- Joined
- Feb 3, 2001
- Messages
- 32,359
Ya know ya can call 'em cheap, Imperial's, Colonial's but back in the day they cranked 'em out like nobodys business.
Every boy, and most adults carried one, I think people who carried a Case, Camillus, Schrade, or even a Cattaragus were few and far between.
Yet when it's all said and done what's left as representitives of the times, Imperial, and Colonial, just look up vintage knife on EBay and see what most of 'em are, I have some that go back to the 40's.
These brands represent cheap American dollar knives and still compete with pakistan and china for space on fleamarket tables, but now you see more and more of these older Imperials and Colonials taking up room in showcases and jewelry boxes for more than the $1 or $2 they're worth.
Some of these knives with advertising on it sell for over $20 on the low end, I've seen people pay up to $60 at an estate auction.
Now the point of my insane ramblings, with every body collecting up the better known names, is the time right to start picking up older mint condition examples of these knives, I have some from the 40's and 50's that are comparable with anything Case or Queen made, nickel silver bolsters, pinned celluloid, and MOP scales, not the tin shelled scales real ones, miniature camp knives, and all kinds of unusal configurations.
These knives are going to be harder and harder to find as people use these knives up because they are plentiful and cheap right now, but with the advertising they are also being bought up as Americana, little cheap pieces of history.
Next time your out at the fleamarket, look around and see if you find any older colonials in good shape.
