To old timers: how have collectors changed?

[Joss]

Hello,

I'm interested in hearing from old timers (makers) on how they feel the collectors have changed in the last 20 or 30 years. Are they more knowledgeable or less? More or less appreciative of the art & craft?

Thanks,

JD

 

[kamkazmoto]

I have been collecting for over 45 years so I have seen the rise of the custom knife industry from almost nothing (Randall, Ek, Moran, Scagel and a few others) to the multimillion dollar industry of today. Without a doubt there are more informed collectors out there today than there used to be. The amount of information available is almost unbelievable to me. Magazines, books, and the internet have allowed a spread of knowledge that was unimaginable them. New companies like Benchmade, Spyderco and Kershaw, CRKT and others have made quality knives available to everyone. It is a good time to be a knife knut.