Do modifications depreciate knife value?

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nick560

Joined
Mar 18, 2020
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Hello, I went and pulled the trigger on a Grimsmo Norseman. I am curious if altering knife aesthetics from COA cause knife value to depreciate. I plan on keeping the knife for a while and not just flipping it, most likely some anodization and acid washing the blade. If I do decide to sell the knife will this hinder a good value greatly?

Thank you, for any and all replies!
 
nick560 said:
Hello, I went and pulled the trigger on a Grimsmo Norseman. I am curious if altering knife aesthetics from COA cause knife value to depreciate. I plan on keeping the knife for a while and not just flipping it, most likely some anodization and acid washing the blade. If I do decide to sell the knife will this hinder a good value greatly?

Thank you, for any and all replies!
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^ It depends.

If I were going to give you any sound advice (from experience), do what makes YOU happy! Many years ago, I purchased an extremely rare, LNIB Cold Steel Arc Angel D/E. They're worth far more than a Grimsmo Norseman in bali community these days....

I decided to send this up to Matt Cook (Mr. Pinoy) & had him anodize the handles, polish the blade & give this his Bali "spa treatment" (as he called it). I took a lot of flack in the bali community for doing this. With this particular knife/bali, there were a few member's, who actually offered wanting to buy my Arc Angel, at a price which would've amounted to a nice profit, but I declined.

It's just a knife....life's short enough as it is..... :)

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99.9% it will drop the value by a good amount. Every once and awhile a modification will add value, like say a custom rehandle by a popular maker. But that is rare.

That being said, it's your knife, if you really like it, then fix it the way you want it.
 
Usually yes, and the depreciation gets worse the rarer or older the knife gets. Someone looking for an old, rare knife will be looking for the most pristine, unmolested, collectible condition knife they can find.
 
When I see questions like this it causes me to ponder the definition of “value.”

Will it reduce the price someone else is willing to pay for it? Almost certainly, because if I’m going to buy a Norseman (or another knife with a large fan base), then I want one in as original condition as possible.

But does the act of performing these modifications or the experience of owning a knife you tweaked yourself have “value” to you in and of itself?

I think Oscar Wilde’s definitions of “cynic” and “sentimentalist” come into play here.
 
Not if you do them tastefully. By that meaning with enough quality and finesse that someone else could feel attracted to it and want it. The question is, does it add value?

Anodizing, professional mirror polishing, new quality scales, a well done coating.... You will lose general interest but if someone likes it they will want it. In my experience at least. The anodized rare balisong is a great example of adding value. You end its stock value as an icon, but add subjective aesthetic value on top of its old rarity. Someone will be willing to pay more than a regular one is worth, as it happened.

That being said, never ever modify something you dont intend to keep, for a long time at least.
 
It usually will lower the value, unless it is a desired modification or done by a maker will a following for such modifications-mayonized Sebenza being one. However using the knife will also affect the value. If it is a modification that you greatly desire, I would say do it and not worry about future value.
 
The only exception I can think of to the general rule (that yes, it will lower its value) is "pimping" Emersons. I see those pop up on the Exchange pretty regularly, with Ti bolsters, micarta scales, and other mods, and they seem to go for 50%-300% more than the original cost of the knife.

I don't know what Grimsmo's warranty is like, but for some manufacturers modding their knife voids the warranty or means they only perform warranty work at their discretion.
 
My general feeling is that just about any knife is worth about half of what you paid for it the day you open the package or handle it. There are exceptions of course. I don't worry about knife values. I spend the money and it's gone..... If I'm concerned about the future value, I just won't buy a new knife.
 
If you plan on selling it, more than likely it will lose a ton of extra value due to the modifications. Personally, I don’t recommend modifying it unless you decide to keep it.
 
KELAMA said:
^ All the more reason, why you should!

Just make sure you wash your hands, after touching it! :D
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Ya, it was mainly always a grail of mine. Will probably sell of others to fill the whole in my wallet and pimp it out. I kinda wanna make it my own and if anyone wants it down the road after I’ve made it gorgeous so be it.
 
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