Hello all. I am new to the group. Have followed and read many interesting items on this forum... I've collected now for about 15 years, a little of everything. I like the older Remingtons most. My question is what is most important. As far as condition.... The blades, the scales, pattern, and etc down the line? I guess what I'm tring to say. When you trade or purchase, what are you looking for the most in the knife and what is the least condition issue you worry about? I know there are books with formulas and what not. But I would like to hear what you seasoned collectors think...
Tnx Ron in Arizona
Whats Most Important When Collecting?
-
deserttrans
- Posts: 62
- Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:18 am
- Location: Arizona
Whats Most Important When Collecting?
Freedom Ain't FREE....
-
Roger - 50/2050
- Posts: 524
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:09 pm
- Location: The Lone Star State, Magnolia
Howdy deserttrans,
I have a certain way I go about hand picking the pieces I put into my personal knife collection but that depends on the year I'M looking at mostly, if the knife in question was made from the 40's on up to the 90's this is the way I go about it below,
1.) I check both sides of the handle first to see if I can find any flaws such as chips, cracks, pin cracks, stress lines, color bleaching, shrinkage & most important, I look to see if the handle is not separating away from the liner.
2.) Next I look at the bolsters & shield for flaws like handling marks, scratches scuffs & pin holes.
3.) (THIS IS A BIG ONE) I check all blades & back springs to see if there are any spider's, pits, pepper or discoloration to them ....Then I check to see if all blades have good snap, then I check the Tang Stamp information & make sure the blades match the knife in question ....If there is a main blade etch I check to see if there are any blade rubs running through it & look to see if the etch in question is 100% dark & dominate.
4.) I check to see if the knife in question has been carried or been sharpened.
5.) I look to see if the knife in question has the proper original box & paper work including any other documentation like a COA (this check in knives made between the 80's & 90's only)
That's all I have for you deserttrans, hope this helps you in some way?
"Texas collector", Roger - 50/2050
I have a certain way I go about hand picking the pieces I put into my personal knife collection but that depends on the year I'M looking at mostly, if the knife in question was made from the 40's on up to the 90's this is the way I go about it below,
1.) I check both sides of the handle first to see if I can find any flaws such as chips, cracks, pin cracks, stress lines, color bleaching, shrinkage & most important, I look to see if the handle is not separating away from the liner.
2.) Next I look at the bolsters & shield for flaws like handling marks, scratches scuffs & pin holes.
3.) (THIS IS A BIG ONE) I check all blades & back springs to see if there are any spider's, pits, pepper or discoloration to them ....Then I check to see if all blades have good snap, then I check the Tang Stamp information & make sure the blades match the knife in question ....If there is a main blade etch I check to see if there are any blade rubs running through it & look to see if the etch in question is 100% dark & dominate.
4.) I check to see if the knife in question has been carried or been sharpened.
5.) I look to see if the knife in question has the proper original box & paper work including any other documentation like a COA (this check in knives made between the 80's & 90's only)
That's all I have for you deserttrans, hope this helps you in some way?
"Texas collector", Roger - 50/2050
A standing life member of the "Case Classic Club", "allaboutpocketknives.com" & "elephanttoenails.com"
-
whittlenut
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 11:44 pm
- Location: S. Miss.
Welcome Desertrans!
I'm not a real pro, researchin, walkin encyclopedia, fingerprint inspectin, high dollar, knife collector, but I'll chip in my 2 cents worth.
Roger pretty much covered everything. I'd say the two most important things to maybe avoid is cracked handles and lose blades. You have to ask yourself the questions, "Why do I collect knives?", and "Why did I pick up that particular knife and look at it?" Do you want a knife because of it's brand, or it's value, or because of it's unusual design, or because it looks like it needs to be rescued and cleaned up, or because it just simply caught your eye? I like about any kind of knife. I seem to buy more Imperial made ones. I guess because they're inexpensive and they're not "the popular kid on the block". One of the guys in this forum said it well..."collect what you wnat, but want what you collect". Be honest with yourself. I don't usually buy a knife just because I want to show it to somebody, I buy one most of the time because it just simply cacthes my eye. I like to buy unusal looking fixer-uppers.
You'll find a lot of experienced and knowledgeable knifenuts in here. Be careful. Don't spend your grocery money on knives. And don't stay up all night reading this site.
Welcome again, and have fun.
I'm not a real pro, researchin, walkin encyclopedia, fingerprint inspectin, high dollar, knife collector, but I'll chip in my 2 cents worth.
Roger pretty much covered everything. I'd say the two most important things to maybe avoid is cracked handles and lose blades. You have to ask yourself the questions, "Why do I collect knives?", and "Why did I pick up that particular knife and look at it?" Do you want a knife because of it's brand, or it's value, or because of it's unusual design, or because it looks like it needs to be rescued and cleaned up, or because it just simply caught your eye? I like about any kind of knife. I seem to buy more Imperial made ones. I guess because they're inexpensive and they're not "the popular kid on the block". One of the guys in this forum said it well..."collect what you wnat, but want what you collect". Be honest with yourself. I don't usually buy a knife just because I want to show it to somebody, I buy one most of the time because it just simply cacthes my eye. I like to buy unusal looking fixer-uppers.
