![Pocket Knife Collection](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Pocket_Knife_Collection.jpg)
Knife collecting is a hobby which includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining
knives
A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...
. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating an assortment of different knives.
Others focus on a specialized area of interest, perhaps
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
s, knives from a particular factory,
Bowie knives,
pocketknives, or handmade custom knives.
The knives of collectors may be
antique
An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
s or even marketed as
collectible
A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...
. Antiques are knives at least 100 years old; collectible knives are of a later vintage than antique, and may even be new. Collectors and dealers may use the word ''vintage'' to describe older collectibles. Some knives which were once everyday objects may now be collectible since almost all those once produced have been destroyed or discarded, like certain WW2 era knives made with
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
alloy handles which are rapidly degrading due to the material's shelf life. Some collectors collect only in childhood while others continue to do so throughout their lives and usually modify their collecting goals later in life.
History
Knives have been collected by individuals since the 19th century with formal collecting organizations beginning in the 1940s. The custom knife-collecting boom began in the late 1960s and continues to the present.
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Beginning a collection
Some novice knife collectors start by purchasing knives that appeal to them, and then slowly work at acquiring knowledge about how to build a collection. Others (more cautious or studious types) want to develop some background in the field before starting to buy knives.
In general, knives of significance, artistic beauty, values or interest that are "too young" to be considered antiques, fall into the realm of collectibles. But not all collectibles are limited edition
The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...
s, and many of them have been around for decades.
Many knife collectors enjoy making a plan for their collections, combining education and experimentation to develop a personal collecting style, and even those who reject the notion of "planned collecting" can refine their "selection skills" with some background information on the methods of collecting.
Strategies
Knife magazines such as ''Knives Illustrated'' and ''Blade
A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
'' are one of the most popular means to learn more about the field. Attending knife shows, gun shows, and militaria shows is another way for collectors to familiarize themselves with the hobby. These shows sometimes include seminars on a variety of subjects such as knife making seminars, the history of knife companies, starting a collection or how to insure a collection. There are a number of books dedicated to collecting knives.
Although national and international collector clubs exist such as the National Knife Collectors Association. A collector may find and join a local knife club to meet other people who collect knives. Knife publications frequently list the location, date and time of club meetings as a service to new collectors. Collectors who have already narrowed their collecting focus to the knives of a particular maker or factory may want to join a club that focuses on this producer's work, such as the Randall Knife Society, Emerson's Collector Club, etc.
Types of collections
Knife collections are varied and run the gamut from collections of $5US pocketknives to $100,000US art knives.[
Collecting antique Bowie knives is one of the higher-end forms of knife collecting with rare models selling for more than $200,000.][ Even mass-produced Sheffield Bowies from the 19th century can sell in the range of $5,000US to $15,000US.]
The Internet
A potential collector may wish to chat with other knife collectors in specialized discussion forums via the Internet. Fellow knife collectors are usually very happy to share information with new collectors; this includes information about where they have been successful in acquiring their knives, where they have struggled and what they are looking for. Internet Knife forums allow for an open exchange of information, sometimes with experts and makers available to answer questions and offer guidance. In addition, several web-sites specializing exclusively in the selling and trading of knives have been launched in recent years to help collectors manage their items as well as compare, connect, and trade directly with others.[
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Knife discussion forums
There are a number of Usenet
Usenet () is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979, and it was ...
and Internet forums
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...
dedicated to the discussion of knives
A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...
and knife collecting. The oldest of such forums is rec.knives, a Usenet group started in 1992. The largest is BladeForums.com with over 250,000 members which primarily emphasizes production knives. Manufacturers such as Cold Steel, Spyderco
Spyderco is an American cutlery company based in Golden, Colorado, producing knives and knife sharpeners. Spyderco pioneered many features that are now common in folding knives, including the pocket clip, serrations, and the opening hole. Spyder ...
