All About Pocket Knives

I just went and looked once again this year to see if Case Classics had recouped some of the value lost some 10 years or so ago now
I started collecting them in appx 2003 and LOVED them. Thank goodness I was able to sell the major portion of mine to a collector in AZ for a small profit before "it" hit the fan. I had some of the real rarities too. Some examples: a 52050 1of1 with heart abalone gorgeous slabs, a Tiger Coral 52050, some of the rare salesman samples and many other protos and a memorable Masto 094 with huge pieces of the most beautiful ivory I've ever seen to this day,,etc etc. I considered myself very fortunate to have held and owned these knives. I would love to sell the ten or so I have left, but not at a buck fifty for an 88 pattern mint with low production numbers.
Unfortunately, for those of us who remember what happened then, I still think the reason for their devaluing was mostly because of one seller who lives in SLC. This is not 'necessarily' to bad mouth that person, however, many collectors at the time were quite miffed that they were being grossly misrepresented by him and sold for ungodly prices because of the misrepresentation of same. The people who know me know of WHOM I'm speaking.
I cannot think of another knife brand which has the gorgeous stag slabs and forethought of design, craftsmanship, boxes, COAs,,, all the things which make a knife collectible, nice to hold, look at,,,and love. I see ebay completed listings with knives going for about one third and many times less, of what they did back then, some nice ones not being bid on at all.
Would you please comment on what we as collectors might do to help these beautiful knives regain their value and take their rightful place in the Case legacy? Do you think they will ever regain some of their value? What keeps them from being collected and displayed.
Thanks for reading this and for your time to reply. -Glenn

I personally have almost zero interest in knives that were made as collectables and how rare they are doesn't count for anything to me. I thought I was a little alone in my collecting views but maybe not. I collect knives that were made as serious tools for a working world or at least beautifully made tools for a discriminating gentleman to slip into his suit for Sunday morning. The "newer" (50 years or less) knives I have purchased were either a knife I was going to use for work or a club knife for a club I belong to. The club knives I have purchased (almost all Queen Cutlery) have been a waste of money as far as re-sell value including several large pearls and stags, and made for me club so they are very rare. I want them for the sake of owning them and maybe someone 100 years from now will make a killing selling them. Case went through a few years of making knives not up to their own standards and I think that turned a lot of collectors away even when they put out an exemplary knife. That is my take on a subject I probably don't know enough about to spout out about. I'm pretty sure that if you wait 50 years your knives will be worth a small fortune. For what it's worth, Dave

The point has made in other threads that knives produced to be collector's items do not get used up so that even after many decades all or almost all of them will still be there. Maybe the Classics are an example of how that affects the market since they do not become more rare.

The Case Classics were not actually made by Case, were they? I only own one and it is a nice knife to look at.

I would agree with Dave.
Knives of any kind seem to devalue after an initial run up and only time will bring those prices back up. The Case Classics are nice knives and I have owned a few but sold them all. They need another 15-20 years under their belts before collector interest will increase the values in my opinion.

From my perspective at least, Dave has summed it up pretty well. I don't have anything else to add except to say as a Case collector myself, I don't really view the Case Classics as even being Case. I have a couple of them that I picked up because they are indeed beautiful knives and I got them for a bargain price. But as a collector item they just don't interest me much. I'd rather have an honest old Case, Schrade, etc. Just my perspective since you asked - you're welcome to disagree.

Ken

I don't look at them as being undervalued so much has them being grossly overvalued at one time.I had a bunch of classic toes at one time also and dumped them all in the mid 2000's.Celluloid knives they couldn't sell were being re-handled in exotic handle material and then engraved proto,salesman sample,1 of 1,1 of 3 etc.Serial number 0 or 00 or 000.Nothing seem to mean anything.Nice knives.But they have lost there appeal to most collectors.

peanut740 wrote:I don't look at them as being undervalued so much has them being grossly overvalued at one time.I had a bunch of classic toes at one time also and dumped them all in the mid 2000's.Celluloid knives they couldn't sell were being re-handled in exotic handle material and then engraved proto,salesman sample,1 of 1,1 of 3 etc.Serial number 0 or 00 or 000.Nothing seem to mean anything.Nice knives.But they have lost there appeal to most collectors.

I agree 100% ! I wanted to say the same thing , but couldn't decide how to word it . You hit the nail squarely on the head !

Bob

Regardless of the ostensible "value" (which is highly subjective anyway), it's always enjoyable to look at photos. Let's see some of these supposedly "undervalued" Case Classics. Although they may have lost monetary value, they still maintain a great deal of aesthetic value to those of us addicted to knife porn.

I have only this 1994 wharncliffe whittler
Is it true that Case used carbon steel on the Classics instead of their Tru-Sharp SS, as I have heard? The tarnish/corrosion on this 55 pattern seems to bear that out...none of my other SS Case knives have any signs of rust and I store them all the same way (although I seem to have neglected the up-keep maintenance on this whittler a bit).

~Q~

Case only made the 88 congress, 54 trapper, saddlehorn and gunboat in house.All the other patterns were made by Queen.

So, what steel did Queen use? (D-2 Tool Steel, perhaps?)

Most were 1095.A few of the later toenails were stainless. I don't know if any other patterns were or not.

The only Case Classic with stainless blades was the Elephant Toe made in 1996 according to Parker's vol. 9. I ran across one at a flea market in Crump, TN several years ago. It has antique red bone handles-mint condition-no box. In my humble opinion I think the classic line of Case knives are the most well made and beautiful knives ever made. They are far more interesting than any other line of knives because of the history that surrounds them. JM2CW

Recently added this one with the arrowhead shield to my small (but slowly growing) collection of Case Classic Whittlers. I also have one more (same honey bone color but with bow tie shield) on its way in the mail -- which I will post as soon as it arrives.
~Q~

I've seen some questionably high prices on eBay recently - I think you have the guys that try to get what the Classics once brought, and a select few that want to sell them, start low & let the market determine the current going price. Nice knives fersure...but they're always out of this bottomfeeders comfort zone ...

