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iKC Member in Need Request #10 - Colonial Lock Back Folder

The Need

Similar to my first request, please take a look at this and the other postings I have similar to this one and share with me what you know about it. My goal is to use the information you provide to properly market and sell these knives to get a reasonable sale price while letting the buyer enjoy the full value of the piece.

Colonial Folder – What I Think I Know

This is what I believe to be true so far about this knife:

It’s a lock back folder
Scales look to be blue-green Delrin
Only markings is what is pictured
Knife is 3" closed; 5.25" opened

What I want to Know

Based on the bullet info above and judging the best you can from the photos, I would like to know the following:

Estimate year of knife manufacture?
Are the scales Delrin?
Is this a true Colonial knife or a wanna-be?
Are the blades Carbon steel or badly pitted SS?
Should I clean & polish it or leave it as is?
What, in your opinion, is the value of the knife?
What, in your opinion, is a good sale price?

Please feel free to ask me questions, request additional photos, or whatever in order to assist you in your evaluations. Please also feel free to correct my understandings with additional facts, as I want the best info I can get to support the sale.

Thank you for your comments and assistance – it is greatly appreciated!

2 members like this

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 9, 2015 at 17:31

I don't think cleaning or polishing this knife is going to hurt it much. These are not that rare and were inexpensive knives to begin with! Making it shiny and new might draw more attention to it! I suppose other will have different thoughts!

Delrin is a trademark name for Thermal plastic resin by Dupont. I do not know if Colonial used Duponts thermal plastic or used some other type of thermal plastic. I think folks in the Colonial group might be able to help with the Tang Stamp. That loosk different than the ones I've encountered.

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Permalink Reply by Lars Ray on April 9, 2015 at 17:35

I agree with your Colonial tang stamp observation - I have not seen this one before either (not that I am keenly aware of all things Colonial). Thank you for your additional insights - they all make great sense.

Tobias Gibson said:

I don't think cleaning or polishing this knife is going to hurt it much. These are not that rare and were inexpensive knives to begin with! Making it shiny and new might draw more attention to it! I suppose other will have different thoughts!

Delrin is a trademark name for Thermal plastic resin by Dupont. I do not know if Colonial used Duponts thermal plastic or used some other type of thermal plastic. I think folks in the Colonial group might be able to help with the Tang Stamp. That loosk different than the ones I've encountered.

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Permalink Reply by tim payne on April 9, 2015 at 20:43

super sawcut delrin colonial lars

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on April 9, 2015 at 21:15

Lars for more info on the tang I would check with Steve P. http://iknifecollector.com/profile/stevecolonialknife

It is unusual, I dont have specifics on it either

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Permalink Reply by Lars Ray on April 10, 2015 at 1:23

Tnanks Jan - I appreciate the direction!
Jan Carter said:

Lars for more info on the tang I would check with Steve P. http://iknifecollector.com/profile/stevecolonialknife

It is unusual, I dont have specifics on it either

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Permalink Reply by Michael Squier on April 10, 2015 at 9:41

Food for thought here, and what does anyone else think about this. This will probably be bought to use and with the blade being already ground a bit would it help it if you had it proffesionaly sharpened by one of these guys you see at shows with the belt sanders? It would clean up the blade and make it ready to go, then as Tobias suggested polish the brass. It could look like new, almost.

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Permalink Reply by Lars Ray on April 10, 2015 at 22:51

I like your thinking here Michael. No one really needs permission, but between you and Tobias, it's always good to get the "Go Ahead" from your peers! Thanks -

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 11, 2015 at 7:16

If you're going to sell it, you have to think Return on Investment. How much more profit will you make if you put cash out by getting it professionally sharpened and will it be worth the investment? If you can get $10 for a dirty knife why spend $10 to get it sharpened and then sell it $20 or worse $15! There's a reason why so many dirty knives are sold on Ebay. It isn't worth the seller's profit margin to spend 30 minutes cleaning it only to risk making the same amount of money if he did nothing!

If I were keeping this knife, then I'd give it a lot more love and attention. But if were selling it, not so much. Just my two cents!

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Permalink Reply by tim payne on April 11, 2015 at 7:46

your 2 cents are well taken toby. any new knives for you lately?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Squier on April 11, 2015 at 14:38

well, there you go, and thats why I suggested alternate views. didnt know how much a sharpening would cost, now if you could get 25-30 for it cleaned up maybe. reminds me of a true story, my own. Afew years back I was selling a 66 Ford Fairlane, no rust nice car, dirty. Friend of a friend looks at it offers 500 less than Im asking and I give in and sell it. He calls me later and says he cleaned it and it looks great, if he knew how good it would be he would have paid full price. Of couse he did not offer to send me the $500 .

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 11, 2015 at 15:09

Finny. Michael. At the same time, if Lars were to get a bunch of knives professionally sharpened, then he could probably get the batch done at a discount and increase the value of numerous "non-collectables" that could make great users. A person is much more likely to by a sharp user than a dull one! Like I said, the key is to make sure your investment increases your profit! And unfortunately that is going to come down four things.

1) knowing your product (that's where these discussions help)

2) knowing your customers

3) knowing your competition

4) location, location, location!

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Permalink Reply by Lars Ray on April 11, 2015 at 16:59

Do I need to separate you two? LoL !! I take that back - Tobias is right - this is exactly the discussion I was hoping for!

Now using this knife as the catalyst for the rest of my "non-collectibles", my selling strategy is not on Ebay, but Etsy, through my Wood Forge site. My strategy is to create something altogether different than just a knife - i create a collectible item. By changing the paradigm from selling a little-to-no worth knife into something dressed up and would look good on someone's desk, I move both my product and the knife in a single sale.

Let's say I do spend $10 bucks on getting this one here sharpened and shined up...I throw it into a Polish-made display box made from old growth wood from the historical woodlands of McKinney, and I sell it on my Etsy wood site as a "had-crafted gift set" for $35.00. I sell the knife, the box (which I am going to make anyway!) and I have fun with it.

Using Tobias' excellent points:

I know my product, and what I can do with it to incorporate the knife
I do know my wood forge customers - $1.00 on the table says a wife buy's it for her husband or boyfriend!
I have no real competition in this paradigm...I just have to make it compelling and unique to buy
Internet, Internet, Internet

The knife cost me nothing, but a little investment for a larger return is exactly to Tobias' point...and I think yours too Michael.

Thanks guys for the discussion - this is great!