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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on December 8, 2013 at 3:55

Mostly Ebay, Knife shows, friends. I feel it is getting harder to find the kind of knives I like.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on December 8, 2013 at 4:24

 I agree Ken, it is getting tougher to find the knives I like,too. I must admit ,the majority of my most valuable knives I bought on Ebay.Most I paid a fair price for, but a few" must haves" I may have paid a tad too much. I don't live in a huge metropolian area, so the knife shows I can attend are few and far between. So far as " real deals"  I sttill have found some of my best deals in pawn shops and antique stores. For example., a 1998  Case 6254 Molasses Smooth Bone trapper, (I think is 1 of 500) for less than I would  have paid for a standard production trapper new back then.

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Permalink Reply by Michael D. on December 8, 2013 at 18:13

I've been collecting knives on and off (mostly on) since 1975! I read in one of the knife publications in the late 70s that all the great pre-1965 Case knives were bought up from hardware and gun stores and there were no more bargains to be found.

I didn't believe it. One summer I took a wad of cash and meandered my way through upper NY, New Hampshire, VT, Maine and Canada stopping at hardware and gun stores. This was pre-internet days. The telephone book and maps were my tools. I found a couple and found a bunch of 1970 knives. Believe it not I turned down many Case knives. They were the poorest made knives I ever saw. In my journey I became enamored with the Camillus, Queen, Western, Schrade, US and German made Brownings and Ka Bar brands and picked up a lot of them - folders and fixed.

Today that's the core of my "vintage" collection. So instead of reading knife publication I read business news about the cutlery industry. That's how I scored on more Western and Camillus pieces plus other brands.

Then I left the knife hobby for a while. Schrade went belly up during that time. About 2005 I walked into a discount chain and was looking at the knives. I saw a NY made Schrade for $3. I asked him what else he had. He pulled boxes up from behind the counter. By then I knew Schrade was gone so I asked him why they were so cheap. He said they were discontinued, then growing impatient he asked me which one I wanted. I told him all of it! When I got to the register they rang up at $1.50 per knife. Presto! An instant Ellenville collection. The next day I went to a gun store and picked through his stock.

Then months - years - would go by before I would buy another knife. So I guess the thrill for me is the hunt. The chase to find interesting knives in plain view. Believe me, I've got more stories like that.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on December 8, 2013 at 18:19

Michael, what a great experience. I can imagine the adventure you must have had. Thanks for sharing with us.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on December 8, 2013 at 18:45

That is a great story Michael. I really appreciate learning what gets your attention for collecting. For me I buy lots on eBay of course, but I really get excited when I can get one or several at a farm auction. Many times it is someone older who has passed on and these knives are left from their collection. Always wonder why they bought a certain knife or how they used the knife!

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Permalink Reply by Michael D. on December 8, 2013 at 19:35

In my early journeys I was always on the lookout for stockmans, jacknives, pen knives, congess', folding hunters, etc. Then when I found the Western cache I became intrigued with fixed blades. I never hunted in my entire life but I've got a great Western fixed blade collection!!! Then I discovered trappers and that was it for me.

On many of the threads you hear "What should I collect?" You collect what intrigues you at the moment, what pulls you, what looks good, what feels good in the hand, but above all you COLLECT, you study them, COLLECT, you preserve them, COLLECT, itemize & categorize them, COLLECT, study the company history and finally you COLLECT.

Never was their any thought of investment but rather a desire to capture history - to get you hands on it before it was gone - and that's what seemed to have happened these last 30 odd yrs. Are they worth anything? I'm sure they are but I've never looked anything up. I have doubles and quadruples of knives but I would never part with any of them. I enjoy them now and probably will enjoy them more when I retire!

When I picked up the Schrade knives I thought, for a brief moment, of putting them on eBay - nah! I like each and every one. To me each one is unique.

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Permalink Reply by Michael D. on December 8, 2013 at 19:46

Yes I've picked up knives on eBay but you go for the out-of-the-norm pieces. Here's a hint. There's a gun group on this site. They recently started to talk about air guns. Most gun companies also carry a line of knives. Well I started a hunt for Crosman knives knowing they were originally made by Camillus and/or Utica. Yes I did pick up a couple to add to the ones I originally bought way back when. And yes they are way cheaper than a 1979-84 Camillus. They're pocket knives or folding hunters with sheaths. I've seen them offered with the box & papers included. To me that's the thrill.

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Permalink Reply by Ricky L McConnell on December 8, 2013 at 21:20

I have looked in the Antique shops here in Tennessee, and they are  usually too high for the condition of the knife. The pawn shops keep the good ones for themselves mostly. I buy most of mine on Ebay . The hardware stores have some , but they too tend to be high. The local CO-OP has many Case knives, but wants about 25 % higher than current market value.

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Permalink Reply by Sue OldsWidow on December 8, 2013 at 21:37

yard sales, trade days, flea markets, friends and co workers,knife shows, knife shops,

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Permalink Reply by Michael Kelley Sr. on December 9, 2013 at 1:57

Estate sales...look in the junk drawers, garage-tool boxes-cabinets-drawers, don't forget the kitchen carbon knives.

Garage/Yard sales...quick stop look and ask.

Penney/Flea market...usually only look at dealer/collector stuff, others may have questionable lineage.

Antique shops...usually picked over and yes over-priced and poor condition...not always. Get on their "Want List" and find out when their sales are.

Co-ops...found these two in a cluttered show case in the bottom of a box of modern junk knives. They were filthy and a little pricey. Got them for roughly half price ($45 pr.) and they cleaned up real nice. Top is a Case xx Stockman 6344 9-dot and bottom is a Case xx Muskrat.

Their out there, I talk to everyone I can about collecting.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on December 9, 2013 at 15:17

 I talked about it earlier in the discussion, I thought it only fair to show it -A 1998 Case 6254  Molasses Smooth Bone Trapper-I believe it is a SFO and 1 of 500 -Correct me if I'm wrong- Anyhow,bought it for $40 bucks  with box and papers when standard new production trappers were retailing for more. Purchased it in a local pawn shop in Florida when I lived down there. As a bonus, I got put on his call list for when any other little gems came into his shop !!

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on December 9, 2013 at 18:21

We have more knife collectors and the same amount of vintage knives. We have more and more, collectors, looking for them. One day, if the economy improves, so will the price. It may take a few years, but if knife collecting continues to be popular with the hobbyist, the price on "Vintage Knives" must improve.

 Please, this only my opinion.  

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