Use or not use mint vintage knives

lutejones

lutejones

Joined
Mar 15, 2007
Messages
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Hey guys, on this thread a very interresting matter was mentioned.
It should be of course a personal decision, but I'd like to read your opinions, mine is the following:
I love Case vintage knives, but not for the fact that they are old, I like them so much for the features they show and the overall quality in grinds, heat treatment, fit and finish, etc. and for me the whole point behind buying knives is to cut things with them, but this is because I'm not a collectionist stricktly speaking.
So for me in satisfaction levels this (one of my favorites, that rides a lot in my pocket)
AB9023EC-1B89-4816-AA91-4056DA54F53B-3277-000004E119D6DE5E.jpg

D17E6CED-C742-45F3-9DAA-37707AA371B9-3277-000004E0F4CF7CD2.jpg

Is a lot more satisfying than this:
P1013177.jpg

P1013179.jpg

The other side of the coin is that sometimes I feel a little sorry for being selfish about it, I mean I know that there are people that really enjoy mint condition vintage knives more than I do and I'm taking nice pieces out of the market and somehow destroying this value.
So the question, How do you guys feel about this particular matter??
regards
Mateo the vintage slayer :D:D
 
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Paul Hilborn just sent me a near mint 1975 Case Texas Jack as a gift. It is truly a beauty. I figure the best way to honor that gift is to carry it and use it, not lock it away. I know Paul agreed with me wholeheartedly.
I just can't appreciate it at home in the safe like I can when pull it out of my pocket several dozen times per day just to stare at it and smile.
 
You will never know how good or bad a knife is until you use it. Go for it and put them to use. That is what they were made for in the first place.
 
I say to each his own. I don't get any satisfaction out of owning a knife just for the sake of owning it. I get my satisfaction from having it in my pocket, and using it. That doesn't mean I abuse my knives. Being that I work in an office, most of my cutting task are opening packages and envelopes, and cutting food. Because of this I feel that I can carry, use, and enjoy a vintage knife without ruining it.

As for feeling guilty for taking mint, vintage knives out of the market for those who would prefer to buy them purely as collectables, I say they had just as much opportunity as you to buy the knife and keep it safe.
 
ACTUAL mint knives are very rare. What is commonly described as "mint" is very often something else and the word is starting to lose it's original meaning in common usage. The word now seems to be used to describe knives that are shiny even if none of the original finish is left. :( I enjoy both using some and preserving some old knives. If the knife is extremely rare and in good condition, I will preserve the knife if I believe it has historical value... even if it is not mint... or "mint". If I had a real antique Bowie (like Duncan!), I would preserve it. I seriously doubt anyone would even think about using an antique Bowie for a game of mumblety peg. If there are a ton of examples of the knife, I wouldn't be so worried about using it. Some of the Case knives aren't particularly rare... and some are. My answer is "it depends". But there are lots of slightly used old knives in very good condition and I would probably prefer to use one of those than to mess up the only known example of an 80+ year old knife in mint condition.
 
lutejones said:
I love...vintage knives, but not for the fact that they are old, I like them so much for the features they show and the overall quality in grinds, heat treatment, fit and finish, etc. and for me the whole point behind buying knives is to cut things with them, but this is because I'm not a collectionist stricktly speaking.
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Very well put, you have described perfectly my feelings on the matter. IMO it's your knife, whether we're talking about custom, vintage, or current production. Do with it what you will, there is no need to explain yourself to anyone and certainly no need for compunction. Unless we are talking about a historically significant knife (i.e., Abraham Lincoln's congress) there is no right or wrong answer to this question.

Whatever you choose keep in mind that whether a knife is being collected or put to use, it is capable of only being enjoyed by a single person at a time. I am sure there are those who will argue that knives in collections are capable of being enjoyed by others, but how many people share their collections? I am not talking about just looking at knives behind glass displays, but rather getting to handle them to get a closer look. Observing a knife from afar is all well and good, but you can't learn about things like fit or how the blades walk and talk.

Fortunately the market has a way of sorting things out. The most desireable vintage knives, those of incredible workmanship or exceedingly rare, are also prohibitively expensive from a strictly using standpoint. The people willing to spend the coin are not the type to drop them in their pocket. What's the point? Why throw your money away? A GEC #23 will do exactly the same thing as a Remington R1123, and it is just as well made or very nearly so. The GEC also costs a fraction of the Remington, is easily replaceable, and won't depreciate from use the way the R1123 will.

