I needed this video nick. Recently had to sell most of my knife collection in order to afford an emergency vet visit. It took a long time to find, customize and buy a lot of them. Hearing someone else have this kind of sentiment makes the wound a little better. PS: Kitty is okay
Man these philosophical videos never miss. “This isn’t the you can’t struggle and have nice things that old rich white people who own senators love to say” is just too true
An ole Master Carpenter I worked with used to tell me. "Jeff if you compare your insides to people's outsides,,, you'll lose every time". Nice vid Nick!! 👍🇺🇸👍🇺🇸
This is the exact reason I love this channel. You offer an very introspective view of things. You can tell he has sat and thought long and hard about this kind of topic. Thanks for the amazing and concise view point.
It’s a slippery slope. The sickness is real. Thanks for the message, Nick. We should all take this into consideration. Reel it in and keep the collection modest and money in your pocket.
Wanting to have one or two knives that one will take a pleasure in using/carrying will be at worst a one time too much cash spent. Collecting however borders a disease that in worst case may do you some real harm.
Perfect video. The part where you mention carrying stuff you love in a world that seems in chaos is the perfect way to describe one of the main reasons I love to obsess over minor details of knives, wallets, watches... Its nice to hyper focus out about a piece of gear that will bring you joy and take your mind off the rest of the bad news. 3 hours of researching a potential knife purchase is 10000% better for my mental health then reading the news headlines for 20 min.
As a younger collector and fresh graduate, this video has really helped me center myself. I’m glad I saw this before I was too “eager” in the hobby. Thanks Nick for looking out for your viewers and for being a gem to the world.
My goal when I started was to come up with an EDC setup that looked cool, had everything I needed to carry, and didnt cost me more than a few hundred bucks. Took a LONG time of getting one small thing at a time, and adding it to my collection. Had a few setbacks, got a couple things I ended up not liking and improving upon, but it's come together quite nicely. I have a full EDC that in my opinion, looks pretty great, serves all my needs, and most importantly, should last several years before I ever need to replace anything. I didn't spend 1000 bucks, or even 500 for all my gear. Now that I have everything I wanted. I don't keep buying more knives, or prybars, or watches, etc... That's just me tho, I wanted a good EDC. Not to be a collector, I ain't got the money for all that, lol. If people find themselves thinkin, "man I'm spending too much money on this stuff". Well, take a step back, look at what ya got, and ask yourself, do you have everything you need for EDC? If so, maybe you don't need a 7th 200 dollar knife, lol.
Who in the world are the 16 thumbs-down voters and what issues might they be struggling with that would influence them to dislike a video that offers simple, common sense, down-to-earth advice? Phenomenal video, Nick! Thank you sharing some pretty awesome wisdom with us and please keep up the great work!
This is why even though I could technically afford to buy any knife I want, I refuse to pay over $200 for a knife. Plenty of downright amazing knives under $200 to choose from for my needs and I will actually carry them and use them. I never understood those safe queen show piece knives. More power to people that are into that, but to me, knives are meant to be carried and would not bring me any joy if I didn't.
I’m in the same camp. If I can’t comfortably use it and not worry about “hurting it” or losing it, I don’t want it. It’s a tool. It makes no sense to me to have one that’s so nice it just sits around on a desk and looks good. My personal upper end is about $300 but as a general rule I don’t really look at things over $200. My latest purchase is so good it’s sort of ruined me for a while. Blue Malibu reverse Tanto. It’s the pinnacle of the $200 EDC knife for me. The entire rest of my collection other than my beloved Smock is now just gathering dust. I don’t want to carry anything else anymore. It’s sort of a weird dilemma for a knife nut. Nothing else can touch it so what’s the point? 🤔
@@jagpilotohio Yep. I have a Protech Malibu and Quiet Carry IQ for my gentleman/office edcs and I do carry them. That's about my top end for me. Truly beautiful knives for that purpose and more than I could have ever dreamed of growing up. My other edcs are a Spyderco Lightweight Chappy, Mini-bugout, Kizer Fire Ant, Civivi McKenna, Sog Terminus XR D2, and the R2D2. These are all amazing blades for EDC and great tools. I carry them all and rotate them out and especially love the trusty R2D2, as I can abuse that one if I have to and not worry about it a bit. Same thing with outdoor knives and fixed blades. I will go with a trusty Mora Robust Carbon all day and beat the hell out of it because it is all of $13 to replace it and it just does its job.
I do think there is a point to art pieces. They have a rather long heritage after all. Although mainly prestige pieces, some truly are amazing displays of craftsmanship. At the same time, I have no intention of buying one either. Just wanted to point out the purposes I see beyond a tool.
I have been like this for most of my life. I have nothing against show pieces but, for me, these are tools. I understand that a lot of people view their knives, watches, pens, ect. as functional jewelry or art but, to me, they are just nice to use tools. I can respect the artistry and beauty but I would never pay the premium for it.
This is something that I think definitely needed to be said . I personally don’t even have most of the gear that I want in my price range because I have that inner voice that tells me the three or four other things I could do with the money . But some people are blind to this . Especially after seeing some of the videos people post . Thanks for thinking about the viewers and considering your’s and other’s influence on said viewers . Take car Nick ..
