The Holy Grail of knife collecting?

T

TheBleedingEdge

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Apr 14, 2010
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What are some rare or highly sought after knife models? I'm relatively new to knife collecting, and I'd like to hear input from the community. What makes these knives such a treasure?

Pictures (whether they're yours, or from the web) would be great too.

Edit: Heh, I guess my question was pretty vague. I brought this topic up to see what kinds of knives others are looking for, and to learn about new brands and models in the process. What knife captivates you? What knife have you been searching for? What knife would you like to have above all others?

Basically, what is YOUR Holy Grail of knife collecting?
 
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That's a big question. People have been making knives for a long time.

Anything from 30,000 years ago is considered a Holy Grail. Anything from the time of the mythical "Search for the Holy Grail" (6th century England) would be a Holy Grail of it's own. Certain knives from the U.S. Civil War, etc., etc.

So alot depends on the time frame and what you are looking for. Of modern blades some folk collect Schrades, some Case folders, some Buck knives, some early Emerson folders or Spyderco's. Some go after the custom work of a Randall, Loveless, or others.

If you go to some of the sub forums here where collectors gather you can see what blades are discussed.

You can also go by Ebay and see what blades are the most sought after (these fetch the highest prices at auction).

Books on knives also help.

There are so many good knives out there and so many have been made over generations that deciding what you want to focus on is a bit of a challenge.

tipoc
 
What's your price range? What kind of knives do you like?

The way you are asking your question is pointless as a general question since you should collect what you personally like, not what other people like.

There are knives that cost from the hundreds up to millions (try to buy some Japanese Master's knives from 1000 years ago...).
 
It really depends on if your talking about production or custom.
For custom, maybe an original Scagel, Ruana, Lake, etc.
For production, some of the early Case, Randalls, V42, Ek, etc.
 
I think most knife collectors have a personal "grail knife." Most are just certain models that resonate with each individual. Although a lot of users wax on about Sebenzas or Striders, there are just an equal amount, if not more, of users who love their Benchmades, Spydercos, Cases, GEC's, Bucks, etc.

My grail knife is going to be a knife that I like the most, regardless of its monetary value. Just to let you know, my grail knife changes continuously. It's kinda the mechanism behind knife collecting, I guess. :p
 
Easy! The original Benchmade 806 D2 AFCK AXIS :D

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I personally love anything from Daniel Winkler, awesome knives and leather work by Karen Shook. Also, Geno Denning's Subhilt fighters..super delicious.
 
D1omedes said:
My grail knife is going to be a knife that I like the most, regardless of its monetary value. Just to let you know, my grail knife changes continuously. It's kinda the mechanism behind knife collecting, I guess. :p
Click to expand...

Indeed. The tragic cycle of collecting can be boiled down to a long period of relentless searching, the find, the rapturous purchase, the creeping sensation of mediocrity that comes with its ownership, and then the search begins anew.
 
one knife i would like to get someday would be a Hinderer XM-18, its one of those things where it is on the list, but not likely in the near future, especially at secondary market prices.......
 
The real Excalibur would be a grail knife.

I don't really have one. I've tried. It doesn't exist. There are some that I'm more comfortable with, but they all seem to come up lacking.
 
My holy grail knives would be some excellent condition Sheffield made knives from the late 1800s through around 1930.
 
My "Holy Grail" are knives that are made by certain deceased knifemakers that I admire.

Unfortunately, if I share their names, it only makes the prices go up.
 
Right now my Grail knife is a Menefee Zulu spear point folder. Every now and then I look up the photo another forumite posted and just sit there drooling. One of these days I'll be able to save up enough to commission one for myself.

Here it is now:

menefee_zulu_1.jpg

menefee_zulu_2.jpg

menefee_zulu_3.jpg
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I have a rather minimalistic taste when it comes to knives. No inserts, no patterns, no engravings, no nothing, I like them solidly built but I like them simple.

Luckily for me, these knives are expensive but not prohibitive. Right now I don't have a grail knife but a grail group of 4 knives: a large Sebenza, an Umnumzaan, a Strider SMF and an XM-18.

I already own the Zaan and the SMF, I'm waiting for the right moment to buy the other two (I really can't explain to my wife that I will be spending another grand or so in knives in such a short time). The Sebenza will be easy to get, but the XM-18...

I may be able to get a hold on an XM-18 pretty soon, but that's already reserved as my father in law's birthday gift.
 
IIRC it was the Schrade Perpetual Calender Knife for me, or one of the Anheiser Busch Peephole Knives, they were always so cool.
 
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