I get amazed at how many older knives are still in dealers hands...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

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Aug 4, 2013
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Obviously, American made traditional pocket knives are taking a back seat to modern designs and foreign competition. The buyers of newly made American made traditionals are a much smaller group than ever, and the remaining makers are very few as well. With that said, as I check out the online dealers and their offerings, I find a bunch of knives still in their inventories of way long gone factory discontinued models. In a way I like this, it gives me a chance to get some that I would maybe not be able to get or afford on the second hand market. But, as a collector, I do wonder why a knife series or pattern made 2, 5, even 10 years ago, has still not sold out? Just wondering what thoughts, if any on the matter, you all may have :-) Thanks in advance for any comments you may offer :-)
 
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Yeah.. I do notice with other items this happening... but usually, once kind'a past it's prime in the marketing field... the items get sold off, (clearance/slashed deals). Not so much with the knife world, or so it seems. The product has not sold, so it seems many, if not most knife dealers, will simply hold out in hopes it will sell later this year.. or maybe next year.... or maybe within the next decade, lol! ;-)
 
Everything will sell . . . at a price! When those oldies have sat on the shelf for long enough, inflation will make them attractive to someone, at their original price (which may then be 25-40% cheaper than current pricing).
 
black mamba said:
Everything will sell . . . at a price! When those oldies have sat on the shelf for long enough, inflation will make them attractive to someone, at their original price (which may then be 25-40% cheaper than current pricing).
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Yes... that I myself find tempting on some of my purchases. Now, with Queen, for instance, being owned by a different person... I can see how their plans to up their game, may bring pricing up, more in line with comparative GEC patterns. So, a brand new 5 year old Queen may be a bargain, indeed. Just wondering what your thoughts are guys... trust me, I ain't complaining.. just a little curious :-)
 
Just not much demand, Jimmy.

It's not just that the modern knives outsell the traditional's we hold dear, but knives in general are not real hot sellers to the general public. We're living in a urbanized society where a heck of a lot of people don't even carry a pocket knife of any kind anymore. The world has changed greatly from what it was when most of us were kids, and if a man had pants on, he had a knife on him. Now, even the kids want the latest smart phone, iPad, Iwhatever whiz bang out than a pocket knife. To us, the afflicted, that seems crazy. But then we're the knife knuts, so we're different from them.

Convenience. Everyone wants things convenient as can be now. What? have to pull open a blade and having to use both hands to open a knife? Most young guys who do carry a knife would be aghast at that idea. Now they have assisted opening, thumb hole opening, thumb stud opening, and even in the few states that permit them, automatics. Play James Dean all ya want. JUst be careful driving a gray Porshe with the setting sun behind you.

We live in a material society that creates new sales markets by hyping the new stuff to the point that the old stuff seems soooo obsolete that you are pressured to buy new stuff to 'keep up.' Never mind that the old stuff is fully serviceable, and may even under some circumstances perform better. Never under estimate the 'cool' factor. Old ain't cool.

I think you find a lot of the old knives still in stock in small hardware stores simply because they have no demand. Even the contractors who really work for a living don't use them. Some years ago, we had our kitchen remodeled. Total gut, right down to the plywood subfloor. The contractor team doing the work didn't carry a knife between all of them. They all had the Lowes/Home Depot Husky folding utility knives. Husky, Super Knife, Brand X, they seem to have replaced the traditional pocket knife among the working men. So, I guess in little mom and pop brick and mortar shops there are still some old Case and Schrade boxes sitting under a counter or on a shelf in a store room, a coating of dust on the box, just waiting for you to come discover it. Then it gets to live, being used as a knife is supposed to live.

Carl.
 
jackknife said:
Just not much demand, Jimmy.