Wow. Fantastic wisdom. I’m a high end toy collector in my late 40’s and I’ve come to the same conclusions. Thanks for saying this for the benefit of your followers.
I definitely learned quick in this hobby that I can only afford to hang out in the shallow end of the pool :) I have focused on finding gems in the "as far under $100 as I can get" range. I do have a few above that, but for the most part my collection is sub $100. It is really hard to resist swimming over to the deep end, but so far I have enjoyed my little niche...
Thanks Nick!! I really needed this. I have a habbit of getting way too invested in the "hobby of the month" and end up with some financial stress. It's nice to be kept in check periodically.
I carried a Kershaw Leak and/or a $30 Gerber flipper for 10 years, while drooling over PM2s and Benchmades sitting behind glass cases at my local gander. I finally pulled the trigger on a Barrage, and it was the only thing in my pocket for 2 years. Another 2 years later, I decided that I absolutely needed the Crooked River. And again, it took another 2 full years to pick up a PM2. 16 years, right now, I'm finally at a place where I feel comfortable picking up new gear on a semi regular basis, and even then, I still get TONS of joy carrying around my first benchmade. Unfortunately, the Gerber has been sharpened down to at least half of its blade stock, and the leak needed to retire for other reasons. Tldr: Nick is 100% on point with this video, with my personal experience sprinkled in.
Every time you post one of these Nick, I drop everything to watch. Every single one of them have struck a chord, and really made me stop and think. Any random jackass with a camera can post a review, but it’s pieces like this that makes me proud to support you. Thank you.
Great Advice Nick .you're the best Tuber of all. I've bought many knives on your advice. And I Now have Too Many. But they all bring me Joy! .from $30.00 to $500. .I've got em ,thanks it's time for me to become a patron. Thanks Kerry
Great topic. I actually deleted my Instagram for this very reason. It made me feel tremendous pressure to buy things I didn't need rather than buy things that brought me joy. Thanks for the reminder Nick. Good work.
Great job Nick keeping things in perspective and helping to advise people not to overspend. In my life needs are more important than wants. I live in Syracuse, NY and just put a brand new set of Blizzak snow tires on my vehicle. That is much more important to me and my family than me buying a new Spyderco knife that I don't really need.
Just want a few nice things as I struggle! Tried the struggling for years without nice things . . . and the struggling is better WITH nice things. Struggle is constant, so might as well enjoy something.
I put all my knife/gear purchases on a single credit card and pay it off in full every month. As long as I can make that payment, (which I always do), I'm feeling good. If I see that balance creeping up too high, I slam on the brakes till next month. There are some months where I might have unforeseen expenses but I still need that knife fix. That's where a knife like the qsp penguin fulfills a role.
Less than a minute and I already liked this vid. Real life is real and gear obsession is real. There is a balance between the two. Edit: Shadow price and opportunity costs are real things. I teach a financial literally class to violent offenders, have fore years. My most common metaphor is: you can't pay rent in Jordan's. Nick is 100% right in this. My Civivi Elementum cuts just as well at my Koenig Arius. My Ruger SR9c fires just as well at my Walther P88. And my Carolla drives just as well as my Chrysler 300. If you are living on a tight budget, never over spend on a want when you have a pressing need. No matter what is in front of you now, there will be something better when you are financially stable.
One thing I've learned as a young edc/gun enthusiast patience is important, instead of dumping a whole paycheck on that new rifle or watch save up for a few months whether you can afford it right away or not, the wait and the work make the purchase more special and meaningful.
Thank you Nick. Very good advise, as he flexed, loved it as usual. I do particularly enjoy your philosophical videos. Hey, what’s up in the terrible knives world??
First of all, well said, and I agree. I have gone down these rabbit holes before. Records/cds/high end audio gear, watches, and more recently knives and pens. Fortunately, I am still wading around the world of Fisher space pens and modestly priced slip joint knives, but I can see how a cheap little hobby can get expensive quickly. One can make the argument that every man should remember the rule of 1. As in. 1 watch. One pair of nice shoes, or boots. 1 good pocket knife. And 1 pen. And leave it at that and move on. (OK, maybe in some cases 2. As in a spare pair of shoes. So for example, one pair of good black shoes, and 1 pair of brown. Or in the case of knives, one big knife to keep in a toolbox or in a workshop, and one small one for EDC) But we collectors are not normal people, and we find joy in having more than 1 or 2 of whatever we like. And to a certain extent, if one is good, 2 is better, and 3 better than 2, and so on. You already touched on some of this, but there are 3 things collecting does for us that enhances our lives, and 2 the detract from our lives. As long as the 3 is greater than the 2, I am good. When it goes the other way, not so much. The positive. 1. It does something useful. Cutting open something, use as a tool for food preparation, opening a package, or woodworking, for example. Or in the case of watches, telling time. In the case of pens, writing things down on paper. In the case of shoes or clothes, protecting our bodies from the elements. 2. It is a way to bring some beauty into our every day lives. True of most gear. For sure wqtches. Why else would some people pay thousands for a watch when you can pick something up for $20 that tells better time? because most of those cheapies are butt ugly. True of expensive shoes. True of high end audio. Because unless you are a world class musician yourself, or have an unlimited budget to travel the world hearing world class musicians, the closest you can get is to hear recordings captured with close to perfect fidelity. True of pens, again much like watches, for the most part, a disposable pen writes almost as well as an expensive pen, so why bother? 3. To show off to other collectors, or to the world. Mostly other collectors because except for a few luxury brands like Rolex watches, luxury watches, knives, pens or stereo gear is irrelevant to most people. Nonetheless, social media has given show offs opportunities that didn't exist 20 or 25 years ago. The negative: 1. if you are neglecting other aspects of your life, then your hobby might become a source of resentment. If not to you, to your family . If every time you stare at your Rolex or Omega you think about the beater you are driving around, or your past due bills. Or if you are just a lonely guy sitting at home with your knife collection when you could be spending your money on life experiences, then you are putting the cart before the horse. The point of a hobby is to enhance your regular life, not to replace having a life. 2. Sometimes the pursuit of perfection gets in the way of the second point above. So instead of appreciating the beauty of a classic Miles Davis recording, all the obsessive audiophile can hear is the rolled off treble, or boomy bass of his stereo. So never mind that when experiencing real music performance, there are a ton of things the real music lover must put up with, like finding a parking place, getting a seat way in the back of the room, or putting up with rude people talking through the performance. So a lot of people get more hung up on the gear and forget about the reason they got into gear.