You'll find a lot of experienced and knowledgeable knifenuts in here. Be careful. Don't spend your grocery money on knives. And don't stay up all night reading this site.
Welcome again, and have fun.
-
whittlenut
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 11:44 pm
- Location: S. Miss.
Welcome Desertrans!
I'm not a real pro, researchin, walkin encyclopedia, fingerprint inspectin, high dollar, knife collector, but I'll chip in my 2 cents worth.
Roger pretty much covered everything. I'd say the two most important things to maybe avoid is cracked handles and lose blades. You have to ask yourself the questions, "Why do I collect knives?", and "Why did I pick up that particular knife and look at it?" Do you want a knife because of it's brand, or it's value, or because of it's unusual design, or because it looks like it needs to be rescued and cleaned up, or because it just simply caught your eye? I like about any kind of knife. I seem to buy more Imperial made ones. I guess because they're inexpensive and they're not "the popular kid on the block". One of the guys in this forum said it well..."collect what you wnat, but want what you collect". Be honest with yourself. I don't usually buy a knife just because I want to show it to somebody, I buy one most of the time because it just simply cacthes my eye. I like to buy unusal looking fixer-uppers.
You'll find a lot of experienced and knowledgeable knifenuts in here. Be careful. Don't spend your grocery money on knives. And don't stay up all night reading this site.
Welcome again, and have fun.
I'm not a real pro, researchin, walkin encyclopedia, fingerprint inspectin, high dollar, knife collector, but I'll chip in my 2 cents worth.
Roger pretty much covered everything. I'd say the two most important things to maybe avoid is cracked handles and lose blades. You have to ask yourself the questions, "Why do I collect knives?", and "Why did I pick up that particular knife and look at it?" Do you want a knife because of it's brand, or it's value, or because of it's unusual design, or because it looks like it needs to be rescued and cleaned up, or because it just simply caught your eye? I like about any kind of knife. I seem to buy more Imperial made ones. I guess because they're inexpensive and they're not "the popular kid on the block". One of the guys in this forum said it well..."collect what you wnat, but want what you collect". Be honest with yourself. I don't usually buy a knife just because I want to show it to somebody, I buy one most of the time because it just simply cacthes my eye. I like to buy unusal looking fixer-uppers.
You'll find a lot of experienced and knowledgeable knifenuts in here. Be careful. Don't spend your grocery money on knives. And don't stay up all night reading this site.
Welcome again, and have fun.
The basics have pretty much been covered in reply to your questions and they are good ones. If you are purchasing most of your stuff on Ebay for example you are limited to just how far you can check out the knife.
I have been disappointed more than once when the knife comes in the mail and there are pepper spots and chips in the scales that were not mentioned or worse yet I forgot to ask the seller if they had such problems. Last night I emailed a seller asking if the knife for sale was indeed genuine pearl and they replied yes with attitude that I asked even though they did not specify, but hey it's my hard earned money I am spending.If you are collecting older knives than you can expect some damage or wear unless you are buying 40 & 50 year old mint stuff and then the price will usually indicate what quality they are selling.
I find myself changing from buying whatever is catching my eye to purchasing quality over quantity. Of course we have to always have some knives to sell & trade down the road so I try not to let that ideology hold me down too much.
I guess a couple of things off the top of my head that I want when collecting is:
1) How rare is this knife
2) How much is this knife
3) Does this knife match up to what I collect even though it fits the first two criteria.
4) Will I just end up trading this knife a month from now because I was buying with my eyes and not using my head...
5) Oh and the most important question, just how much of that grocery money can I spend without going too hungry and my wife spilling her wrath at me....
Sunburst
I have been disappointed more than once when the knife comes in the mail and there are pepper spots and chips in the scales that were not mentioned or worse yet I forgot to ask the seller if they had such problems. Last night I emailed a seller asking if the knife for sale was indeed genuine pearl and they replied yes with attitude that I asked even though they did not specify, but hey it's my hard earned money I am spending.If you are collecting older knives than you can expect some damage or wear unless you are buying 40 & 50 year old mint stuff and then the price will usually indicate what quality they are selling.
I find myself changing from buying whatever is catching my eye to purchasing quality over quantity. Of course we have to always have some knives to sell & trade down the road so I try not to let that ideology hold me down too much.
I guess a couple of things off the top of my head that I want when collecting is:
1) How rare is this knife
2) How much is this knife
3) Does this knife match up to what I collect even though it fits the first two criteria.
4) Will I just end up trading this knife a month from now because I was buying with my eyes and not using my head...
5) Oh and the most important question, just how much of that grocery money can I spend without going too hungry and my wife spilling her wrath at me....
Sunburst
“The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways”
-
remington collector
- Posts: 1395
- Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:53 pm
- Location: north carolina
-
deserttrans
- Posts: 62
- Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:18 am
- Location: Arizona