All About Pocket Knives

When used in describing the age of something VINTAGE means absolutely nothing when used by itself. If you check Websters you will see that one of the meanings of Vintage is " a period of time or manufacture". A knife can be described as 1930's vintage or 1990's vintage but to simply say vintage knife has no meaning at all.

if you break it down further, it refers to wine.

Good points jljr and Johnnie. In wine terms, without a specified year, it is a non-vintage wine. as in ... For sale we have a non-vintage knife from an unidentifiable or unspecified year or time period. Doesn't sound quite as attractive to potential buyers though s-k

If you type "vintage pocket knife" on ebay you will get more than 700 hits. Unfortunately that says that over 700 people think VINTAGE means anitique and collectable all rolled into one. The use of proper english obviously has no place on ebay. Oh I gotta go, I see an antique CASE Classic about to end and I don't want to lose out on that VINTAGE piece.

To me "Vintage" means when it comes to E-Bay advertising that the knife looks it's age. IE: NON-MINT, probably has seen use, pitting, crack in the handle, it looks old because it is old, etc.

Yeagh, I saw one listed as Vintage Buck 110. It was a standard, nothing fancy, 110 built in 2007. just like the ones at Walmart for $25

I guess I have been guilty of using, or should I say mis-using, that term. To me, it was always a way to describe a knife that was old. It sounded more expensive than saying 'old'. By listing a knife as old, I would surely expect it to be used.
I don't like to use the term 'antique' when I list an old knife because I was always taught that an antique should be at least 100 years old. I'm sure that could get a whole 'nother discussion started.
I never really thought of it exclusively describing an old, used knife. No reason that couldn't be the case though.
I guess if I were listing a Case 10 dot (1970) or older, I would think of it as vintage, as opposed to newer.
In my American College Dictioary, the word is only used in connection with wine or grapes so I will be more selective on how I use the term henceforth.

As I non ebay seller I don't have much opportunity to use the term, especially since I am not a wine drinker. BUT, I do see the word far too often on ebay knife auctions.

Since I too see it used on new knives, it has taken on a different meaning to me. It seems to mean; “Here is a knife that I want to get a lot of money for so I am calling it vintage because I don’t know the first thing about it.”

As a buyer I am much more likely to look at the auction where the seller gives an approximate date the knife was made, “such as circa 1940” in the title. That usually means I have a more knowledgeable seller who has taken the time to research the knife.

Just my 2¢ and how I respond to the word.
Dale

mint is another overused word with knives. new unused condition is the third definition given. used properly to describe a knife is one thing, but these words are becoming useless in descriptions because of misuse. jmo.

My kids think I am "vintage"! I reply that I am a good vintage (hear the groans?), "44 was a good year!
BTW, 2001 was a great year for reds, IMO!
A little less so for Redbones

Hmmm.

Well I always assumed "vintage" was old but not yet old enough to be "antique". I always heard that antique meant 100 years old or older (except for cars which are antique at 25 years). So if I was right (and that would be a miracle in itself) 99% of all the "antique" knife listings are actually "vintage". But what the heck! I like it whatever it means

needbucks wrote:Hmmm.

Well I always assumed "vintage" was old but not yet old enough to be "antique". I always heard that antique meant 100 years old or older (except for cars which are antique at 25 years). So if I was right (and that would be a miracle in itself) 99% of all the "antique" knife listings are actually "vintage". But what the heck! I like it whatever it means

I like it what ever it means !

That's the way the USA English language works.

Remember the word GAY meant HAPPY and all the suckers stayed in the closet... As far as I am concerned that was a good place for them .

As far as a car being antique you are right again, 25 years.