Thanks appreciate the video I agree believe me would love to have some of the amazing knives I see from time to time but it's out of my budget so I get joy watching nice knives on your channel
Based on the amount of gear for sale on various FB forums, I feel like the pandemic has forced a lot of us in the community to have with ourselves the philosophical discussion that Nick eloquently states in his video. I really appreciate the fact that Nick looks out for his fans by making these sort of videos to keep himself & us honest about the hobby.
Hi NIck You talk a lot of sense, and if I won the lottery I still wouldn't buy a Rolex, what have I got on my wrist at the moment a Casio Royale , stay safe and a Happy Christmas
another top philosophical rant by the main man.You're spot on in this video,Nick,,and I'm immediately auditing my collection for knives that, well,hey- do I really need?!!
"To be prepared" yup, second that. Offline is where the pen writes the knife cuts etc, if your gear functions well for you, take pride in that. Only online is 90% of gear "not good enough" where in our daily lives that Other 10% ends up safe queening for most folks anyway. Get functional gear - instagram photos don't save the day offline, but a cheap pen might.
My friends: "Why do you only buy cheap Gshock watches?" Me:"Because no matter what I buy its going to look like I lost it in a bag of rocks for a month after three days in the shop."
Oh Nick, even though you are the most expensive friend I have never met, catapulting me into a +300 knife collection, it still brings me so much joy listening to you. Please do not change, you jack-ass gem you - absolutely loves your high pitched “oh my God”🤣
I watch a lot of gear videos, but I rarely buy the stuff. I own a few prime examples and feel that is sufficient. I only buy new pieces if I feel there is a real functional need that my existing pieces can't fulfill. I would rather have my money work for me as opposed to having more shiny baubles.
Good video. This needs to be said more often. I have gotten sucked into different collecting hobbies and have spent too much time researching things I will never buy. Living life is more enjoyable.
I've only ever had one high end watch in my life, a nice gold one, and after 1 week of owning it I foolishly let one of my friends wear it, and he started a fight and crashed into a BBQ and smaashed it and scratched it to crap. He was renting a room in my house at the time, and I told him to pay me off for the watch in installments each week. He randomly left and I never saw him again, and he still owed me a few weeks rent. Sad times.
Exactly why I've been keeping my purchases under the €100 mark. I get plenty of joy out of them, actually dare to carry and use them and still get to save money or splurge on entirely other things I need/want. Sure I'd like some over the top beautiful custom and might well end up buying one some day (if only as an heirloom piece), but I refuse to allow myself to be blinded by my own greed.
A few years ago, I stopped smoking and with the money I saved, I was trying to decide between a used sports car and a new Rolex Submariner. (Both were about £5000 at the time.) I loved that MR2, and it gave me a few years of unalloyed pleasure but I really should have bought the Submariner.
I watch these gear reviews and when theyre in my price range I have a mild impulse to buy them but otherwise I can suppress it very easily and I just like looking at the cool stuff. Nick, The Time Teller, Cutlery Lover, and sometimes lockpicking lawyer are my goto for burning time on youtube and looking at things I wish I had.
Great talk Nick, that’s why I have set limits to my collection. That I am comfortable with. And more importantly it’s not about keeping up with the Jones’s ( youtuber ). Love you channel Nick!
getting old is weird, im at the point in my life where i actually carry the older sentimental gear more then anything new i buy, the g shock my wife bought me a few years ago isnt the perfect watch but i pick it up more that any other watch, the inexpensive steel frame lock kershaw (Zing maybe, not actually sure of the name) finds its way into my pocket because i got it for being a groomsmen for one of my closest friends.
Someone recently said that we modern Americans know how to buy things, but we don't know how to own things. I know it's easy for me to get caught up in pining over a new knife rather than appreciating the ones I already own.
Crazy knife collectors have existed long before social media. On the plus, social media has helped more makers exist. I do find trends come and go quicker, so it is tougher to build a collection by selling what you are done with.
