A question of morals?

For years I wanted (LUSTED after)a BM 940 (especially the unobtainable 940DM). When I was younger (high school) I had not the means to aquire one (monetary or otherwise). Then when I did finally have the spare cash floating around, it seemed like all I could find were the green handled ones, which didn't strike me as being very sexy.

So a couple months ago, when I saw a fellow CPFer selling a couple on the market place, one Red SBT and one Blue Plain I knew I had to have the blue one! With Blue and Silver being my favorite colors, its a choice I've never regretted. And I hooked my shipmate up with the red one.

Now, around the same time that I first started learning about quality knives and metallurgy and started lusting after the 940, I also read up on D2 steel and decided that I highly desired a knife made from this, though I never aquired one.

Recently, on a much hated, well known auction site, I spotted what could be considered my Personal Holy Grail. A 940 made with D2 and grey handles! Number 009 of 020. This blade consumed my thoughts day and night for a week. Inciting me to contact several of my closest friends to bid for me, incase I had watch when the 940 ended. Fortunately I have second watch (in an hour). So I sniped ( a dispicable practice, I know) this knife on the bay, and won it!

I've been pondering to myself, and now to my quality knife minded associates, would it be unethical for me to place the D2 blade on the blue handles? Effectively creating a one of a kind, but *******izing two rare knives. A knife of the Month (Oct 01) and an even more rare 1 of 20. But giving me my perfect knife consisting of my favorite colors, blade material and knife design.

Even if I don't do that, I still worry that if I use the 1 of 20, that I'll be removing from the world something quite unique, at least in its current mint condition. Which is what makes this 940D2 an even better knife for me than the 940DM, because I know I could never bring myself to use the 940DM no matter how much I would want to. I love to use my toys, not put them in a safe or on a shelf.

So, to summerize is it wrong of me to:
1. Dissassemble these rare knives?
2. To use, cut and sharpen these rare knives?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Collecting is a funny business. Doensn't matter if it is cars, lights, stamps, coins, knives, guns, and on and on and on.

If you plan on *******izing differnent knives to make the perfect knife for yourself; one which you will use and cherish the rest of your life, I would not hesitate to do it. Knives are not like stamps and coins, ultimately they were made to be used. I struggle with the same problem with my 15 year old Randalls but I bought them to use them and I do use them. However if you have the slightest inclination that you will miss the brag factor or the collecting factor that comes with owning these rare knives, then don't touch them. Once you have disasembled them and started using them the gig is up.

If these knives are truly collectible and RARE, then I would find one of a million other great knives to use and abuse and keep the rare ones safe. I'm sure you will never be sorry you did, and everytime you get them out and look at them you'll smile.

My 2 cents

Bill

I suggest asking on a knife forum where collectors hang out. It's a subtle question. Some knives are made to be carried and used, others are made as art and collector pieces. If the knife was made to be carried and used, then certainly it honors the maker's intention more to do exactly that, than to put it on a shelf. If it was made as an art piece then you have to ask yourself how it really fit into the art and collecting world when it was made, i.e. if the limited edition stuff was basically a marketing stunt then you are entitled to decide to ignore it and swap the parts around as described.

Of course something may have changed in the interim, but Oct 01 was not that long ago in the scheme of things. We are not talking about a 15th century Samurai sword.

if you are going to use it, and its really what best suits you, then i say go for it. the "perfect knife" is hard to find, almost impossible sometimes. but once you have it, you can put all the tough decisions behind you and enjoy using it for a long, long time.

go for it!

D2 is a great steel, nice grab.

If batarzing two rare knives allows you to create YOUR perfect knife, I can't see no reason why making any drama out of this. They are yours, do what YOU want to do with them. You actually sound worried or concerned about what other's will think about it... Don't.

"I'll be removing from the world something quite unique"... I believe there are more important and valuable things on earth so you don't have to feel so bad about that... even if you break these two knives, the world's not going to stop and you'll live

Lol! Thank you all! Great and valued responses!

I think I've decided that I am going to EDC these sexy little blades. But I doubt that I'll mix and match, instead maybe just accept and appreciate each for what it is. And maybe even start collecting different 940s (and using them). Anyone know if they come in any other steels, like M2? Or would anyone want to sell me a DM one for a deep discount? Lol!

Due to tight tolerances it doesn't always work well to switch blades. You might end up with blade play or a bad lock-up.

Usually it works if you switch lock bars together with the blade.

Can't comment on the above models.

Sverre

In a way it reminds me of something I heard when attending a gun meet, and was visiting a table with M-1 Garands.

"Sporterize an IHC? That's like taking an $800 rifle, spending $500 more on it, and turning it into a $200 rifle."

But then again, it is yours to do with as you wish, right? I know someone who *******ized a rare 911 Turbo-S by dropping a massively built V8 into it when his troublesome H6 finally went out. Same weight, 3x the power, but it lost its pedigree and collectibility.

Life is so short, have a little fun. Enjoy the blades as you wish. I'm sure the sun will rise tomorrow no matter what.

1) if you care about voiding the warranty don't take them apart.
2) if you want them as collector pieces don't use them.

I did what you were talking about with a couple 940's. I had a black handel with a 154cm serrated blade, and a friend gave me a green handel one with a s30v blade that had been run over slightly crushing the handel at the axes lock. I prefer the non serrated s30v blade and swaped it to my good black handle for my good EDC. I fixed the crushed green handle and swaped in the serrated 154cm blade for a beater knife. win-win.

To simplify the question, why did you care what kind of steel the blade is made of? After all, if you just want it to look pretty and be a 'collectable" the blade doesn't need to be D2, it might as well be made out of aluminum.