What prices did Case Classics actually sell for when first released ? (i.e. not MRSP but actual amounts paid)
And what were the production numbers for some of the patterns ? (e.g. 100, 1000, 10,000 ??)
And how are the blade grinds ? thick with obtuse edges suitable for a knife for display ? or, thinly ground with attention paid to edge grind so that they will make for good cutting ability ?
These are questions i have long wondered about so i am grateful for this thread which provides the opportunity to ask.
kj

What prices did Case Classics actually sell for when first released ? (i.e. not MRSP but actual amounts paid)
And what were the production numbers for some of the patterns ? (e.g. 100, 1000, 10,000 ??)

I have wondered about that myself. To me, the Classics are over priced today at $130 to $170 more or less, at least for whittlers. Just what did they sell for when new? In reference to what I said last year about collectible knives not gaining value, at least in the short term: I have several knives made as collectibles by Boker, Schrade, and Queen that are decades old mint condition, and I am certain that I got them for a lot less than they originally sold for.

I agree with Q that photos are good, so here is my one and only.

Nice bone on that one, Mel.

Here's my current collection of classic wharncliffe whittlers.
~Q~

Don't know much about these knives

ilikeknives wrote: I considered myself very fortunate to have held and owned these knives. I would love to sell the ten or so I have left, but not at a buck fifty for an 88 pattern mint with low production numbers.

I think the "buck fifty" is (and always was) well beyond the means of most knife guys - that pool is inherently small to begin with. I think the current interest has shifted to GEC by those with that kind of disposable knife income.

kenny7478 wrote:case c.JPGDSCN0389 (2).JPGDSCN0391 (2).JPGDSCN0392 (4).JPG Don't know much about these knives

Neither do I except that I don't think they're Case Classics. Look like more recent standard Case production to me.

Post some better pictures (close ups of the knives themselves without the clamshell containers) in the Case Knife Collectors forum viewforum.php?f=66. Include pictures of the tang stampings and any box labels if you have them. Someone there will probably know about them.

Ken

Lansky1 wrote:

ilikeknives wrote: I considered myself very fortunate to have held and owned these knives. I would love to sell the ten or so I have left, but not at a buck fifty for an 88 pattern mint with low production numbers.

I think the "buck fifty" is (and always was) well beyond the means of most knife guys - that pool is inherently small to begin with. I think the current interest has shifted to GEC by those with that kind of disposable knife income.

I agree completely, John. Maybe if the Classics were really made by Case they would sell better since it seems, to me at least, that Case knives in general command an overly high price.

Mumbleypeg wrote:

kenny7478 wrote:case c.JPGDSCN0389 (2).JPGDSCN0391 (2).JPGDSCN0392 (4).JPG Don't know much about these knives

Neither do I except that I don't think they're Case Classics. Look like more recent standard Case production to me.

Post some better pictures (close ups of the knives themselves without the clamshell containers) in the Case Knife Collectors forum viewforum.php?f=66. Include pictures of the tang stampings and any box labels if you have them. Someone there will probably know about them.

Ken

Those aren't classics.

I paid a very high price for a Case Classic Cheetah in the early 2000s. It had an apple coral handle, came with the box, COA, NIB, & is either a prototype or sample. There were a large number of bids & immediately after winning the auction a couple of bidders contacted me wanting to know what I would take for it above the winning bid price. I elected to hang on to the knife for the time being & still have it. Considering the posts in this thread, I wonder if that was a major mistake. I also purchased an additional forty or so Case Classics in this time period, almost all with ‘exotic’ handle materials, prototypes, samples, 1 of 1 or 2, etc for a substantially lower price than the Cheetah. I’m uncertain what made this knife different. Maybe I’ve learned an expensive knife investment lesson buying the Classics. I’ve only recently, upon retiring, began to take a serious look at my knives, having mostly just kept them ‘shoe-boxed” since the mid 90s. I still have my entire inventory of >1000 knives (collectible & otherwise but 98% NIB) & feel comfortable about the value of most of the knives. But these Classics, they worry me.

Cheetah referred to in previous post.....

Rocketman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2019 4:02 pm I paid a very high price for a Case Classic Cheetah in the early 2000s. It had an apple coral handle, came with the box, COA, NIB, & is either a prototype or sample. There were a large number of bids & immediately after winning the auction a couple of bidders contacted me wanting to know what I would take for it above the winning bid price. I elected to hang on to the knife for the time being & still have it. Considering the posts in this thread, I wonder if that was a major mistake. I also purchased an additional forty or so Case Classics in this time period, almost all with ‘exotic’ handle materials, prototypes, samples, 1 of 1 or 2, etc for a substantially lower price than the Cheetah. I’m uncertain what made this knife different. Maybe I’ve learned an expensive knife investment lesson buying the Classics. I’ve only recently, upon retiring, began to take a serious look at my knives, having mostly just kept them ‘shoe-boxed” since the mid 90s. I still have my entire inventory of >1000 knives (collectible & otherwise but 98% NIB) & feel comfortable about the value of most of the knives. But these Classics, they worry me.

I wouldn't worry too much about it if the knives were mine. I always look at it this way:

If you sell a knife for $100 at 5:00pm you are $100 richer than you were at 4:59pm regardless of how much you paid for the knife.

In your case you've enjoyed the knives for almost 20 years. If they were mine I would consider the loss, if any, the amount of money it cost me to rent the knives for 20 years. That's my take on it anyway.