Alot of EDC aspects are hobbies on their own. You have the knives, pens, watches and flashlights that have their own community and they all have their grails. But in the EDC world it's easy to find people that love to show off grails from all sides. And it's hard not to want to be like them.
I noticed, after buying expensiv gear, that the things i wear the most are the affordable stuff. The highest i was willing to go in gear were my two favourite watches, a hamilton kahki mechanical and a ventus northstar with samurai movement. They hurt a bit price wise but every time i wear them i am comftable so thats my cost carry maximum XD
I've gone down that road a few times. There are things that I just had to have. Once I get them, I wonder if it was something I really wanted in the first place. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
This really is a great video, its way to easy to rationalize irresponsible spending in today's culture so it pays to stop and think 👍 Also, to anyone younger or just getting into edc gear heres my advice: You already like cool stuff, consider learning to make some cool stuff. You won't be good at it at first, no one is though and you get better constantly if you keep working at it! And it doesn't have to be hard, or expensive! Everyone jumps to knives and Ti gear and whatnot. If your on a budget make yourself some leather stuff, or play with brass or copper! Make some lanyard beads or small pocket tools. You probably have some material like scrap leather or chunk of brass and some files around the house 👍 If you keep at it you might just make enough to buy all the cool stuff you wanted in the first place!
We've all done it, but listen to Nick. Be responsible! In the long run it's better than the shiny new thing. In 95% of cases a $25 Ontario Rat 1or Rat 2 is the best tool for the job. Don't ever be ashamed of having what works.
Who lives in a swamp? Great vid as always Nick. If the object you buy won't be used on a regular basis the joy of owning it wears of quickly. Especially if you're in bad need of something else...
Nick,please tell me your "knife problem" is worse that my "watch problem."I must have around 85 watches both mechanical and quartz,nothing too fancy but still a problem.................
Another reason to hate sprint runs. Fear of missing out on a configuration you really want but being forced to spend the money when you don’t want to really leaves you feeling sour over the tool.
"Sometimes the best $500 gear is $50 gear with $450 in your savings account."
Needed to hear that.
I like to spend 6 months researching a knife then when I go to buy it, it’s out of stock or discontinued. Keeps me humble
I feel you.
Yep. I've been there more than I like to remember.
I can relate, planned to buy one knife and when I got some extra money burning hole in my pocket it sold out.
Truth
I've done this and missed out on some great knives, the last one was the Hundred Pacer, I'm still looking for one now.
I needed this video nick. Recently had to sell most of my knife collection in order to afford an emergency vet visit. It took a long time to find, customize and buy a lot of them. Hearing someone else have this kind of sentiment makes the wound a little better. PS: Kitty is okay
I'm glad your kitty is OK, and that you have your priorities straight :)
Man these philosophical videos never miss. “This isn’t the you can’t struggle and have nice things that old rich white people who own senators love to say” is just too true
This hit home, especially with today's political climate.
Good video Nick I'm going to quote a good friend of mine " You can get just as much enjoyment being an enthusiast, not a collector"
Best quote I've heard about edc gear and watch collecting. Your friend is very wise. 👍
It’s like the guys on Gears and Gasoline said, “you can be a car enthusiast, without even owing a car”.
Which we both agree is alright... right?
Watching this channel is admitting you have a problem. I have 4, kinda sharp ahem, problems right now
@@felixbelanger2659 Yessir.
An ole Master Carpenter I worked with used to tell me. "Jeff if you compare your insides to people's outsides,,, you'll lose every time".
Nice vid Nick!! 👍🇺🇸👍🇺🇸
This is the exact reason I love this channel. You offer an very introspective view of things. You can tell he has sat and thought long and hard about this kind of topic. Thanks for the amazing and concise view point.
I graduate highschool in just a few months and this video really spoke to me, thank you Nick
Awesome man. Make sure u buy that $700’ knife instead of saving for college 😂
God bless you Nick. May you have a great Christmas for all the good you've ever done.
Very good ! "A gentleman is someone who puts more back in the world than what they take out" , great video Nick !
It’s a slippery slope. The sickness is real. Thanks for the message, Nick. We should all take this into consideration. Reel it in and keep the collection modest and money in your pocket.
Couldn’t agree more
Wanting to have one or two knives that one will take a pleasure in using/carrying will be at worst a one time too much cash spent. Collecting however borders a disease that in worst case may do you some real harm.
Matus Kalisky You’re probably right but I’ve kept my collection numbers consistent. One out one in or two out one in, so to speak.
@@ahhcrickets that means you are on top of it and can enjoy it 👍
It's like getting the multitool bug, you have a backup or 20.
This is an important conversion for us all to have with ourselves often.
He says... having recently had this difficult conversation.
Perfect video. The part where you mention carrying stuff you love in a world that seems in chaos is the perfect way to describe one of the main reasons I love to obsess over minor details of knives, wallets, watches... Its nice to hyper focus out about a piece of gear that will bring you joy and take your mind off the rest of the bad news. 3 hours of researching a potential knife purchase is 10000% better for my mental health then reading the news headlines for 20 min.
Couldn’t agree more! I’m looking for an affordable minimalist wallet, any suggestions?
