CS Trailmaster/Sambar - what's it worth?

[Michael Bennett]

Hi,

A friend has a CS Trailmaster with a stag handle, Carbon V blade. It's been used, blade is in fair shape but may have a 3/8"x1/4" or so rust spot (it MAY be rust, I didn't get the chance to play with it) near the tip of the blade. The sheath has signs of use.

What's fair market value for it?

Mike

 

[Kodiak PA]

Hi Mike,
Always a tough question to figure out a fair market value on a knife. I guess the bottom line is it's worth whatever you think is fair.

IMHO.....if I like a knife and there is some wear I usually look for 25% so difference between what I can find it for on the web. This is not scientific, this is just sort of a gage I sometimes use.

For example:
The CS Stag Trail Master retails for $350. I would never pay that price. In fact I laugh at the MSRP. All of us forumites do. Ha Ha Ha.

OK.....I got that out of my system. Next I look at what I can find it for on the net from one of my favorite dealers. In this case I checked out Top of Texas Knives: http://www.toptexknives.com/ and I can get that same knife new there for $188. That's some significant savings.

Now since the knife you're looking at is used I usually try my 25% rule which is less another $50 or so. Personally I would pay around $140 or so depending on how much I wanted that knife. Sometimes if I'm patient I can find a deal on forums like these since a lot of times members are moving out their knives. I'm not looking to low ball anyone and I never barter on the private sales section.

Places like Ebay (auction sites) may start with good prices but I can always find better deals and I find these places particularly frustrating.

I hope that helps. I would be interested to read what the others will think. Good luck with your knife and let us know if you get it.

Regards,


------------------
~Greg~

 

[Michael Bennett]

Greg,

Fair enough value system. Do you take into account condition (ie, not NIB) of the knife?

Mike

 

[Kodiak PA]

Hi Mike,
I sure do. If the knife was NIB I wouldn't mind paying closer to the web price of the knife but with the discoloration of the blade and the sheath wear I wouldn't want to go too much higher. Why? You can get a brand new knife for just a few more bucks and have the piece of mind that the deal won't fall through.

It all depends on what you want. The CS Stag Trail Master is a nice knife, that's for sure and if the price was right the blade spots wouldn't bother me that much as long the knife overall was in decent condition. It's a late production model and it's easy to find. No hard and fast rules, just what I'm personally willing to pay.

Now collecting rare, older knives is a different story.......

------------------
~Greg~

 

[Krom]

Okay, I have an original production run Trailmaster, never used, never sharpened. Can you guys give me some idea of its current value?

------------------
Live free and buy. It's the American way.

 

[Kodiak PA]

Krom,
I can't give you an actual amount of how much your knife is worth in actual dollars. Perhaps you can say it's worth the MSRP though as you can see you can get it much cheaper like the example sites. The bottom line is you have a good knife and it is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. I was just talking about how I personally look at how much I pay for a used knife that may or may not be NIB.

I can tell you this. If you want to keep that knife as a collectors piece than don't use it or sharpen it. Read what C. Houston Price wrote in the latest edition of Collector Knives about a mint knife:

A knife that is absolutley original as it came from the manufacturer. Never used, carried, sharpened, or heavily cleaned. An unblemished knife....A knife that has been sharpened after leaving the factory may be in mint condition but it definitely is not a mint knife and its value is approximately no more than 70% of a true mint knife.

Not sure if that is helpful but if you're going to keep that knife as an investment you may not want to use it. I have to use my knives or I feel all funny inside if I don't. I have a mint Kershaw Trooper that I won't use. I don't even want to look at it since it's 20 years old and hardly taken out of the case. Everytime I see it though I want to cut something with it.

Regards,



------------------
~Greg~

 

[Krom]

Thanks for the input, Greg, and I don't plan on using this particular knife.

------------------
Live free and buy. It's the American way.