What was I thinking? Knives I lusted after but shouldn't have bought.

[Siglvr]

I realized I've bought several knives that I have no need to own. Here's my list, please share yours.

I have a crazy good looking William Henry gold and Damascus affair that is just to expensive to use. Too small to be a self defense tool as well. It's designed for a "gentleman" of which I do not come close to being. Sits in a good looking wood box in my sock drawer someplace, unused, mostly unloved unless I spend a moment fondling it - which I'm not above doing in times of loneliness. I wasn't even drinking when I got it.

When Victorinox bought and closed down Wenger, I decided that having a huge Wenger Swiss Army Knife would be a good idea. I'd always had a light well used and loved Climber model Swiss Army Knife: the scissors for my rotten toenails and the corkscrew both being critical features necessary for my lifestyle. You know the ones I was lusting to own, too many useless tools you'll never use and so heavy your pants get pulled down all the time. Mine was a Wenger Delemont Eddie Bauer Big P125 that measured @ 1-3/4 inches across because of all the "tools" it has. Never carried it. Sock drawer.

CRKT "Shinbo". This is a brutal beast of a fixed blade knife, like a mini katana. Very well crafted, especially for CRKT. It looks like it would win any knife fight it got in, even if wielded by a 1 legged drunk guy. Designed for military and special forces operators in close quarters combat they say. It's a great blade, but until I decide to commit Seppeku or zombies really do attack, I really have no need for such a thing.

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[Knobgoblin]

Sell me that shinbu

Or let me trade you out of it.

 

[Member 52301]

Good thread!

Later...

Cate

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Back when I was a young studly Airborne Ranger LRSD / LRRP trooper....
Anyone who was cool , just had to have the Gerber MkII .

So naturally I bought one from the PX..
While I have no doubt it made for a fine fighting knife , it did not make the cut as a field knife.
I made far more use of my Blackjack Model 5 during field exercises and deployments.
After a while of really trying to like and use this knife , as a knife , I ended up selling it.
Andy

 

[Member 34319]

Do knives hold their value as collectibles?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Do knives hold their value as collectibles?

Depends...

An early Gerber MKII that had the slightly offset blade or one that was awarded at RECONDO school during the Vietnam war , maybe...
A famous custom maker's knife like Morseth , should I would think.

However...
The knife world can be fickle like the firearm world...what is trendy , desirable and collectible now...might not be 20 -40 years down the road.
Andy

 

[Knobgoblin]

Depends...

An early Gerber MKII that had the slightly offset blade or one that was awarded at RECONDO school during the Vietnam war , maybe...
A famous custom maker's knife like Morseth , should I would think.

However...
The knife world can be fickle like the firearm world...what is trendy , desirable and collectible now...might not be 20 -40 years down the road.
Andy

The old school Gerber with leather sheath, asymmetrical blade geometry, "cat's tongue " textured grip in gray color... very collectible.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Back when I was a young studly Airborne Ranger LRSD / LRRP trooper....
Anyone who was cool , just had to have the Gerber MkII .

So naturally I bought one from the PX..
While I have no doubt it made for a fine fighting knife , it did not make the cut as a field knife.
I made far more use of my Blackjack Model 5 during field exercises and deployments.
After a while of really trying to like and use this knife , as a knife , I ended up selling it.
Andy

Yea, those high speed tool steel Gerbers are like glass.

 

[tourproto]

I also had a William Henry knife (Carbon Fiber) and like you it was too pretty to use and too small to be useful for anything other than opening the mail.

I sold it on ebay for more than I paid for it. You should sell yours there too if you want to get rid of it. While you will spend 10% on fees, you will have access to a lot more buyer than on Craigslist or FB marketplace and less trouble with the scumbags who lurk there.

 

[Stomper]

Back when I was a young studly Airborne Ranger LRSD / LRRP trooper....
Anyone who was cool , just had to have the Gerber MkII .

