Recommendation? Brands that are more affordable to collect

MTHall720

MTHall720

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Sep 21, 2010
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I have long since given up on collecting Case due to having a modest budget. The brands I have recently been looking at include Imperial and Schrade. Please advise me on brands well known for having large slipjoints but are not especially in the mainstream of highly collectible.
 
Rough Rider, Marbles, Schrade (and Uncle Henry - by Schrade) and of course Buck. A bit more expensive: Kershaw, Ontario (these have a few traditional models). Queens are nice but more expensive than Case. Don't forget about Swiss Army Knives (SAKs) by Victorinox - lots of great models (I always have one with me). I do think Rough Rider and Marbles are your better choices to start with.
Rich
 
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Go vintage and used.
Many great knives to be found at auctions and garage/estate sales.

Rough rider etc. are great as well and give you a chance to pick up some great old patterns for a good price.
 
Why are you collecting?

Is it just to have a number of things that you hope will be worth something? In that case collecting the low priced (and and therefore less desirable) stuff makes no sense.

Are you collecting to learn something about the history of knife manufacture, design, and commerce? In that case books are much more likely to be of value, and by reading them you would know what knives to acquire as benchmarks.

Are you collecting certain patterns? If so, you are limited by the pattern to certain manufacturers (and, not knowing the patterns you prefer, all recommendations are moot.)

Are you collecting because you are a fan of a certain manufacturer and by collecting their products you can further your knowledge? Pretty much ruled that out from the original post, but again, books might be a better purchase.

Are you only looking at factory made knives? Because you can easily buy a custom slipjoint for what truly collectible vintage knives are worth. And the odds are pretty good it will hold value better than anything machine made.

Where am I going with this? Basically, you're OP is too vague. What is a large slipjoint? To me it's anything over 4". But there are lots of slipjoints that are over 10" closed. So, are those what you're looking for? Then there's the collectible brand thing...collectible Schrades can easily surpass the prices of Case knives. While the manufacturer is important, age, condition, rarity, and uniqueness are much more likely to set the prices now (and in the future). And what about knives made by one manufacturer and labeled with another brand name? Do you rule those out? Do you even know they exist? (This is actually a pretty good field to look into, for a collector interested in such things.)

My recommendation is first, sit down and decide on what and why you're collecting knives. And then, do a little research and get selective about how you spend your money.
 
I agree whole heartedly with eisman's post #6, but if you want to keep costs down you could concentrate on USA made Schrades, other than the older Schrade Waldens or Schrade Cut Cos, which carry a much higher price tag. Roughly 30 years of well made, USA built knives from the mid '70s to the 2004 closure. Knives after 2004 are not USA made.
 
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Rough Riders are nice enough to be worth having some around. I wouldn't think of them as an investment, but if Chinese manufacture follows the same path to acceptance as Japanese did in the last century, then it would be no surprise if new prices should be roughly on a par with Case a few years down the road.

If that should happen, a guy who had a couple of fistfuls of Rough Riders bought at ten bucks each might have reason to feel a little smug. Of course, that might never come about and you'd be stuck with some pretty nice knives and not a lot of money tied up in them.
 
Rough Rider has enough patterns and handle choices to give you a similar collecting experience to Case if you are just looking at current production and are not concerned with eventual resale value. They are also good for carry and use.
 
eisman said:
Why are you collecting?

Is it just to have a number of things that you hope will be worth something? In that case collecting the low priced (and and therefore less desirable) stuff makes no sense.

Are you collecting to learn something about the history of knife manufacture, design, and commerce? In that case books are much more likely to be of value, and by reading them you would know what knives to acquire as benchmarks.

Are you collecting certain patterns? If so, you are limited by the pattern to certain manufacturers (and, not knowing the patterns you prefer, all recommendations are moot.)

Are you collecting because you are a fan of a certain manufacturer and by collecting their products you can further your knowledge? Pretty much ruled that out from the original post, but again, books might be a better purchase.

