DNC Knife

[rprocter]

first off, please excuse the worst pics you have seen this year. i will build a COOP home studio lightbox, but can't wait to find out a bit more about a knife i bought on ebay, while feeling lonely. i can't think why else i thought paying $170 for a knife i never heard of, was sensible. so anyway, pics from my kitchen with potlights.
it is a DNC Genius Jahresmesser 1999; serial #000/99, ATS-34/Ebony, tapered tang.
i went to the DNC website and see this knife listed at 420 Euros, more if you want engraved bolsters. they call it custom, but i think it is a team approach like Wm.Henry knives ?
i would like to know what opinions are of DNC knives and the significance of this being 000, which to me means it should not exist.
and at this fancy price i expect a sheath, but nope, just a fancy box and it doesn't even have a belt clip ! so are DNC knives not meant to be used by backwoods hicks ? just sit in it's fancy box ?
the list price translates to lots of U.S. dollars and i'd rather just spend about 1/3 of that and get a Bruce Bump Pro Hunter. do people really buy these at that price and then just look at them ?
clearly i need some guidance.

roland

 

[rabbithunter]

The knifemaker behind DNC ist Ference Tumpek a hungarian who sells his knives mostly in Germany and Austria. As you have assumed he makes semi customs and small series with custom options.

The knives are intended to use as hunters especially the lower end knives which would start at 170 Euros which is quite reasonable here for a semi custom. I have used one and it performed quite well.

He makes a limited series of "Jahresmessern" every year for collecting purposes. The numbers start with 000 instead of 001. So yours would be the first in the 1999 series. As for the sheath: all knifes are delivered with a sheath normally. So the seller has probabely lost his. You can buy a sheath from DNC - they normally have sheaths in stock for each knife series.

In your place I would not hesitate to use the knife. It should do it's work.

Ulrich

 

[rprocter]

Thanks Uli, so from what you have said, would it be correct to assume that despite the fancy display box, and being #000, the chance of increasing in value over time as a collectible, is unlikely ? Does DNC have a following of collectors in Europe, or are they not much sought after ?
certainly it's a good knife, but there are many custom knife makers in North America who can make a similar knife, of i think equal quality, for under $300.
so far, to me, it does not stand out as particularly special, but that might be just my lack of knowledge of these knives.
roland

 

[SharpByCoop]

It's a really good knife. This hunter below was one of my first customs, and I still own it. It's got a lot of style, and as you can see his father makes a helluva sheath.

I wouldn't write it off as not being collectible. There are worse choices!

Coop

 

[rprocter]

Thanks COOP. my "search" brought up the thread in which you posted that knife, but that is the only other DNC reference in this forum.
i will then keep it stored in the box.
i really like Hunters (esp. those which are ground thinly) and use them as dedicated for field dressing and kitchen slicing.
i already have enough really good custom Hunters from knifemakers associated with BF, that i don't think i have enough years left to try out everyone of them on a deer or elk. (esp. since now i mostly bow hunt)
i get as much pleasure from giving a knife to a friend as i do in buying it, so my other thought is that one day, it might be just the right gift. i try to match knife "energy" or "personality" with that of the person receiving it.
it's all fun !
roland