As a younger collector and fresh graduate, this video has really helped me center myself. I’m glad I saw this before I was too “eager” in the hobby. Thanks Nick for looking out for your viewers and for being a gem to the world.
*opens norseman*
Do Not Get Into Watches; best advise I ever heard
Spock: “After a time, you may find that 'having' is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as “wanting.” It is not logical, but it is often true.”
But then there's always the next best thing😉
My goal when I started was to come up with an EDC setup that looked cool, had everything I needed to carry, and didnt cost me more than a few hundred bucks.
Took a LONG time of getting one small thing at a time, and adding it to my collection. Had a few setbacks, got a couple things I ended up not liking and improving upon, but it's come together quite nicely.
I have a full EDC that in my opinion, looks pretty great, serves all my needs, and most importantly, should last several years before I ever need to replace anything.
I didn't spend 1000 bucks, or even 500 for all my gear. Now that I have everything I wanted. I don't keep buying more knives, or prybars, or watches, etc...
That's just me tho, I wanted a good EDC. Not to be a collector, I ain't got the money for all that, lol.
If people find themselves thinkin, "man I'm spending too much money on this stuff". Well, take a step back, look at what ya got, and ask yourself, do you have everything you need for EDC? If so, maybe you don't need a 7th 200 dollar knife, lol.
Who in the world are the 16 thumbs-down voters and what issues might they be struggling with that would influence them to dislike a video that offers simple, common sense, down-to-earth advice? Phenomenal video, Nick! Thank you sharing some pretty awesome wisdom with us and please keep up the great work!
This is why even though I could technically afford to buy any knife I want, I refuse to pay over $200 for a knife. Plenty of downright amazing knives under $200 to choose from for my needs and I will actually carry them and use them. I never understood those safe queen show piece knives. More power to people that are into that, but to me, knives are meant to be carried and would not bring me any joy if I didn't.
I’m in the same camp. If I can’t comfortably use it and not worry about “hurting it” or losing it, I don’t want it.
It’s a tool. It makes no sense to me to have one that’s so nice it just sits around on a desk and looks good. My personal upper end is about $300 but as a general rule I don’t really look at things over $200. My latest purchase is so good it’s sort of ruined me for a while. Blue Malibu reverse Tanto. It’s the pinnacle of the $200 EDC knife for me. The entire rest of my collection other than my beloved Smock is now just gathering dust. I don’t want to carry anything else anymore. It’s sort of a weird dilemma for a knife nut. Nothing else can touch it so what’s the point? 🤔
@@jagpilotohio Yep. I have a Protech Malibu and Quiet Carry IQ for my gentleman/office edcs and I do carry them. That's about my top end for me. Truly beautiful knives for that purpose and more than I could have ever dreamed of growing up. My other edcs are a Spyderco Lightweight Chappy, Mini-bugout, Kizer Fire Ant, Civivi McKenna, Sog Terminus XR D2, and the R2D2. These are all amazing blades for EDC and great tools. I carry them all and rotate them out and especially love the trusty R2D2, as I can abuse that one if I have to and not worry about it a bit. Same thing with outdoor knives and fixed blades. I will go with a trusty Mora Robust Carbon all day and beat the hell out of it because it is all of $13 to replace it and it just does its job.
I do think there is a point to art pieces. They have a rather long heritage after all. Although mainly prestige pieces, some truly are amazing displays of craftsmanship. At the same time, I have no intention of buying one either. Just wanted to point out the purposes I see beyond a tool.
I have been like this for most of my life. I have nothing against show pieces but, for me, these are tools. I understand that a lot of people view their knives, watches, pens, ect. as functional jewelry or art but, to me, they are just nice to use tools. I can respect the artistry and beauty but I would never pay the premium for it.
Love this perspective, Nick. Keep these sorts of videos up.
Also, would love to see more videos about sub $100 knives! Please!
This is something that I think definitely needed to be said . I personally don’t even have most of the gear that I want in my price range because I have that inner voice that tells me the three or four other things I could do with the money . But some people are blind to this . Especially after seeing some of the videos people post . Thanks for thinking about the viewers and considering your’s and other’s influence on said viewers . Take car Nick ..
Thank you for this video, people definitely needed to here this including myself. Your absolutely right. Happy Holidays!!
Excellent video Nick! I think even some of the more seasoned collectors need to hear this kind of reality check.
Wow. Fantastic wisdom. I’m a high end toy collector in my late 40’s and I’ve come to the same conclusions. Thanks for saying this for the benefit of your followers.
I definitely learned quick in this hobby that I can only afford to hang out in the shallow end of the pool :) I have focused on finding gems in the "as far under $100 as I can get" range. I do have a few above that, but for the most part my collection is sub $100. It is really hard to resist swimming over to the deep end, but so far I have enjoyed my little niche...
I’m in the same end of the pool! You wade over to the deep end but then I hear the JAWS theme ( my wife asking why I need that) then I swim back!😆
Thanks Nick!! I really needed this. I have a habbit of getting way too invested in the "hobby of the month" and end up with some financial stress. It's nice to be kept in check periodically.
Great video Nick, way to keep things in perspective.