It's not just that the modern knives outsell the traditional's we hold dear, but knives in general are not real hot sellers to the general public. We're living in a urbanized society where a heck of a lot of people don't even carry a pocket knife of any kind anymore. The world has changed greatly from what it was when most of us were kids, and if a man had pants on, he had a knife on him. Now, even the kids want the latest smart phone, iPad, Iwhatever whiz bang out than a pocket knife. To us, the afflicted, that seems crazy. But then we're the knife knuts, so we're different from them.

Convenience. Everyone wants things convenient as can be now. What? have to pull open a blade and having to use both hands to open a knife? Most young guys who do carry a knife would be aghast at that idea. Now they have assisted opening, thumb hole opening, thumb stud opening, and even in the few states that permit them, automatics. Play James Dean all ya want. JUst be careful driving a gray Porshe with the setting sun behind you.

We live in a material society that creates new sales markets by hyping the new stuff to the point that the old stuff seems soooo obsolete that you are pressured to buy new stuff to 'keep up.' Never mind that the old stuff is fully serviceable, and may even under some circumstances perform better. Never under estimate the 'cool' factor. Old ain't cool.

I think you find a lot of the old knives still in stock in small hardware stores simply because they have no demand. Even the contractors who really work for a living don't use them. Some years ago, we had our kitchen remodeled. Total gut, right down to the plywood subfloor. The contractor team doing the work didn't carry a knife between all of them. They all had the Lowes/Home Depot Husky folding utility knives. Husky, Super Knife, Brand X, they seem to have replaced the traditional pocket knife among the working men. So, I guess in little mom and pop brick and mortar shops there are still some old Case and Schrade boxes sitting under a counter or on a shelf in a store room, a coating of dust on the box, just waiting for you to come discover it. Then it gets to live, being used as a knife is supposed to live.

Carl.
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Well said, sir! :-)
 
jackknife said:
Just not much demand, Jimmy.

It's not just that the modern knives outsell the traditional's we hold dear, but knives in general are not real hot sellers to the general public. We're living in a urbanized society where a heck of a lot of people don't even carry a pocket knife of any kind anymore. The world has changed greatly from what it was when most of us were kids, and if a man had pants on, he had a knife on him. Now, even the kids want the latest smart phone, iPad, Iwhatever whiz bang out than a pocket knife. To us, the afflicted, that seems crazy. But then we're the knife knuts, so we're different from them.

Convenience. Everyone wants things convenient as can be now. What? have to pull open a blade and having to use both hands to open a knife? Most young guys who do carry a knife would be aghast at that idea. Now they have assisted opening, thumb hole opening, thumb stud opening, and even in the few states that permit them, automatics. Play James Dean all ya want. JUst be careful driving a gray Porshe with the setting sun behind you.

We live in a material society that creates new sales markets by hyping the new stuff to the point that the old stuff seems soooo obsolete that you are pressured to buy new stuff to 'keep up.' Never mind that the old stuff is fully serviceable, and may even under some circumstances perform better. Never under estimate the 'cool' factor. Old ain't cool.

I think you find a lot of the old knives still in stock in small hardware stores simply because they have no demand. Even the contractors who really work for a living don't use them. Some years ago, we had our kitchen remodeled. Total gut, right down to the plywood subfloor. The contractor team doing the work didn't carry a knife between all of them. They all had the Lowes/Home Depot Husky folding utility knives. Husky, Super Knife, Brand X, they seem to have replaced the traditional pocket knife among the working men. So, I guess in little mom and pop brick and mortar shops there are still some old Case and Schrade boxes sitting under a counter or on a shelf in a store room, a coating of dust on the box, just waiting for you to come discover it. Then it gets to live, being used as a knife is supposed to live.

Carl.
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Carl when I was working construction and GC in general, out of a eight man crew I was the only one that carried a knife, when I did hvac & metal fabrication out of about 18-20 guys 3 of us carried knives (besides razor/utility knives),the boss/owner a CRKT with the tip messed up from using it as a screwdriver, a younger guy carried a leatherman, and me my Opinel #9 and my Boker stockman, the funny thing is every single day I would hear " can I borrow your knife?" it's one of the reasons I carry 2, I hated having to slowdown or stop what I was doing to track down my knife from the unprepared, plus someone killed one of my other knives cutting a live wire, so my Opinel did most of the work, but also I didn't mind loaning it out to people who don't understand the value of carrying a knife.

