then I switched back to traditional pocket knives similar to the ones I carried when young except better quality.

There are still a couple of more patterns that I have never go around to buying and want to try. It never ends!

Wow! similar backgrounds and journey, and I just turned 63, and somehow decided to come back to traditional knives.

[Dave G]

Thought I'd post an update. I just got my second Bulldog in the mail. My first being a 3rd get sowbelly, which is a beautiful knife, and today, a canoe first gen knife. The fit, finish, blade alignment and snap on the canoe knife is a LOT better! Both knives are as new with no use, so I have to assume that the first gen knives are just that much better?

[Quick Steel]

Dave G,
I have to admit that when I first started collecting Bulldogs I jumped to conclusions as to which generations were "the best." Initially, after just 5 or 6 knives I was beginning to think that it was the later generations that were a bit superior. Now, after about 45 knives, my view is that very fine knives were capable of being produced in every generation.

[Dave G]

Dave G,
I have to admit that when I first started collecting Bulldogs I jumped to conclusions as to which generations were "the best." Initially, after just 5 or 6 knives I was beginning to think that it was the later generations that were a bit superior. Now, after about 45 knives, my view is that very fine knives were capable of being produced in every generation.

I'll take the advice of people with greater knowledge that me any day, and keep it in mind. Knowing this, it sure opens the market up by a great degree.

[jerryd6818]

You asked for opinions and this is AAPK so you got 'em. You've heard it before, "Opinions are like -- well you know --, everyone has one and they all stink." So here's mine.

If you like a knife well enough to pay a premium price for it, go ahead and buy it. It may or may not retain it's perceived value but who cares. You like it. Now if you like this premium priced knife so much that you want to carry it, you could do that or you could put it up, go out and find a used one for $25 - $40 (of course assuming used ones are available) and carry that one instead of buying a $100 (or $80 or $60) knife and turning it into a $25 - $40 knife.

[Quick Steel]

I think aiming to collect a particular generation, say the 3rd, is a perfectly worthy endeavor. I just lack the patience for doing that. So by all means follow your own preferences.

To avoid surprises and maximize my satisfaction with a purchase I am picky. If the seller has provided inadequate info, fairly frequent on ebay, I don't hesitate to send questions. This also results from inadequate photographs. E.G. Is there any blade wobble or looseness? This is a killer for me. I may have to ask about what appear to be scratches on a blade or handle in the photos. This will often turn out to be simply a reflection, but not always. I examine all photos carefully for carbon spots or even rust on the spine as well as the blades.

I recall one seller who said that his NIB BD had just the normal light wobble. The seller was honest, but imo there is no such thing as normal blade wobble whether light or otherwise. No sale.

Happy hunting Dave.

[Dave G]

Even as a user and not collector, I will not accept blade wobble of any kind on any knife new or old. If I didn't care I'd be buying a $20 rustler! I bought my first BD from what appears to be a well respected member here, Olderdogs1, from eBay. His description was through, and spot on, which was made it a lot easier to buy from him. As a plus, in my opinion, the price was fair, the knife was packed well, and shipped quickly. eBay is a risky place to do business, sometimes!

[Dave G]

You asked for opinions and this is AAPK so you got 'em. You've heard it before, "Opinions are like -- well you know --, everyone has one and they all stink." So here's mine.

If you like a knife well enough to pay a premium price for it, go ahead and buy it. It may or may not retain it's perceived value but who cares. You like it. Now if you like this premium priced knife so much that you want to carry it, you could do that or you could put it up, go out and find a used one for $25 - $40 (of course assuming used ones are available) and carry that one instead of buying a $100 (or $80 or $60) knife and turning it into a $25 - $40 knife.

Well, I'm not sure what a premium is on these knives, but at sub $150 I'm pretty happy to hand over that much for a good user knife. Most of my daily users are far north of that number. I'm not a collector, but enjoy good pocket knives just the same. As a user, I wouldn't buy a full on collectors knife, and remove it from circulation to those that would want it for that. My original post was entry point level, to see if good examples of these knives were heavily collected and not users. The longer I spend time here and read the posts from what looks to be very knowledgeable people, the more I understand the user/ collector line in the sand

[Sharpnshinyknives]

You asked for opinions and this is AAPK so you got 'em. You've heard it before, "Opinions are like -- well you know --, everyone has one and they all stink." So here's mine.

If you like a knife well enough to pay a premium price for it, go ahead and buy it. It may or may not retain it's perceived value but who cares. You like it. Now if you like this premium priced knife so much that you want to carry it, you could do that or you could put it up, go out and find a used one for $25 - $40 (of course assuming used ones are available) and carry that one instead of buying a $100 (or $80 or $60) knife and turning it into a $25 - $40 knife.

Well, I'm not sure what a premium is on these knives, but at sub $150 I'm pretty happy to hand over that much for a good user knife. Most of my daily users are far north of that number. I'm not a collector, but enjoy good pocket knives just the same. As a user, I wouldn't buy a full on collectors knife, and remove it from circulation to those that would want it for that. My original post was entry point level, to see if good examples of these knives were heavily collected and not users. The longer I spend time here and read the posts from what looks to be very knowledgeable people, the more I understand the user/ collector line in the sand

Dave, Welcome to the forum. This question comes up periodically on here and you get so many opinions it’s hard to sort out. I think from they way you talk that you are a collector and just don’t know it yet. Sometimes it takes a change in your life to bring this out of a person, such as retirement, empty nest, more time to pursue a hobby, and sometimes it’s just having the money to collect knives. The money issue kept me from collecting for many years.
My guess is that you will do both, buy knives to use and you will buy some that you just can’t bring yourself to use when it comes right down to it and that starts the collection. Personally I love looking, handling and examining knives. I display all my knives so I can enjoy them. Heaven knows I have plenty of users that I pick up and use regularly. But I have hundreds of knives that I will never use and just enjoy having them around. I think you will find that you will do both. Don’t hesitate to ask on here if a knife is a good one to collect or not so good. You will get a plethora of answers but you can sort through that information and make your own decisions, that’s half the fun of collecting.
By the way check out “targetmans” Bulldog collection. I have never seen anyone so focused on collecting Bulldogs like he is, he has an amazing collection.
SSk

[Open Range-19]

I used this 2nd Gen Bulldog Muskrat on the trap line-only the non etched blade by the way. It pelted beaver, muskrat, mink, coyote and a few whitetail and mule deer. Always had firm pull and excellent snap-real sharp, too. Waved goodbye to it last year.

[Open Range-19]

Had this little 2nd Gen Stag Sowbelly-never used. Found it a new home last year.

[Quick Steel]

OR-19, Glad to learn your user experience with Bulldog. Sounds like it provided excellent service.

[Open Range-19]

QS,
Yep, my experience with the 1st & 2nd generation Bulldogs is all positive (trappers, muskrats, lumberjacks, sowbellys, congress, stockmans and large cattlemens) with the exception of one coon stripe lumberjack that had an inordinately light pull. In addition the 3 Bulldog stag fixed blades I had (all three with the moose, bear, deer, cougar & sheep etching) were mighty fine.