Starting a knife collection

JLaw · Post by **JLaw** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:48 pm

Just a question from a newbie...

I am interested in starting a knife collection. My main interest is slip joint folders (mostly Case Peanuts and Trappers). What makes up most of your collection?

More specifically, do you collect one particular style of knife, or maybe you collect entire families of knives with the same handle material, or maybe you just buy what you think is good looking?

Reason I ask is because I'm not sure where to start collecting. As mentioned earlier I like Case Peanuts and Trappers, but I would LOVE to have the entire family of Apaloosa bone folders. (Big $'s I'm sure).

Any advice for someone wanting to start a knife collection would be appreciated.

Thank you,

JLaw

(the new guy)

PA Knives · Post by **PA Knives** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:36 pm

HI and welcome to the group. Your question is a GOOD one. I really think that you answered it yourself though. If you enjoy certain patterns, names, construction etc. go for those. The best advice like you said is "buy what you like". Many of us have a focus, but throughly enjoy a Good knife of any make or model. Some just more than others.

The question is what is your long term goal? Are you collecting to turn a profit in the future or have something to give to the grandkids? If so, your choice of CASE is a good one, seem to hold thier value and are desirable by many collectors, therefore garnering bigger $$ now. You may find a sleeper as well. The Great Eastern Line may very well be a real valuable collectable in a few years, but then again "maybe not"

The best advice I can give, "buy quality and of the very best condition you can afford" One mint knife can be worth far more than three or four used versions" Spend your money on quality not quanity.

OK, I am done with my speach, I am sure others will chime in as well.

Good luck and please post a pic of your finds as you start down this fun journey you are about to take. We were all there at one time and didn't have this site to help us out. Don't make the mistakes we did.

Sauconian · Post by **Sauconian** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:07 pm

Pa. gives good advice there. Start slow, do a lot of looking. Try to find shows in your area, and meet other knifers.

Your taste may change as you learn more, and starting slow may help to keep you from winding up with a lot of money invested in things which you soon have little interest in.

Future increase in value is always a gamble as all collectibles go in and out of favor, so remember what you'll read here often. Collect what gives you your money's worth of pleasure now.

Fran

steve · Post by **steve** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:28 pm

hi and welcome to knife collecting. alot of good advice there. just go with what you like. there are as many different types of collectors out there as there are knives. some collect certain brands or patterns, or knives with certain handles like stag, bone, horn, etc. and some collect certain era knives. theres alot of different ways to go and you may start out one way and then find yourself going a totally different way. when i started, i mainly collected case but some others like boker, bulldog, hen and rooster, etc., and as time went by, i found my interests were mostly case knives, so i began focusing on them and as more time went by, i found again that even more so, i enjoyed the older case knives 70 and before and thats where i am today. my collecting consists mostly of 1970 10 dots and before, so as you can see, my collecting and collection has taken a few turns, but i have and am enjoying the ride. my only suggestion is that whatever you decide to collect, learn all you can about it and im sure you will enjoy the ride as well.

stockman · Post by **stockman** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:15 pm

If you don't have books you should invest in some.

Stockman

zorrothegreyblade · Post by **zorrothegreyblade** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:30 pm

Hi JLaw, There's only two reasons for doing anything, you've either got to or you want to. I collect with my 13 year old grandson, it was his idea when we saw an old army knife at a local flea market and I bought it for him, after that we picked up absolutely anything with a blade, and I do mean anything. Now, when we are looking to add to our collection he will stop to consider how much he really wants a particular knife or whether he will wait and save his money. Without even realising it he is starting to specialise, allbeit in a general way. I personally prefer anything old, the older the better, regardless of type, or country of origin, as I get my pleasure researching their histories, which is what bought me to this site.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is if it's a hobby then enjoy it, don't take it seriously, work out a budget based on what you can afford to spend and stick to it, collect whatever YOU want to, its 100% personal choice, and as your collection grows you may develope a preference for a type or style or manufacturer, but above all it should be FUN.

JLaw · Post by **JLaw** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:19 am

Thanks for the good advice. My interest in knife collecting is not really for investment purposes. I suppose my main purpose right now is because I appreciate good quality craftsmanship and I want a little bit of braggin' rights to having a nice collection. Maybe someday they will be worth something, maybe not. Either way, I want my sons to be able to display them years down the road and know the history of the knives.

Second purpose in knife collecting is "to save money. Hehe. It might be a little cheaper for me to collect knives than the firearm collection I started.

I think I'll wet my wistle on a few new Case products, and try to learn what I'm doing in the process.

JLaw

Cope · Post by **Cope** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:57 am

Jlaw as most have already said........collect what you like. I would like to add to what you and others have already said. My advice is to do it for the fun of collecting and for the love of a pocket knife BUT no matter how you look at ........its going to be an investment. (unless you are that 1 person who is immune to the "sickness") You can tie a LOT of money up before you even realize it and saying that I only want to add one thing after saying again....BUY WHAT YOU LIKE!!! Be careful buying a lot of new knives that are out of your collecting specialty. For example you have a little extra cash and think I'll buy a few of these (enter famous name brand here) and put them back for the future, although they aren't the pattern, handle type, etc. that you truly like collecting. I just want to add this as a word of caution BECAUSE I MAY BE WRONG, but there are 2 reasons I don't think new production knives made in large #'s are good investments for the long haul.....

1. With so many collector's out there, everyone takes care of knives now days. It's not like in the "old days" when knives were bought to use. So instead of there being very few mint examples of 50 year old knives, like there are today, in my opinion there will be thousands of mint knives 50 years from now. Hope this made sense.
2. More knives of a pattern run are made now than in years past, so going back to #1, the market will be saturated with mint knives.

I'm not trying to say mint knives bought today won't be worth anything in the future. Just that they won't be like the same old knife as today. There are exceptions to this, again in my opinion. SFO's, low # output knife makers, and so on. I do buy new knives that I like, some for investment of low run knives and some just because I like the knife. Now I probably have you confused in what I'm trying to say but the main thing is have fun.

Brad

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:45 am

Well I see you are 31 years of age and live in Texas with a family of 3 1/2....

so First welcome to AAPK may I say get an AAPK hat to please. Did you add your number to the grate knife give-a-way yet ?

Now to answer your Q ? Case is a good brand name but I do not collect them, but I own some....

The best way to start buying is to have lots of money that your family does not need. This is a lot like buying Stocks. That is if you plan on investing money in knives to make a profit. Some will increase in value and most will go down in value at some point in its life. If you keep a good knife (in good storage) a long time you should make out with a profit. We all want that.

The most important thing to knife collecting is the PEOPLE you make friends with along the way. I know this does not help you at first but, if you stay here for one year you will understand me. That I will guarantee.

BUY, BUY what you like and watch out for the FAKES...

.. Older Case seem to have a lot of them.

Darksev · Post by **Darksev** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:04 pm

Don't know if it counts for much, but my "collection" is mostly knives I've carried at some point or another, lately it's a growing cast of self-customized knives of dubious actual value (production model USA schrades and Case) but
1) I carry and use all of them to some extent, and they ALWAYS generate comments to the positive. I even have the guys at the office asking "what's in your pocket today Adam?". I'll make knife users out of them yet

2) The knives I work on and customize now are the same brand(s) that my grandfathers and dad carried, and even in their heavily used state, those are the most favored of my cache. I want to be able to pass down similar artifacts to my future children and grandkids (I'm just a youngun, Kids are something you do after you've paid off college debts

)

So there ya go, Meager explanation at best, but it's an example of what PAKnives referred to as Option 2