I carried a Kershaw Leak and/or a $30 Gerber flipper for 10 years, while drooling over PM2s and Benchmades sitting behind glass cases at my local gander. I finally pulled the trigger on a Barrage, and it was the only thing in my pocket for 2 years. Another 2 years later, I decided that I absolutely needed the Crooked River. And again, it took another 2 full years to pick up a PM2. 16 years, right now, I'm finally at a place where I feel comfortable picking up new gear on a semi regular basis, and even then, I still get TONS of joy carrying around my first benchmade. Unfortunately, the Gerber has been sharpened down to at least half of its blade stock, and the leak needed to retire for other reasons.
Tldr: Nick is 100% on point with this video, with my personal experience sprinkled in.
Every time you post one of these Nick, I drop everything to watch. Every single one of them have struck a chord, and really made me stop and think. Any random jackass with a camera can post a review, but it’s pieces like this that makes me proud to support you. Thank you.
Great Advice Nick .you're the best Tuber of all. I've bought many knives on your advice. And I Now have Too Many. But they all bring me Joy! .from $30.00 to $500. .I've got em ,thanks it's time for me to become a patron. Thanks Kerry
Thanks for the support!
Great topic. I actually deleted my Instagram for this very reason. It made me feel tremendous pressure to buy things I didn't need rather than buy things that brought me joy. Thanks for the reminder Nick. Good work.
I've bought 1 knife so far this year, a QSP Penguin.
Having to pay 500% markup on toilet paper really helped put things into perspective.
If you let things dry a little that QPS becomes a nice scraping tool...
I'm sure it does. plus I'm just a sucker for straight edge blades and micarta scales
Great job Nick keeping things in perspective and helping to advise people not to overspend. In my life needs are more important than wants.
I live in Syracuse, NY and just put a brand new set of Blizzak snow tires on my vehicle. That is much more important to me and my family than me buying a new Spyderco knife that I don't really need.
Just want a few nice things as I struggle! Tried the struggling for years without nice things . . . and the struggling is better WITH nice things. Struggle is constant, so might as well enjoy something.
I agree with this.
Agreed! Nobody's saying not to do that, just to think carefully about how you go about it!
@@NickShabazz Oh my goodness, did I think, and weigh, and plan, and price, and research, research, research! Like it was a job!
I put all my knife/gear purchases on a single credit card and pay it off in full every month. As long as I can make that payment, (which I always do), I'm feeling good. If I see that balance creeping up too high, I slam on the brakes till next month. There are some months where I might have unforeseen expenses but I still need that knife fix. That's where a knife like the qsp penguin fulfills a role.
Absolutely love these philosophical videos Nick. Thank you.
Nick, thank you, this is exactly the type of videos what sets you apart from the rest of reviewers. Please know that you are appreciated.
Less than a minute and I already liked this vid. Real life is real and gear obsession is real. There is a balance between the two.
Edit: Shadow price and opportunity costs are real things. I teach a financial literally class to violent offenders, have fore years. My most common metaphor is: you can't pay rent in Jordan's. Nick is 100% right in this. My Civivi Elementum cuts just as well at my Koenig Arius. My Ruger SR9c fires just as well at my Walther P88. And my Carolla drives just as well as my Chrysler 300. If you are living on a tight budget, never over spend on a want when you have a pressing need. No matter what is in front of you now, there will be something better when you are financially stable.
Great advice! Budget gear all the way!!
Well said Nick ! It’s great to recognise quality, craftsmanship and to have it in your life, but it is not your life itself !
One thing I've learned as a young edc/gun enthusiast patience is important, instead of dumping a whole paycheck on that new rifle or watch save up for a few months whether you can afford it right away or not, the wait and the work make the purchase more special and meaningful.
Thank you Nick. Very good advise, as he flexed, loved it as usual. I do particularly enjoy your philosophical videos. Hey, what’s up in the terrible knives world??
I will definitely be recording a video on this today, Nick.
SEBENZA > snow tires...
Sebenza’s are good all year ‘round. Snow tires are useful for 3-4 months.
Snow Sebenza?
@@roel.vinckens Snowbenza, eh?
I wish I could get a set of snow tires for the price of a Sebenza.
A Sabenza will last a lifetime, snow tires need to be replaced too often.
Absolutely great topic and viewpoint, thank you!!!
Thanks Nick for the pep talk. Have a safe and happy holiday season.👍
Thanks Nick, I definitely needed to hear that
First of all, well said, and I agree. I have gone down these rabbit holes before. Records/cds/high end audio gear, watches, and more recently knives and pens. Fortunately, I am still wading around the world of Fisher space pens and modestly priced slip joint knives, but I can see how a cheap little hobby can get expensive quickly. One can make the argument that every man should remember the rule of 1. As in. 1 watch. One pair of nice shoes, or boots. 1 good pocket knife. And 1 pen. And leave it at that and move on. (OK, maybe in some cases 2. As in a spare pair of shoes. So for example, one pair of good black shoes, and 1 pair of brown. Or in the case of knives, one big knife to keep in a toolbox or in a workshop, and one small one for EDC)
But we collectors are not normal people, and we find joy in having more than 1 or 2 of whatever we like. And to a certain extent, if one is good, 2 is better, and 3 better than 2, and so on.
You already touched on some of this, but there are 3 things collecting does for us that enhances our lives, and 2 the detract from our lives. As long as the 3 is greater than the 2, I am good. When it goes the other way, not so much.
