All About Pocket Knives

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 1:38 am Some collectors will pay a premium for #1 of a limited run. The lower the run quantity, the higher price they are willing to pay.

With that in mind, many runs are not serialized. For example, you might have a knife that is one of 1,000 made but it’s not necessarily number one because the run isn’t serialized. It’s simply one knife among 1,000 made.

I’ve seen people get excited about acquiring a knife that has “1 of 1,000” etched on the blade. They think it’s serial number 1 but it isn’t. Every knife in that run has the exact same etch on the blade. That etch gives some people the wrong impression.

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 2:39 am I personally don't put too much emphasis on the serial number.

At one time, I had two GEC knives that were different patterns and both were serial number 2. A 53 Cuban in Elk and a 68 White Owl in Elk. I have to confess that I thought that was pretty cool. I wound up selling both of them eventually but not for what I would consider a high price. Then again, I set the price, not the buyer.

If you ever run across a GEC that is serial number 1, you've got something there. It's my understanding that GEC keeps all serial numer 1's for their factory display. Not sure what other manufacturers do.

Modern Slip Joints wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 4:27 am First, I must warn you that I've never met or read about another collector dumb enough to do the things I've done or bid on serialized knives like I did. Second, I do not give a hoot how low or high a serial number is in its series unless its serial number matches the number on knives I already own. For example, in the past SMKW sold limited run collector knives of the same pattern with different side covers and made it possible for customers to buy knives with the different side covers serialized alike. The U.S. Queen manufacturer, the National Knife Collectors' Association, Kbar Kollectors Club and others did the same thing. I used to see small groups of such matching serial number knives put up for bid on ebay as individual knives. While I never saw a seller suggest bidders bid higher to get knives that matched the numbers on ones they had already "won," I did. Not crazy high, but a little higher. The more I had with matching numbers the more I wanted another with that number.

Also, somtimes a number seems cool for irrational reasons. I bought two Queen English Jack Knives that Queen originaly sold as a serial matching set, one with a clip point master blade and the other a spear. I bought number 007. Do you hear the theme song of an old James Bond movie? I'm sure I'd be better prepared to enter her majisty's secrect servive if I owned a third knife serialized 007. Number 006 or 008? Yawn.

I know, I know. Real collectors would rather have knives that were built before manufacturers started advertising their knives as collector knives. Those are too expensive.