Anybody else lose your spark for knives?

[Waukonda]

There are several thousand people each day still perusing this forum however they are mostly not signed in, only the regulars sign in so they can make a post or use the search function.

They do come here when they want an answer to a knife question that can not be found on Facebook, my favorite kind of poster the perverbial " One and Done" poster, get what they are looking for and don't even have the courtesy to say thank you.

Another thing that burns me up is long time members who have been here for years with hundreds dare I say thousands of knives in their collection who have only posted a handful of knives?? And no I don't expect anyone to post every single knife they own!

I don't get it, the life blood of this and any knife forum is PARTICIPATION post a comment or a picture!

Rant Over!

[Ridgegrass]

Dimitri: excellent post. My mini rant: A while ago a tire kicker asked me for more info and pics of some knives I had posted for sale. I sent 9 pics and a detailed explanation/description. No reply. I'll leave it at that..........J.O'.

[Gtrclktr-351]

Unscientifically, it seems there is a little decline in the activity on the site. Maybe it's me, but there doesn't seem to be as many folks on line at any given moment as there were a few years ago, and some of the old familiar names are either missing or less frequently heard from. Probably inevitable as those among us are getting older.

I have noticed the same thing.

We have unfortunately lost some members to their passing but I think the majority of them are now on Facebook.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry ( as the old saying goes) has left AAPK to join or start their own Facebook page

I don't like Facebook, the format drives me nuts, endlessly scrolling to the bottomless page to read the content. Not to mention the endless advertising. It is unorganized, no separate forums to find what specifically you are looking for. I like the structure and organization of AAPK
To each their own.

There are several thousand people each day still perusing this forum however they are mostly not signed in, only the regulars sign in so they can make a post or use the search function.

They do come here when they want an answer to a knife question that can not be found on Facebook, my favorite kind of poster the perverbial " One and Done" poster, get what they are looking for and don't even have the courtesy to say thank you.

Another thing that burns me up is long time members who have been here for years with hundreds dare I say thousands of knives in their collection who have only posted a handful of knives?? And no I don't expect anyone to post every single knife they own!

I don't get it, the life blood of this and any knife forum is PARTICIPATION post a comment or a picture!

Rant Over!

All I can say in rebuttal is, Amen!

[PA Knives]

As a long-time collector, author, and historian, I have limited my participation as I get little to no feedback when I post an antique knife. The true hard-core usually comment, and I appreciate that, but it seems most are far more interested in the newer versions now being offered. I love researching an unknown knife, but I feel that for the most part, I'm on my own. My drive is still strong, but my desire to be ignored is not so much. Just venting

[MissouriGuerrilla]

I've went in and out, up and down, but, to be honestly frank, I deal with a lot of emotions. No, I'm not bipolar or nuts. My knife interest is always there. Like something buried. You can't see it or feel it, but you know it's there and it exists. This site has helped keep me sparked and lit. I love posting, but I don't love having to take the picture, grab the camera cord, hook it into the computer and the camera, find the files, etc.. I don't like the process.
As far as expenses, I usually stay cheap, but very interested. I LOVE to roam the knife special bins at Tractor Supply. I almost always walk out with something in the $9.99 - 12.99 range.
Furthermore, I always have at least one knife for display on my desk. I like to pick it up, fondle it, pull the blades out and marvel over the mirror finish and appreciate the stag, jig, swirl or camo sides.

[American Blade 92]

Unscientifically, it seems there is a little decline in the activity on the site. Maybe it's me, but there doesn't seem to be as many folks on line at any given moment as there were a few years ago, and some of the old familiar names are either missing or less frequently heard from. Probably inevitable as those among us are getting older.

I have noticed the same thing.

We have unfortunately lost some members to their passing but I think the majority of them are now on Facebook.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry ( as the old saying goes) has left AAPK to join or start their own Facebook page

I don't like Facebook, the format drives me nuts, endlessly scrolling to the bottomless page to read the content. Not to mention the endless advertising. It is unorganized, no separate forums to find what specifically you are looking for. I like the structure and organization of AAPK
To each their own.

There are several thousand people each day still perusing this forum however they are mostly not signed in, only the regulars sign in so they can make a post or use the search function.

They do come here when they want an answer to a knife question that can not be found on Facebook, my favorite kind of poster the perverbial " One and Done" poster, get what they are looking for and don't even have the courtesy to say thank you.

Another thing that burns me up is long time members who have been here for years with hundreds dare I say thousands of knives in their collection who have only posted a handful of knives?? And no I don't expect anyone to post every single knife they own!

I don't get it, the life blood of this and any knife forum is PARTICIPATION post a comment or a picture!

Rant Over!

I see. I can't stand Facebook either.

[rea1eye]

I think it is common to sometimes lose some spark in a hobby every once
and awhile. The higher prices in collecting certainly can hinder you
if fiancés come into the picture.