So naturally I bought one from the PX..
While I have no doubt it made for a fine fighting knife , it did not make the cut as a field knife.
I made far more use of my Blackjack Model 5 during field exercises and deployments.
After a while of really trying to like and use this knife , as a knife , I ended up selling it.
Andy

Somewhere in an undisclosed Central American jungle lies the rusted remains of a once magnificent Mk-1 that slipped off my LBE (sheath and all) while creeping in the dark…. I should've run a 550 cord lanyard through the pommel hole, but NOOOOooooo….

 

[GWS]

Do knives hold their value as collectibles?

A quality knife from a known maker will retain or more likely increase its value.
A Loveless knife would be worth a mint. Randall Made knives increase in value before they're made i.e. I can place an order for a Randall Made knife at say $500. Five years later, when I get it, I could easily sell it for $900-$1200. People will pay a premium in order to not wait 5+ years and that knife will continue to increase in value after they buy it.
Mad Dog knives are similar story. Low production because it's a small shop, but battle tested by the best.
CRKT, Cold Steel, Gerber and Buck modern models, Kershaw and other mass produced knives, on the other hand, generally don't appreciate. Old Buck and Gerber have some collectability but for the rest, there's so dang many of them out there that demand can always be met And if a discontinued model gets popular they can restart production.
Buying a knife by a new maker is a crap shoot. He or she might be that one in a million, but odds are against it. What they might do though is make a knife that you think is really cool and that's very special in its own way. So buy it if you like it and maybe it becomes collectable, but if not, who cares? You like it.

My high-dollar knife anecdote---
An older friend had a set made by Bo Randall (with provenance) A Smithsonian Bowie, Confederate Bowie and Arkansas Toothpick, all with ivory grips and brass furniture. He ordered it from Randall in the 60s and paid $200 for the set. Back in the late 90's he turned down $25,000 for that set. He passed away this year and we are are all wondering whether his son will keep the set or sell it

 

[Member 34319]

A quality knife from a known maker will retain or more likely increase its value.
A Loveless knife would be worth a mint. Randall Made knives increase in value before they're made i.e. I can place an order for a Randall Made knife at say $500. Five years later, when I get it, I could easily sell it for $900-$1200. People will pay a premium in order to not wait 5+ years and that knife will continue to increase in value after they buy it.
Mad Dog knives are similar story. Low production because it's a small shop, but battle tested by the best.
CRKT, Cold Steel, Gerber and Buck modern models, Kershaw and other mass produced knives, on the other hand, generally don't appreciate. Old Buck and Gerber have some collectability but for the rest, there's so dang many of them out there that demand can always be met And if a discontinued model gets popular they can restart production.
Buying a knife by a new maker is a crap shoot. He or she might be that one in a million, but odds are against it. What they might do though is make a knife that you think is really cool and that's very special in its own way. So buy it if you like it and maybe it becomes collectable, but if not, who cares? You like it.

My high-dollar knife anecdote---
An older friend had a set made by Bo Randall (with provenance) A Smithsonian Bowie, Confederate Bowie and Arkansas Toothpick, all with ivory grips and brass furniture. He ordered it from Randall in the 60s and paid $200 for the set. Back in the late 90's he turned down $25,000 for that set. He passed away this year and we are are all wondering whether his son will keep the set or sell it

So do they buy these knives to use them or just to collect? Are they investment worthy?

I can understand guns. As they don't depreciate from being used. I can't see that for knives.

I'm not the type that buys knives unless I'm going to use them, so it's a bit weird to me as a concept.

 

[DunRanull]

Somewhere in an undisclosed Central American jungle lies the rusted remains of a once magnificent Mk-1 that slipped off my LBE (sheath and all) while creeping in the dark…. I should've run a 550 cord lanyard through the pommel hole, but NOOOOooooo….

I dunno if the (Gerber) MK1 would rust, it being stainless with aluminium grip... Mine is like 40 yrs now, still very usable for what it is. Stays by my bed mostly.

