On the hunt

[silenthunterstudios]

After work on Saturday, I was supposed to head up to eastern PA, but instead got out to central Maryland. Westminster in fact. On a personal errand, I decided I would stop and check out the pawn shops, junk shops and "collectible shops". Granted, I am flat broke right now, and most of what I have seen in other areas has been, well, to put it nicely, overpriced junk that is falling apart. Anyway, it was on the way, and I had a good time doing it. Even got to see a few nice slippies that I would have loved to picked up.

First, I stopped at a small pawn shop that usually has some nice productions. This time they had a nice offering of some custom fixed blades, but no productions. These customs were some Steve Corkums. Anyway, I stopped at another place on Rte 140, an antique store in a barn, and checked out their offerings, which amounted to a Chinese slipjoint that started to fall apart when I picked it up. I quickly headed out.

My next spot was a Tractor Supply Company, I have been looking at the Schrade desert ironwood slippies, and decided to check one out. Wow, the wood grain looked like a dart board, nowhere near as nice as that in the catalog. This looked really bad. I didn't even open up the folder. At least the lady who took it out for me was into knives, she showed me that she carried the same model. I should have asked her where she got hers with the rich scales. I didn't even bother looking at the rest of their Schrades.

Last place I looked was another antique mall in Westminster, on the east side of the town. Saw a couple neat pieces, mainly Colonial barlows and some junk, but I saw a Walden trapper with black synthetic scales. I've seen the same design model under the Ireland logo at a farmers market in York PA. It was about 15 bucks under the case, said firm next to it. Also saw a small WW2 memorabilia booth, some really neat memorabilia. Saw some neat original (at least it was quoted as such) Marine knives, both Camillus and Kabar. I have no idea what a good price on a USMC knife from that era is, but they were in very good condition.

Not very much in the way of knives on my hunt, but I saw some neat stuff on Saturday. I've always loved to check out the junk shops and yardsales along Rte 30 in PA, between Chambersburg and Lancaster, some good deals. Found some interesting knives, and paid more than I should have for others.

Anyway, how many of you pick up your slippies and other traditionals through the high end vintage providers, or just trampin' around the junk/antique shops and farmers markets? How many of you turn the blinders on and look just for blades? I missed a lot of neat stuff just looking for blades.

 

[jackknife]

On the rare occasion I go to gun shows, I'll poke around in the boxes of old knives that may not be worth much, on the off chance I'll find a nice oldy the seller misjudged. Thats happened to me a couple of times.

Most antique shops are not worth going into. They seem to thnk any old junk is an antique just because someone put the junk out at the dump! If they do have something nice, they want your first born son in trade.

Sadly, most of my old slippys were the knife that a passed on family member owned. I grew up in the days long before the zytel and tactical era, so most of the knives I grew up with were the antiques of today- Schrade Waldens, Robesons, a few Remingtons and Russells here and there.

With the popularity of antiques these days, and shows like "Antiques Roadshow" everyone with something old is out to get insane prices for it. But you can still find a decent old knife on E-bay if you watch carefully.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

My Dad owned an antique/"junque" shop in the early-mid seventies . I'm afraid I got my fill of yard sales, flea markets, and junk shops during that period. I tend to dislike pawn shops because of the negativity of how the stuff got there - tainted karma, or something. I do check in once in a while to see if they might have something, but I've never found anything worth buying - knife, gun, or musical instrument.

The last time I went to a pawn shop and asked about knives, the guy flat out told me all he had was a bucket of junk, and "with all the knife collectors around these days, you're not going to find a triple-X Case or anything in there" (his words). So even in Podunk, Oregon, we've got enough "collectors" that anything even semi-nice gets snapped up immediately. And I'm not willing to do the "7am garage sale" thing, on the off chance I'll get there first.

I think there are just too many people with too much money these days. As Antiques Road Show shows us, there are plenty of people out there willing to spend 10s of thousands on the "right" chest, or whatever. Blows my mind.

But then, the prices some people are asking for certain new knives these days, be they production or custom, floors me, too. I do understand that many people have a lot more money than I do, but paying $400 for something your going to use to cut off a tree limb - or $1500 for something to put in a drawer - just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Of course, I don't wear a $50K Rolex, either.

-- Sam

 

[DaveinNY]

Good thread SHS, I am into the hunt, the treasure hunting aspect of collecting knives. Most of my best finds were at flea markets, estate sales and older hardware stores. Jackknife is right about those antique shops, it seems as soon as it hits there shop it's a rare antique with a big price tag.

 

[JPD1998]

Good thread SHS, I am into the hunt, the treasure hunting aspect of collecting knives. Most of my best finds were at flea markets, estate sales and older hardware stores. Jackknife is right about those antique shops, it seems as soon as it hits there shop it's a rare antique with a big price tag.

Hey Dave there's a good Flea Market on 4/14-4/15 at the Rhinebeck Fairgrounds. I found a few good deals there last year, but try to get there early on Saturday.

Also an excellent Flea Market will be starting soon at the Stormville Airport. You can find the schedule on-line. But usually every weekend before a holiday starting with Memorial day. This is a good one to con your wife or GF to go to because they have new stuff too ( things they like too ). But theres a section with old junk that's fun to sift through.

Other than Flea markets , I buy mostly on-line or a few local stores. I don't do yard sales anymore, it's too much work.

 

[JD Mandrell]

I'll poke around in the boxes of old knives that may not be worth much, on the off chance I'll find a nice oldy the seller misjudged. Thats happened to me a couple of times.

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!

I love to dig around in those "everything $5.00" boxes on tables at shows, it's amazing how many solid users you'll find for next to nothing, especially stuff under the SEARS Craftsman name that were made by Schrade or Camillus.

 

[Rivit]

Smaller flea markets are where I get the best deals, especially the Tuesday and Thursday markets I can go to before work. My absolute favorite place to buy are Michigan Antique Arms Society shows. Most of the dealers are older gentlemen with vast knowledge about their antique guns, but little about their old knives.

 

[DaveinNY]

Thanks JPD, I will make that Rhinebeck show, although I may have to get up pretty early to stay ahead of you. This spring I intend to set up at a flea market someplace and sell off some junk out of my old barns. Any sugestions as to where would be a good place to sell old tools and gun parts. Sorry no knives.
Dave

 

[Rivit]

Dave, even if you are not going to sell knives, put out a little sign that says you buy old knives. You may be surprised what you can get this way.

 

[DaveinNY]

Thanks Rivit, Your are right, it sure wouldn't hurt to advertise. Now you have my mind working, just thinking about some nice elderly gentleman coming back with a cigar box full of old folding knives.

 

[JPD1998]

Thanks JPD, I will make that Rhinebeck show, although I may have to get up pretty early to stay ahead of you. This spring I intend to set up at a flea market someplace and sell off some junk out of my old barns. Any sugestions as to where would be a good place to sell old tools and gun parts. Sorry no knives.
Dave

There's a Flea Market every Sunday at the Boce's Campus in Poughkeepsie, route 44/55 ( $30.00 for a space).

There used to be one in Redhook every Sunday on route 9 in the Holy Cow Icecream parlor parking lot.

The best one is the Stormville Airport Flea Market, lots of traffic , vendors usually do well there.

 

[DaveinNY]

Thanks JPD, maybe I will see you at one of those spots. I will be the old guy with lots of antlers and deer mounts. I set up at the Fishkill market 4 years ago, it was like a feeding frenzy for dealers.