One of the other users here mentioned Case Cutlery, which is located in my hometown. That whole area had been known for sharp blades; there were a bunch of shops from the mid-1800’s making knives and razors. I’m kind of in awe of a bunch of dudes coming from the old country making their way industriously in a new home. One of my own gggrandfathers was a blacksmith from Sweden who apparently made a lot of nails; idk, that’s the story.

The other part is that I use knives every day as a chef. And fire, too. It’s fun. They help me change things to be the way I want them to be.

I don't know if I can explain it since it's not my fascination, but my son's. I think a part of it for him is the fantasy of owning a sword, but then there is also the utility of having a tool on you. Personally, I can appreciate knives, but I could take them or leave them. He's been into them since elementary school. Not sure if that answers you question.

For me, it's utility. I use my knife a surprising amount, and having a good quality knife that keeps a good edge makes a huge difference. And if you're going to carry one, you might as well carry a nice looking one. I personally like the look of a classic wood handled Buck, but there are tons of styles and variations to fit everyone and every need. And once you start a collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can.

@m500@lemmy.ml

For me there are a couple reasons to collect knifes:

• Utility: I find myself using a knife somewhat regularly beyond just opening Amazon boxes. My kids are all in Scouts, I'm a Scout leader and routinely teach knife safety.
• Design: there are people who turn steel, wood, synthetic materials, etc. into tools. They are talented and the end result is not something you put on a shelf or hang on a wall to look at but to use!
• Variety: All cars get you from A to B but some do it differently than others. All knives will cut things but some do it differently than others. Plus knives are less expensive than cars :)
• Technology: I have a background in science. I find the science of the steels used to make blades fascinating and I enjoy learning about them. And all of that learning can be put to practical real-world use by buying one of those knives.

Knives are tools with personality and I like that.

Some people collect spoons.. We're just coming at it from the opposite direction.