It is only when you actually use the knife that the quality of the blade, or for that matter, the quality of the whole knife, becomes an issue.

Collectors/Collectables?

Well, I'm no collector, it's just not in my nature. I can understand having a lot of different knives. (I do!) I can understand having a lot of different flashlights as well. (I do!) I can understand having a lot of different hammers and saws. (I DO!) But having them just for the sake of having them and never using them? Eh, that's a little too materialistic even for me.

Knives are tools, not status symbols, not beanie babies, tools.

There are people out there who collect anything and everything. Bits of string, Barbie Dolls, marbles, bits of barbed wire, autographed pictures of William Shatner, hernia trusses, bedpans, you name it, somebody has a livingroom crammed full of it.

Personally, I think this mania to collect _______(fill in the blank) and keep it forever "NIB" or "NWT" and never ever use it, never appreciate the thing for it's function as well as its form, is a symptom of something very wrong with our society.

I'm just not exactly sure what.

Use them, enjoy them, take care of them and when they finally wear out to the point of uselessness, think back on all the service your tools gave you and all the good work you did with them. Then discard them and go buy a new one.

Just my .02, YMMV, and all that.

Buster Bodine said:

Bits of string, Barbie Dolls, marbles, bits of barbed wire, autographed pictures of William Shatner, hernia trusses, bedpans.

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I really enjoyed this list.

Use the knives!! :wave:

Buster Bodine said:

Then discard them and go buy a new one.

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That might be another "something wrong with our society" :thinking:

I personally can't own anything I am not willing to use! I have a fairly rare pistol I will eagerly carry and shoot. I have two Seiko watches, one I got for an anniversary present eight years ago, and a new one, both $300 watches, I wear the old one for work (nasty "dirty job"), and the new one for nicer occasions.
I am not a person of wealth by any means, but I appreciate things that "work" and am willing to pay for them! I know my pistol will work when I need it to, I know walking into the surf wont hurt my watches, and I know my Novatac will light up (unless the battery is dead) when I push the button.
If you can't use it, sell it to someone that can appreciate it for what it is, I see no point in keeping it if you can't appreciate and use it. It's like owning a Lambo and being afraid to drive it because "It might get scratched!" It was built to be driven, drive it or sell it!

tino_ale said:

That might be another "something wrong with our society" :thinking:

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It can be, but isn't always.

For example, disposable Bic lighters. They're made to be used for awhile, then discarded. There is nothing you can do to make it last any longer than it's designed to last. That's both wasteful and lazy and definitely a smaller sign of a sick society.

I on the other hand, carry nothing but Zippos and I carry them until they're completely and totally worn out. I can pull the packing out of a Zippo to replace the wick, then replace the packing, I can replace flints, and carry spares in the bottom of the lighter, and obviously I can refuel the lighter.

When the hinge finally gives way, or the striker wheel comes off, I may or may not be able to repair that but either way, eventually the thing's going to wear out. Everything does eventually, nothing lasts forever. When it does wear out, as I said above, take a moment to appreciate all the years of fine service it gave you, then replace it and move on.

That's not sickness, that's just the way it is. The nature of Life, the Universe, and Everything, so to speak.:candle:

sawlight said:

I personally can't own anything I am not willing to use! I have a fairly rare pistol I will eagerly carry and shoot. I have two Seiko watches, one I got for an anniversary present eight years ago, and a new one, both $300 watches, I wear the old one for work (nasty "dirty job"), and the new one for nicer occasions.
I am not a person of wealth by any means, but I appreciate things that "work" and am willing to pay for them! I know my pistol will work when I need it to, I know walking into the surf wont hurt my watches, and I know my Novatac will light up (unless the battery is dead) when I push the button.
If you can't use it, sell it to someone that can appreciate it for what it is, I see no point in keeping it if you can't appreciate and use it. It's like owning a Lambo and being afraid to drive it because "It might get scratched!" It was built to be driven, drive it or sell it!

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:thumbsup:

Well said, sawlight!

Buster Bodine said:

(Regarding Zippos)
When the hinge finally gives way, or the striker wheel comes off, I may or may not be able to repair that but either way, eventually the thing's going to wear out. Everything does eventually, nothing lasts forever. When it does wear out, as I said above, take a moment to appreciate all the years of fine service it gave you, then replace it and move on.

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Just to add a bit here; realize that Zippo will fix or replace the lighter once it gets to this point.

And to the OP, I would personally switch them out and make sure the fit is still good before I carried and used them. Then I would carry and use them.

Enjoy those 940's!

I'd say just do whatever you want with it..I use all my knives...whether for hard use or light use...and most of mine are customs from known makers, and some are even one-offs by them..just use them...that's what they were made for in the first place.

Cheers and Regards,
Nick

tensixteen said:

I'd say just do whatever you want with it..I use all my knives...whether for hard use or light use...and most of mine are customs from known makers, and some are even one-offs by them..just use them...that's what they were made for in the first place.

Cheers and Regards,
Nick

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he isnt kidding when he says most of his are from custom makers...i met him up yesterday...he had i think, three custom one offs on him...

i thought my lights were expensive...lol..

:wave: Hi Nick!

Crenshaw

Crenshaw said:

he isnt kidding when he says most of his are from custom makers...i met him up yesterday...he had i think, three custom one offs on him...

i thought my lights were expensive...lol..

:wave: Hi Nick!

Crenshaw

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Flashlight collecting is actually a cheap hobby, when you compare it with guns and custom cutlery collecting. A decent custom made rifle can cost as much as 20k, a top of the line SureFire or a McGizmo is pocket change compare to that.