Mint New in Box

[Ajack60]

Well, after reading some of the other members thoughts on what NIB means, I'd have to agree that a knife has to be untouched in order to truly be NIB. We've seen exactly that with some of the ZT limited editions. Other than that, a knife is not NIB. I've used the term on more than one occasion to describe a knife as being LINB, like new in box. Which I explain to the potential buyer that the knife has been taken out of the box for inspection, checked for flaws and checked for functionality. Any other condition as far as I'm concerned is considered used. Period.

Like I'm always told, you're living in the past Ted. We live in a ever changing world where a man's word doesn't mean anything to him any more as long as he can make a quick buck. In an entitlement age where people think things are owed to them and they shouldn't have to work by the sweat of their brow. We have to lock our doors, close the windows and turn on the alarm system in order to feel safe. Where opening a door for a woman is rare, smiling at a stranger is almost unheard of. People don't take the time to stop and smell the roses anymore, enjoy the life they have and count their blessings. So, any history or back story of this wonderful hobby of collecting knives is slowly being lost as the dinosaurs are dying off. People like you and me are a dying breed, I don't find it sad, just different. What's the saying, the only constant there is, is change.

I've bought three CRK's that, even though they were in my possession, never really belonged to me. I loved them, wanted to keep them, but felt they belonged to someone else. It may be hard to understand for some folks, but I don't expect anyone to understand. And you my friend, have one of those knives. I've seen the pics of your collection and am in awe of the history behind the knives you have collected over the years, and imagine how they came to be. Most folks nowadays look at knives like that and see no value whatsoever in them. It's us old farts that enjoy eyeing what we grew up with.

 

[mtangent]

Modern lives have less story, simply for being younger. Perhaps that explains some of it.

As to the NIB/NB discussion, I accept that many people see it differently to me, But I will henceforth value NIB knives at $0.00.
I buy knives, not the concept of an untouched knife in a box.

 

[SW-EDC]

Well I just bought a NIB knife from a member here. Has overwhelming positive feedback on other sales.
Have not received yet but email correspondences are a thumbs up so far so we'll see.

 

[sharp_edge]

If I want to buy truly NIB knives, the first place I consider will be dealers. If the knife is discontinued and no dealer sells it but I still want one, I would not expect NIB. I just have a hard time imagine anyone would buy a knife and directly put it in a safe or drawer without even opening the box to take a look at.

In fact, I prefer LNIB to NIB if buying at the Exchange because that means the seller has inspected the knife for me. It does not matter to me how many times the seller has opened and closed yhe knife as long as it does not result in any visible wear (again if I am looking for a LNIB knife).

I guess what I am saying is that, since different people may define and/or interpret these terms differently, I prefer to see specific descriptions of the knife, things like scratches, centering, blade play, and sharpened or not.

 

[stuff_things]

T., I like the idea of a knife having a backstory and it brings me a little nostalgia from hitting up flea markets with my grandpa. One of the few memories I have of him, actually.

I'm not here to make money, and in fact it's cost me more than I like to admit.

I'd like to add this tidbit though: I have used the acronyms NIB, LNIB, etc in the past, but only enough times to count on one hand. I like to be really descriptive. Like very descriptive. To me this is as honest and transparent as you can get over the internet. I'm not great at taking photos so I let my words lead the description. What I've found in doing this however, is many people don't care about the meticulous rundowns of a secondhand knife. They want to see those 3 or 4 letter abreviations--even if they aren't true! It's absurd! I've spent many hours writing ads (plural) to sell a knife, being as upfront as I can. Typically these knives have only been fondled or carried once, maybe two times; I know by then whether I'll keep it as a "user"or not. Anyways, lots of words don't get lots of attention. Hours, even days can go by before any interest is shown. This interest is shown after I edit the post, describing with fewer words the condition of the product. I swear, for some buyers the best description to them would be:
"It's a knife. It's sharp. Has Box. Carried 4 times but still NIB. Add 748.293829% for seller's fees".

Anywho, I feel you guys. I really, really dislike flippers. They steal the joy out of chasing a knife you really want and having them snag it so they could add it to their collection of dust attraction of sell it on another site for profit. It's soul less.

 

[Sirryacus]

A lot online retailers are going to inspect a knife before it's shipped out, I don't understand the logic that it's ok for quality control and factory workers to have held it but not the retailer, would people feel better if they had used brand specific quality control workers special gloves to handle the knife?

 

[Sosa]

Factory QC doesn't watch tv flipping the knife hundreds of times then decides it's not for them and list it as LNIB.

 

[Sirryacus]

Factory QC doesn't watch tv flipping the knife hundreds of times then decides it's not for them and list it as LNIB.

I never said it applied to a one off sell of a knife some guy decided to get rid of after flipping it hundreds of time, but there are people who have posted in this thread who have a problem with a seller taking the item out to show them what they are getting when in reality the knife had already been touched long before that point anyway.

