All About Pocket Knives

Hoping to get some insight on good collectors books to look out for in my travels. I'd like to purchase a good reference guide for identification without breaking the bank. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

There are numerous threads here on the subject of reference books. Here’s just one with recommendations and examples. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=42388

Whether you can find one that fits your budget is subjective - you’ll need to decide what’s affordable for your situation. My recommendation is to check on-line sellers such as www.abebooks.com and www.alibris.com. Both are forums where second hand book sellers list their wares, and both provide searchable capability to find the books you’re seeking, by title, author, subject, etc. I’ve had excellent results buying from both places.

Although there are numerous references specializing in one or two brands, the ones I use most frequently are Goins’ Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings and Levine’s Guide to Knives (4th or 5th edition). Those two both have general content pertaining to multiple makers. If you’re into Case knives, Sargent’s Premium Guide to Knives (7th edition) and Collecting Case Knives are both excellent. Any serious collector of older (pre-1980) knives should have a copy of Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery by Gerald Witcher. All of those are out of print and not cheap, but the prices are indicative of their usefulness and demand amongst collectors.

Ken

nizer01 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 24, 2024 2:57 pm Hoping to get some insight on good collectors books to look out for in my travels. I'd like to purchase a good reference guide for identification without breaking the bank. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

checkout https://www.knifemagazine.com/product-category/books/, they have over 100 titles in stock

Here's another one, and if I remember correctly, it's written by someone right here. Good price as well. https://www.ebay.com/itm/276369100387?_ ... p_homepage
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Mike

Steve Pfeifer book is very good in getting you to know the Case knife family.
Very accurate.

Bob

Unfortunately most of the books are out of print, so they can go for big bucks when you find them.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Wed Jul 24, 2024 3:08 pm There are numerous threads here on the subject of reference books. Here’s just one with recommendations and examples. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=42388

Whether you can find one that fits your budget is subjective - you’ll need to decide what’s affordable for your situation. My recommendation is to check on-line sellers such as www.abebooks.com and www.alibris.com. Both are forums where second hand book sellers list their wares, and both provide searchable capability to find the books you’re seeking, by title, author, subject, etc. I’ve had excellent results buying from both places.

Although there are numerous references specializing in one or two brands, the ones I use most frequently are Goins’ Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings and Levine’s Guide to Knives (4th or 5th edition). Those two both have general content pertaining to multiple makers. If you’re into Case knives, Sargent’s Premium Guide to Knives (7th edition) and Collecting Case Knives are both excellent. Any serious collector of older (pre-1980) knives should have a copy of Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery by Gerald Witcher. All of those are out of print and not cheap, but the prices are indicative of their usefulness and demand amongst collectors.

Ken

Agreed. A couple of years ago, I managed to get Levine’s Guide to Knives 5th edition. It's a great reference for collectors. Although I heard the 4th edition might be better, I couldn’t find it in decent condition at the time

I have both the 4th and 5th editions of Levine’s Guide . They are nearly word-for-word and picture-for-picture identical. It’s mostly the price/value guides that differ, and they’re long ago obsolete anyway. The only drawback I’ve noticed is that somehow the index in the 5th edition is not correct, and may sometimes refer you to the wrong page.

My understanding is that the publisher had someone other than Levine update the value guide for the 5th edition, but retained Levine’s name in the book’s title. Levine protested accordingly. Because of the subsequent bad publicity regarding the 5th edition there is a rumor (unjustified IMHO) that the 4th edition is best. If it’s the non-price related information contained in the books that you’re seeking, the 5th will provide that equally as well as the 4th. Most of that info, in both editions, is provided by and attributed to Pete Cohen anyway. Any differences between the two editions are not significant enough to justify the widely different secondary market prices between the two editions. JMO

Ken

I was fortunate enough to get Steve Pfeifer's second edition of his book on Case knives soon after it came out - roughly $25, I believe.
Unfortunately something fell through and copies were limited. Ebay has one for $260, AbeBooks.com for $785.

Steve's book, by the way, is excellent.