Buying a GEC should I get a serialized knife?

I'm completely on the buy what I like category.

I was recently in discussion with a private seller who had a few pieces I was interested in. I made what I thought was a fair offer but was knocked back because the knives carried the serial #1. I'm not bothered at all, if someone is of the opinion that it's worth more for whatever reason, that's fine with me. However the assumption that a serial number 1 is worth more than say #24, is kind of odd to me personally. It's the knife I want, not the number. Like picking a car based on the registration alone.

Each to their own, though :)
 
When the serial number is #1, I can see the seller/collector placing a premium on the knife.

Certainly, many buyers aren't going to see the added "value" there. But there are many collectors of #1s out there and the premium may eventually be earned, after all, there's only one #1.

Of course the crafty fella could easily laser a #1 on an non-serialized knife. A situation the astute collector will be on the lookout for. It would be easy to explain that the COA was destroyed or misplaced, or that could be faked too.

It almost seems like they have been doing fewer serialized knives but I could be wrong.
 
I have a couple of GECs with serial numbers, but the numbers were incidental to the purchase. In each case I wanted a specific knife and the one I wanted happened to be serialized. But I'm a user, not a collector, so YMMV.
 
I DO look for serial numbered knives. I like s/n 4 because I was born on 4/4. I also look for s/n 17 as that is the day my daughter was born. I only have a few of each but do try to get those serial numbers. Will those knives be more valuable than a none serial numbered knife in the future? I doubt it. But that does not matter. They are more valuable to me & that does matter. As many have said to each his own.
 
Kiteman72 said:
When the serial number is #1, I can see the seller/collector placing a premium on the knife.

Certainly, many buyers aren't going to see the added "value" there. But there are many collectors of #1s out there and the premium may eventually be earned, after all, there's only one #1.

Of course the crafty fella could easily laser a #1 on an non-serialized knife. A situation the astute collector will be on the lookout for. It would be easy to explain that the COA was destroyed or misplaced, or that could be faked too.

It almost seems like they have been doing fewer serialized knives but I could be wrong.
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Exactly. It depends what you're into. I'm not fussed about a serial number but many are - I recently spent time looking for a particular pattern number by GEC because the 6 digits were identical to my sons birthday.
 
I wouldn't buy one with a serial number engraved in the bolster and more than I would buy one with someones initials on the shield. For me it really takes away from the appearance.

Serial numbers are OK, and maybe they should serialize all of them. I would suggest like Schrade used to serialize, on the inside of one of the liners. If others like serial numbers engraved on the bolster, that's OK with me. :)

6glid2.jpg
 
I prefer unserialized. I also prefer no etchings on the blade. Both of those features add a price premium for collector value above and beyond the intrinsic value of the knife as a tool. The only serialized GECs that I own were purchased through the Exchange here and were priced at about what I would have expected for non-serialized, so it didn't matter.

For me personally, the only value for serialized knives is that since they cost a little more, if you miss out on a production run but still want a particular knife, the serialized ones hang out on the vendors shelves longer due to the price premium so you can pay up to get something you missed.
 
Blademan 13 mentioned earlier the Natural Stag being all numbered.

With the stags, I pick the stag I like the best, period. On the one I've splurged on, I got #42. I happen to be 42 years old, which is a sweet coincidence, but if the same stag had been on #27, I would have got that number.

I many ways, it's neat that GEC gives buyers quite a few options while still keeping the runs small.
 
Kiteman72 said:
When the serial number is #1, I can see the seller/collector placing a premium on the knife.

Certainly, many buyers aren't going to see the added "value" there. But there are many collectors of #1s out there and the premium may eventually be earned, after all, there's only one #1.

Of course the crafty fella could easily laser a #1 on an non-serialized knife. A situation the astute collector will be on the lookout for. It would be easy to explain that the COA was destroyed or misplaced, or that could be faked too.

It almost seems like they have been doing fewer serialized knives but I could be wrong.
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I know there are people who collect #1's. One thing I would argue though is that if someone was selling a #1 and wanted a premium, it had better come with the tube, COA and wax paper. Missing one of those, especially COA, would make it essentially worth a standard # IMHO.

For the amount of premium someone could actually get off of a #1, I would imagine that it would be far too much trouble to engrave it themselves and make a counterfeit COA. Of course, that could change as more and more people seek out these knives.

I, for one, would be unwilling to pay that. In fact, I am wary of buying any knife advertised as NIT at full or above retail price unless it comes from an authorized dealer. I've been scammed on the auction site in the past with other knives and now I won't purchase any unless they are marked down or advertised as used.
 
Railsplitter said:
I've read that GEC keeps all of their serial number 1 knives.
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I hope that's true! That would make a great archive for collectors and enthusiasts to refer to.

Frankly, I would always prefer a non-serialized knife, but sometimes I'm such a stag junkie I just can't help myself.
 
I don't particularly care for serialized knives myself, but I wanted a 53 moose bad enough that I just ordered one a short while ago. I was told by the dealer that I purchased from that the number I get will be determined by luck of the draw, but that's okay as I plan to use the knife pretty regularly.
 
Well I'm a user and collector and it doesn't matter to me whether there's a serial number or not. All I care about, from a collector standpoint, is how many were made. Lower number made usually means harder to find and has more value, to me anyway.
Perry
 
I don't care for the serialized knives, and I don't buy them. I much prefer the look of the knives without the numbers. The only exception that I have is a #47 in stag that has my birth year for a serial number.

Chris-
 
I think if you want to collect (show and tell) a specific knife handle material, blade or style then get yourself a serial numbered one if the number produced is low. It make no sense to me to make 10,000 knives and serialize them. Now 10 is a little different story. If you're buying to carry and use then get one w/out. $ .02
 
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glocktenman said:
It make no sense to be to make 10,000 knives and serialize them. Now 10 is a little different story. If you're buying to carry and use then get one w/out. $ .02
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Some brands serialize every knife they make. According to Wally Gardiner of Canal Street Cutlery, one of the reasons is so they can spot counterfeits better...... at least that's what he told me.
 
draggat said:
Some brands serialize every knife they make. According to Wally Gardiner of Canal Street Cutlery, one of the reasons is so they can spot counterfeits better...... at least that's what he told me.
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I had occasion to ask Wally a question once. Very nice fella and knows his stuff. Everything a knife knut could want in a knife manufacturer.
 
draggat said:
Some brands serialize every knife they make. According to Wally Gardiner of Canal Street Cutlery, one of the reasons is so they can spot counterfeits better...... at least that's what he told me.
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OK, that makes sense from a makers point of view. Thanks for the info.
 
I have never sought a serial numbered GEC but do own a couple because that was what was available.
On a 23 I bought used I did not realize it had a number till a couple weeks later.
The numbering is pretty faint and tastefully done on the ones I have but they are the fancy type face not the blocky kind.
 
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