Knife Condition Grades - weighting all the factors for old knives

When you are looking at an older knife, just how much weight do you put on the different factors to determine it's overall condition grade? You know what I'm talking about here: the Condition Grades, like- Mint, Near Mint, Very Good, Good, Poor and Junk- at least those are the grades of one of the systems floating around out there, but there are others.

I know not all of us are into collecting older knives- and to you who aren't, then you don't have this issue to contend with, but you who are into older knives, then whether you know it or not- you do.

Aside from the Brand and/or the Make of the knife, a knife's condition is very important to determining its value, probably the most important, actually.

I'm working on a multiple-part series for Cutlery News Journal on Condition Grades, and some of the challenges we face in scoring an older knife. I wanted to introduce the series here first and get your feedback.

Even though we will buy knives of all condition grades- sometimes, we might find a rare brand and grab it even though the "walk and talk" is long gone, or the pen blade's tang stamp is invisible- those are the exceptions, rather than the rule.

I clearly remember, and still experience, extreme frustration trying to determine/score a knife's condition grade. Why? Cause I need to know to determine the knife's value in my mind (now whether I label it as M, NM, VG, etc, isn't so much the point- cause I have to do through the same process whether I label it or not), plus, just as importantly, that is how the buyer of this knife is going to value this knife if and when I decide to sell it.

The grading systems out there vary in their grades and the scoring processes. Many authors of "knife collecting" books even come up with their own scoring systems and outline them in their books.

So, what are some of your approaches. PLEASE- I don't want this to get into counterfeits. That subject is outside the scope of this series.

How do you score a knife that meets the commonly accepted grade, but maybe has a weak snap? What about a EX condition knife and yet, the tang stamp is worn?

What are the factors you use to determine an overall knife's condition grade. Does walk and talk mean more to you than clarity of the tang stamp? How about if the handle as a small patch (repair), but the rest of the knife would have been Near Mint, or if a knife is super great (NM) except the tang stamp is worn down (for legitimate reasons) on the master blade?

Did you know there is a TON of subjective factoring that comes into play each time we score a knife? It isn't black and white- like you'd think. And while, ultimately, we buy it if we want it, it's the process each of us use to decide "I want it" that I"m talking about here.