Appreciating what I have

[Railsplitter]

Lately I’ve had a hankering to buy another custom slip joint but that requires saving up some cash for a couple months. I already have two customs and I decided that if I have to save up for another one then I shouldn’t really buy one. Especially considering that I don't necessarily collect customs and I already have a couple.

The past few days I’ve been carrying these two knives in an effort to ward off my desire for another custom. It seems to have worked.

I carried the Equal End on Thursday and the Gunstock yesterday and today. Both knives are Mike Alsdorf patterns and I bought them both directly from Mike. I’ve carried both of them before but it’s been several years and I’ve always felt like they were too nice to carry.

I’ll probably never sell either one of them so the “too nice to carry” concept is kind of ridiculous. Since I’m not going to sell them, I’ll never get my money’s worth out of them unless I use them. Doing so has made me appreciate what I have and I no longer have a desire to buy another custom. Maybe I will again in the future but right now I’m good to go.

I guess this post has 2 purposes. One is that I’m enjoying these knives and I wanted to show them off. The other is that although getting a new knife is always great fun, enjoying what you already have can be very rewarding as well. Even if they do seem too nice to carry.

[deo-pa]

...enjoying what you already have can be very rewarding as well.

Well said Rick and something worth remembering. The lust for a "must have" knife is a powerful drug and I am sure guilty of it. (Of course one can replace "knife" with stamp, coin, comic book, gun, tool, or whatever items light your fire.) Buying less and appreciating and enjoying what we already have is a pretty good philosophy. I'll try and work on it.

Dennis

[Steve Warden]

Dennis beat me to the quote.
Excellent words, Rick.
Dennis, well said.

[TPK]

Nice Rick! Almost all of my knives are to nice to carry because I had to save up to get them or they at least put a big dent in my buget (even if none of them were all that expensive). But you are so right, if I don't plan on selling them, who in the heck am I protecting them for. It may take me a while to get used to the idea but your words have planted a seed. I really should carry my "good" knives whenever I wish. After all, they are mine. I can't carry them when I'm gone. I can only enjoy them while I'm here. And I can't take them with me. The Egyptians tried that & they got robbed.

Your words were well put.

[doglegg]

I only carry a short line black Camillus 72 and a Benchmade Fecas. That's all I want to carry but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the other ones. I have several 72's and Bulldogs that I never carry and I enjoy each one. I don't own the ones you folks own and carry but I enjoy those too. I even enjoy your having them. And if I cease to enjoy them I will start the process to show that they are not nearly as worth as much as I thought.

[XX Case XX]

although getting a new knife is always great fun, enjoying what you already have can be very rewarding as well.

Bullseye.

____________
Mike

[QTCut5]

I only carry/use a very small percentage of the knives I own. Those few are the ones that are the best suited for my various EDC needs. The vast majority of the knives I own were acquired specifically as objets d'arte to be collected and maintained in their original condition. I appreciate both my users as well as my collectibles, only for different reasons.

[Doc B]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What y'all said! ...and those are two nice knifes, to enjoy, Rick!

[Railsplitter]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Some good points mentioned in the posts above.

I too have knives that I won't carry and don't plan on selling but I still enjoy them. Some of them have sentimental value and some have other reasons that I don't want to bugger them up.

I have a couple knives that have a "story" behind them and I want to keep them as they were when I received them. I won't carry them and I'll never sell them but I enjoy them for what they are.

I'm going to a knife show in couple of months. The custom makers are in a separate room from the "regular" knives. I might have to stay out of that room.

[rea1eye]

All these comments are valid. Sometimes I think why buy more knives?
I never carry more than 1 at a time. All of my knives are in good condition,
some near perfect.

You only live once ( probably). If I feel a real need to get a buzz
in obtaining another knife I probably will do so. For the past
couple of weeks this feeling is very low. May change tomorrow.

Bob

[Montanaman]

Nice ones Rick I get a lot more enjoyment out of my knives when I carry and use them.

[Xyphos]

Great topic, and so true. The very fact that one can rediscover and get a whole new level of joy from a knife can be a revelation.

[treefarmer]

Great topic, and so true. The very fact that one can rediscover and get a whole new level of joy from a knife can be a revelation.

I'll agree with you Xyohos, 100%. My accumulation of knives has certainly increased since I retired and became an active participant on AAPK. My stash pales in comparison to many folks here on the forum.
It's hard to use more than one pocket knife at a time. A feller needs a "Sunday knife", a "work knife", a "deer knife", a "fish knife" and some sort of "one handed opener" in your bib overall breast pocket that will do anything you need it to do.
I just opened two small wooden decorator boxes to check on what was in them. In these small boxes there are over 30 NIB Case pocket knives of various design. What am I going to do with all of them? I'm 74 years old, I have the "Sunday knife", the "work knife", etc. etc. It's like Christmas all over again when I look through the new knives, read the label and see the small hand written note telling who gave it to me and the date. Rediscovering provides great joy and then the same joy comes in opening the machinist's chest with my better used knives, a drawer for Cases, a drawer for my Queens, a drawer for the Camillus family, the Pals, the Schrades, etc. Then there is drawer with special knives, the one's I really appreciate, not just the regular birthday or Christmas variety but the one's from special folks, some were "bombs" sent by folks here on the forum and this drawer also has some of Dad's knives.
I've been giving knives to family and friends all along and that is certainly a plus to be able to "shop" from your own accumulation. Then there is the Piggly Wiggly bags and the cigar boxes full of knives, somebody will have fun one day.
Do I need another knife to appreciate?
Treefarmer

[Xyphos]

Great topic, and so true. The very fact that one can rediscover and get a whole new level of joy from a knife can be a revelation.

