Should I pass these down to my 19 year old son? What are they worth?

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I have a couple knives that Kit Carson made for me around 1990 when I lived in Radcliff, KY. Kit lived down the street from my parents and I scored a couple custom knives from him. The knives have been rapped in a sock in my drawer since then. They have never been touched since he made them for me and now my 19 year old son wants them. What should I do? Give them up or keep them in my drawer in a sock. :-) The knives are about 13" in total length, the blades are 8"s. Thanks all
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What does he want them for??? They appear to be unique designs, and, if he intends to use them..., it will affect the value to some extent. I would sock them away, and leave them to him with the rest of my estate. I'm sure he is a responsible young man; however, I would consider these heirloom collectibles. Buy him a nice user if he is interested in knives.
 
Whether you give them to your son or not is kind of up to you - what the knives means to you and what kind of relationship you have with your son and what your son might want to do with the knives. I'm not sure that any of us can help there. I know that I loan knives to my sons and have given them several. But that is just us. Your situation may or may not be similar.

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If they're early Kit Carson knives I'd probably keep them as is since they're worth more as a collector piece than a user I would imagine. So if your son wants a knife to use get him something else.
 
Sorry, I do not plan on selling these knives I just did not want to give them up for a daily user's if they are or will be worth more down the road. I would rather hang on to them until he is little older if they are going to be worth more money. SO with that being said should I give them up to him or make him wait another 20. LOL Thanks for your advice brets-ftw!
 
I would hang onto them. Maybe upgrade to some better storage for them though. If he wants a knife to use get him a Becker or something that he can beat the snot out of.
 
Kit hasn't made any knives in the last few years and it's been much longer than that since he's made any fixed blade knives. Mr. Carson was inducted into the Blade Magazine Knifemakers Hall of Fame last year which is a huge honor in the knife industry....he justly deserved it.

With that said, those knives are worth much more than you probably think and will continue to increase in value as the years go by....it'd be a real shame to relegate them to users when many other knives would more than suffice to just beat around with.....needless to say, the final decision is up to you my friend.
 
Don't give.

They obviously mean a lot to you.

And ask yourself, is he mature enough?
Does he know enough about knives to be able to keep such customs?
If he breaks them, how upset would you be?

I wouldn't give them up. Buy him a KaBar or something.
 
When I was a teenager, if I wanted something, I had to work for it and earn it. And by working for it, I valued it more than if someone just gave it to me. To this day, when I look at something I have, I think about all the work I had to do to EARN it. And that makes it worth a lot more to me.

But I was raised in an old-fashioned way.
 
Id say hold on to them and make them his wedding present if/when that happens, turn them into a family heirloom so they stay in the family. since he already wants them you might as well add some meaning to them :)
 
Depends on your son. Will he appreciate them? They mean something to you. Will they mean something to him?
 
killgar said:
When I was a teenager, if I wanted something, I had to work for it and earn it. And by working for it, I valued it more than if someone just gave it to me. To this day, when I look at something I have, I think about all the work I had to do to EARN it. And that makes it worth a lot more to me.

But I was raised in an old-fashioned way.
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Amen to that. I'm twenty, but I've been taught the same way (ok my parents don't like knives, I had to buy them myself). As for the OP, your son is 19, he can buy his own knives if he really wants them.
 
I can see problems down the road if you gave them to him, especially that 1 with the knuckle guard. But that's just my POV, it all depends on how knife savvy your kid is & knows whether or not they aren't toys.


Multifamily it's your choice
 
Unless he understands the nature of custom knives, I'd just spend money on cheaper knives to use for him.
I'd hate to see those Kit Carsons severely damaged and abused because the one using them doesn't know what they're doing.
 
I would question his motives a bit more. Value? What does he want them for? The knives really don't appeal to me, but if the knives are valuable, I'd say keep them and give him something else like a Kabar Becker which is a pretty good knife in its own right.
 
Keep them in the sock drawer. I think they're worth a fair amount. Not much sense in using them.
 
Man, I have to chime in again...I really wanted to wait for an answer to my first questions, but I've got to speak up. I pretty much disagree with everyone! As I said before, it all depends on your son, but if he would truly appreciate them, it's obvious...give him the knives...with love! Done! What, you going to wait until he's 40? Maybe you aren't around then. Maybe he's not. Life is fleeting bro.

When I was young I hunted with my father. He gave me a 1917 Remington shotgun that belonged to HIS grandfather, and taught me to use it and care for it. I hunted with my father using that gun until the time I left the states in my late 20's. I am 43 now and my father is 73. The gun is 100 years old and is in pristine condition and I'm sure it's worth several thousand dollars if I wanted to sell it. I was home last christmas and hunted with my father and used that gun. (It works perfectly and probably will for another 100 years or more). He won't be around forever and the one thing I know will always remind me of him and our relationship is that Remington. I treasure it. He gave it to me when I was 10 years old.

I don't know your son. If he is anything like me, give him the knives. That's what they are for.
 
And to everyone who has assumed and implied that the kid is going to go around beating the hell out of the knives and destroy their "value"...come on! None of you were capable of receiving and caring for a beautiful gift from your father when you were 19??

Not every 19 year old boy is completely retarded! Many are, but not all! ;-)
 
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