Question regarding "Old Knives" thread.

[JC in SC]

Over the course of the last few days I've been working my way through the "Old Knives" thread. Wow, so many incredible old knives. I haven't made it through the entire thread yet, but I already have a question. I decided to start a new thread so as to not detract from the other thread. I'm relatively new to the traditional scene, so my knowledge of these vintage pieces. Where exactly do you guys (and gals) find all these exquisite old Sheffield pieces? Do you stumble upon them at antique stores and estate sales or are they so rare you only find them through dealers? I'm guessing it is a little of both, some found dirt cheap in the least expected places and ultra rare, ultra expensive pieces through purveyors.

My love affair with knives continues to blossom and I'm finding myself more and more infatuated with traditional folders. As an aspiring knifemaker, I'm fascinated with the variety of patterns available in the glory days of cutlery. As much as I admire the tried-n-true patterns that are still popular today, I'm eager to explore those lesser known patterns that seem to pop up here from time to time.

Anyway, I'm just curious where you've found your vintage Sheffield pieces, so I can try to locate some myself.

Regards,

 

[sunnyd]

Specifically regarding the vintage Sheffield patterns I have found personally and the very few authentic pieces I had acquired were from the knife shows back mostly in the 1980's. Now days I suspect most of what one might find are found on the secondary market via the internet auction sites.. Although this is just a guess as I no longer dabble in these Sheffield knives without first physically handling them myself.


Anthony

 

[wagglebee]

Mick (wellington) has an amazing collection of Sheffields. However, he also lives in the UK and I have a feeling that they are easier to find over there.

For the rest of us, we just have to take our chances with auction sites or search antique stores, estate sales, flea markets and the like.