How much would you pay for a knife with no maker's mark?

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hardheart said:
How hard would it be for one of our regular makers to match the knife just about exactly? Would they get $3K?
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It's certainly possible; heck no. Given the approprate skills and shop, you could build a perfect replica of a '69 Chevelle 396SS... will it be worth the same as an original? No way, you'd lose your shirt trying to do that.

Buyers (and I mostly talk to users, not collectors) have told me they won't buy a $100 unmarked knife, much less a high-end one. Almost every single user and maker I know has encouraged me to use my real name and at least country, if not town/state. So I can be found if there's ever a problem or someone sees the knife and wants one like it. Makes sense to me.
 
James_Terrio said:
Almost every single user and maker I know has encouraged me to use my real name and at least country, if not town/state. So I can be found if there's ever a problem or someone sees the knife and wants one like it. Makes sense to me.
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Also phone number(home, cell, and work), address, and email are all helpful as well.:thumbup:
 
now please tell me which one of you in BF custom would not pay $3K for this knife if there was no signature attached. I would!!


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This is extreme but I'm sure there would be many examples around that would be equally worth the $ even without a name.

Would people be willing to pay the same amount for a knife similarly made to what a major maker who creates work in the $3K range without a signature?

Probably not but then again, I can think about knives by Josef Rusnak whom no one had heard of a couple years ago and yet commanded prices up to this range and though his name was on the piece, he was an unknown but still created beauty that some of us saw worth the price being asked.
 
i had started the thread after seeing a SS kitchen knife (nice looking you bet) that was sold to a member of another forum for the 3500 range
i then talked with the smith about what they thought it would take and or what style knife it would need to eb for them to get close to that number

so i ll be reading both these threads to see what the over all thoughts are
 
The only way that could ever happen is if it was a knife found under Pompeii or something. Name seems to be everything, right or wrong.
 
If you don't know who made it--then you don't know who made it. You don't know whether it is a factory knife or a handmade. You don't know it is was made in China or Timbuktu.
Knives with initials or some bo-foo-ku mark on it are bad enough.
No matter how much one might wish a knife that "looks like" a Loveless might indeed be one--it will not make it so--nor with it make it worth any money.
In ten years of auctioning knives even a well done unmarked knife suspected of being handmade has rarely brought over $25-30.00 in my auctions. (And I feel that was a little high).
Exceptions might be a sterile knife that has been documented as being made by a maker--or a notarized letter and photo signed by the maker. (This is done on some factory prototypes).
An unmarked handmade knife is worth nothing except it's utility value.

And some vintage factory knives have brought as much as $14,300.00 just for the record. (Case 6488 Green bone tested mint with Salesman's numbers faint on the back of the master blade).
 
Most old Japanese blades do not show any markings unless the handle is removed. Even then many are unmarked, but the afficionadoes know the styles and workmanship so well that the "school" is well known and can be attributed even if the maker himself may not. I follow the tradition of not marking the blade except on the tang under the handle. (all my handles are removable) To me the one fault of that (gorgeous) Warenski dagger shown above is the name engraved across the ricasso, which distracts the eye from the flow and line of the design. But maybe that's just me. Bruce may disagree (and he auctions more knives than I do) but I say yes, if the workmanship is worth the price, then the knife is worth it no matter who made it.
 
But what's that knife worth with the makers name one it? And if some one will give you $3000 for it unmarked- it just shows how valuable the name really is.

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OK I checked- I think you proved the other point- the makers mark is everything.


Mitch
 
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braillediver said:
But what's that knife worth with the makers name one it? And if some one will give you $3000 for it unmarked- it just shows how valuable the name really is.

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OK I checked- I think you proved the other point- the makers mark is everything.


Mitch
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that knife is solid 24k gold i do believe.
 
Doug C said:
32 oz. of hardened 18kt. gold.
At Nordic now for $850,00.00. :)

Doug
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there u have it, the materials play a part of cost here, the name alone isnt all thats involved in the $3000 to the $850000 difference. but no doubt the warenski name commands ultra premiums!
 
For me, the fact that I know who made the knife gives me some information about it's construction, which to me is very important. However, if I was able to test the steel and understand the construction of the handle, and these things looked good to me and the price was right, I think I wouldn't care too much about who made it. Or if there was a mark on it. Maybe down the road I would care.

If you're collecting knives, and in the habit of 'recirculating' them in order to keep a fresh inventory and rely on reselling them, then having the maker's name on the knife would be really important. Often a name increases the value of a mediocre knife, as someone else has already pointed out.

Liking a knife because of its intrinsic value is just fine. I'm always on the look out for knives which are good value because they are well made and priced right. It doesn't always matter to me too much who made it, I just want to know that it was made properly.
 
RogerP said:
I just don't see any combination of factors leading me to buy a knife like this - unless it were so ridiculously cheap that I was willing to grab it as a lark. It's not like there isn't a vast array of knives to choose from at widely varying price points from a large group of makers whose work I am familiar with and whose integrity I trust.

Roger
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Roger sums up my feelings here. I like details when it comes to customs...maker, materials, technique, etc. It could have a maker's mark, and if I was unsure of the steel used, that would drown my interest.

- Joe
 
Lorien said:
For me, the fact that I know who made the knife gives me some information about it's construction, which to me is very important. However, if I was able to test the steel and understand the construction of the handle, and these things looked good to me and the price was right, I think I wouldn't care too much about who made it. Or if there was a mark on it. Maybe down the road I would care.

If you're collecting knives, and in the habit of 'recirculating' them in order to keep a fresh inventory and rely on reselling them, then having the maker's name on the knife would be really important. Often a name increases the value of a mediocre knife, as someone else has already pointed out.

Liking a knife because of its intrinsic value is just fine. I'm always on the look out for knives which are good value because they are well made and priced right. It doesn't always matter to me too much who made it, I just want to know that it was made properly.
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That's a little cold phrased that way. ;) :)

For me, I display ALL my knives and only have space in my knife room to tastefully display 20-30 pieces. One drawback of displaying and seeing every knife you own everyday or sometimes several times a day is that you do get tired of some after a few years.

So by my 'recirculating' as you put it, other collectors get to grab some good knives from me, I gain space for some new knives and gain a little extra $$$ to upgrade at times. Winners all the way around. :) :thumbup: You are certainly right. Knowing who made the knife and it's provenance is very important.
 
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sorry man:o
 
Lorien said:
sorry man:o
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That's OK.
Don't even know that you made the comment with me in mind.
But as the shoe fits and it does fit me ;). I just wanted to communicate that there is a method to my madness.

Though there's certainly nothing wrong with a knife going from maker to collector and never being seen again, it benefits the knife community when beautiful knives surface and change owners from time to time. Thus another reason why it's important that they are marked by the maker.
 
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