Knives as an investment?

9blades

9blades

Joined
Dec 29, 2012
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What do you guys think?
I'm talking about sebeza's, hinder's, crusader forge, custom's, spyderco sprints ect....I realize that there are better investments, but I would like to hear some others opinions on the subject,

Such as how well they hold there value as opposed to things like gun's, watche's, and other collectibles.

Please try and keep arguments to a minimum, and respect others opinons.

Thank you for you're time!

-niner
 
Why not? The high end and collectible knives woud become rarer after they are d/c'd. Of course, like any collectible, the rarity takes time, so the value would only appreciate after time. And some models will fall out of favor, and will depreciate. That said, if you have the pocketbook for it, buy away. I'd look into well known customs.
 
Just to get it out of the way this thread it's just for the sake of argument......not a recommendation thread by any means, I don't have custom money:(
 
I just couldn't do it. I can't buy a knife and set it in the safe and not use (play) with it. I just can't.
 
The thing that makes knife collecting an attractive idea to me is that not only do i love to carry, use, abuse, and own them but they also (like you said) maintain their value. Its an addicting habit that will return a lot of its value later. Knives will always be used in our world so its a safe bet. I also think it would be cool to give them to my kid someday (that is if i ever have one), better than a stamp collection.

Though my collecting days are a long way off.
 
Another thing I should add is, how would knife "X" value be affected by use? I definitely agree, I can't do safe queens haha
 
Terrible investment. The chances of a knife's value going up are incredibly slim. Maybe, maybe, maybe you stumble on the next Scagel or Loveless on the ground floor...don't count on it. And anything with a "name"...it's already too late to invest in it. You are "buying high."

They are a great investment for the value of enjoyment and use you get out of them, but as far as money goes, they are a losing proposition. Maybe "break even." If one is lucky.
 
I have 9 paramilitary sprint/exclusives and all the ones I bought from dealers have increased in value significantly. Even the ones I bought on BF last year have increased a lot
 
A knife's value decreases some with use. Scratches, marks, etc.
However, knives in the $100+ range tend to hold their value much better than cheaper knives.
Especially if they're sought after, such as the Spyderco Para 2, Yojimbo 2, Sebenza's, Strider's, Hinderers.
Even a really well used Sebenza, Strider, or Hinderer may lose 25-30% of their value but maintain the majority.
As long as the knife is functioning, solid, and not completely screwed up, it will hold a good bit of original value.
 
I view it like this: I buy knives that I like to carry and use, and sometimes will buy a second knife to keep it virginous and NIB. For example, I have a spare orange Military, CF Military, brown Military, etc. that I keep NIB in my arsenal just because I like them, and because hoarding them makes me feel good. Many of these knives will appreciate in value over time. I've sold a CF Military, Ti/G10 Military and EDC forum Manix 2, for example, at a profit. Some knives like the sprint run (and to some extent dealer exclusive) Military and Para Military 2 are likely to appreciate in value over time.

So the purpose of my knife hoard is enjoyment and daily usage. If I flip a knife for a profit once in a while, then good for me. But its generally so difficult to predict which knives will appreciate in value that its a dangerous game I don't want to play. I play it only when I already own a knife for my own enjoyment and it happens to go up in value.

20120706_145927.jpg

CF Military: buy low, sell high.
 
9blades said:
Just to get it out of the way this thread it's just for the sake of argument......not a recommendation thread by any means, I don't have custom money:(
Click to expand...

9blades said:
Another thing I should add is, how would knife "X" value be affected by use? I definitely agree, I can't do safe queens haha
Click to expand...

Then no. Used knives lose value as their condition worsens. If you are buying regular knives, remember that everyone else is too. Not collectible for decades at best IF you buy a desireable knife. Even popular knives lose value.
The trick would be semi custom or custom knives that are safe queens.
Invest in precious metals, except not now, since they're at an all time high and could depreciate at any time.
Then there's real estate.
Or stocks.
Or.....
 
jimh0220 said:
Then no. Used knives lose value as their condition worsens. If you are buying regular knives, remember that everyone else is too. Not collectible for decades at best IF you buy a desireable knife. Even popular knives lose value.
The trick would be semi custom or custom knives that are safe queens.
Invest in precious metals, except not now, since they're at an all time high and could depreciate at any time.
Then there's real estate.
Or stocks.
Or.....
Click to expand...

i agree...for an investment semi custom/custom would the way to go, a better way to have stated my question would have been "to what extent would use effect the value of knife "X"" I guess it's pretty obvious use would decrease the the value though
 
I own things that offer utility or satisfaction for me. I also tend to use everything i own. I do have a couple things that i dont use that are worth a lot more than what someone paid for them, but using them is fairly expensive and drives down the value. Therefore, I see investments as stocks bonds, funds, and commodities. They offer higher rates of return and the prospective buyers are vast. I don't have to keep them intact or store them or worry about them being stolen. Selling them is as easy as a couple clicks because I always know the market value.

Personally I would not use knives as an investment.
 
9blades said:
i agree...for an investment semi custom/custom would the way to go, a better way to have stated my question would have been "to what extent would use effect the value of knife "X"" I guess it's pretty obvious use would decrease the the value though
Click to expand...

Yes....except that rarity does not equal value. And, of course, knives that aren't rare aren't valuable either.
 
I wouldn't go so far as to call them an "investment", but if you buy smart, you could buy a really nice knife, enjoy it for a few months or even years, and sell it for as much as you paid for it or maybe even make a profit off of it.

I often use that as a justification to buy my high end knives. Remember just because it's a high end knife doesn't mean it will hold its value. From my personal experience, regular run of the mill striders and crk's do NOT hold their value. The key is to buy something that is a limited run and highly desirable.
 
You know what you should be doing? Do some serious reading in Bernard Levine's forum here. Nobody, nobody, knows more about the value of knives than him. The stickies in that thread are an invaluable read. (As is the Levine' Guide.)
 
marcinek is exactly right, IMO
marcinek said:
Terrible investment. The chances of a knife's value going up are incredibly slim. Maybe, maybe, maybe you stumble on the next Scagel or Loveless on the ground floor...don't count on it. And anything with a "name"...it's already too late to invest in it. You are "buying high."

They are a great investment for the value of enjoyment and use you get out of them, but as far as money goes, they are a losing proposition. Maybe "break even." If one is lucky.
Click to expand...
 
marcinek said:
You know what you should be doing? Do some serious reading in Bernard Levine's forum here. Nobody, nobody, knows more about the value of knives than him. The stickies in that thread are an invaluable read. (As is the Levine' Guide.)
Click to expand...

I visit mr levines sub forum regularly! He certainly is a wealth of wisdom, and I'd love to have the guide but its not cheap:(
 
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