How do I tell if some knives/pocket knives are worth keeping?

A

Angry.Chair

Joined
Mar 28, 2015
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This might be a really vague question but I'm a novice to this stuff.

These are just some of the knives and pocket knives I found when cleaning out late grandfather's house. He was a Marine who fought on Iwo Jima and traveled a lot and I'm sure every single one of these knives had some sort of sentimental value to him.

However, they all look like junk to me. He probably got every one of these from a home depot or Big Lots... he sure did love Big Lots... And I'm pretty sure they all are junk. But before they become garage sale fodder, is there anything you can look for to say they might be otherwise? Because I definitely wouldn't want to get rid of something that can be passed on in the family.

I.e. I've heard knives from certain countries are worth a second look, certain brands, certain markings, etc... Or can you point me to a website or forum that can explain some of this to me? Unless I hire someone to look at all these knives, there aren't really places around where I'm from that will give an opinion on them.

I'm sure the picture won't help but here they are.

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First off, yes, there's a lot of junk. But there is also some darn good pocket knives in there. I see at least one Buck, a Schrade, a TL-29 thats possibly a Camillus.

Go through them and separate the made in U.S.A. slip joints. I also think I see a Boker pen knife in there. The Western fillet knife is a very good fishing knife.
 
If you can locate a friendly and experience BF member who lives nearby you, you may be able to have a sorting session for the price of a sixpack or perhaps one of the knives in the bunch. You'll learn a lot in the process and have fun doing it.

Where do you live?

Zieg
 
Man there looks like a lot of cool pocket knives in there. It's all what you want. If you don't want em sell em. I'd prob keep most of the collection if from my gramps. I see some cool traditional ones in there, but I don't know much about then. That black one with the d loop clasp to the left of the black razor is cool. I honestly like a ton of them! I'd buy a few if your selling yard sale style lol
 
The one under the American flag knife looks to be a saw cut barlow, that one might be worth looking into. Barlows are big right now.
2 under that is a light colored stag and to the left of that (in the photo) looks to be an older kabar, check that one out too.

On the far left, photo left, there is an open knife with a bail, under that is an old timer, if that has carbon steel blades, it would make a really good user but not likely fetch a whole lot of you sold it.

Sent you a visitor message.
 
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Definitely a few worth keeping. I'd keep the three old timers, there's a buck 300 series.... I'd like to know what the tang stamp is on the one right under thepurple and pink box that says, "folding hunter knife". Looks like an old schrade walden or a camillus. I certainly wouldn't sell them until you know what you have.
 
Odog27 said:
Definitely a few worth keeping. I'd keep the three old timers, there's a buck 300 series.... I'd like to know what the tang stamp is on the one right under thepurple and pink box that says, "folding hunter knife". Looks like an old schrade walden or a camillus. I certainly wouldn't sell them until you know what you have.
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I don't think the Waldens had shaped bolsters (the line in them), at least none I have seen did. But nothing other than a guess here.

Also, that single bladed Jack over the white one with the bail on the right is interesting to.
 
Start by weeding out any with China or Pakistan stamps. Not that they couldn't be useful in some way, but they aren't going to have any collectible or resale value if that's what you're after.
 
Looks like the gent was a knife knut. Condolences on his loss.

If it were I, I'd keep them all, but then I'm a knife knut, too.

Registered users may not ask questions of valuation. If you don't want them, put them up on eBay, one by one. The market will decide what the value of each is.
 
Opening the main blade should reveal a tang stamp telling you who made it and/or where it was made.
 
knarfeng said:
Registered users may not ask questions of valuation. If you don't want them, put them up on eBay, one by one. The market will decide what the value of each is.
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Yes, I understand. I'm not after the value of these knives. They've been sitting in a shoe boxes taking up shelf space for 3 years and I finally decided to do some research. I inherited almost all his guns and all of his knives. And I agree with posters above, I don't really plan to get rid of them. But is a "Cattletsburg gun club, Cattletsburg, KY" or "Vote for Schnieder" worth keeping. >.>


And Wow! Thank you for all the answers! I really expected to get laughed off this site after seeing some pictures of other knives and such posted.

To answer the above question about the brands... I had a long answer typed out and lost it, so I'll say what I can remember

Buck, a couple Schrade's - Old Timer, Uncle Henry - Remington, Barlow, Jet-Aer Corp, Taico Japan Fishing knife. Wild Turkey, A Z with an arrow through it that says NY Knife Co Walden. A few Saber. Imperial. White Tail Cutlery, G. IBBERSON & CO SHEFFIELD 1944. Richards Sheffield England, Colonial. There was one from Ireland - a STAG - and one from Germany.

Most are from china or pakistan and don't have a brand name.

Agh! Dangit! That makes me mad I went through every knife and tried to get a name and where they were in the picture and I lost it all.
 
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My dad was a Guadalcanal Marine. He gave my brother and I knives at a very early age. I keep and cherish everyone of them. They are invalueable to me and I will pass everyone on to my grandson. Daughters don't appreciate that stuff but thank god I have a grandson. He loves the knives I give him including his great grandfathers knives. Knives don't usually carry a great value if they're not a custom or a rare knife but that not the issue. They are worth so much more to us knife collectors especially if it has sentimental value. Hope this helps.
 
I agree. It's not about selling them. I'd just like to know what I have. I don't need them all, this picture doesn't even show all of them.

It really is about learning what I have. And just the few names you all have said I've found some pretty cool stuff in here. I especially like that 1944 knife, it could've been his combat issued. It'd be nice to sit down and talk to him about this, unfortunately I had no idea he was into any of this until I helped my grandma clean the house. It's the same with the guns he left me. It's nice to know what I have, but there's no way Im selling those.
 
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Hero's never share to much with their families. They don't like being heros or talking about their WWII service. I did not get all the medals (P.H. included), hero articles, etc. until he passed. Since then it has all been framed
and is in the hallway entrance to my house. You now have a very special link to your grandfather. Cherish it.
Semper Fi
 
knarfeng said:
Looks like the gent was a knife knut. Condolences on his loss.

If it were I, I'd keep them all, but then I'm a knife knut, too.

Registered users may not ask questions of valuation. If you don't want them, put them up on eBay, one by one. The market will decide what the value of each is.
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I would keep them all too. I kept every knife my dad had. Most of them are sharpened into little spikes. Dad liked to strop his blades with uber-fine sandpaper at night. I have them lined up on a bookcase which instead of books holds mementos of my family.

He didn't have quite that many. I would still keep them. They would all fit in a shoebox. That doesn't take up much space.
 
If you really want to get a little out of one of them, I'll take that dark brown straight razor off your hands
 
Angry.Chair,
Take a few photos and put them in some of the threads here and in traditionals etc.
After a while You will see what is fun about collecting and using them. I would bet that You
will recall alot of neat memories of Your Grandfather while doing so.
Welcome Aboard.
 
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