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Knife Collecting Information
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Knife Collecting Information
Want to learn more about knife values
or knife history?
Knife collecting is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the United States.
It provides enjoyment as well as being an excellent investment for the future. A
carefully assembled collection of selected knives will continue to grow in value
year after year. The demand for older knives is a definite reality.
The four main groups that most knife collectors specialize in
are:
- Patterns
- Handle Materials
- Brand Names
- Specialties
Knife collecting is a very personal hobby where each individual can select
his or her specialty. There are knife collectors that search for certain
patterns (such as trappers, whittlers, canoes, muskrats, peanuts, folding
hunters, etc). Some collect certain handle materials (such as stag, mother of
pearl, yellow, rough black, green bone, celluloid, etc). Many collect certain
brand names (such as Case, Remington, Winchester, Fight'n Rooster, IXL, Queen,
etc). Others collect certain blade stampings (such as Case Tested, Case XX, Old
Remington, New Remington, etc). Some collect certain specialties (such as
advertising, figural, souvenir, etc). Regardless of your desires for a knife
specialty, you will find buyers, sellers, traders at any knife show and most
gun and knife shows.
The most sought after knife in any brand or pattern is a mint one. As a
general rule, used knives bring 25-70% of what a mint knife brings. You can
usually pick up an excellent condition knife for 50-70% of what you pay for a
mint one. Ten to fifteen years ago, all the knives experts preached "Buy only
mint knives". Well, in the older knives (1945 and earlier), if you stay
with only mint, you will pass up a lot of fine knives. If possible, collect
only excellent or better knives. Used knives can have
considerable value. But, for the soundest investment, it is more desirable to
collect only excellent to mint knives.
Remember to take excellent care of your collection, as you are the curator
during your lifetime for future generations to enjoy. Moisture and fingerprints
are the prime villains to avoid. Check your collection periodically and keep
your knives in a dry location. Make an asserted effort to wipe your knives at
least once a month. Your collection can lose value very quickly if you allow
your knives to deteriorate from lack of care and maintenance.
The
best teacher for learning about knives is to attend as many knife shows as
possible. Most dealers and collectors are very patient about explaining the many
variations and subtleties that make some knives rarer than others. The more
knives you examine the more familiar you will become with them. This experience
will also make it easier to spot counterfeits or altered knives. If you are
just starting out, take the time to look and talk rather than buying. The next best thing to going to knife
shows is knowledge you can obtain from books and magazines. The way to obtain
this knowledge is to read books on knives, knife history, knife price guides
and knife magazines.
Don't start out hoping to collect every knife made by a manufacturer as that
would be virtually impossible. For example, Remington made 1300 different
patterns. Set your goals at a more realistic level, such as: one particular
pattern, a certain type handle, or a particular blade stamping. A collection
with a theme or direction will be easier to sell than one that is simply a
conglomeration of everything.
Above all, when you reach
the point where you are purchasing knives costing hundreds of dollars or more,
make sure that you buy only from a reputable dealer who will stand behind the
authenticity of the knife. Beware of 'too good of a bargain' as in all
probability you are being taken. As in any hobby, there are always those
unscrupulous few who will make a fast dollar in any way they can. Many
counterfeiters are very good and only an expert can tell. Simply be as careful
as you can and familiarize yourself with manufacturing methods and details.
In any event, get your feet wet at a knife show. Look; ask questions; read
books and articles; start small; become a knife collector, and join thousands of
us who enjoy this great hobby. Look for a local or regional knife club near you
and go there to find other collectors who will reinforce these ideas.
Knife Collecting: A Beginning article above contributed by
Copyright ©Byron Rogers All rights reserved.
Reprint rights below.
Recommended Reading On Knives
A Knife Value Question: Why
does a knife that I purchased, say 10 years ago, cost so much more now than when
I purchased it?
What
does new, used, vintage, and antique knives mean?
The system we use for knife grading and
describing a knife’s condition is on our Knife
Grading System Page.
Many domestic knives can be dated by a U.S.A.
patent number which happens to be stamped on the blade.
Click here for the patent numbers and years.
Read
more about how to determine the date of a Case knife
By learning the simple Case dating system, you can easily determine
the year a Case knife was manufactured.
Some thoughts on limited edition and commemorative knives
Back to Top
For a Printer Friendly Form of the article
above click
here.
Click here for "Remember the
golden rules of collecting."
Unfortunately there is no one book that
gives prices or values for all knives.
Books
-
*5th
Edition
Levine's
Guide to Knives and Their Values by Bernard Levine?
See below. Maybe?
-
The Official Price Guide to Collector Knives, 15th Edition by Houston Price
-
American Premium Guide To Pocket Knives & Razors
7th Ed by Jim Sargent.
Maybe the best book
to to cover Case, Queen and Remington.
-
Goins
Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings
by John Goin
This is the best book to give history, identification marks and general knife info.
-
International Blade Collectors Association Price Guide to Commemorative Knives (1960 -
1990) by Bruce Voyles
This is the best book to to cover commemoratives, even though it is out of date.
-
Knives Annual (Knives 2010,
2014,
etc.)
This is the best book for custom knife makers information.
Remington Knives Past & Present- Identification & Value
Guide by Ron Stewart
-
Collins Machetes and Bowies 1845-1965 by Daniel Henry
-
U.S. Military Knives, Bayonets and Machetes Price Guide, Fourth Edition by M.W. Silvey.
The ONLY price guide to
U.S. military knives, bayonets and machetes. The low cost of
this book is maintained through the fact that it is indexed
to nine of the most popular identification guides on the
subject (Cole's "Book III" and "Book IV"; Silvey's "U.S.
Military Knives 1941-1991", "WWII" and "Vietnam" books;
Silvey & Boyd's "U.S. Military Knives"; Henry's "Collins
Machetes and Bowies"; Janzen's "Bayonets from Janzen's
Notebook"; and Hardin's "The American Bayonet".) This
eliminates the need for illustrations and allows collectors
to buy periodic updates at low cost. Useful to collectors
and dealers alike.
-
The
Complete Book of Pocketknife Repair: A Cutler's Manual by Ben Kelly Jr.
-
How to Make
Knives by Richard Barney & Robert Loveless
-
How
to Make Folding Knives: A Step-By-Step How-To
by Ron Lake
-
The
Razor Edge Book of Sharpening
by John Juranitch
*
Levine's thoughts
on the 5th and 4th edition of his book Levine's
Guide to Knives and Their Values
by Bernard Levine, as
published in "Whut Izzit", July 2001 KNIFE WORLD. The
following is a review of the 4th edition of Levine's Guide,
the last edition endorsed by the author
Click here for the review. -- Very informative and keep
your 4th editions!
-
Article Index to KNIVES annual 1981 - Current Year by Knife World...
-
A complete article index for the entire series. This index
will help those of you who are searching for articles on a
particular topic, or if you want to know what the previous
editions of the KNIVES annual contain.
What a great resource!
Thanks Knife World!
Magazines
Article by Copyright ©Byron Rogers
Our master list of past Blade
knife magazines for sale. Looking for a back issue or year?
Blade
knife magazines.
For many other books to choose from start
here.
Kitchen Cutlery Auto Live Update
Pocket Knives and Multi Tools Auto Live Update
Recommended Reading On Knives Auto Live Update
Recommended Reading On Japanese Swords Auto Live Update
Recommended Reading On Medieval Arms and Armor Auto Live Update
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