I must know

attachment.php
 
Mint is new in box no handling no marks from use not even sheath marks. Basically mint is in the condition it left the maker's hands/factory.
 
My interpretation of "mint" in regards to knives is like new from the factory or maker. No scratches, dings or rub marks. The handle would have to be perfect, i.e., no cracks, no screws missing or buggered up screws from a slipping Torx bit, etc. The knife would have to have not ever been carried, used or sharpened. Now maybe the box might be missing but the knife itself would have to be perfect. That's my take on it anyway.
 
The term comes from coin collecting. Coins that are merely new (uncirculated) often have a little wear acquired on the trip from the mint to the bank (they ship them in bags and the coins rub against each other). A coin in mint condition is exactly as it was made at the mint, without even that little bit of wear an uncirculated coin can have.

Likewise a knife that is new (unused) can have a little wear from being handled in the store, opened and closed or taken out of the sheath and reinserted. Mint means better than merely new.

Mint is the term most abused by the unscrupulous. When they get caught they often claim they didn't know what the word means. Be wary of sellers who describe a knife as "minty" too -- that has no discernable meaning, but it's seldom used to describe anything really good. An honest reliable seller describes the condition of the knife in detail and shows good pictures. Grades like mint, NIB, excellent, etc. are for use in books, in value guides; they really shouldn't be used in advertising at all.
 
Cougar Allen said:
The term comes from coin collecting. Coins that are merely new (uncirculated) often have a little wear acquired on the trip from the mint to the bank (they ship them in bags and the coins rub against each other). A coin in mint condition is exactly as it was made at the mint, without even that little bit of wear an uncirculated coin can have.

Likewise a knife that is new (unused) can have a little wear from being handled in the store, opened and closed or taken out of the sheath and reinserted. Mint means better than merely new.

Mint is the term most abused by the unscrupulous. When they get caught they often claim they didn't know what the word means. Be wary of sellers who describe a knife as "minty" too -- that has no discernable meaning, but it's seldom used to describe anything really good. An honest reliable seller describes the condition of the knife in detail and shows good pictures. Grades like mint, NIB, excellent, etc. are for use in books, in value guides; they really shouldn't be used in advertising at all.
Click to expand...

i like this, thx cougar.

unless graded by a recognized company, like becket or psa for baseball cards, with a score value attached, the word mint is very subjective.

ive advertised knives as "appear unused" or "not used by me, but was bought from another member", etc. i have also refunded buyers when they found the knife not to their liking or found evidence of use/resharpening/whatever.

but i dont think i have ever used "mint" in describing anything i have sold or traded.
 
what if the knife was MINT ie. in the same exact condition that it left the maker / factory but the maker sent it out with some marks (say a small scratch) etc? makers / factories have been known to do that.

would MINT from maker be accurate?
 
Just describe it and photograph it and let the buyer decide for himself what he thinks of it.
 
Gotta agree with Cougar on that! Good pics are word a thousand adjectives :) To tell the truth if a person is selling on line and can't provide pics I get a little wary of descriptions and usually ask about return policies before making a deal.
 
Bill Siegle said:
Gotta agree with Cougar on that! Good pics are word a thousand adjectives :) To tell the truth if a person is selling on line and can't provide pics I get a little wary of descriptions and usually ask about return policies before making a deal.
Click to expand...
Bill, I have the utmost respect for you, BUT......
I've been taken by pictures that don't give a clear indication of the condition of the knife. Surface scratches can be easily hidden by just turning the knife at a different angle! :eek: Or just pulling the camera away a little bit, or shrinking the picture down to hide details.
I'd prefer a detailed description any day over photos, but a detailed description + photos are the best.
YES, Good pictures are fantastic, but don't trust pictures unless they are crisp.
Also....
Tacticaloperator, what MINT on BF means isn't the same as elsewhere (especially on eBayalzebub). When in doubt, ASK! But on the opposite sometimes you can lose a FANASTIC deal by hesitating, and waiting for the reply. So, it's a catch 22. I guess just use your best judgment, and use full disclosure when selling.
Also, don't let the current incident put off buying. Check the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
I've only had one bad situation, and that was on my end, during the whole time I've been here.
 
Mint makes a fine noun and a better than average verb, but a lousy adjective, even when used with modifiers, ie.: "minty" and "near mint". I was going to suggest that it was only recently used this way, but a Google search shows its use to have begun in 1902, and to mean "like a freshly minted coin".
 
For future reference,, all sellers should be aware that no Preowned knife is "mint" and very few new knives are "mint". In the knife world, the word "mint" means perfect, not very good and not excellent. It is impossible for a "lightly carried" or "rarely handled" knife to be "mint".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top