I'll agree with you Xyphos, 100%. My accumulation of knives has certainly increased since I retired and became an active participant on AAPK. My stash pales in comparison to many folks here on the forum.
It's hard to use more than one pocket knife at a time. A feller needs a "Sunday knife", a "work knife", a "deer knife", a "fish knife" and some sort of "one handed opener" in your bib overall breast pocket that will do anything you need it to do.
I just opened two small wooden decorator boxes to check on what was in them. In these small boxes there are over 30 NIB Case pocket knives of various design. What am I going to do with all of them? I'm 74 years old, I have the "Sunday knife", the "work knife", etc. etc. It's like Christmas all over again when I look through the new knives, read the label and see the small hand written note telling who gave it to me and the date. Rediscovering provides great joy and then the same joy comes in opening the machinist's chest with my better used knives, a drawer for Cases, a drawer for my Queens, a drawer for the Camillus family, the Pals, the Schrades, etc. Then there is drawer with special knives, the one's I really appreciate, not just the regular birthday or Christmas variety but the one's from special folks, some were "bombs" sent by folks here on the forum and this drawer also has some of Dad's knives.
I've been giving knives to family and friends all along and that is certainly a plus to be able to "shop" from your own accumulation. Then there is the Piggly Wiggly bags and the cigar boxes full of knives, somebody will have fun one day.
Do I need another knife to appreciate?
Treefarmer

I relate, I've taken to leaving knives around town on benches, bridges, etc.

Do you collect vintage knives as well ?-- and I mean stained, corroded, used old knives ?

[Railsplitter]

I relate, I've taken to leaving knives around town on benches, bridges, etc.

I'm guilty of that myself. I left a Case Baby Butterbean on a bus stop bench several years ago. Intentionally of course. It was my hope that whomever found it would be happy about it but I have no idea how it turned out.

I won't do it again because it occurred to me that a toddler could have picked it up.

[treefarmer]

Xyphos asked
Do you collect vintage knives as well ?-- and I mean stained, corroded, used old knives ?

Yes Sir, I'd rather have a stained, corroded, used knife that I can clean, sharpen and mess with rather than a new one in a box. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the two new Case Canoes I just got for my birthday, a Red bone and a Giraffe bone but where are they? Still in the box. I also got a big ol' Frontier Folding Hunter, a 4624 that had a bit of surface rust and un-sharpened blades that were slightly dinged up. I spent a while cleaning the NS bolsters and shield, removing the active rust and putting an edge on the 2 blades. Then I put it in a drawer with another pile of folding hunters.
Old dinged up knives we sometimes refer to as HOKs (honest old knives) are a great pleasure to me.
I'll have to agree with Railsplitter about leaving a knife laying around, you never know who might pick it up.
Treefarmer

[Ripster]

Good topic! Thanks for posting it. Just last week was thinking about the knives and all the military stuff that has accumulated over the years, and what will happen to them when I am gone. Neither boys are into it ,my wife wouldn’t know what to do with it ,without help. Too me they mean a lot, but to them it will be another thing to deal with. Awhile back was struggling with selling an old Panhead HD,My best friend says “what’s the prob, you can only ride one motorcycle at a time and, it’s only Iron. Man that hit me, Sold it 2 days later. Now carry any of my knifes I want ,new high dollar or old beat up Barlow. It all about appreciating the moment or object of the moment now, and if that doesn’t happen with a particular knife, motorcycle or ? , then in my mind it’s time to let someone else appreciate it.
Good post , thanks for the reminder

[cudgee]

Just saw this post while browsing, and after reading every ones views and thoughts got me thinking. Have i turned into someone that i normally criticize, a greedy consumer. I am looking at some knives that i am trying to make up my mind which one or ones' to get, one i really like, but it is expensive, if i get this one, i cannot get a couple of others i am looking at. And yesterday there was an interesting post by a member that some of the AAPK store sellers seem to be a bit high with there asking prices, and one of the knives i am looking at, is on the members forum store, and does seem a tad high, but it is all supply and demand. Then i thought what the hell am i doing. I have 4, yes 4 knives in the mail on the way too me, have not even received those 4 purchases, which was over kill in itself, and here i am looking at purchasing more, one expensive. I do really need to have a good hard look at myself. How many do you need, how many can you carry, when i was a kid and got my first knife i treasured it like it was the last knife on earth, now i have boxes of them, do not get me wrong, we are all knife people and love knives. But, do we appreciate what we have, i think sometimes not, but a very good thread and question to ponder. Maybe it will save me some money, maybe not, i don't know, but it has given me something to think about. Take care all.

