Excellent point. And timely as just yesterday I was among many admiring a friend's English teapot collection. Pretty but so fragile and useless (unless you wear your teapots out).

If I had the last twenty years to do over, I'd have less art and more knives (some of which are art, IMHO).

Doug's knives are all users. Good-looking but not garage queens. I have the MK1s (reg and mini and even the pink), MK3 (a handsome knife but so perfect for actually being used that I carry it in my daypack and car kit), MK4 (elegant and suitably at home in my purse where it will rarely be needed). Have so many MK5s I've lost count -- they're in wallets, backpacks, purses, PSKs, bike bag... My hesitations with the MK2 have been that it's not as sleek, looks a tad tacticool and larger than I've thought I need (have a Golok and many hatchets) yet I still gaze at it occasionally.....

My Barkies are garage queens -- too pretty to scuff when I have so many other knives to use. And quite heavy compared to the MK3 -- which makes far more sense to carry.

Thank goodness for Moras -- my first-line fixed blades, backups, loaners and gifts. If they are lost, broken or stolen, I won't cry. Would be steamed, but not heartbroken.