Pete
 
Some dealers buy overstock, they buy collections, they do trades. Might not be their overstock, just someone else's overstock.
 
Well said Carl. Right now the modern tacticool stuff dominates. But i think some day traditionals may come back. Why? Dont wanna get political, but I'd not be shocked to see alot of those type (one hand opening) knives to eventually be declared "assault knives" - simply too dangerous! Locking blade knives over 2" or 3" will one day be declared "weapons". This is where your mighty little Peanut will become King...
 
Carl hit the nail on the head... no surprise.

When I started collecting Schrade USA knives, well after the Schrade USA company closed in 2004, I found Schrade USA knives in display cases in hardware stores that were sometimes as much as 20 years old. I cleaned out dozens of stores. Never be bashful to ask an employee to let you dig in the storage department. That is where I found some really nice ones. I even bought quite a few old knives with old price stickers on the original boxes. Stock rotation was not that important to some stores.
 
jackknife said:
I think you find a lot of the old knives still in stock in small hardware stores simply because they have no demand. Even the contractors who really work for a living don't use them.
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Careful... this one does. If I leave the house and DON'T have a folder in my pocket, I go back and get one at the earliest time. It is the same feeling to me as if I drove off with my pants still at home.

I use my folder all day to "adjust" trim cuts, sharpen my carpentry pencils, cut plugs (truly, whittling a hole plug is a lost art), clean up mortises, open packages, cut the V notch in my cigars, cuts open product manual bags and envelopes, slices off imperfection in trim for quicker sanding, cut binding rope and plastic, cut sand paper, and on an on.

jackknife said:
Some years ago, we had our kitchen remodeled. Total gut, right down to the plywood subfloor. The contractor team doing the work didn't carry a knife between all of them. They all had the Lowes/Home Depot Husky folding utility knives. Husky, Super Knife, Brand X, they seem to have replaced the traditional pocket knife among the working men.
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I have to give you that one. And truthfully, I am the only contractor I know that considers a good pocket knife a tool of the trade, part of the every day kit. It used to be that almost all the trades guys had some kind of folder in their pocket, most usually some kind of CASE medium stockman. Over the years I couldn't tell you how many of those I have seen, starting back when I entered the trades in '71.

Now, only one of my contractor buddies carries a knife, and he is a 75 year old country boy. I can't think of one guy that carries a folder, not even through my associated sub contractors. That's really sad to me as working in the trades we can carry any knife we want, regardless of size or design. We don't have all the crying and carrying on so many find in the office environment when a pen knife is spotted.

I don't think folks here really understand how small the traditional community has become. And on that same line, I have a huge disappointment in my nephew, who at 12 has no interest at all in knives. He is a successful and energetic Boy Scout, and at his level can carry an approved knife at meetings and when camping. Neither him or his buddies really like any kind of knife, not even many of the modern stylings.

I got him a great little knife, and it was all I could to keep from buying him a chest full for Christmas. However, his Dad is not a knife guy, so his son is not a knife guy. In fact, my nephew doesn't always know where his knives (he has two) are! I had two at his age as well, my BSA knife and a Boker stockman. Oh the decisions a boy had to make when we could still carry knives to school! I carried a knife all through school until I graduated, used it at my afternoon job, and it just stayed in my jeans during the summer.

So it is very painful for me to ask my nephew, "hey buddy, you still using that knife I got you?" only to have him answer, "yeah, it's around here somewhere....".

Ouch.

Robert
 
midnight flyer said:
Careful... this one does. If I leave the house and DON'T have a folder in my pocket, I go back and get one at the earliest time. It is the same feeling to me as if I drove off with my pants still at home.

