If you have more than a few knives, taking some decent photos of them now can save you a lot of trouble later. You don't need a studio or expensive camera either. A phone and a kitchen table are usually enough.

I’ve found that soft natural light works best. A window without direct sunlight gives you enough light to show the blade without creating harsh reflections. Put the knife beside the window so the light comes across the blade instead of shining straight into it.

For the background, keep it simple. A piece of matte cardboard, plain cloth, or even a clean towel works. Shiny surfaces usually create more reflections than they are worth.

For a basic record, I like to photograph both sides of the blade, the spine, both sides of the handle, the maker mark, and one shot with a ruler for scale. That last photo is easy to skip, but it can be useful when you're trying to remember the exact size of a knife years later.

On a phone, tap the blade to focus and lower the exposure slightly if the steel looks washed out. Damascus and polished surfaces can lose a surprising amount of detail when they're overexposed.

It is also worth keeping the purchase date, model, price, and any important details with the photos. Even a simple folder with consistent file names makes the collection much easier to keep track of.

For anyone interested in keeping their knives in good condition as well as documenting them, this knife care guide has some useful basics:

https://blackmambaknives.com/guides/knife-care-guide

Anyone else keep a proper photo record of their collection, or do you just take pictures when you get a new knife?