All About Pocket Knives

This has come up on every other collectors board that I've ever visited, so here it goes. What makes a knife collectible? If you ask collectors of other things it is usually because of the factors that are common to most all collectibles. Some of those factors are Quantity, Rarity, Survivability, Quality, or association with History, and Age.

It seems as though there are different factors in knife collecting, and before you say collect what you like, and, DON'T BUY CHINESE, I want to make the point that Case makes special runs and any Robeson that I've seen is a 1 of knife. These are not usually reasons for collectibility as they artificially stack the deck, so to speak, and create a false collectible status.

I can understand someone wanting to own a knife of legendary quality for their use, but if all of the 500 of a 1 in 500 knife run survive after 50 years what makes it special? Keeping a knife in a closet or safe for the rest of your life doesn't make it collectible as we've discussed here when talking about lesser made knives. So I would like to know what makes a knife a collectible to YOU.

If you are a long time collector please let everyone know so that we can compare and contrast your input. Please, let's not make this an issue of politics. I don't want to hear that an antique knife from Afghanistan isn't worth collecting because slaves had to work months to get the materials so that some rich cutler or sword maker could make a beautiful piece for his soveriegn.

My current thoughts on the matter is that no knife is collectible unless it meets some of the proven factors above. Now, having said that, I also want to add that an inheritance piece or special gift can be collectible as well.

Let the opinions flow...and hopefully some sound thinking as well.

1st to establish how long I have been collecting knives, I started at or around age 6 would be a good guess. I always seemd to get my hands on knives for some reason. Mom would take 'em away, and I would go out and find another, whether it be in a dumpster, on the lake shore, in the playground, so they decided it would be best if it was a family project, where I would collect them, and have storage areas for them. My 1st knives I received came alot from family and friends, hence these hold sentimental value (HIGHLY Collectable for me). I value a knife from a loved one far more than one I may have purchased. This has gone on for years, where my father, grandfather, uncles, cousins, friends of the family, have all given me knives, knives they may have carried as kids.
In my teen years, collecting grew into what may have appeared to be "cool" at this time the Rambo movies were pretty big (1980's) and the swap meets and flea markets were flooded with the camo-survival knives, that had the compass on top, and the cheap vinyl sheath. Then there were the other "cool" looking designs, that yes came from China, Pakistan, Japan etc etc. They were cheap, and at the time I was into buying my own knives, thinking I was making a good deal at these swap meets, flea markets etc. (Much like real life, hitting the puberty stage of knife collecting, think you know it all when you don't know squat)
Now during this time I got my 1st knife book, which I still have, 1984 6th edition Official Price Guide. It was this book where I would look at the knives that were "collectable" and wish I could afford these beauties. Some of my familyu members gave me some knives that were in the book, and at the time I did not realize the difference between MINT and FAIR, and JUNK. I had my 1st case, had a cracked jigged bone handdle, alot of blade wear, but boy did I think it would be worth something, because it was listed in the book!!! (How times have changed)
Now I would guess I have been collecting knives for about 28 years??? give or take a few, and I still look for knives that were listed in that old 1984 price guide. Finally got that Cherry Tree Chopper, the Schrade Will Bill, the Queen Bicentennial, the Famous Indians of the West Series 1 & 2, the Case Kentucky Bicentenials, etc etc. There are still alot more I plan on getting my hands on, but these were the knives I enjoyed looking at as a boy, and now consider them "collectable".
I personally enjoy now the limited edition knives, or anniversary knives. I think they are something I can share with my son, and help him learn about history and such. And of course I have those knife patterns or names I am always on the hunt for as well, just for my personal taste.
For me, what makes a knife collectable? One I know I will enjoy, and hopefully get to share with my son (hope he takes an interest!) I enjoy a knife that I can talk about, know its history, whether it was given to me, or one I purchased and can research. I hope this somewhat answers your question or brings some insight of what kind of knife I think is collectable. I am sure I could write on the subject for much longer, but I think this is as brief as I can make it!

I like the reply by SFC.

For me: I gotta like the knife. I love the look, the style of 5" Texas Toothpicks, so I have a hundred of them. Is every one a collectible? No, certainlly not. But as a whole, it is an interesting collection, spanning almost an entire century. There are little collelctions within my knife collection: Say those made by Camillus, for them, or for other companies to mark and sell as their own: Buck, Remington, Winchester and the first and only US military toothpick: the navy emergency fishing knife. Or those modern ones handled in celluloid abalone. Or those in MOP. Or stag. On and on. Every one I buy brings me pleasure. Yep, there is even a China made knife or two in my collection. What.... is the production of knives in China and their impact on American made knives NOT a part of knife history???? Of course it is. And I have a few shell handled Imperials in my colleciton as well.

I worry little about future collectibility or value. Just screw it. I collect for me, not an heir who will not appreciate what I have chosen to personally value.

I collect other knives as well, am working on fixed blades right now, trying to get one of the best from every company. A long, expensive experience it looks like. But it brings me pleasure.