[Railsplitter]

Just saw this post while browsing, and after reading every ones views and thoughts got me thinking. Have i turned into someone that i normally criticize, a greedy consumer. I am looking at some knives that i am trying to make up my mind which one or ones' to get, one i really like, but it is expensive, if i get this one, i cannot get a couple of others i am looking at. And yesterday there was an interesting post by a member that some of the AAPK store sellers seem to be a bit high with there asking prices, and one of the knives i am looking at, is on the members forum store, and does seem a tad high, but it is all supply and demand. Then i thought what the hell am i doing. I have 4, yes 4 knives in the mail on the way too me, have not even received those 4 purchases, which was over kill in itself, and here i am looking at purchasing more, one expensive. I do really need to have a good hard look at myself. How many do you need, how many can you carry, when i was a kid and got my first knife i treasured it like it was the last knife on earth, now i have boxes of them, do not get me wrong, we are all knife people and love knives. But, do we appreciate what we have, i think sometimes not, but a very good thread and question to ponder. Maybe it will save me some money, maybe not, i don't know, but it has given me something to think about. Take care all.

Great post cudgee. The blue highlighted text speaks volumes.

[Xyphos]

I've really had to regain some self-control with collecting too, it's a struggle. I try to limit myself to either patterns/brands I don't have any of, or to a specific type. Recently I've begun a love affair with splitbacks, and that's a good thing because it limits my options. Before that I was nuts about unusual blades & tools, and I still love those.

[jerryd6818]

Ohhhh, I wish y'all had not shined the bright light of reason on this issue. For the last 'X' number of years I've struggled with what will happen to my earthly possessions when I leave this mortal coil (while continuing to accumulate). I have a daughter, a son and 4 grandchildren, none of which have the slightest interest in knives (or actually any of my other valued possessions). Dispose of them while I continue to draw breath? That's just crazy talk. So you see my AAPK friends. you are not the only ones who hang on the horns of dilemma.

[samb1955]

I guess when I pass to wherever it is you go the least of my worries will be where my stuff goes.

[cudgee]

I guess when I pass to wherever it is you go the least of my worries will be where my stuff goes.

[TPK]

Nice Rick! Almost all of my knives are to nice to carry because I had to save up to get them or they at least put a big dent in my buget (even if none of them were all that expensive). But you are so right, if I don't plan on selling them, who in the heck am I protecting them for. It may take me a while to get used to the idea but your words have planted a seed. I really should carry my "good" knives whenever I wish. After all, they are mine. I can't carry them when I'm gone. I can only enjoy them while I'm here. And I can't take them with me. The Egyptians tried that & they got robbed.

Your words were well put.

The seed that was planted in me by this thread has been growing but at a very slow pace. My new plan is to learn some sewing skills, make myself some velcro sealable slips, & then, start carrying most of the knives I have in my EDC rotation. That way I can enjoy them without the risk of greater damage or I can at least slow the process of scratches & digs that may come from every day use. I'm sure a few knives will remain in my showcases but a larger number of them will finally get some pocket time. This in turn will bring me great joy!

Or at least that's the plan.

My children will probably sell off my collection at some point in time & probably at whatever prices they bring on eBay. Good or Bad. It's a sad thought be It's a realistic thought. So if no one will want to keep my knives, why not enjoy them myself. My "Case Family Collection" not inclueded. Maybe someone will at least keep those knives. I hope.

Funny how old men ponder about metal objects. LOL!

And I bet many of you feel the same about your firearms which I do not own any of.

Tom

[Rossr]

Yep had these thoughts myself. I have quite a few straight razors. Yet I never have once shaved with one. I have several that were from my Great grandparents farm. It started the collection disease when I was 12. Much like knives they were interesting to me as a kid. Im in my 40's now and while I dont buy one very often once in a while they catch me. Why ...no idea Dont need em but I like em. Knives about the same. Got plenty and I can only use one at a time. So obviously the next move was to make them and then make leather goods etc. Most of what I make in my knife and leather shop is not needed. But its wanted and its about love. We fall in love with things and cherish them for lots of reasons. Im glad folks fall in love with things and will buy them from me and others. Its also social interaction we share our collections with like minded people and get to spend some time that way. When we can give a special knife or make something special to share thats important too but has little to do with the knife I suspect. I guess in the end we are just caretakers or said item for whoever comes after us. We should enjoy what we have, use them, share them and talk about them. When its time pass them along to the next group of caretakers. We all just need food clothing and shelter. If we just spend money on that and nothing else I suspect life would be pretty boring.

Ill stop rambling now

Back to my leather shop and creating things

Ross