The positive.
1. It does something useful. Cutting open something, use as a tool for food preparation, opening a package, or woodworking, for example. Or in the case of watches, telling time. In the case of pens, writing things down on paper. In the case of shoes or clothes, protecting our bodies from the elements.
2. It is a way to bring some beauty into our every day lives. True of most gear. For sure wqtches. Why else would some people pay thousands for a watch when you can pick something up for $20 that tells better time? because most of those cheapies are butt ugly. True of expensive shoes. True of high end audio. Because unless you are a world class musician yourself, or have an unlimited budget to travel the world hearing world class musicians, the closest you can get is to hear recordings captured with close to perfect fidelity. True of pens, again much like watches, for the most part, a disposable pen writes almost as well as an expensive pen, so why bother?
3. To show off to other collectors, or to the world. Mostly other collectors because except for a few luxury brands like Rolex watches, luxury watches, knives, pens or stereo gear is irrelevant to most people. Nonetheless, social media has given show offs opportunities that didn't exist 20 or 25 years ago.
The negative:
1. if you are neglecting other aspects of your life, then your hobby might become a source of resentment. If not to you, to your family . If every time you stare at your Rolex or Omega you think about the beater you are driving around, or your past due bills. Or if you are just a lonely guy sitting at home with your knife collection when you could be spending your money on life experiences, then you are putting the cart before the horse.
The point of a hobby is to enhance your regular life, not to replace having a life.
2. Sometimes the pursuit of perfection gets in the way of the second point above. So instead of appreciating the beauty of a classic Miles Davis recording, all the obsessive audiophile can hear is the rolled off treble, or boomy bass of his stereo. So never mind that when experiencing real music performance, there are a ton of things the real music lover must put up with, like finding a parking place, getting a seat way in the back of the room, or putting up with rude people talking through the performance. So a lot of people get more hung up on the gear and forget about the reason they got into gear.
Thanks appreciate the video I agree believe me would love to have some of the amazing knives I see from time to time but it's out of my budget so I get joy watching nice knives on your channel
Always loved watches but I know I can’t afford that addiction so it’s budget knives and budget torches for me! Entertaining video Nick!!
Based on the amount of gear for sale on various FB forums, I feel like the pandemic has forced a lot of us in the community to have with ourselves the philosophical discussion that Nick eloquently states in his video. I really appreciate the fact that Nick looks out for his fans by making these sort of videos to keep himself & us honest about the hobby.
Hi NIck You talk a lot of sense, and if I won the lottery I still wouldn't buy a Rolex, what have I got on my wrist at the moment a Casio Royale , stay safe and a Happy Christmas
Me: Watches video.
*PM2 Tanto coming Wednesday.
Me: Dammit.
Is it really?
I think many of us know that feeling.
(Yet another knife and multi tool on the way)
Me: Dammit indeed!
Return it
Pm3 in digital camo coming this week
another top philosophical rant by the main man.You're spot on in this video,Nick,,and I'm immediately auditing my collection for knives that, well,hey- do I really need?!!
Excellent...gear reviews and wisdom.
"To be prepared" yup, second that. Offline is where the pen writes the knife cuts etc, if your gear functions well for you, take pride in that. Only online is 90% of gear "not good enough" where in our daily lives that Other 10% ends up safe queening for most folks anyway. Get functional gear - instagram photos don't save the day offline, but a cheap pen might.
Great advice!!
My friends: "Why do you only buy cheap Gshock watches?"
Me:"Because no matter what I buy its going to look like I lost it in a bag of rocks for a month after three days in the shop."
Just like knives it's also fun to have some budget gems!
@@felixbelanger2659 Everyone needs a good beater, right?
Oh Nick, even though you are the most expensive friend I have never met, catapulting me into a +300 knife collection, it still brings me so much joy listening to you. Please do not change, you jack-ass gem you - absolutely loves your high pitched “oh my God”🤣
Beautifully done Nick
I watch a lot of gear videos, but I rarely buy the stuff. I own a few prime examples and feel that is sufficient. I only buy new pieces if I feel there is a real functional need that my existing pieces can't fulfill. I would rather have my money work for me as opposed to having more shiny baubles.
Good video. This needs to be said more often. I have gotten sucked into different collecting hobbies and have spent too much time researching things I will never buy. Living life is more enjoyable.
If the piece of gear is a “want” and not a “need” I find the anticipation of owning it is often better than owning it.
That needed to be said, I’m sure 👍🏻 It’s nice to see someone like yourself taking the time to do so.
Thanks Nick! Hapoy holidays!
I simply have learned to appreciate less expensive knives. I have also accepted that I cannot have it all.
I've only ever had one high end watch in my life, a nice gold one, and after 1 week of owning it I foolishly let one of my friends wear it, and he started a fight and crashed into a BBQ and smaashed it and scratched it to crap. He was renting a room in my house at the time, and I told him to pay me off for the watch in installments each week. He randomly left and I never saw him again, and he still owed me a few weeks rent.
Sad times.
Thanks lad, I really needed that!