Welcome to our forum and the world of knife collecting.

phil

Rare object collected by investors. Examples: stamps, coins, oriental rugs, antiques, baseball cards, photographs. Collectibles typically rise sharply in value during inflationary periods, when people are trying to move their assets from paper currency as an inflation hedge, then drop in value during low inflation. Collectible trading for profit can be difficult, because of limited buyers and sellers, but the Internet, notably eBay, is helping.

I post this just to help.

What makes a knife collectable to ME?
The sentementality of the knife for one.
The rarity
The design
the condition (this dosen't always apply)

But thats just me

BrokenCamillus...

One of the most original threads I've seen since I became a "member" here on AAPK. Also, probably, one of the most potentially controversial.
Why does anyone collect anything?...So many reasons...so many motives justified by individual reasoning. Is it purely for the ability to "distinguish"
ourselves because of our choices? Is the prime motive purely a question of economics? Do we justify our choices solely on the basis of personal
"interest", without regard to market value? Does sentimentality direct our course?...At what point does cultural and/or ethnic origin of manufacture enter the equation? The few answers I've seen thus far have all had elements of validity...don't you agree?

I'm going to think about this one for a while...it's worth the thought. But, just as an example...(granted a tired, cliched one),...We all have these "collections" or "accumulations" or whatever the word of the day is.
The house is burning down, for our purposes here, we can only run in and grab ONE knife...which one would it be? Is that the most "collectible"?
Or is that the most sentimental? Or is that the most valuable? Why would we pick that one?

Maybe your answer's in your question...I think you started a great thread here...I'll be back after some thought.

cj

don't forget peer pressure. and envy. i think both of these come into play with some. this is a thinker.

Well, I started this topic and I wanted to get a few replies before I sounded off about what I collect. I've been "collecting" since I was 6 or 7 as far as I can recall. Mostly I have collected the knives I was given or that I found, and later knives that I bought myself out of a sense of interest.

I have throwing knives, and hunting knives, and pocket knives of all different types. I have original bayonets, and a captured sword from my father's visit to Japan in 1945 and a short sword made in Soligen that is much older than me. In all, 36 years of keeping things around that were given to me or that I found or bought on a whim.

At this point in my life I am looking to buy knives that I can use daily, and knives that I can be proud to give to my children so that they can think back and say, "You know I remember when I got that knife.....".
I am also thinking about getting a few high quality knives I like, and making some knives for myself and others.

All of these knives are part of my "collection", but only a few will be considered a collectible. It's those collectible knives I'd like to learn about. Where will I find them today, and in my case what ones are undervalued. You see, as much as I'd like a few collectible knives, I don't have a lot of money. Maybe that means I get only a very few nice examples, and maybe things will change in my favor and I will be able to buy more sometime down the road.

I've gone the route of buy what you like. It is a always interesting, but not always memorable. When I bought my son his first knife little did I know that his U.S.A. made Schrade was destined to be one of the last. Today I'm thinking that I should buy as many U.S. made Camillus as I can get my hands on. Still fairly priced and made in the U.S.A. they aren't producing "collector only" knives, yet. They may also fall to foriegn competition soon as well.

We can write books about the cutlery companys that have risen and fallen over the history of the country and maybe miss many that we never knew existed because they just weren't producing enough to make their mark. How will the knives we like now survive? I wonder what lessons we might learn from the past and the collections of others?

What is collectable is a very complex and varied question, one which I am also seeking the magical answer. But I think it all starts with the happy memories of times, places and people that we can associate with a knife of the past. When we seek the knife of the memories, we discover a whole other level. We then find the beauty of the knives and then the facination with the history of the men and women who created them, and the places that have come and gone where these have been carefully crafted with skill you will not find in todays stamp-em out as fast as you can factories . Then the make a buck guys who ship production overseas to increase their margins, and we all know what that leads to! Just my opinion, but I think we all have our reasons. Merry Christmas everbody. Look forward to reading everybody's posts on this one.
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Jim

Am I a collector, "there is no doubt in my mind" !!!!

I research and review just about every day. I ask, I question, I look, I doubt and I buy regularly. My quest is OLD cutlery companies but mainly those associated in some form with my home state of Pennsylvania. Something I decided to do about 30 years ago when my extensive CASE collection was just not giving me the satisfaction that I desired. The reason, well everyone collected CASE and I found that prices were inflated and that many didn't know what they were doing and just because it said CASE then it had to be valuable. In my eyes that was not right. I grew up near Bradford and understood the CASE feeling for years. I then realized in 1978 that Pennsylvania was like a version of Sheffield Eng when it came to the Cutlery industry. This changed my direction and collecting for good. I now own only two case knives. A modern Elephant toe that was treasured gift and a 1911 CASE Warren Pa. My home town and this is a treasured knife also. My collection stands now at about 100 knives and razors. I used to have 500 CASE knives. All gone and traded or sold for the items I now have. I hope to be able to educate others on PA's cutlery history in the future and I realize that I am focused on one thing, but it brings me pleasure and pleasure is what collecting is really all about. If collecting dust brings you pleasure! Then by all means collect it, but please write a book about it because I have some old stuff under my bed that I am sure is from the early dust manufacturers and has to be worth $$$$$.