, and Benchmade
The Benchmade Knife Company is an American knife manufacturer in Oregon City, Oregon.
History
Benchmade originally started in California in 1979 as Bali-Song, then changed their name to Pacific Cutlery Corporation in the early 1980s. The com ...
have established their own forums giving them input from users and a method of responding to customer service issues in a timely fashion. Some forums such as Usual Suspects Network have gone so far as to host their own knife shows on a scale similar to ''Blade
A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
'' magazine's annual Blade Show
The Blade Show is an annual tradeshow for the cutlery industry. It is the largest event of its type in the world. The show is owned by Caribou Media Group and is hosted by Blade Magazine. The event has over 1,000 exhibitors and is the host for ind ...
.
YouTube and knife collecting
A popular resource for new information on knives is YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. There are many YouTube knife collectors who can a help a person decide if they want to add a knife to their collection. On YouTube, a person can learn about the blade steel, the ergonomics, the price point as well as a lot of other information that pertains to the knife. Also, a person can add comments to specific videos and get answers to questions about the knife they are looking at. This is another form of communication between knife collectors. Also, some companies post videos showcasing newly released knives.
Instagram and knife collecting
With the popularity of apps on phones, Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
emerged as another resources that knife collectors use to get information about knives, as well as follow other knife collectors who post pictures of their knives. Instagram is different from video websites like YouTube because, instead of posting videos, most users post photos of their knives. It is another tool to view knives and learn more about certain aspects of knives. Also, it is a good way of keeping track of new knives being released, as well as the works of custom knife makers.
Secondary market
The retail price of a knife is valid only at the moment it was purchased. Once the knife comes into the buyer’s possession, its value is linked to what is called the secondary market
The secondary market, also called the aftermarket and follow on public offering, is the financial market in which previously issued financial instruments such as stock, bonds, options, and futures are bought and sold. The initial sale of the s ...
. Once a knife is purchased, most of the costs associated with the retail price (i.e. advertising, production cost, shipping cost, etc.) must be deducted from the retail cost to determine the object’s immediate value on the secondary market, thus, retail cost is not equivalent to secondary market resale value. Depending on several different factors, individuals, auctioneers, and secondary retailers may sell a knife for more, the same, or less than what they originally paid for it. These factors include, but are not limited to, condition, age, supply, and demand.
The 1960s through the present were major years for the manufacturing of contemporary collectible knives.[ While some individuals purchased these knives to enjoy and use, many purchased them as investments. A speculative secondary markets developed for many knives in the 1990s. Because so many people bought for investment purposes, duplicates are common. And although many knives were labeled as "limited editions," the actual number of items produced was very large. The result of this is that there is very little demand for many (but not all) items produced during this time period, which means their secondary market values are often low.]
There is no secondary market for a knife unless someone is willing to buy it, and a knife's value is whatever the buyer is willing to pay for it. Industry leaders believe that the secondary market is important for several reasons: primarily to allow experienced collectors to upgrade their collections, to stimulate the market and encourage new collectors, and to provide a means for monetary appreciation. To upgrade a collection, a collector may wish to dispose of knives they no longer enjoy to produce the capital to buy other knives. To stimulate the market, collectors may obtain some good quality pieces that have been traded in the past. They have an opportunity to learn the history of the hobby by owning some of the knives that have been favorites in the past. Another reason is to make money, by selling an item with appreciated value.
Some custom knife makers have large followings of collectors. Because demand far outweighs the supply, it is not uncommon for these knives to appreciate substantially within seconds of buying them from the maker. The secondary market can range anywhere from 50% to 200% of the knife's original value.
A price guide is a resource such as a book or website that lists typical selling prices. Most knife publications offer annual price guides to give collectors an idea of what their knives may be worth.
Bibliography
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References
External links
Blade Magazine
The Blade Show
International Knife Collectors Association
Knife Magazine - formerly Knife World Magazine
{{Knives
Knife
A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...
Knives