Anybody else get "tired" of the knife hobby?

[glennbad]

Glad to see I'm not the only one, phew!

I was looking forward to the Mystic, CT show this year back in May (or late April, I forget). That's when I have in the past got to meet up with all my knife peeps like Lee, Gene, Eric, Dennis, Tom, Neal, Steve, Wayne, etc.

I miss sharing knife finds and catching up on family and such...

Glen, I feel your pain. I too, was looking forward to the Mystic show, and seeing all our knife buddies. I'm hoping the Marlboro show is on for September, but at this point it doesn't look good??

Dang it, I knew I missed someone on that list Barry. Yeah, September may not go, wonder about November???

[Reverand]

My interest has waned a little bit, too, but for me it is mainly having no time for the hobby.
I repair Bank equipment for a living, and with the sharp increase in the number of people using Drive-up lanes, we have been busier than ever.
Right now I am working 6 days a week, many of those being 10 or 11 hour days. I have had no time to stop by any antique stores since some have reopened either.
What little time I have at home I try to spend with my Special-Needs teenaged son, so I have had no time at all to spend on knives in a while - and it appears that I will not have any for the next few months, at least.

But, my wife enjoys the larger paychecks!!!!!

[dlr110]

I'm not getting tired of the hobby, but I am getting real tired of looking at knives online, SMKW, CCC, Amazon, AAPK, ebay and so on. I want to get back out there to the antique shops, flea markets, the big Fort Worth Gun & Knife Show and even the shows that Ray sells at. I want to look, pick up a knife, ask questions and haggle for the price, that's where the fun of knife collecting starts for me. I know that's what many of you love doing whether you are collecting or selling them. It's too easy to buy online, I need the challenge of the hunt for that great deal. Look at guys like Scott and Dave and the things they show us after a good estate sale or flea market, and there are many others. No I haven't gotten tired of the hobby, I'm tired of sitting on my butt while good markets have closed down because of this virus. And if I buy one more knife from the good people at SMKW I going to ask for a share in the profits.

[RevolverGuy]

I haven't. There are just way too many knives out there I want to add to my collection. But I too have noticed prices on Ebay being much higher than usual, and it's affected some of my knife buying there. More people are staying at home and/or working from home now. I think twice as many people are on the Internet, browsing and looking at the same thing. It is a sellers market right now.

[kootenay joe]

I used to have many more knives than i do now but i still have too many. My fear has been what if i woke up one day and my interest in knives was gone ?
What a 'mess' that would be, having thousands of knives all around me that i could care less about.
Fortunately this has not happened, yet. I do however go through ups and downs. Occasionally a new knife will 'show up', vintage or just made, that will add a spark more interest.
And, years ago ebay had mostly USA/British/German knives and not a lot of 'offshore' knives. I spent a lot of time looking at knives on ebay and i learned a lot from doing this. It was like taking a course in 'knives' with a lesson every night. Very rewarding and it 'fed' my interest and increased my passion for knives.
However in the last few years ebay listings are about 95% for 'offshore' made knives and it is hard to find a decent collectible knife, so ebaying is not the fun it used to be for us 'knifers'. It no longer feeds our knife interest.
And in general i find prices for good collectible knives are down, certainly lower than what i was paying say 5-10 and more, years ago. This leads me to think that knife collecting is a hobby in decline. More of us old time knife collectors are 'passing on' than there are new younger people taking up the hobby. I think this also adversely affects my enthusiasm for knife collecting to some degree.
I have been interested in and attracted to knives all my life. I'd say my passion now at 73 is still present but not as strong as it was for many years.
kj

[jerryd6818]

I repair Bank equipment for a living,

The pneumatic stuff or do you also wrench on ATM's?

[orvet]

The weird effect of this Covid 19 virus and is I have more time at home and yet I get far less accomplished. I'm not sure why that is I know part of its being older, I just turned 69 this week, part of it is health issues and part of what's affected my enthusiasm has been in an attack of rheumatoid arthritis in my hands that is made it virtually impossible to work on anyone's knives.
It is the working on the knives and watching them transform beneath my hands that never gets old me, but I'm not always able to it with my hands now. Fortunately I think it's starting to ease off a bit, maybe I get back to repairing knives this year men.

But I am going to scale back a bit, just a little more than I can handle some days.

[royal0014]

I'm afraid my interest in the hobby waned well before the pandemic;
probably by over a year, or longer.
It just takes more to 'trip my trigger' now. I've gotten a bit jaded.
But I still hang out here to enjoy the friendship and camaraderie (mostly)
and occasional drool over someone's latest and greatest.

[kootenay joe]

One of the best things about knife collecting is that there is always more to learn and knives that you have never before been aware of continue to show up. When you learn something new or come across a knife you have never seen before it helps re-kindle the interest.
kj

[Reverand]

I repair Bank equipment for a living,

The pneumatic stuff or do you also wrench on ATM's?

Short answer: YES.
I work on Pneumatic tube systems and audio, ATMs, Alarm & Video equipment, locks and Vault Doors.
I cover half of Alabama from my home (our office is in Cincinnati, I am told. I have not seen it), and lately cover a large portion of Georgia, due to being short-staffed.

Fun times!

[jerryd6818]

I repair Bank equipment for a living,

The pneumatic stuff or do you also wrench on ATM's?