Remember the hobby is much more than buying knives.
Staying, reading on the forum could bring back the
spark or at least keep the embers glowing. There are
so many good hearted people on this forum you sometimes
just need to know what they are up to this day.

You may be surprised what comes your way and really
re-ignites your interests.

Sending a few sparks your way!



Bob

[Corn Creek Cutlery]

One of the perks about this hobby is the people you connect with, creating a knife network across states in your traveling region.
The fellowship, learning, and sharing with others keeps the flame burning. In person giving, buying, selling, and trading has great rewards.

[tvic]

One of the perks about this hobby is the people you connect with, creating a knife network across states in your traveling region.
The fellowship, learning, and sharing with others keeps the flame burning. In person giving, buying, selling, and trading has great rewards.

Amen!

[Quick Steel]

I used to post photos quite often. But I realized that most of my knives have been posted at least once, sometimes more often. I rarely buy a knife anymore. I suppose I am guilty of being on the edge of losing my spark.

Increasingly, my knife preoccupation centers on how I will dispose of my collection. I frequently just give a knife to a visitor or friend. I am not eager to set up a big sales operation. I'm pretty much clueless on setting prices. I'm not concerned with recovering my expenses for knives. A price has to be low enough so that if a buyer wants to resell, there is plenty of room for him or her to make a profit. But it is all a bit overwhelming. I wish there was a knife museum around here where I could simply donate most items.

[robpa]

Im goin strong as ever I guess. I was a dedicated Queen collector, anything made by Queen. Then sold off all but true Queens a Schatts. My interest kinda was slipping, so I started grabbing Buck custom fixed blades which turned into also getting some Bobcat box marbles, and then I discovered bark River and Black jack! I dont buy as many but I am spending more in the end. I just love em. Ill be 79 next month and probably wont be around a lot longer but the boys are gonna get them and enjoy. I grab a couple every day and just study them and ya know, .
I enjoy seeing what you guys have picked up and show and tell with my new pickups. Used to buy a lot from the AAPK stores but the pickings for me are low these days with all the China and autos listed. I have 0 interest in China knives, too many good ones made right here. I did snag a few Mokis, which kinda bothers me. My dad served in the Pacific with the Bushmasters and he didnt tell me a lot but those japs, I hate sending any money to em. I did bring home a couple knives from nam but they were made by the mountainyards.(Hmong) Ill be collecting til the end I reckon.

[glennbad]

I am like most others here, in that I have lost the luster for knives at times. It ebbs and flows. For a time, I was buying up everything I could get my hands on. I started to realize I had a lot of knives, but not a lot of quality throughout my collection. Around the time of Covid, there weren't a lot of opportunities to go out and purchase knives, so I used that time to re-acquaint myself with my collection. I began to sift through them and pare down my collection to more quality than quantity. The overage of knives mostly went to parts storage, POS exchanges, or the occasional sell-off.

Now, when I buy knives, I am more selective, so it tends to focus me more on the search. I really don't get burnt out any more, because I am more picky about what I purchase.

All that being said, the friendships I have made with this hobby are worth far more than the value of my collection, so in that aspect, I will never lose the spark.

[danno50]

There have been lot's of good comments. I really like what Dimitri had to say. I have been guilty of neglecting this forum for a few years now. Not sure why this has happened. I do spend quite a bit of time on the other forum, but, a lot of the discussion over there is GEC and other new knives. I am more interested in older knives and this is a better forum for discussing history of old knives. I have lost my spark for buying many knives, but, I always have a few on my desk and on display around the house and am still very interested in researching what I have.
I attempted some pocket knife repair back in 2017 (did 3 knives). I have just this past month or two gotten back into doing this and it has really picked up my interest.

[Don L59]

Yup the newbie is the only one who posted any pictures. I expected to see some more knife pictures to from others. Just requires a little effort.

[American Blade 92]

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone!
Here's a little knife I put together from scraps today.

[wlf]

As most of you regulars know, I'm selling out for medical and financial reasons, So much for that. Truth is I'm having nearly as much fun selling and dealing with serious and nice collectors as I did buying for 45+ years. I'll always love a good knife and will probably buy a prize when I see one, but owning 1,000 + pieces got cumbersome and I'm over it. Again, I'm just glad my babies are going to good stewards and will stay in the hobby. 40+ Catts and 40+ KA BAR's are going to my two grandsons, and, my son won't have to deal with the rest.
Unscientifically, it seems there is a little decline in the activity on the site. Maybe it's me, but there doesn't seem to be as many folks on line at any given moment as there were a few years ago, and some of the old familiar names are either missing or less frequently heard from. Probably inevitable as those among us are getting older. Good time for the younger addicts to grab some nice pieces. J.O'.

Facebook . Sales are booming there. There's lots of knives being sold and accepted that we would shun as almost frankenknives.

I guess I should have read the whole thread, as Dimitri summarized some of my opinions.