Modern Classics

C

cirrus

Joined
Sep 1, 2006
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33
hey folks,

i've always had a casual interest in knives but recently have become kinda fanatical in hording them. i plan to expand and purchase a few for use and some for show pieces. are there any some of you would recommend that are considered sort of modern classics that may have some collectible value in the future? i know there are no absolutes but some like the BM AFCK and 710 generally seem to fall into this category. any others to look out for?


thanks,

mike
 
I don't know, but here are a few knives I would like to have in 50 years:

Spyderco Military

BM AFCK (sold mine on eBay for a heavy penny!)

Buck 110 in BG42 (kinda a new twist on an old classic)

Swamp Rat knives (they just changed their whole line, so good luck buying one of the old ones for a reasonable price)

BM Griptilian (might not be worth anything, but is going to be a classic)

BM Ares

Kershaw knives in the ZDP limited runs
 
One of the first knives that comes to mind would be the BM Griptillian. I cant think of a thread where someone who has asked for a good EDC knife for around $50 and the grip has not been mentioned.
 
spyderco centafaunte III, native,mini manix,and i think they make a pill for that? i just dont take mine.
 
I don't know about collectors value, but here are some modern classics IMO:

Victorinox Soldier (I'm not really sure how long this knife has been around. I know the pattern is fairly old-school, but I don't know about the construction, scales etc. Regardless, it's a classic in my eyes.)

Spyderco Manix (Incredible ergonomics, very grippy G10, very well designed blade grind and profile and indisputable overall ruggedness for a very fair price)

Endura 4 Wave (Some of the best FRN texturing I've seen, the wave feature, some good blade steel and packs a lot of blade and overall durability into a light, slim package)

CS bushman (Great mass-market hollow handled fixed blade due to it's single piece construction. The handle design adds a lot of versatility to it's scope of work. The knife blade isn't obnoxiously thick like current fixed blade trends dictate, a plus in my book.)
 
I'm surprised no one said anything about Chris Reeve knives. The Sebenza is a classic in its own right.
 
These are all moden classics. Some are pretty common and won't be worth much, but they are all great users.

Chris Reeve Sebenza
Strider SNG / SMF
Spyderco Manix
Spyderco Endura
Spyderco Delica (the ZDP version will be worth the most)
Spyderco Native S30V
Benchmade 710HS
Benchmade 806D2
Benchmade Skirmish
Benchmade Pinnacle
Benchmade BM42
Busse Mean Street
Busse Meaner Street
Bob Dozier K-2
Bob Dozier Master Hunter
Emerson Commander
Emerson CQC-7
Al Mar SERE 2000
 
thanks for the reples, gents. all very helpful. i'm not necessarily trying to make a million off of my knives but it is always cool to have some collectibles, if anything, just for fun.

mike
 
Reading your post, I realized that a "classic" may not be a "collectible", with a price maintaining value (or better, increasing).

For example, the BM710 is a modern classic. The M2 version seems to be gettin' a bit pricey at the moment; but until BM cancelled that version, it was a slow sell.

Limited edition versions seem to have done well, though.

Then, look at REKAT. They have generally gone up in value (at least regards selling price), but they offered no models that could be considered a "classic" IMO.

Best advice I can give (and follow) is to buy what you like. If it goes up in value, "Hurrah!"; if not, well, at least I liked it.
 
Buck 110
Buck 112
Spyderco Endura
Spyderco Delica
Benchmade Griptilian and Mini-Griptillian
Victorinox Soldier
Victorinox Spartan
Leatherman (whatever replaced the PST)
 
Al Mar SERE
Al Mar Warrior
Al Mar Eagle Talon(Original Version)
Benchmade AFCK
Benchmade Butterfly knife(Balisong) series
Benchmade 710
Benchmade Spike
Benchmark Rolox
Buck 110
Buck Kalinga
Cold Steel Tanto
Columbia River Knife and Tool K.I.S.S.
Columbia River Knife and Tool M16 series
Gerber Bolt Lock
Gerber Guardian Series
Gerber Mk II
Gerber Silver Knight Series
Gerber Paul Knife Series
Kabar USMC fighting knife
Kershaw Trooper
Kershaw Leek
Marble's Woodsman
Marble's Trailmaker
Randall Model 1
Randall Model 14
Chris Reeve Sebenza
Schrade Uncle Henry Bear Paw
Schrade Sharpfinger
Spyderco Police
Spyderco Endura
Spyderco Delica

All I can think of, off the top of my head.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
What defines a "Classic"??

High sales numbers?? Breakthrough design and/or materials?? Rarity---but highly reguarded??? Or just one of those things that everybody knows what it is when they see one??

Modern classics of the last 50 years or so in my mind would be:
Buck 110
Buck 119
Buck Buckmaster
Gerber MkII
Gerber Paul
Gerber BMF
Benchmade Butterfly
Benchmade Griptilian
Kabar USMC
Spyderco Police
Spyderco Endura
Spyderco Delica
Leatherman PST
Any basic Victorinox SAK
Cold Steel Tanto
Camillus and Case pocketknives
Basic Opinel
Ek fighting knife
Puma White Hunter
Puma Hunter's Pal
Puma Duke-Earl--Prince

All I can think of for now.
 
cirrus-- Remember; collecting for value appreciation rather than personal appreciation is tricky because the things that end up becoming collectible were often the least collected, thereby creating rarity, demand and value. Sure, you can speculate and perhaps pick some winners, but my first rule is that I must *like* the knife. If I do and it happens to go up in value, that's icing on the cake.
 
Let me add:
Spyderco Terzuola StarMate
Spyderco Chinook, Spyderco's tank of a knife
Spyderco Civilian
Spyderco Kiwi
BenchMade 940 series
BenchMade 770 Gent's Pocketknife, especially in its original carbon fiber scales form
Randall Sportsman's Bowie in, say, 6" form
MicroTech LCC
 
Here are a few that you should hold on to....

Spyderco:
Wegner
Wegner Jr.
Lum Chinese (blue or green)
Micarta Calypso Jr.
G-10 Standard
G-10 Police
Military
Starmate
Toad
Waved Endura 4
Waved Delica 4
SS Mariner

Benchmade:
Crawford Leopard
806 AFCK
805 TSEK
940 and 941 Osborne

Cabela's Alaskan Guide Buck 110 (one of the very best deals going in my opinion!)

Chris Reeve Sebenza

Kershaw/Ken Onion Leek (especially the Rainbow, Black Boron, G-10, and Titanium versions)

CRKT:
Carson M18
Carson M21
Hammond Grey Ghost Mirage
Apache
Apache II
 
M16 in my view will become known in the future as a classic American design. As for Spyderco ... pick one:)
 
I think the BM 710 and AFCK are obvious choices. Mabye after a few years pass the Manix will also join the ranks.
 
Unless I'm mistaken, nobody has mentioned a Becker, which strikes me as odd.

Invariably, any 'looking for a tough but economical fixed blade' thread results in a number of BK-7 or BK-9 recommendations. I would call this line - probably the BK-7 in particular - worthy of 'classic' designation. That goes for the Becker necker too.

Other than that, the lists that have been presented so far include most of the knives I would mention.

Cheers,

- Mike
 
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