BULLDOG 1ST GENERATION CONGRESS "MINT??"

[olderdogs1]

http://cgi.ebay.com/stag-4-blade-congre ... 35b43b3ecf

Nice knife but no way would I call this mint.

[Paladin]

Here is what Bruce Voyles has to say on this matter. Not that I'd ever consider him the final arbiter on this but he does have some bona fides.
How To Grade Knives, per Bruce Voyles

Cracks: Cracks will occur in mint knives. If it is mint for everything except for the crack, the knife is still mint – only it is mint with a crack. This should degrade the value of the knife by about 10% on most knives.

Pristine Mint: The coin world would call this MS-63-65, the ultimate in in quality and condition – not just mint but mint plus something; good fit, no specks on a very old knife, etc. There are very, very few of these out there. Perfect plus.

Mint: The standard mint, unsharpened, never used, never carried much. Almost any knife made prior to WWII is going to have some rust specks or a scratch here and there. Some knives that were mint in 1970 have now been in storage for over 35 years – and they are starting to show some neglect spots here and there. EXCEPTION: Case knives are graded more closely.

Near Mint: Nothing wrong with the knife, sharpened but no blade wear, some original polish still visible, carry scratches on the outside, walks and talks, no deep rust pits, full blades. (A mint knife that has rusted and been cleaned back to near perfect shape is near mint.)

Excellent: 5–10% blade wear, blades snap, some tarnish, light pitting possible, a good solid lightly used knife. On a multi-blade knife, some of the smaller blades may still be near mint. The tang mark is clear, the master blade not over 10% short.

Very Good: More blade wear than excellent, 15-25% wear, some blades may be slow, stamping readable but faint, some distinct cracks but no chips out of the handles that have not been repaired. Blades still sound but may be slow. Some rust pitting and tarnish. Master blade may be short.

Good: Good is worse than very good. 25-50% blade wear, may be a chip missing, replaced handles or blade is evident but still able to identify maker, still useable as a working knife. Blades may be very slow. Deep pits and rust. Still has all the blades, even though worn and short.

[olderdogs1]

That's interesting, one guy's mint is not the same as anothers. I found this in some books I have.
Jim Parker definition of mint. " A factory fresh knife, Absolutely original as it came from the factory. Not carried or sharpened. A perfect knife."
Jim Sargent definition of mint. "Never been carried or sharpened, straight from the factory and sometimed in the original box."
NKCA definition from Bernard Levine 3rd edition. "Absolutely new, exactly as shipped from the factory. A mint knife has no blemishes. It was never carried, never sharpened, and never used. A mint knife may be lightly oiled and wiped with a soft rag. Any harsher cleaning will turn it into a near mint knife, with a 1/3 to 1/2 reduction in value."

I do love the red stag on that knife. That is the only 1st generation pattern that I have found a few with that stag. To me the knife has been stored improperly and has some pitting. It looks like it may have been put in with some celluloids, I see what might be some possible gassing.

Tom

[basser5]

I personally think that when you allow a flaw to be mint, it only allows for more flaws in that category.

Maybe there should be an "Ebay Mint"

Tim