I'm a user and a collector

[knightrider]

I like to do both. I have back-ups of 2 knives I really like. This allows you to use the knife and appreciate it, then the back-up is there as a collector piece to sell to buy more knives or to use when first one is lost or damaged. I'm very happy that I have more than one dodo, if I had just one I probably wouldn't use it and wouldn't have found out how great it is for edc.

Just recently got a second g-10 pe standard because I was carrying the first one I got and wanted an extra to keep in my collection. The only ones I'd love to carry and use but won't are my 2 carbon fibers, the pe harpy and the se delica. Can't find or afford back-ups of these so I don't use them (yet, maybe someday, even if I can't get a back-up :) )

[Civilian]

Ditto here.
That is what brought me here to the forums, finding a back-up for my Civilian I EDC's for 10 years! There are several knives I got just for the collection and would never consider to EDC. Almost all of the CF models fall into this catagory, with the one Glaring exception the CF Milie. It just screams to be carried! A funny one is My Ti-ATR, I bought it as a collector piece and it turned into one of my favorite EDCers.

[ghostrider]

I try not to be a collector with knives anymore(lots of denial here). There are some I have that were bought just for collecting, but they were either very inexpensive or bought because of something I liked about that particular piece. Most of my Spyderco’s are all users. Some of them have never been used, but that isn’t because I’m saving them for anything. That’s how I came up with the term “Drawer Dancer” for the knives I bought to use, but ended up never using.

The only exception is my PE Spyderhawk. I bought it because I wanted one and thought I might use it, but it’s collector value is IMHO so great that I see no reason to use it when I have other hawkbills to use.

When I collected comics, I learned a general rule. There are comics you buy to collect, and comics you buy to read. This doesn’t exactly apply to knives, but it does transfer over to a certain extent. There are knives you buy to collect, knives you buy to use, and those that can be both.

[yablanowitz]

I'll bet one day I'll be sorry I carried and used a limited edition, one of 50 ever made knife. NOT!!! If it will fit in a pocket or hang on a belt without getting me arrested, I'll carry it, use it , sharpen it when needed. The rare ones just catch less abuse. I guess I'm an accumulator rather than a collector. :D
Even the knives I have multiples of I think of more as spares than back ups or (shudder) safe queens. I do have a few wall hangers, but I really don't see much point in buying knives to lock away and never use. I think that's a big reason I gravitate to the knives I do (mostly Spyderco and Benchmade). I want something to USE, not to look at. :D