Are you only looking at factory made knives? Because you can easily buy a custom slipjoint for what truly collectible vintage knives are worth. And the odds are pretty good it will hold value better than anything machine made.

Where am I going with this? Basically, you're OP is too vague. What is a large slipjoint? To me it's anything over 4". But there are lots of slipjoints that are over 10" closed. So, are those what you're looking for? Then there's the collectible brand thing...collectible Schrades can easily surpass the prices of Case knives. While the manufacturer is important, age, condition, rarity, and uniqueness are much more likely to set the prices now (and in the future). And what about knives made by one manufacturer and labeled with another brand name? Do you rule those out? Do you even know they exist? (This is actually a pretty good field to look into, for a collector interested in such things.)

My recommendation is first, sit down and decide on what and why you're collecting knives. And then, do a little research and get selective about how you spend your money.
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I am collecting just for enjoyment. My favorite patterns are mostly just toothpicks, canoes, muskrat, and lockback. I like blades the best that are at least 3.7 inches for the main blade. My favorite of all though are big (4inches or longer) toothpicks, and fish knives. . Brand isn't an issue.
 
Thanks so much. All this info is greatly appreciated. I Google to find a list of all brands made in the U. S. and am working on putting that list together now.
At 60 years old I am wanting some old timey blades :).
 
OK. Those are old, and not uncommon patterns.

Look at Ulster, Camillius, Boker, Winchester, Hammer Brand, Primble, KeenKutter, Robeson, Kissing Crane, Fight'n Rooster, Eye Brand, Black Cat, Cattaraugus, KaBar, Maher & Grosh, Marbles, Remington, Sears, Shapleigh, Parker, Rigid, Schatt & Morgan, Sergeant, Hubertus, Rodgers...

There's hundreds of millions of knives out there. Expand your horizons. And good luck in the search.
 
eisman said:
OK. Those are old, and not uncommon patterns.

Look at Ulster, Camillius, Boker, Winchester, Hammer Brand, Primble, KeenKutter, Robeson, Kissing Crane, Fight'n Rooster, Eye Brand, Black Cat, Cattaraugus, KaBar, Maher & Grosh, Marbles, Remington, Sears, Shapleigh, Parker, Rigid, Schatt & Morgan, Sergeant, Hubertus, Rodgers...


There's hundreds of millions of knives out there. Expand your horizons. And good luck in the search.
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That is a good list. Some names I haven't heard of yet.
 
Finding new (to us) is more than half the fun. I tend to try and get out every now and then on a "hunting trip", but lately it's been pure luck what I find. Make the really good ones special!
 
Hi MT. I would like to put my 2 cents in here. If you look for a used in good condition older knife you can find some great bargains on some auction sites. The new unused ones have a very high price sometimes. I have found some great deals if just listed as used. You can find a lot of good old name brands if you just keep looking. I hope this helps. The ones to look for are listed above in a previous post. Good luck looking and have fun.
Harold
 
All of the brands listed are good for collecting for pleasure. My first word of advice is don't buy new. The second word is always buy quality. The third and last I would offer is that often the best places for bargains are resale/antique/second hand shops near retirement communities. These places tend to have items from people who are down sizing, and have sold items at a loss just to make room. While not as convenient as buying on line, the prices in such places are often negotiable and the people tend to be friendly, especially once you have demonstrated a few times you are a buyer rather than just a looker. The most important thing is to have fun.
 
MTHall720 said:
I have long since given up on collecting Case due to having a modest budget. The brands I have recently been looking at include Imperial and Schrade. Please advise me on brands well known for having large slipjoints but are not especially in the mainstream of highly collectible.
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I like Rough Rider knives but one of the problems with inexpensive knives is that they have no resale value. You're lucky to get enough to cover postage. Plan on keeping them or gifting them.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Old imperials and colonials are almost always easy to find and affordable.
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These brands also turned out many knives with advertisements, which will add variation to your collection. Camco and Kent knives are also good brands with a lot of variation.
 
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