How do you build your collections?

J

jamestap

Joined
Jul 7, 2014
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170
Not really how/where you acquire them, but how do you target them? Did you aim for examples of a certain style, like Barlows, or manufacturer-specific, all styles? Or maybe some of both? Do you collect only vintage, or current production?

I guess you could call me a knife accumulator, I've got a Heinz-57 of makes & styles. Some inherited, some gifts, and working knives I bought myself, I'm new to the collecting game.

I thought it best to build out from stuff I already have, like Buck traditional lock blades, Case sunset series, and maybe the Kershaw Officer Ranch series. That is, unless I find something else that sets my propellers spinning.

Any thoughts or tips?

A
 
Well, just start with what you have and then when you can buy another, buy a pattern that you don't have. Try buying cheaper knives at first in various patterns and as you begin to appreciate one pattern over most others, concentrate on buying that pattern. Of course this could apply to covers (bone, stag, wood, etc.), knives with end caps, or perhaps knives with no end caps (barehead).

Take a look at threads like the one that has just pictures of knives to get an idea of what you might like to collect.
 
There is no rhyme or reason to this. Just be opportunistic and buy what you like when you can; you can worry about sorting, naming and presenting a collection on slow days.

n2s
 
Horses for courses.

I don't have a collection really, more a sort of ... Pile. I probably own less than fifty and of those maybe twenty are ones that I carry regularly. I have no safe queens and I love using them.

I choose whatever takes my fancy the most at the time, and whatever my budget can accommodate. I have a fondness for certain patterns (congress' and peanuts) but nothing is exclusive for me. I wouldn't get too hung up on it, just get what you fancy and see how you like it.

Paul

Edit. I forgot to mention, my wife is a major limiting factor in this :)
 
For me it started mostly as American made pocketknives.
Then came some American made fixed blade knives.
Then an imported fixed blade knife.
Then some more American made pocketknives.
Then some more pocketknives & fixed blade from USA and imported from various other countries.
Then... a tomahawk or two (or three).
See the pattern?...
In other words, including some guns that I also collect, I have items that are hard to label as one specific type of collection.
What did I decide to do?... I decided to give it my own new title that best fits what I believe I now have... It's now called my 'Man Gadget Collection'... since they are usually items that more men are drawn to than woman, by far! ;)
 
I start buying things, and like a kitten I can't resist chasing the next shiny object. After about a year, I look up from my spending orgy and notice that I have a shelf and a drawer full of knives.

Rather than admit to myself that I had a psychotic episode of some sort and acknowledge to my wife that I spent a whole lot of money on something I have utterly no use for (after about the 3rd knife, at least), I instead proclaim - "I am a knife collector! This is not a disease, it's a hobby!"

At least, that's how I do it.
 
For me, it started when I walked into an Army Surplus store in College Station, Tx while I was attending Texas A&M. I had just gotten back from a Midshipman cruise and had 6 weeks of paycheck burning a hole in my pocket. There were several boxes on a bench full of knives and bayonets. I finally settled on a WW2 Kabar USN MK2 (2nd gen) and a French Chassepot Bayonet with matching serial numbers for a total of $15 + tax. Went back a couple of days later and bought a 1 each set of M4, M5 and M6 bayonets.

With my the Western L46-5 that my grandfather had given me in 1965, the Kabar, Chassepot and US bayonets, I just started adding models I didn't have of each brand/type. It just grew (or snowballed) from that initial purchase.

I still prowl around fleabay, pawn shops, junk store and estate sales looking for models or variations I don't have or ones that are in better condition than what I have, although with 1300+ running around my place, the "new" ones are fewer and farther between. I've been in a "catch and release" for a while, letting go of extras that I have of some models and the old ones I have when a better condition one comes in.

I don't go for the faked up "Kentucky Mint" versions. I'm sorry, but a 50-80 year old blade, even stainless steel, is gonna have discolorations, a patina or a little rust on it after that long. You look at them and they are all real shiny and if you look close, you can see where the stamp or the fuller edges or the spine has been polished down. Give me honest use in mine.
 
jamestap said:
How do you build your collections?
Not really how/where you acquire them, but how do you target them?
Click to expand...

Whatever happens to interest me most when I have money to buy a knife.
 
Yosemite-Sam_zps552da8a6.gif



RAZZLE FRATTIN DOUBLE POST
 
I never really collected knives until GEC came along. Before that I had them, both fixed and folding, used them a lot, but never more than 2-3 at a time. It was also about the same time that I became aware of "supersteels," and so metallurgy peaked my interest. I found BladeForums by googling stuff about steel composition, and then when I came across the Traditional subforum, all hope was lost!