 

[DunRanull]

Ive got my eye on a Khukuri House Jim Bowie knife, hand made in Nepal. It's got a 14" blade and overall 20", quite a honker, more like a small sword. Negotiating some custom touches for my own use. I'm used to khukuris, been using and collecting them for years. When this bowie came up I jumped at the chance, even tho I have no godly use for it, my collection of large-ish Cold Steel bowies are mostly "fondle material".
No fool like an old fool, they say...

 

[Stomper]

I dunno if the (Gerber) MK1 would rust, it being stainless with aluminium grip... Mine is like 40 yrs now, still very usable for what it is. Stays by my bed mostly.

True, but my version sounds more dramatic… LOL.

I know the sheath has got to be rotted away though, the area it happened in was pretty…. "soupy".

 

[DunRanull]

True, but my version sounds more dramatic… LOL.

I know the sheath has got to be rotted away though, the area it happened in was pretty…. "soupy".

Yeah, the sheaths arent all that great, now days there are better options, like kydex...

 

[HA556]

I can't even begin to make a list being the knife slut that I am!

 

[GWS]

So do they buy these knives to use them or just to collect? Are they investment worthy?

I can understand guns. As they don't depreciate from being used. I can't see that for knives.

I'm not the type that buys knives unless I'm going to use them, so it's a bit weird to me as a concept.

High end knives are usually bought as an investment, not a tool. Speaking for myself, when I was younger, I only bought working knives, but now that I am older and more "comfortable" I can get a Randall now and again. As to high-dollar knives seldom used as tools, an exception to that probably could be the high-end operators. A story goes that Navy Seals opted to spend their own money to buy Mad Dog knives. I imagine those knives got heavy use, but if one of those Seals wanted to sell that Mad Dog, they could easily get 5-10 times what they paid for it. It is also my understanding that that just about never happens
OTOH, That triple set of Randalls I mentioned earlier was in a display case hanging on a wall. They are works of art. Of course, any one of those could hack your arm off, but why risk damage to such valuable knives when you could do the same mayhem with a Cold Steel kukri or Trail Master which , if damaged, can be replaced at 1% of the price of those Randalls? That's why I gave my Godson a Busse when he got into the Rangers. It's stout, no doubt but not worth worrying about damaging it or leaving it behind if he needs to GTHOD.

Unfortunately, most guns do depreciate from being used. Try to get an as new price for a used Glock or M&P etc. the more used, the less you'll get. Unless the gun has a history such as belonging to Doc Holliday, or an original Colt Walker, the gun will depreciate There are modern guns that appreciate like a Python, but cases like that are as rare as the knives that appreciate. Look at the Blue Book to see what I mean. You may see a gun you bought back in the day going for more than you paid for it but don't confuse inflation for increased value. Of course, when state legislatures start their monkey business, gun prices can go crazy, but in normal times I'll stand by what I've said.

As for knives, unless it's collectable, it will most likely lose value when you use it. Kind of like driving a car off the lot.

 

[Member 52301]

Do knives hold their value as collectibles?

Some do and some do not.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

Some firearms that are used, never used (NIB), have the original gun or knife box or not, older or newer hold their Value and/or Appreciate just as much as KNIVES do with all of those factors thrown in.

Plus it depends on how they were cared for just like ANY other object, thing or tool not only when it comes to knives or firearms.

Plus if you know the HISTORY on 'said' knife or firearm - that helps too. Paperwork or no paperwork.

It depends on the MARKET, the buyer, the seller, the exposure that said item gets in the NEWS and the economy.

IT depends on the area where it is being sold too. Little farm town in an old fashioned General Store, in the suburbs/city in a more populated area that is KNOWN for having buyers for such goods - REAL INTEREST or even when it comes to some auction houses that are KNOWN for their goods and not just an auction house that does not do much business.

Places in THIS country, I can't speak for Europe now, that are known for their historical town/state and AMERICAN history from the founding of this country or even with the civil war usually DRAW high crowds and have a LARGER GROUP of 'goods' to sell. Especially in VERY SPECIFIC knives, firearms, furniture, glass work, etc.