Short answer: YES.
I work on Pneumatic tube systems and audio, ATMs, Alarm & Video equipment, locks and Vault Doors.
I cover half of Alabama from my home (our office is in Cincinnati, I am told. I have not seen it), and lately cover a large portion of Georgia, due to being short-staffed.

Fun times!

You're just a man for all seasons.
Back in the '90s, during my second tour with NCR, one of the things I worked on was NCR ATMs. Also teller machines along with a good bit of other unrelated equipment outside the banking community.

[Jacknifeben]

I have been in the knife collecting for a long time, just turned 86. Healthy as can be but I have trouble finding a partner for golfing, shooting pool, fishing or working on old cars. I really miss the knife shows, flea markets, farm auctions, finding somebody that is not carrying the latest price guide to antiques.

[Corso]

Pretty new to this hobby but have always maintained that I collect users, if fact if they've had a life all the better

I just look for what I like and have a limit too.

If its not carrried or doesn't work for me it moves on

[woodwalker]

I just purchased a new house so my money has been used on it lately. I cant say I have gotten tired of acquiring knives but my money has to go to other things as well. I like to go to the antique stores and look for ones that I don't have or peak my interest. Now my wife will occasionally tell me I have enough knives. But then she turns right around and will surprise me with one. I've probably got around 100 or so which is a small quantity to some but I like them all. From the colonials to the rare case knives I like them all. So on I go. Accumulating more when I have the time and money to do so.

[cudgee]

The weird effect of this Covid 19 virus and is I have more time at home and yet I get far less accomplished. I'm not sure why that is I know part of its being older, I just turned 69 this week, part of it is health issues and part of what's affected my enthusiasm has been in an attack of rheumatoid arthritis in my hands that is made it virtually impossible to work on anyone's knives.
It is the working on the knives and watching them transform beneath my hands that never gets old me, but I'm not always able to it with my hands now. Fortunately I think it's starting to ease off a bit, maybe I get back to repairing knives this year men.

But I am going to scale back a bit, just a little more than I can handle some days.

As you get older you discover there are never enough hours in the day, and you wonder how you ever got anything done.

[cudgee]

I'm afraid my interest in the hobby waned well before the pandemic;
probably by over a year, or longer.
It just takes more to 'trip my trigger' now. I've gotten a bit jaded.
But I still hang out here to enjoy the friendship and camaraderie (mostly)
and occasional drool over someone's latest and greatest.

I'm hearin ya mate. This is a great place just to hang out. Have a good week, and stay safe.

[ken98k]

I'm just feeling saturated, I cant seem to think of any knife I'd like to get.

[edge213]

I'm just feeling saturated, I cant seem to think of any knife I'd like to get.

I'm the opposite. I see knives everyday that I would love to have.
I just can't afford them all.
To answer the OP question.
I never get tired of the knife hobby, I just get busy doing other things.

[bestgear]

I'm just feeling saturated, I cant seem to think of any knife I'd like to get.

Saturated is an excellent description for me too, the fire is still burning but the desire to accumulate wanes.

[jerryd6818]

When you reach the point where you look at a knife, are attracted to it but need to go look in your records to make sure you don't already have one, maybe it's time to slow down. Just a thought.

[doglegg]

Not tired, but more focused. At first it is anything and everything no matter the condition but now more limited in what I will buy and although sometimes it doesn't appear so the condition is a factor as well.

[TPK]

I'm feeling a bit burnt out from searching for good knives at a fair price. Or maybe my idea of fair is very close to cheap.

Anyways I don't think I'll lose total interest but my interest level has been much higher than it is at the moment. For me it's mostly the frustration that my wallet doesn't match my taste and vice versa. I would like to buy some more Case knives and I would like to buy some of the brands I admire but do not have yet. Like Queen, Schatt & Morgan, Canal Street, Northwoods, GEC, Bulldog ect. ect. ect.

Like to see how they are, or how they compare to other brands. I'm curious if the higher price of these knives is in an equal relationship to a higher quality knife or if they are just more expensive.

[Ripster]

Times Are a changing fellas,and interesting responses to the OP. It’s hard to know who too trust on line, but when we R at shows and among our own , that’s awesome and the FUEL I need to keep going. Only been a member here at AAPK for a few months and it took me a while to not feel like leaving AAPK . At first felt like a outsider, and getting scolded by old timers for not using the right words or whatever( some of that was me and my PTSD Crap kicking in)but hung in there, got a little more active here , went out on a limb, bought from Paladin,knifeaholic,the far side, knife collector, and others, and building new relationships . With everything going on we need support and family and others ,to help each other get thru This. Having retired this year had big plans for Sturgis M / cycle rally ,the Great Lakes show, Badger knife show, etc, etc. And now nothing,so,got the boxes of bayonets, ice picks ,straight razors, pocket and fixed knives out and am trading and buying and selling and sharing and taking risks with a new group of People, and that’s U ALL Here at AAPK. SO Glenn and all U others out there ,hang in there ,I / we need each other, this has been my life line lately here at AAPK.Also finding that volunteering at The VA Hospital has helped me a lot, not only to be with other Vets, but to get outside of my crazy little head, and to spread a bit of GOOD around. Sincerely JP

[jlw257]

Heck No,I haven’t slow down on collecting Older Case Pocket Knives. It been a challenge finding good knives since the Knife Shows are all cancel.

[jerryd6818]

The VA Hospital has helped me a lot, not only to be with other Vets,
Sincerely JP

Is that by any chance the William S. Middleton VA Hospital in Madison?