Exactly why I've been keeping my purchases under the €100 mark. I get plenty of joy out of them, actually dare to carry and use them and still get to save money or splurge on entirely other things I need/want. Sure I'd like some over the top beautiful custom and might well end up buying one some day (if only as an heirloom piece), but I refuse to allow myself to be blinded by my own greed.
thanks Nick for the reality check, its good even from an old dog like me.
Ah, one of the always good philosophical discussions -- and timely, too! I'm reminded of O. Henry's short story, "The Gift of the Magi".
It takes a long time to become an overnight success.
A few years ago, I stopped smoking and with the money I saved, I was trying to decide between a used sports car and a new Rolex Submariner. (Both were about £5000 at the time.)
I loved that MR2, and it gave me a few years of unalloyed pleasure but I really should have bought the Submariner.
Shabazzz ..the philosophical knife reviewer. I love it!
I watch these gear reviews and when theyre in my price range I have a mild impulse to buy them but otherwise I can suppress it very easily and I just like looking at the cool stuff. Nick, The Time Teller, Cutlery Lover, and sometimes lockpicking lawyer are my goto for burning time on youtube and looking at things I wish I had.
Great talk Nick, that’s why I have set limits to my collection. That I am comfortable with. And more importantly it’s not about keeping up with the Jones’s ( youtuber ). Love you channel Nick!
getting old is weird, im at the point in my life where i actually carry the older sentimental gear more then anything new i buy, the g shock my wife bought me a few years ago isnt the perfect watch but i pick it up more that any other watch, the inexpensive steel frame lock kershaw (Zing maybe, not actually sure of the name) finds its way into my pocket because i got it for being a groomsmen for one of my closest friends.
Someone recently said that we modern Americans know how to buy things, but we don't know how to own things. I know it's easy for me to get caught up in pining over a new knife rather than appreciating the ones I already own.
Crazy knife collectors have existed long before social media. On the plus, social media has helped more makers exist. I do find trends come and go quicker, so it is tougher to build a collection by selling what you are done with.
kids, remember: Food is overrated
😂
Give a kid a sandwich and he'll eat for one day. Give him a Real Hunter...
You catch my drift.
As a certified Uncle Randy, many of my knives would be useless if I didn't have venison and game birds to slice up.
Alot of EDC aspects are hobbies on their own.
You have the knives, pens, watches and flashlights that have their own community and they all have their grails. But in the EDC world it's easy to find people that love to show off grails from all sides. And it's hard not to want to be like them.
@R. Schowiada71 Congratulations! You corrected someone's grammar on the internet!
I am doing my best to turn “Keeping up with the Jones’” into “Enjoying myself”. Too often I have bought things and went “meh” after a month.
I noticed, after buying expensiv gear, that the things i wear the most are the affordable stuff. The highest i was willing to go in gear were my two favourite watches, a hamilton kahki mechanical and a ventus northstar with samurai movement. They hurt a bit price wise but every time i wear them i am comftable so thats my cost carry maximum XD
Good point...
Full discloser!
Much love from Switzerland
What's the small brass pen and the Seiko watch?
I’m a typical EDC owner like the Tiger King was a typical cat owner. 😂 😂 😂
Yeah, needed to hear this, been spending too much lately.
But what's that button lock folder?
TL;DW: Shabazz doesn't mention the RAT II.....but he definitely was thinking about it.
I've gone down that road a few times. There are things that I just had to have. Once I get them, I wonder if it was something I really wanted in the first place. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
Well said, this is so true on most social media no matter if it's EDC or traveling around the world for likes.
This really is a great video, its way to easy to rationalize irresponsible spending in today's culture so it pays to stop and think 👍
Also, to anyone younger or just getting into edc gear heres my advice: You already like cool stuff, consider learning to make some cool stuff. You won't be good at it at first, no one is though and you get better constantly if you keep working at it! And it doesn't have to be hard, or expensive! Everyone jumps to knives and Ti gear and whatnot. If your on a budget make yourself some leather stuff, or play with brass or copper! Make some lanyard beads or small pocket tools. You probably have some material like scrap leather or chunk of brass and some files around the house 👍 If you keep at it you might just make enough to buy all the cool stuff you wanted in the first place!
Great video.It really puts things into perspective.
We've all done it, but listen to Nick. Be responsible! In the long run it's better than the shiny new thing. In 95% of cases a $25 Ontario Rat 1or Rat 2 is the best tool for the job. Don't ever be ashamed of having what works.
Hey Nick, if you could just release this 10 years ago I'd appreciate it.
Who lives in a swamp?
Great vid as always Nick. If the object you buy won't be used on a regular basis the joy of owning it wears of quickly. Especially if you're in bad need of something else...
Good advice Nick!
I bought my first knife in over a year. A used CRKT Pilar.
Sage words of wisdom young man.
Nick,please tell me your "knife problem" is worse that my "watch problem."I must have around 85 watches both mechanical and quartz,nothing too fancy but still a problem.................
Another reason to hate sprint runs. Fear of missing out on a configuration you really want but being forced to spend the money when you don’t want to really leaves you feeling sour over the tool.
Fear of Missing Out is an ugly thing, it has its own video even!
Abosulutely great advice Nick.
The LUDT sitting on my desk just started to feel very uncomfortable...
Wait until you take pictures of it from different angles and fire up ebay