And that goes for even when the younger crowd does NOT like or have any interest in fine or quality made items from household goods to you name it! REAL wood, metal, silver, etc.

Some people who moved to CA as an example, a close friend's sister as ONE example, said that the STUFF that she brought out west after a death/cleaning out an estate brought HIGHER dollars even in a DOWN MARKET due to it being more RARE compared to back east. And this was when a pretty good depression, eerrr, RECESSION WAS GOING ON - one of many of them.

EXAMPLE:

I sold some costume jewelry of mine = name brands, VERY well kept, in good taste, CLASSIC styles not FAD ITEMS, clean but 'used' that I was not going to use or wear even in my 30's and later on in my life (I am now 72 years old.) and the lady who bought it (Back east.) used to BUY all kinds of stuff just to resell IT ALL. She took it to the Smoky Mountains and sold it to the tourists. That stuff of mine was sold back east. I KNEW HER through a friend of mine.

Another man that I knew who had a famous auction house in my OLD area bought some items from me over the years - things that I did not sell myself. He did not go to my former Church but I had visited his church and knew him well. WE had mutual friends. He KNEW what I had was WELL CARED FOR and what I owned - history wise and so forth. He told me that before I LISTED A FEW THINGS to please call him first. I did and he did buy some of my items. This was long BEFORE my late husband's cancer discovery and death.

I did my OWN thorough research too.

And some of this was BEFORE the internet.

I usually as in 99% of the time held or did my own sales from household stuff, cars, trucks, trailers, tools, sail boats, power boats, tractors, generators, etc.

Some of my knives were GIFTED - some of them back there and out here. Plus donated - charities and Veteran soup/shelter places. Plus given to my husband when I remarried years down the road from being a widow. NICE ones that could have made some money but NOTHING like a RANDALL.

Most people, close friends and in my tiny family, received KNIFE GIFTS if they wanted them when it came to knives. SOME PEOPLE do NOT want knife or even gun gifts too!

In my opinion it totally depends on the SELLER, the BUYER and his/her INTEREST, the LOCATION - some people in SOME PLACES have more money to SPEND than others nationwide, the EXPOSURE of the item being SOLD, the ECONOMY in general, the YEAR and the general interest in some GOODS.

Some GUN and KNIFE STORES get more exposure than others do TRAFFIC WISE.

Some places ONLINE get a LOT OF EXPOSURE. I am talking about papers that people used to BUY in person but now they are ONLINE and NOT 'Gun Broker' now. I never bought or sold off of there. I know that Gun Broker gets exposure.

One of my former FFL men, closed up store - the owner retired, listed one of my former guns on a website but it was NOT Gun Broker.

IT sold VERY quickly and the man who bought it was NOT here in MT. He was an OUT of state buyer and my dealer handled all of it.

IT turned out that the man who bought it was on a forum with me, our tastes were VERY CLOSE gun wise, etc. He was VERY HAPPY with one of my former rifles and it was EXACTLY as nice as I described it and so forth.

It might have been Guns America or some such name that my FFL man used - CRS now. IT was years ago too. IT was NOT Gun Broker.

I only had one gun UP for sale like that, using GA or whatever the name was at the time, with an FFL man. The fee was LOW and I used the commission price for a FULL IN STORE CREDIT later on as my husband and I did with many of our things.

KNIVES sell like that too.

Armslist USED to be okay many moons ago. A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.

LOCAL, FACE TO FACE SALE with knives, cash only, no trades, no shipping, etc.

My husband sold one of his well known knives on there to a collector.

LOCAL SALE.

NO salami involved.

THE SELLER and the BUYER knew the knife. NO BS happened.

Armslist got nutso - strange. Now, it is run entirely different - many things changed.

I do not and can't sign in since I am NOT a member there due to those changes. I don't know if it ever went back to what it USED TO BE. I can't even remember what my old password was too. LOL

ADDED MORE.

Cate