What Genre of knives is on its way up.....and what's on its way down ? :)

I don't know about knives, but the world's population continues a relentless march toward urbanization, which in recent years has just exceeded the rural population for the first time in known history (and rising). This must certainly be affecting knife-buying trends, and perhaps it also means knife laws more are likely to influence design.

What I'm mostly interested in are swords. I think that as martial arts continue to spread, high-performance non-wall-hanger swords will become more desired. European swordsmanship is certainly a growing pursuit. I think that specifically Chinese swordsmanship and swords will see a big rise in popularity around the world.
 
Mecha said:
I don't know about knives, but the world's population continues a relentless march toward urbanization, which in recent years has just exceeded the rural population for the first time in known history (and rising). This must certainly be affecting knife-buying trends, and perhaps it also means knife laws more are likely to influence design.

What I'm mostly interested in are swords. I think that as martial arts continue to spread, high-performance non-wall-hanger swords will become more desired. European swordsmanship is certainly a growing pursuit. I think that specifically Chinese swordsmanship and swords will see a big rise in popularity around the world.
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Maybe Sam, but there have to be qualified teachers of Chinese swordsmanship, and there are not a lot of them out there right now.
Scott Rodell in VA is one of the best, he teaches Yang Family Taiji Quan.

Swords are DOWN right now, at least the high end European and Japanese stuff. Spoke with some dealers at the Antique Arms and Armor Show in Las Vegas and the younger(25-35) buyers are not interested in good quality authentic stuff at the asking prices.

Fred Lohman who is THE manufacturer/supplier of excellent fittings in the US told me that business is way down for him, which is a shame because his stuff is literally irreplaceable. When I was in Kyoto a few years ago, the quality of what few swords supply shops had was vastly inferior to Fred's work....just look at his shitodome and menuki on his website for an indication of what I am explaining.

I've been getting some fantastic deals on the auction site for good Edo period Japanese fittings.:)

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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You would think that swords at least certain genres would be on the incline due to all the interest in fantasy etc

I was just in Florida at a wedding and there was a Japanese arms exhibit at the Ringling Mansions museum

As you and I discussed maybe it's just Fred's Marketing :)

I wonder how cheaper swords are doing ?
 
JParanee said:
You would think that swords at least certain genres would be on the incline due to all the interest in fantasy etc

I was just in Florida at a wedding and there was a Japanese arms exhibit at the Ringling Mansions museum

As you and I discussed maybe it's just Fred's Marketing :)

I wonder how cheaper swords are doing ?
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So, right.....the "swords" in the fantasy market do extremely well, I mean Clint Kadel aka Bud K aka the Grand Pubah of United Cutlery is laughing all the way the the bank with an entire plethora of stainless steel fantasy LOTR stuff and they are even producing carbon steel swords in China now as well.

....BUT(or however, lol)....

The problem with lower level Chitana/India stuff is myriad....fitting being the biggie. I don't want to cause major thread drift here because it's a whole different subject, but you asked, so I'll leave it at that. There are probably 50 Chinese sword makers likely having some degree of success. I pretty much only buy Paul Chen product from China, he was the first to do a good job of it, and I found his product to stand up to hard use.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
People interested in fantasy weapons likely don't have the cash to buy the real thing.

Combine that with no practical application in today's world and that's a hard value proposition to make.
 
Kohai999 said:
Should I start a new thread(I can do a state of swords/Chitana in Sword s/f)? Joe, let me know, ok?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Steven knows the answer and yes please do :)

Last I heard Bugui's stuff was coming from the same place as Paul Chens :)
 
Scurvy092 said:
People interested in fantasy weapons likely don't have the cash to buy the real thing.

Combine that with no practical application in today's world and that's a hard value proposition to make.
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Hey I like Fantasy weapons as long as there custom Katana made to my dimensions :)
 
I think that if cheap sword-like-objects are super popular now, then a some of those folks will become more interested and want the real thing, just as knife collectors and users often eventually move on from cheapies to really nice knives as their tastes evolve and become more keen.

As far as a shortage of qualified teachers in Chinese swordsmanship, there is a huge number of kung fu schools that teach weapon forms, and are filled with young students, at least on the West coast. More teachers will emerge. I bet we'll start to see jian and dao sparring just like we already see with the ARMA folks and other sword styles.

Sorry, I don't want to be a thread-derailer! :)
 
Kohai999 said:
I sold 30 knives through AZCK in the last 14 months....if anyone wants real world information, would be happy to share what I sold and why.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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I second Mr. Fairly. I would appreciate any wisdom you are willing to share. Thanks.
 
Coleman, Keith-Tactical Folder...Keith stopped making knives, and when a maker does that, you either have to love the knife, or sell it while you still can for a decent price....broke even

Corby(Harold), Whitetail deer skinner, burgundy leather sheath....originally purchased to sell, when I was in the business....took forever to move, broke even

Carter, Murray-Kiradashi-Made by Murray, sole authorship.....had duplicates, Murray doesn't do these himself anymore, he was on Forged in Fire, made a tidy profit!