 

[Sosa]

In that case they shouldn't buy off the exchange. For me the savings have to be significant or the blade unavailable anywhere else. I often describe ones I sell as unused, Uncarried and unmolested. Which pretty much means what it sounds like.

 

[Sirryacus]

Cool topic, OP! Ignore the comments that are smarmy or down-playing.

I'd like to see standards adopted for describing knife conditions. I've never sold here, but I've bought a lot of knives on the Exchange and standards for condition would be nice. I see it something like this:

NIB: Knife has never been removed from box. Seller is first owner and has never handled the knife. Seals, if present, are intact and unbroken. A second (or third, etc) owner can't sell a NIB knife.
LNIB: Knife has been removed from box to verify condition as acceptable and returned to box. Seller is first owner and has never actually handled the knife. A second owner can't sell a LNIB knife.
Carried: Knife has been removed from box, opened and closed, fondled, clip-flipped, clipped to pocket or left out of box for a period of time. Seller is first owner and can verify non-use of the knife. A second owner can't sell a Carried knife. This is probably the typical condition of most "new" knives sold here.
Light User: Knife has been carried some and used for simple tasks such as cutting paper, threads, tape etc. Seller is first owner and can verify that all use of the knife has been by them, and has been lo impact. A second owner can't sell a light user.
User: Knife has been used in a normal, non-abusive fashion. Seller may or may not be first owner, but photographic condition of the knife can attest to level of wear and use.
Heavy User: Knife has been heavily used and shows obvious wear. Scales and blade may be scratched, blade may be dull or sharpened. Dings and rubs and clip wear are all to be expected. The knife is sold "as-is" with photographic condition validating the state of the knife.
Reconditioned: Knives that have had blade swaps, spa treatments, factory repair, etc regardless of apparent condition.
Custom Production/Modded: Production knives that have had aftermarket scales, acid washes, anodizing etc regardless of apparent condition.

That might be a little hard core, but I think those are all important points to include in the description of a knife offered for sale in the community. I'm not even touching on custom knives here, I've never owned one (yet )

I've bought a lot of modded production knives here, and most of the time I know who did the mods and roughly when, but that info is really very important (to me) to include in the sale offering of a modded production knife. It's part of the history of a knife, as well as a testimony to the crafts-persons who work on them. If I post a pic of a knife that's been made special by someone, it's nice to be able to give props where due.

Now, at the end of the day I've had nothing but positive experiences here as a buyer. I've done business with good, responsible people. At the end of the day, it might just boil down to whom you choose to buy from and sell too.

I also have a condition I call tweaker status, it's usually an old buck or pakistan clone that has been destroyed by repeated unneeded sharpening because of improper technique by someone using meth and doing stuff for no real reason but I've saw it on many otherwise nice knives makes you sick to your stomach.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

If you're paranoid about whether a knife for sale is actually in the condition that it is listed as then just buy only brand new knives from retailers. Problem solved. As to your other rant about technology taking away the good old days, don't use the Internet then. Find a porch to sit on with your friends to talk/swap knives. Other problem solved.


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A lot online retailers are going to inspect a knife before it's shipped out, I don't understand the logic that it's ok for quality control and factory workers to have held it but not the retailer, would people feel better if they had used brand specific quality control workers special gloves to handle the knife?

I've worked in production facilities and factories, I've even been involved in establishin' QC criteria, sounds more involved than it is we just set up a quality criteria that each piece of equipment must meet throughout different steps and stages along with a checklist before goin' into the crate based on observable and verifiable yardsticks. Not to mention the scheduled sampling and random sampling to ensure quality parameters were bein' met.

These were spelled out and defined in a clear and concise language designed to be applied by anyone. If done right ISO based QC standards and inspection procedures guarantee your odds of receiving a product that meets all specs and aesthetic criteria are relatively low but short of every piece bein' hand tested, inspected and packaged by an owner of the company some clunkers will get through.

When dealing with high end production knives the likes of William Henry and Sebenza it's not uncommon for people to purchase for resale, knives that go into a safe without ver comin' outta the box. I bought a Statue of liberty Commemorative Buck Executive with a coin made from the recycled copper sheeting off the statue. I never opened the box, I never touched the knife. I bought it for $20 and sold it for a substantial profit 15 years later but I bought it to sell it and it's not an uncommon practice in the community.

Factory QC doesn't watch tv flipping the knife hundreds of times then decides it's not for them and list it as LNIB.

Exactly, some people don't understand the damage they could do and to them they never used the knife, I had one guy tell me the only thing he did was to strop the blade "... to a nearly razor sharp edge." should a known that was code for "I rounded the edge because I don't know how to sharpen/maintain a knife edge. "

Comic books, coins, guns, have very specific grading criteria to help evaluate and valuate those items fairly accurately, maybe someday we'll see that for the cutlery community but it has to start with using the same terms to accurately describe the conditions of the knife and associated packaging by everyone.

Who knows in a few years the point may be moot as the only way you'll see a knife will be on the internet or a museum. Just kiddin' .

 

[needler420]

Knives lost their utilitarianism as tools and was replaced with intrinsic value brought on by collectors and resellers.

