hello please help

zeke · Post by **zeke** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 4:42 am

hi im new to the forum and a young collector. i was just wondering if shrade old timers and remington pocket knives were a good brand for a beginner to collect. im young and dont have lots of money to spend on 40 dollar and up knives but old timer and remington seem to have reasonable prices.

zeke · Post by **zeke** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 4:48 am

one more thing is the rough rider brand any good?

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 5:04 am

welcome zeke. it's a great hobby and i'm sure over time you will enjoy more and more. collect the knives you like and can afford regardless of place of manufacture. it's not all about the most $ you can spend. later, you can refine your collection. read books, watch ebay sales to get an idea of what some knives sell for. hope to see some of your aquisitions soon.

longbeachbum · Post by **longbeachbum** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 5:13 am

Welcome to the forum and to the hobby!

I'm a relative "newbie" myself so hopefully some of the more seasoned collectors will chime in with some advice.

However, to answer your question, Schrades and Remingtons can be collectable, but you need to know what to look for.

With Schrades, the 100 year old company closed it's doors in 2004, and in my opinion any knives that were made in the factory in Ellenville NY will have some collector value. They are still pretty common in mint condition so are still pretty affordable. I've purchased several Schrade Old Timers in sealed clam packs from various sources for about $30 a pop and I think that is still the going rate for the standard Old Timer with saw-cut delrin handles.

The thing to look out for with Schrades is the fact that knives that look very similar to the original ones are being manufactured in China by a company called Taylor Brands LLP. Taylor purchased the intellectual property rights from the original Schrade company when it closed. I think it is pretty universally agreed that these knives will not accrue any collector interest.

The easiest way to tell the old original American made Schrades from the new imported ones is by the stamp on the main blade. If it says "SCHRADE USA" you are probably dealing with an American made Schrade. If it just says "SCHRADE" it is most likely an import. Also, if the box says Taylor Brands LLP anywhere on it, it is definitely an import.

There's much more to it than this, but this gives you a little background.

Regarding Remington, all newer knives with the Remington brand are made by other companies such as Camillus, Queen, Imperal Schrade, etc. There are also some that are made offshore, probably in China. Newer Remingtons are not all that collectible at this time, but theres a chance that any made in the USA might have some collector value in the future. Older Remington knives made by the Remington Arms company are among the most sought after collectible knives on the market.

Another brand to think about for knives that are affordable now and might be collectible in the future is Camillus. Camillus is currently going through something similar to what Schrade did in 2004. They are not going out of business per se, but they are going to cease manufacturing knives and will sell imported knives under the Camillus brand. Therefore any Camillus knives made in the New York factory may one day be somewhat collectible.

However, in the cases of Schrade and Camillus, the existance of cheap imported "clones" of their original USA manufactured knives most likely dilutes the eventual collector value of these knives.

Hope this helps a little. Probably the best advice I can offer is to stick around he forums and read up as there are a lot of very knowlegable people here and you will learn a lot. This is where I learned most of what little I've come to know.

Again, welcome!!

Edited: By the way, Rough Riders are imported pocketknives, made in China. I've heard the quality is pretty good, but they have very little collector interest, IMO.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 11:56 am

zeke ;( "hi im new to the forum and a young collector")

Welcome new young collector !

There is a bug flying around here and you just might get BIT by it.
If you do then you will have an adiction to KNIFES. After 6 mo. go by you will under stand what I mean.
This site is the BEST place to help you. The best way to learn is ASK,ASK and ASK here.
After you buy some knives. You will want to preserve them in the best way like we do. Just ask or click on OLD posts here.

I to am a NEW collector but OLD in age. Nov 29 I will be 59.

Schrade is a real good one to start with as said above.

SFC ADP · Post by **SFC ADP** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 3:55 pm

Welcome to the site!!!
Me personally I would save my money before dropping it into any Rough Riders, or other "China" made knives. Save the money you thought about spending on those, and buy into a knife that your sure to enjoy, and get your money back if you decide to part with it.
Schrades & Remingtons made in the U.S. are quality knives, and you will more than likely have a good investment in the long run.
Most importantly is to buy what is going to make you happy. Everyone will have an opinion when it comes to collecting, but everyone I have met and talked to always say, collect what you enjoy.
Welcome to the world of knife collecting!

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 4:16 pm

Hi Zeke. Warm welcome to the site and to the wonderful world of knife collecting

. I can't add much to the advice already given. Collect what you like, quality never goes out of style, and try to learn not only about the knives but the history and context behind them. Most of all have fun

. This is a great place to learn. Don't be afraid to ask questions or get involved in the discussion. Watch out for PA's pop quizzes

. Along with the brands already mentioned, I think Boker makes a good knife at a reasonable price.

s-k

nmikash · Post by **nmikash** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 3:14 am

Hello and welcome Zeke. I am a fairly young collector myself. I would say that Schrade(USA) is a great place to start. In my opinion they are some of the best knives you can buy for a relatively low cost. As others have mentioned their recent demise is sure to impact their collectibility.