Dawson(Barry) Clip point Trapper II, leather sheath, mosaic pins....wasn't gonna use it, didn't love the knife, broke even

DeFreest, William(Gordon) mirror finish Utility knife....mercy buy from a Forumite, didn't need it anymore, broke even

Fallkniven Tor-BIG bowie that I just wasn't using...broke even

Ferry(Tom) Fighter, Mosaic damascus, engraved by maker....got drawn for it at a show, liked it didn't love it....took a major hit on this one

Foster, Burt-Fighter w/Hamon-Made 2005
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated utility fighter, made 2006
Foster, Burt-Damascus Camp Set-Chopper/hunter, Made 2007
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated hunter, made 2010
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated Combat #5, Utility/Fighter, Made 2011
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated Blue Collar Hunter, Made 2013

When a maker stops making knives, or takes a radical departure from what they are known for, it can affect the value. I had a bunch of Burt Foster knives and his regular newsletters were getting less regular. Got sort of panicked, as I was long on Burt's knives, and felt that it was possible the value was going to tank, because nobody on the Forums or any other venue I was going to(knife and gun shows) was showing any interest. Sold all of the knives above for a significant loss, and have no regrets about doing it. Kept three of Burt's knives, which were the best of the grouping. Hope his appearance on Forged in Fire turns him into a rock star!

Gedraitis Folder, Shining Wave Silver/Copper mokume bolsters-Fell out of love with this knife, it was not a part of Chuck's best work, and I have gotten another piece in the interim which I like much better....took a pretty sizeable hit on this one.

Gryphon Knives Terzuola-the time was right, the knife wasn't necessary, and I wasn't going to use it. Made a nice profit

Hayes(Wally) Tanto, hamon, kydex sheath-just didn't need the knife, it wasn't exactly my style, made a profit, and Wally makes an EXCELLENT knife for those of you who don't know it, great value as well!

Hill(Steve) Dagger, Darryl Maier damascus, gold skull inlays-Oh jeez, this knife was stillborn on delivery, but it made a nice profit. Steve's a great guy, but whoa!

Johnson, W.C. (Bill) Sub Hilt Fighter, Treestump leather sheath-picked this up from a friend, and liked it, but never played with it....broke even

Kressler(Dietmar) Hideout fighter, left hand sheath-I hated this knife, but I hated it less than the Velarde traded for it. Has blocky handles...a Loveless style knife should never have blocky handles. Broke even

Microtech TKI 2015 set-not a fan of the Anax, what's up with the runoff fuller that is on so many knives lately?-slight profit

Ohta(Hiraoki) Wharncliffe Trapper-gorgeous knife, but I like maybe a 7-8 on the hard to open scale for a slipjoint, and this was soft, maybe a 4. Took a loss

SAR(Spencer Reiter) Cyclops-I have a pile of neck knives and figured someone else would enjoy it more than I did. Slight profit

Sog Trident-RARE Japanese made, never used-Beautiful knife, but the time was right, broke even

Vestal(Charles) Extended Chute knife, leather sheath-the grinds were bugging me on this one....it was a valuable lesson. Charles makes an excellent knife, btw...took a slight loss.

Zscherny, Mike-Two Blade Wharncliffe Trapper, Turkish Lace Damascus-if I could go back in time, I would have kept this one and carried it. Lovely knife, if anything maybe a bit small, and the lace damascus was a touch jarring to the eye


Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
^ Very interesting info!
I assume your profit/loss is after paying AZCK 25% fee.
Too bad you didn't sell on your own.
 
Kevin Jones said:
^ Very interesting info!
I assume your profit/loss is after paying AZCK 25% fee.
Too bad you didn't sell on your own.
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That's correct Kevin.

I attempted to sell on BFC at prices lower than what sold on AZCK, as well as offering Dave Harvey a swap for a number of them....and of course reaching out to a few friends, but all was for naught....Tried for a year to move what I eventually sold on their site.

AZCK takes credit cards, they ship overseas, and I do neither. It was a very easy transaction.

Do you even own thirty knives?:D;)

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Scurvy092 said:
So looks like overall you broke even or took a slight loss?
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I'd say overall in this transaction I broke even.....that is not a bad thing, as overall in the knife game, I'm up.

That is where you NEED to be if you have serious money involved....however, if you never sell and love everything you have, nothing wrong with that either.;)

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
That's correct Kevin.

I attempted to sell on BFC at prices lower than what sold on AZCK, as well as offering Dave Harvey a swap for a number of them....and of course reaching out to a few friends, but all was for naught....Tried for a year to move what I eventually sold on their site.

AZCK takes credit cards, they ship overseas, and I do neither. It was a very easy transaction.