I use my folder all day to "adjust" trim cuts, sharpen my carpentry pencils, cut plugs (truly, whittling a hole plug is a lost art), clean up mortises, open packages, cut the V notch in my cigars, cuts open product manual bags and envelopes, slices off imperfection in trim for quicker sanding, cut binding rope and plastic, cut sand paper, and on an on.


Robert
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I’ve carved more than a few in my time.

Most often to fill snap-tie or she-bolt holes in concrete forms.
 
Here's a tip for you guys living in rural areas. Look for old, closed, gas stations. I've found more than a few that for some reason or other had closed (interstate bypassed them, etc.) but still had some old stock on hand including knives. You normally wouldn't associate a gas station with selling knives but in some areas, the gas station was where guys hung out to swap crop information along with cattle prices and just plain gossip about Tom, Dick, and Harry. Many of these old stations stocked chewing tobacco, candy, pop, sunglasses, etc. and knives. They weren't like convenience stores now-a-days but were kind of a convenience store in their day. Old feed stores can be a treasure trove too.
 
Robert, have you sat down with him and used the knife to whittle, or taken him fishing etc and used the knife then? Or just stopped by at a family function and asked if he had the knife? I never spent the time I should have with my little brother. Trying to rectify that now, same as my father is trying to rectify that with both of us. I'm 34 and my little brother will be 19 next month. I am glad that he likes hiking, fishing, camping and hunting. I just don't want him to get fat like me.

My little brother looks through my bushcraft knives or old timey knives whenever we do something together , mainly just to make me happy that he's using a knife. I've given him old timey pieces, I've given him balis etc. He uses some of them. Mostly though, he'll take one along when we do something together. He is 18, and his time is consumed by his girlfriend, his truck, guitars, motorcycles and hanging out with his buddies, and not necessarily in that order ;). His crazy brother is into knives, not him.

He does tell me for every bali or trapper I get, he will eventually get it ;). I don't think he's as disinterested as he lets on.

Something to keep in mind to keep this conversation on track, a lot of dealers are out there with the same ideas. Some have told me all those hardware/sporting goods stores are sold out of the good stuff. I used to believe it myself. They're still out there. I've found them at resort towns, at small towns located at big travel areas (DE/NJ border). Old hardware stores have them on the counter, for a couple bucks each.
 
I'm sure it's NOT too funny to many of the "greenies."

I shudder when I think of all the money tied up in Cuban Castros around the country. :thumbdn:
 
You missed my point. There are no people from the Business of Traditional Knives commenting on the Business of Traditional Knives.
 
Modoc ED said:
Here's a tip for you guys living in rural areas. Look for old, closed, gas stations. I've found more than a few that for some reason or other had closed (interstate bypassed them, etc.) but still had some old stock on hand including knives. You normally wouldn't associate a gas station with selling knives but in some areas, the gas station was where guys hung out to swap crop information along with cattle prices and just plain gossip about Tom, Dick, and Harry. Many of these old stations stocked chewing tobacco, candy, pop, sunglasses, etc. and knives. They weren't like convenience stores now-a-days but were kind of a convenience store in their day. Old feed stores can be a treasure trove too.
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But how do you get into the closed gas station?
 
An anecdote from my lone surviving Case Platinum dealer nearby.

He does have tons of very interesting old knives still on sale, lots from 2008 and before. What he told me is that when the economy tanked in 2008, his Case pocket knife business died, and has never recovered. Apparently the core market for Case collectors is older, "traditional" people, blue collar workers or small business men (yes, mainly men) who had done well in their lives and had some disposable income, some retired or nearing retirement. Those were the people hardest hit by the recession, so they probably no longer had the income to buy pretty knives for display.

He said they used to get multiple mint sets each year and they would have most of them sold before they came in. Now he can't get rid of the ones he has from then, and doesn't buy new ones.

So it's not just the "working man doesn't carry knives" issue. It's that a lot of older Americans were forced into early retirement or lost half their net worth and have never recovered.
 
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