Hi, I'm new here...

After many months of reading equipment recommendations and reviews on this site and others; as well as penny pinching and working my butt off to raise the money to buy the gear - I finally invested in some nice top-of-the-line goodies for my EDC, work, and recreational travel kits.

However, I've now found myself unwilling to use a lot of the items for fear of scratching and banging them up. For example, I paid almost $400 for a sebenza - but I simply could not bring myself to use it for anything other than showing it off to co-workers. I even freaked out when my little brother asked to borrow it to peel an orange during a hiking trip. I ended up selling the thing and replacing it with a spyderco delica. And it's not only with the knife - same thing happened with flashlights, watch, space pen...even the portable stove. So does anyone else have this problem, or am I just really weird?

Welcome to the fire, newguy! I'm glad this site has been of value to you.

As for gear-nuts, yes there are a few of us here. The whole "to-nice-to-use" thing pops up for me every so often, though in my case it's more of a "to-nicely-packed-to-unpack" sort of thing. Perhaps you should get a a few cheap items and heavily abuse them. See how rough you can be with them before they break. You might be suprised.

Plus, it's a good excuse to buy more stuff. Especially if it's on clearance after Christmas!

-Blast

Not weird at all. That's why I carry $20-80 knives instead of $400 knives. Ditto the $20-30 flashlight vs. the $500 flashlight. I must admit I wear a pretty pricey watch, but it was a gift and it's built like a tank, and it's a $200 watch, not a $6000 watch.

I like to use good tools. Emphasis on "use" and "good". I think there's a knee to the price/quality curve, and above that you're paying for pocket jewelry.

Kevin B.

yeah, for a while i was afraid to wear y fortress patrol watch!! But i love it, its really compy and has a HUGE band. Ive worn it for almost a year and a half, and apart from a cracked face its still ticking!!

cxrc
welcome to our insanity, as far as your being wierd that is to be seen, but we will be watching for it. As far as the equipment I kinda understand not wanting to tear up somthing new in some situations, but think about what you bought this particular gear for. I personaly abuse the hell outta mine while my life dosen't depend on it, that way I know it will survive when I need it.

If it's scratched and dented, it's proof you use it.

Think of the jacked up high rise 4x4 that doesn't even have a spot of mud on it let alone a nick or scratch.

I have more respect for the guy in a 1982 Toyota that actually take s the truck off road.

Bad example maybe but it's how I think of my gear.

I find that I sometimes don't want to use even cheaper gear, because it looks so nice and pristine. After the first scratch or two though it doesn't bother me anymore and I use the crap out of it. I think that's the key, once you use it a few times and mess it up a little, you become more willing to use it.

The exception for me is gear I bought strictly as a collectable (like my collection of Benchmade Prototype and William Henry knives). These I buy with the intent of them never being used. Only admired and eventually sold.


With that said, my EDC watch was $700, my EDC knife was $130, my EDC flashlight was $210.....so as you can tell I don't skimp on EDC gear. If I find something that I think is near-perfect for my purposes, it will usually end up in my EDC.

All in all, using a piece of gear doesn't bother me anywhere near as much a losing it. Losing something I really like burns me like no other.

I struggle with it, but I'm absolutely in the "use it" camp. I have a few holdbacks just in case...but they're spares if I break something.

It doesn't matter if it has scratches or dings if you know how to use it and can access it quickly when ya need to press it into service.

And on the watch side...after killing several costly watches, I've been wearing Casio G-shocks for almost 18 years. I like them and they can't be killed...have several stories. BUT...they now must be sent to the Casio repair shop in order to switch out batteries and "be pressurized". Poor engineering. Nobody wants to be w/o their watch for several weeks. When this battery dies in mine, I'll probably be looking at some other brand...hopefully similar, but with CONSUMER REPLACEABLE BATTERY. I used to recommend these to everyone. I can no longer do it in good conscience. They wear well...but the battery thing is ridiculous.

Welcome to the Forum!!

All of my equipment was obtained in order to be abused and I don't feel right until it has acquired a few scratches and/or dings.

As someone else posted, this is how I know that my equipment will be up to the situations that I encounter as I go along my merry little way.

I completly get you. I am the same way with the gear I buy. The DW constantly complains about me unpacking and repacking my BOB and the fact that i will not use whats in it.