I have concentrated on collecting just one pattern, the GEC (and Northfield and Tidioute) #5383, the Cuban Stockman. The most practical blade combo for me is a slender California or muskrat clip, with a shorter sheepfoot. And the large equal end #53 frame beautifully displays the many handle variations in which the stockman has been produced. To date GEC have made 52 different #5383 Cubans, and I have scrounged up 45 of them. I'm afraid some of the ones I don't have will be super hard to come by, as they were made in single digit quantities, but I keep swingin'. I've added numbers 43-45 just in the last 10 weeks, so who knows, maybe I'll get really close. Regardless, the hunt is the fun.

The other hundreds of knives I have are NOT a collection, but an accumulation, with no rhyme or reason. ;)
 
Everyone is different.

I started out in traditionals buying cheaper chinese-made Rough Riders and Colts. This was a precaution I took so that I would not feel the pinch if I found that traditionals were not to my tastes. But when the bug bit and I realized that trads were where my heart was at, I started looking at higher priced offerings. Luckily for me, I noticed early on that I had certain preferences, eg. single blades, sheepsfoot or wharncliffe as opposed to clip or spear, long pull, Easy Open, less than 4in closed (preferably 3-3.5in) etc.

So that's where my purchases have gravitated. So now when I troll the bay or the exchange or dealer sites, I only look at knives that fit these personal preferences. This has reduced the options greatly but the fun is in the hunt and when I do find something, the satisfaction is immense :thumbup:

The rest of the time, I just hang around this forum to chat with the very friendly members here and to drool at the pictures of their knives!!!
 
Depends on money and opportunity. I have bought due production dates. For example, my GEC#06 was produced on the day my wife and I brought our daughter home from the hospital. She had complications at birth so that day was a miracle. I carry it on that day only.

For the most part though I am on a GEC Special factory order (SFO), African Blackwood, Case Appaloosa, and just trying different patterns fixation. Though, I am always on the hunt for old and quality. That Russell Barlow will be found..yes, it will be found.

Right now though my grail is a Tidioute 735109 in white bone or Bocote. It has the production date of when my wife and I started dating.
 
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It is kind of odd how tastes evolve. When I first got into traditionals, I picked up one each of the "big three" that were very popular on this forum at the time - a Case Peanut, Small Texas Jack, and Sway Back Jack, all in CV steel varieties. Up until then I just had a passing interest in knives, with maybe 4 or 5 inexpensive modern folders from Boker, Kershaw, and even a Spyderco. It was my interest in Kershaw that brought me to BF in the first place, and it was months before I wandered over into the "antiques" forum here. :p

When the Case knives showed up I was stunned with how beautiful they were, compared to the utilitarian looks of the black handled black/gray/satin bladed moderns (which are still great tools, just don't have souls).

So I was into medium sized 1 and 2 bladed jacks at the outset. Case only. Knives I could find at dealers, local or on-line. Medium Jacks, Barlows, Mini Trappers, Mini Copperhead, Peanuts, Tiny Trappers. I was more interested in having a variety than having a specific "all of these" focus. So if I already had a 2-blade CV jack in Amber Bone, then I needed one in stainless with different handles. And a spare for playing with patinas. And another spare of the SS version for playing with dyeing the bone.

Then came my true downfall - I discovered the big auction site, and that discontinued patterns which I had never realized still existed were all over the place for sale. So - original large Texas Jack - bone handled '087 pattern Medium Jacks - oh cool, they made it in a pen version too - well, get one of those. Small Swell Center Jacks (Coke Bottle). Single-blade Mini Trapper. Wharncliffe-blade mini trappers. Copperheads. Wharncliffe Copperheads. A Copperlock. A Russlock. A drop point Russlock. More Russlocks. A Trapperlock. Need one in CV too.

During all of that, I never liked the looks of a Stockman. 2 blades is enough for an honest man. But hey, there's one that's at a great price, and it's the same frame as the Small Texas Jack. Ok - this is nice, I think I'll carry it a while. Hey, this sheepsfoot blade rocks! Need more Stockmans! How about one of each Stockman pattern? Yeah, that's a good idea. I mean if I'm a collector, I should have an actual logic to it, right? Ok, so I'll be a Stockman guy. Get a couple of the smaller ones, all of the mediums, couple of the larger ones. Maybe two of one pattern, CV and SS.