Opinions vary on imported knives. I wouldn't plan on them having real collector interest, but Rough Riders are decent user knives & will let you check out some of the many different patterns available without high $ investment.

Nick

Blade Runner · Post by **Blade Runner** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 1:22 pm

I just had a scary thought, when justold52 said he would be 59 in Nov. I thouht to mysef "Self I thought he said he was old". I guess 59 ain't as old as it used to be.
Gary

Mossdancer · Post by **Mossdancer** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 3:01 pm

Blade Runner;
Amen to that. My avatar pic was taken twenty five years ago. Isnt it amazing how fast time passes when you collect knives.
wb

tobyrogers · Post by **tobyrogers** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:41 pm

Welcome to the forum and to the fun of collection mania.The best advice has already been given.Buy books like Mr. Levines or Robert Clemente,s book on Schrades.I think Schrades are a great start, but I'm prejudiced because I collect Schrades.The Schrade forum over at BF is a wealth of information as are the guys on this forum.The other good advice is ask before you buy.I saw a knife I spent 50.00 on last year go for 13.00 on Ebay last night so you never know about prices.Good luck and happy collecting.Arnold

sunburst · Post by **sunburst** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:56 am

Hi Zeke,

I came across this article and thought it might interest you...

"My Perspective on Collecting"
by: Dave Ellis, Master Smith

While writing this article many ideas came to mind. Should I re-hash the many knife related articles that I have read or approach this from a different angle? Instead of looking at the knife world from a maker/collectors standpoint, how would a novice knife collector research and purchase custom knives?

I have been a knife collector for over twenty years and a maker since 1988. Through the years I have met many converts to the cutlery world. Some knew just what they wanted, some saw a photo of a knife that caught their eye and some had no idea what they wanted to buy or collect.

A good rule of thumb is to buy what you like and worry about resale as a secondary concern. I am not saying to disregard the possibility of selling the knife down the road, but resale should not be your over-riding concern. Always buy quality because quality will always sell! Early on I purchased the finest knives that I could afford at the time. My tastes and budget have increased over the years and I have found that most of the time you can recoup at least your initial. investment when re-selling a piece that you have grown tired of. Some pieces will earn a tidy profit. I have bought and sold over 800 knives and with each purchase or sale learn something. I ask a lot of questions and make myself available to answer questions posed to me. Sometimes it pays to overpay a bit to get that "must have gem".

Often when a knife looks "too good to be true" you should be wary. Custom knives are stolen and resold. Sometimes you can pick up a deal but I have found it better to deal with known quantities (ie: dealers, makers, etc.) A dealer can usually provide instant product including knives from makers with long waiting periods. Expect to pay a slight markup.

Books are an excellent source of information. Read Ken Warner's Knives Annuals, Bernard Levine's Guides and any cutlery related articles, magazines, etc. that you can get your hands on. Try to specialize as opposed to buying everything that catches your eye. Do not get caught in the trap of "the one that got away". If you want it badly enough, you will find a way to afford it.

Mossdancer · Post by **Mossdancer** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:41 am

Hi Zeke;
I will not answer your question other than to say there is not a thing wrong with schrades or remingtons. I have both.

That out of the way. I think most everyone approaches collecting from a different viewpoint and probably dont stop to think much about it.
I am probably many years older than you so I see collecting knives as fun.
When it stops being fun I will stop collecting. I have no problem with putting away a few fighting knives or 1905 bayonets for my grandsons cause they will appreciate them and I enjoy the hunt, its fun. My biggest thrill on the cutlery front was perpetrated today. The tel. rang and a fella says blah blah and I said yes I remember giving you my number to call about your old knives. He says then well I have a box full when can you pick them up. They were home on my floor with me going through them within an hour. Now for the fun part, I will spend just about all winter cleaning polishing sorting evaluating etc. .From the fun stand point I payed way less than a halfdollar an hour for them. Theres nothing of great value but I have already found three remingtons a challenge cutco,a winchester, an Olean KA-BAR folder several dozen imperials hammers and so forth. There is one real treasure for PA knives to hear about, Its a JEAN CASE from Little Valley, a fixed blade in very cond. There was even a gopher trap in the box.

I think you get the idea of my collecting. I do it for fun and it keeps me out of trouble. I will come back later and post a photo with this.
wb