I said this before. Perfect example is new barebones balisong people are buying multiples to flip for a quick buck knowing it's a hot new balisong in demand. Unless you sit on the dealers site all day refreshing for the restock with your $250 ready then your SOL.

 

[Lycosa]

Ajack60- Thank you for posting. Clearly, the human being is in a degraded state. Very sad.
But, as A. G. Russell stated; "Knife people are some of the nicest people I know." So, we have a big responsibility, to lead by example.
rolf

 

[T. Erdelyi]

There's alternatives, build a network of friends and other people to help you find what you want, Everytime I comment I'm lookin' for a particular knife for example a while back I'd mentioned how I was sorry I had sold my PCC Woods /Irie Funny Folder and in a day or so I had gotten a PM tellin' me they had one. I couldn't afford it but it was nice someone tried to hook me up.

About 10 months ago I had mentioned how the Lone Wolf/Loveless City Knifeworks was one of my bucket list knives and again a member made me such a great deal I got to check it off my list. See the knives are available and if you're a friendly person and you let the word out that you're lookin' for a particular knife, my experience has been the membership here will bend over backwards to try to accommodate you.

See but none of this or what you said was relevant to my original statement. How does what you posted apply to the accurate description of a knife or the definitions used in describin' a knife?

Knives lost their utilitarianism as tools and was replaced with intrinsic value brought on by collectors and resellers.

I said this before. Perfect example is new barebones balisong people are buying multiples to flip for a quick buck knowing it's a hot new balisong in demand. Unless you sit on the dealers site all day refreshing for the restock with your $250 ready then your SOL.

I'm just curious, what if anything does the above statement have to do with my original post and topic?

 

[ThePeacent]

I also have a condition I call tweaker status, it's usually an old buck or pakistan clone that has been destroyed by repeated unneeded sharpening because of improper technique by someone using meth and doing stuff for no real reason but I've saw it on many otherwise nice knives makes you sick to your stomach.

I've suffered a couple of those "tweakers" before...this one in particular was described as "slightly sharpened", without mentioning the power tool used that craped out the HT of the blade and altered the steel, making it impossible to get a usable edge again on it.

 

[LAtraffic]

I also have a condition I call tweaker status, it's usually an old buck or pakistan clone that has been destroyed by repeated unneeded sharpening because of improper technique by someone using meth and doing stuff for no real reason but I've saw it on many otherwise nice knives makes you sick to your stomach.

Great post. I am new to knives, at least what one would call quality knives. Anyways, I finally ordered a mini grip and a used sage 3 this week per a recommendation from some of the members. Here is my question that will annoy most of you, for that I apologize. I have a 3 stone DMT bench stone set. When or what condition of the knife is at before you should sharpen it? Does needing these stones mean I F#$#D off my knife and didn't care for it properly ?

 

[Sirryacus]

Yes my friends so many haunting images in my mind of vintage Made in USA Buck's,Gerbers,Schrade Old Timers/Uncle Henry completely ruined by tweakers, blades essentially turned into ultra toothpicks.

 

[sharp_edge]

Great post. I am new to knives, at least what one would call quality knives. Anyways, I finally ordered a mini grip and a used sage 3 this week per a recommendation from some of the members. Here is my question that will annoy most of you, for that I apologize. I have a 3 stone DMT bench stone set. When or what condition of the knife is at before you should sharpen it? Does needing these stones mean I F#$#D off my knife and didn't care for it properly ?

One general piece of advice is if you plan to sell a knife later and assume you purchased it NIB (your mini grip is NIB?), you should try not to sharpen it. Other than that, it is really up to you: how sharp you want your knives to be and what you will use your knives for. You have some quality sharpening gear there (DMT stones) and if you are good at using them, I'm sure you can put up beautiful and scary sharp edges to your knives. I'd do that with that user Sage 3.

 

[gonebad395]

One general piece of advice is if you plan to sell a knife later and assume you purchased it NIB (your mini grip is NIB?), you should try not to sharpen it. Other than that, it is really up to you: how sharp you want your knives to be and what you will use your knives for. You have some quality sharpening gear there (DMT stones) and if you are good at using them, I'm sure you can put up beautiful and scary sharp edges to your knives. I'd do that with that user Sage 3.

So are you saying he can carry it but not sharpen it and it's still nib? Because it kinda sounded like the advice ya just gave him, and that's just silly.

Op when your knife dosent cut smoothly through stuff sharpen it,use common sense and you'll be fine.

 

[sharp_edge]

So are you saying he can carry it but not sharpen it and it's still nib? Because it kinda sounded like the advice ya just gave him, and that's just silly.

Op when your knife dosent cut smoothly through stuff sharpen it,use common sense and you'll be fine.

I believe I've read your posts and people's good feedback on you before, so I had respect for you. And because of that, what you said there is a bit surprising to me, especially that is really NOT what I was suggesting. How in the world that what I said leads you to think that I was suggesting him to carry a knife and then deem/sell it as NIB??