Do you even own thirty knives?:D;)

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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I usually keep 25-30 custom knives at a time and don't want any more than that.
Personally, I don't want expensive knives stashed away in drawers, safes, boxes etc. Instead, I display them all so I can enjoy them every time I walk by and insure they stay in top condition.
Usually when I purchase a new knife, another one is sold to make room. They always sell for more than I paid, or at least I can't remember selling one for less.

I may even start keeping less than 25-30 as I've recently caught the Antique Winchester lever action rifle bug (1866 & 1873, specifically).

Selling 30 knives individually in such a short time frame is quite an accomplishment, especially considering you didn't lose a lot of $$$ doing so.
 
Kohai999 said:
Coleman, Keith-Tactical Folder...Keith stopped making knives, and when a maker does that, you either have to love the knife, or sell it while you still can for a decent price....broke even

Corby(Harold), Whitetail deer skinner, burgundy leather sheath....originally purchased to sell, when I was in the business....took forever to move, broke even

Carter, Murray-Kiradashi-Made by Murray, sole authorship.....had duplicates, Murray doesn't do these himself anymore, he was on Forged in Fire, made a tidy profit!

Dawson(Barry) Clip point Trapper II, leather sheath, mosaic pins....wasn't gonna use it, didn't love the knife, broke even

DeFreest, William(Gordon) mirror finish Utility knife....mercy buy from a Forumite, didn't need it anymore, broke even

Fallkniven Tor-BIG bowie that I just wasn't using...broke even

Ferry(Tom) Fighter, Mosaic damascus, engraved by maker....got drawn for it at a show, liked it didn't love it....took a major hit on this one

Foster, Burt-Fighter w/Hamon-Made 2005
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated utility fighter, made 2006
Foster, Burt-Damascus Camp Set-Chopper/hunter, Made 2007
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated hunter, made 2010
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated Combat #5, Utility/Fighter, Made 2011
Foster, Burt-ss/carbon Laminated Blue Collar Hunter, Made 2013

When a maker stops making knives, or takes a radical departure from what they are known for, it can affect the value. I had a bunch of Burt Foster knives and his regular newsletters were getting less regular. Got sort of panicked, as I was long on Burt's knives, and felt that it was possible the value was going to tank, because nobody on the Forums or any other venue I was going to(knife and gun shows) was showing any interest. Sold all of the knives above for a significant loss, and have no regrets about doing it. Kept three of Burt's knives, which were the best of the grouping. Hope his appearance on Forged in Fire turns him into a rock star!

Gedraitis Folder, Shining Wave Silver/Copper mokume bolsters-Fell out of love with this knife, it was not a part of Chuck's best work, and I have gotten another piece in the interim which I like much better....took a pretty sizeable hit on this one.

Gryphon Knives Terzuola-the time was right, the knife wasn't necessary, and I wasn't going to use it. Made a nice profit

Hayes(Wally) Tanto, hamon, kydex sheath-just didn't need the knife, it wasn't exactly my style, made a profit, and Wally makes an EXCELLENT knife for those of you who don't know it, great value as well!

Hill(Steve) Dagger, Darryl Maier damascus, gold skull inlays-Oh jeez, this knife was stillborn on delivery, but it made a nice profit. Steve's a great guy, but whoa!

Johnson, W.C. (Bill) Sub Hilt Fighter, Treestump leather sheath-picked this up from a friend, and liked it, but never played with it....broke even

Kressler(Dietmar) Hideout fighter, left hand sheath-I hated this knife, but I hated it less than the Velarde traded for it. Has blocky handles...a Loveless style knife should never have blocky handles. Broke even

Microtech TKI 2015 set-not a fan of the Anax, what's up with the runoff fuller that is on so many knives lately?-slight profit

Ohta(Hiraoki) Wharncliffe Trapper-gorgeous knife, but I like maybe a 7-8 on the hard to open scale for a slipjoint, and this was soft, maybe a 4. Took a loss

SAR(Spencer Reiter) Cyclops-I have a pile of neck knives and figured someone else would enjoy it more than I did. Slight profit

Sog Trident-RARE Japanese made, never used-Beautiful knife, but the time was right, broke even

Vestal(Charles) Extended Chute knife, leather sheath-the grinds were bugging me on this one....it was a valuable lesson. Charles makes an excellent knife, btw...took a slight loss.

Zscherny, Mike-Two Blade Wharncliffe Trapper, Turkish Lace Damascus-if I could go back in time, I would have kept this one and carried it. Lovely knife, if anything maybe a bit small, and the lace damascus was a touch jarring to the eye


Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Thank you for sharing STeven!

Zane
 
I'll throw my $0.02 into this convo. I think buyers will soon grow out of the "overbuilt" folding knife phase. I personally came to realize the impracticality of some of the designs and have seen some makers slim down their customs as they mature.
 
jasonbrent said:
i'll throw my $0.02 into this convo. I think buyers will soon grow out of the "overbuilt" folding knife phase. I personally came to realize the impracticality of some of the designs and have seen some makers slim down their customs as they mature.
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i agree :)
 
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