Gift recommendation to a collector.

H

Hayvanadam

Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
3
I'm totally stranger to knife world. I would like to buy a gift for a friend abroad who collects knives. I'm looking for either a folding or fixed knife that currently has a collectible value now or something that could have value in the future or even some classics that if you think something every knife collector should own.

I was doing some research here is what I find interesting so far.

  • Zero Tolerance 0350BW
  • US Military M10 Bayonet Factory Scabbard
  • Smith & Wesson SW3B Special Ops M-9 Bayonet Special Force Knife, Black
  • Buck 119BKS Spec Hunting 6"
  • Gerber Mark II Knife [22-01874]
  • Alaskan Ulu, Legendary Knife of the Arctic
  • KA-BAR Full Size US Marine Corps Fighting Knife, Straight

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.
 
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Hi Hay -

Your list is pretty good - I am not sure about the Smith and Wesson, no experience with those.

I would think a Buck 124 Frontiersman, or the Ka-Bar Marine knife would be good as far as classics.

You might consider getting your friend a nice set of DMT Diamond sharpening stones, or a set of Dia-Fold stones, someone who loves knives gets what they want but sometimes they don't have good sharpening equipment.

Just a thought -

Welcome to the forum, and your friend is lucky to have someone that is so thoughtful that they would join here just to get some ideas!

best

mqqn
 
Hi mqqn,

Thanks for your quick and detailed response. This is really helpful. I definitely will be getting an quality sharpener for him with the knife would this be a good choice do you think?. He is located in near Georgian border in Turkey, so he has really limited chance of getting his hands on good quality knives. He usually collects old soviets knifes but he really likes other option so I'm pretty sure he would appreciate a quality US knife.
 
I love ZT / Kershaw knives - so the 350 is a great choice.

The new ZT0909 is also one that I like, and they are becoming available.

The 124 Buck Frontiersman is a favorite of mine, large and uniquely American Buck style - plus it is a high quality KNIFE that can be used for what you would use a knife for.

The Ka-Bar is also a great choice - you have excellent taste!

best

mqqn
 
mqqn said:
I love ZT / Kershaw knives - so the 350 is a great choice.

The new ZT0909 is also one that I like, and they are becoming available.

The 124 Buck Frontiersman is a favorite of mine, large and uniquely American Buck style - plus it is a high quality KNIFE that can be used for what you would use a knife for.

The Ka-Bar is also a great choice - you have excellent taste!

best

mqqn
Click to expand...

+1 on the ZT0909. That one is definitely on my soon-to-own list.
 
Thanks netguy!

Here is a picture of the 0909 - I just picked one up from Kershawguy.com

DSC_2151.JPG


I think he still has some of these in stock -

best

mqqn
 
mqqn said:
Thanks netguy!

Here is a picture of the 0909 - I just picked one up from Kershawguy.com

DSC_2151.JPG


I think he still has some of these in stock -

best

mqqn
Click to expand...

That's a great looking knife! I love my 0900 but have always wished it was bigger. The 0909 is exactly what I'm looking for.
 
What's your price range you're willing to spend?

What sort of knives does your friend collect?

Those two tidbits would certainly help to narrow down the selections.

Any quality custom made blade is a good option, as are sprint runs and limited editions...

*Another decent option is a custom Buck 110 from the Buck custom shop; upgraded to s30v Steel with a horn or stag grooved handle? Maybe his initials engraved on the bolster? Buck 110 is an American classic, an icon that is at the very least respected by most knife enthusiasts, and so a premium version customized and engraved will hold both sentimental and monetary value for years to come...
 
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Kabar USMC Full size fighting knife, a classic, from world war II to now this is the ultimate fighting knife.

Kabar Becker Bk9, known by it's nickname "the king" it is a large bowie type knife that would be awesome in the wilderness or battlefield, truly everyone should have one.

Ontario SP10 Marine Raider Bowie, about the best American made "classic bowie shape" production knife you can find, it is truly a beast.

When I was collecting knives these three were high on my list and I loved them all when I got them, American craftsmanship, materials, and design at it's finest.
 
The Ka-Bar sounds like a perfect, cool choice. ZT Knives are awesome too...
I wouldn't put a Smith & Wesson or a Gerber knife in my house if you paid me (though some Gerber multies are nice)... stay away.
Ulus feel gimmicky.

But it might be best if you tell us what kind of knives he has/collects...

Honestly, except for a Damascus Limited Edition Victorinox Explorer and a vintage kukri which has sentimental value I exchanged or sold every single knife I was gifted and bought something I like for the money instead... Knife collectors are strange like that....
 
In all honesty, Smith & Wesson, and Gerber knives have a reputation as cheap sub par quality among collectors. I personally would avoid them.

Zero tolerance has a very good rep for high quality materials, performance, and reliability.

The bayonet is cool, but many U.S. military bayonets have a quite blunt edge, as they are primarily designed to mount on a rifle as a stabbing implement.

The Kabar is a classic military type knife of high quality.

The Buck 119 is decent, but in my opinion the Kabar is a better choice, unless being used to skin game.

I'm not familiar with the specific Ulu you mentioned, but that style of blade is designed very specifically for skinning game. Maybe not the most versatile choice.

Don't know how much you want to spend, but I would recommend taking some time, and looking at all the offerings from from the following companies:

Zero Tolrerance
Benchmade
Spyderco
Emerson knives
Chris Reeve Knives
Bark River
Esee
Kabar (especially the Becker line)
Ontario

There are many others, but these should get you started.

keep in mind, prices on thier websites will be MSRP. If you find a model that interests you, shop around on line, and find the best price. There are many retailers that support these forums who have great deals.

Good luck.
 
You might also consider the fact that if your friend is a collector of knives he or she may already have the ones youre thinking of buying...
 
Hey guys, thank you so much for those great recommendations and sorry for this late reply. I have asked my friend the take a photo of his current collection, I thought you guys might be interested to see it since it's a collection from Turkey.

LANZ8tN.jpg


He said the ones marked with red are russian knives. 7th from the first row is an original AK-47 knife he also said he has around 20 pocket knives in different sizes and shapes.


It looks like he is into in original military knives so a Kabar or an Ontario should be a good fit for his collection.
 
Look up the Ontario Air Force Survival Knife. A true military classic, actually issued to USAF pilots.
 
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