Well as long as I've broken the 2-blade barrier, what about whittlers? Nice, need a few of those, one in each pattern. Hmm... 4 blades? Ok, get a Congress.

All right, got the Case thing figured out. How about Buck? Couple of Buck Stockmans. GEC? Expensive, but by now I've immunized myself to the cost. I'll just get one to see what all the forum chatter is about. WOW, these are nice. Pricey, but worth it. Pony Jack. Boy's knife. Maverick. Congress. Toothpick. Oh man, this toothpick is great, why isn't it more popular? Shh, don't drive up the prices. 2013 Forum knife! - Ok, gotta be more practical, how about a Victorinox. People rave about Alox. Ok, now I see why. This knife will never leave my pocket. I have found the grail, and it was $22.

Reality check - I have a hundred knives and I only use one. Stop buying! Use what you have! Knife sobriety kicks in - what was I thinking, I have a HUNDRED pocket knives? I don't even fish! I haven't camped out in 30 years! What am I going to do with all of these??

Ok, calm down, you don't need the money right now, they can sit in their boxes and tubes on the shelf. Just don't buy any more. Well maybe this really nice 2014 Forum knife....




Oh wait, sorry, did I say all of that out loud?
 
black mamba said:
I never really collected knives until GEC came along. Before that I had them, both fixed and folding, used them a lot, but never more than 2-3 at a time. It was also about the same time that I became aware of "supersteels," and so metallurgy peaked my interest. I found BladeForums by googling stuff about steel composition, and then when I came across the Traditional subforum, all hope was lost!

I have concentrated on collecting just one pattern, the GEC (and Northfield and Tidioute) #5383, the Cuban Stockman. The most practical blade combo for me is a slender California or muskrat clip, with a shorter sheepfoot. And the large equal end #53 frame beautifully displays the many handle variations in which the stockman has been produced. To date GEC have made 52 different #5383 Cubans, and I have scrounged up 45 of them. I'm afraid some of the ones I don't have will be super hard to come by, as they were made in single digit quantities, but I keep swingin'. I've added numbers 43-45 just in the last 10 weeks, so who knows, maybe I'll get really close. Regardless, the hunt is the fun.

The other hundreds of knives I have are NOT a collection, but an accumulation, with no rhyme or reason. ;)
Click to expand...

The #53 is also my favorite pattern.

You, Sir, are my hero :D
 
I only collect two things: dust, and small, one-handed opening knives that come in a variety of colors that I can't mention on this particular forum :D

All kidding aside, there is no method to my madness. I don't consider myself a collector, because I do not have a particular focus. If I see something that looks interesting to me, I'll pick it up and try it out. More often than not it's a success, although I have more than a few dogs in my pound. The problem is I don't get rid of any of them. The down side of this is that I have a lot of knives. Probably somewhere in the vicinity of 100, maybe more. I've filled up one of those green .50 caliber ammo cans with them. The upside is, whatever seems to be my flavor of the week, day, or hour, chances are I will already have something that will fit the bill.
 
I'm trying hard not be a collector, but the knives are increasing in number.

Some of them are because I'm searching for the holy grail. For example: I like thin, pocketable knives. Many choices out there, but I'm trying to find my perfect combo. It sure would be nice to get a main clip and secondary sheepfoot/wharncliffe together on a single spring in a closed length of 3", but I haven't seen that yet.

Others are because I just find the pattern particularly interesting, right now I'm fascinating about the doctor's pattern with the spatula.
 
I gotta laugh a bit when I think of so many folks on this forum trying their best to not label their collection as a collection. Okay... an "accumulation" of knives ;)
It's like it's not cool or something to be referred to as a "collector". I think whether you use them or not, if you have quite a few of these things, you are a collector. You likely have many more than what you need, and you either use them, don't use them, display them, don't display them,... or maybe a combination of all the above. It's all good.....
I personally really enjoy my "Man Gadget Collection"... and don't mind one bit admitting that it's a collection, and therefore I am a collector :)

I also have to laugh at how my own "Pocket Knife Collection" has branched out to become my self titled "Man Gadget Collection", and that now the new title somehow personally allows me to diversify even more.... Can't ya just smell the testosterone in the air with all these manly "Man Gadgets"!... lol!
Whatever course you take with your knife and possibly other gadget collection (aka accumulations)... hope you all enjoy it :)
 
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