- Christian
 
Knives are tools, they are ment to be used. I look at it this way a old knife in mint condition was probably given to someone who didnt carry or use a knife. I have a personal example of this while traveling through Europe, in France I thought it would be nice to buy my father a Laguiole, well 12 years later he gave it back to me in mint unused condition, he's not a knife guy, but I carry it and use it now, what's the point of a knife if it never gets to cut something?
 
Very interesting points of view so far, thank you guys.
I'm really enjoying this place, and the knife talking with people who understand the issues.
I agree with both of you Jake and Christian, but the thing is that the knowlege of what is rare and the monetary point of view is diferent for every individual. Five years ago I wouldn't use a 150 $ knife because it was out of my league, and now I do, and the progression can go further and further.
Mateo
 
The rule of 2
I edc a schrade 108OT everyday and I love it. So much I have 2 extras in case one gets lost or I feel like giving it away.
 
The market sorts thing out according to demand. Many of the old knives don't bring a ton of money. For example, I've seen knives from the Schrade factory collection sell for about the same price as some stag handled knives from GEC. Popular items like the R1123 may bring a lot of money but rare brands and patterns that aren't as popular may not. If something is truly rare there is usually little demand for it. Small variations in common knives are much more popular. Collections aren't just squirreled away by fanatic folks. The internet has made it easier to share our collection and information. And collections can be seen in person and sometimes the knives can be handled at knife shows. It's up to the traditional knife aficionados to determine what they collect but some of the collections of modern knives rival collections of old knives in cost. A knife may be a tool and a tool may be intended to be used, but if all the oldies are used up or polished to a high shine no one will know how a crocus polish looks... maybe not many people care.
 
I look at it in the same light as the US Constitution the only way to take advantage of what it has to offer is to use it! Man that is one pretty Case Jack:thumbup:!
 
Peter Parker, The US consitution is only 6 pages and the pages are already written on. ...also it's preserved in the national archives. ;) :p
 
My Case XX 087 is in my pocket as I type this.
I believe it was Tony Bose who once said, "If the knife's not good enough for you, who is it good enough for?"
 
I agree that most vintage knives can be carried and used, with little loss of value, and can give great satisfaction. But there are a few very rare and old knives that should not be used, and should be kept to prove what well trained, dedicated people can achieve.
Remember, if history is lost, we are doomed to make stupid old mistakes over again!!
 
I would keep the minty knives minty, especially Case, which has a HUGE collectors cult. Check the values online first, and decide if you want to keep it clean or use it.
 
Here's what I do. If I like a knife to the fact that I don't want nothing happening to it I buy two. I look at each of em and the one that isn't the best of the two I carry that one. Now I never carry a knife someone gifts me. If I bought a vintage knife and didn't plan on re saling the knife or passing on then I would defiantly carry it. My grandfather carries nothing but vintage cases. He wears em out. He said he gets more happiness out of it then it being in a drawer.
 
I just can't bring myself to use nice vintage knives. Unless its a vintage butcher knife or something like that.

I appreciate them as the tiny time capsules that they are way too much.

I don't knock guys that use them either. I just can't make myself do it.
 
"Knives are tools that are meant to be used" is a meaningless statement without context.

For example, in the 1920s, you could walk into any hardware store and buy a new Remington Bullet for two or three dollars. Almost a century later there are very few unused examples that still have their fragile etched crocus and glaze finishes intact. Fortunately, a minty Bullet will set you back a few thousand dollars these days, which keeps them out of the hands of short-sighted individuals who see antique knives as "just another tool" rather than an increasingly rare and historically, culturally and monetarily valuable link to the past that should be respected and carefully preserved.

I think most would agree that it would be the height of stupidity to use a well-preserved ancient katana to clear the brush in your yard, or to throw open the contents of a museum for utilitarian use--'gee, I wonder how that 11th Century Danish axe would stand up to the ol' oak out back? Let's give 'er a whirl!'--but those were once tools that were meant to used, too. The key word being 'once.' Context changes over time. Ignoring that fact diminishes the present and robs the future.

I know I beat this overstated caretaker obligation shtick into the ground, and that particular Case USA isn't really all that old, but the fact that someone almost invariably says "throw that baby in yer pocket - it was meant to used" whenever a minty old knife is under discussion really burns m' biscuits.
 
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