What Knives do you Collect?

[mwschilling]

I'm interested to know what types of knives everyone collects. Is there a method to your madness or just whatever strikes your fancy. Do you concentrate on one particular type: Hunters, Bowies, Fighters, Folders? Any particular style: traditional, forged only, Damascus only, tactical, etc? Materials (blade and handle)? Price point? Any production made knives in your collection?

And, has your collecting changed over the years?

I mainly collect custom hunters and folders with particular interest in Damascus and natural handle materials, especially mammoth and unique burl woods. Although I prefer forged blades, I don't limit myself in that regard. I have not yet moved to big knives (bowies and fighters) but I am seriously considering it, and will be looking during Blade Show for my first, mainly because many of the best makers seem to focus much attention on bowies and fighters and those big fancy knives amaze me. The only production knives I own/collect are Randall's, Chris Reeve and a few William Henry's.

 

[smokinbasser]

I mainly collect the peanut pattern with a few trappers and toothpicks added in. I have several other patterns but more or less accumulated them in my quest for peanuts and was offered these other patterns for a nice price I could have passed on but well you know how that goes.

 

[pootsythesamurai]

At the start I collected anything I could afford and anything that I vaguely liked the look of but now I try to stick to high quality/custom bowies - my main lean would be towards stag and normally forged but I don't mind stock removal if it ticks all the boxes.

It's hard knowing what to collect - sometimes you feel spurred on by collecting stuff that will increase in value or just stuff that you like yourself. You really do have to make an active decision about where you want to take your collection. Do you want to collect knives from specific makers or get a variety. Price is interesting thing to focus on at the end of the day I can only afford so much sensibly and you do work around the almighty buck but I try to get what I want and work to have the money for that rather than but something just because it's within budget.

You have to set targets to I think. I've given myself makers that I want to get knives off in the next few years and I'm working round that so hopefully will be able to do that over the next wee while.

 

[Cajun Kamikaze]

I have more skinners/hunters than anything but Bowies and fighters are my favorite knife designs. I'm a proponent of forged blades although we all know there is stock removal in all of them... I've had some really nice folders in the past and didn't have any fixed blades but my collection in that realm has dwindled over the years and I have many more fixed blades these days.

I like anything aggressive and sleek with etching, filework and engravings that really show the artistic value and imagination of the maker. Seem to like almost anything Lamey, CAS, Ki, Wheeler do. There are very few knives I have see in this custom forum I do not like in some way, shape, or form. If I had the liquid, I'd buy them all. Every last one.

 

[Jon Brand]

Right now I have a mix of forged folders, hunters and fighters/bowies. I mostly collect ABS knives (to many good makers to name) but I also like some tacticals for users. Not HOT "TACTICOOLS" but reasonable practical ones like John W. Smith and Crawford folders. I own a bunch of hunters because I can't afford as many bowies as I'd like to have so there are examples from some of my favorite makers in the form of a hunter.

For my ABS knives I much prefer damascus to monosteel. I like ivory and pearl more then stag, wood or micarta- but I have a little of everything in my collection.

If a maker I like makes damascus I want their damascus, not damascus from another maker.

My collecting has changed many times and gone in full circles. Kinda hard to explain..

 

[Clydetz]

It all started with coming home late from work & tuning into the Home Shopping Network. Switched to have knives made to my specs or knifemaker's custom one-off. Next it was anything that caught my eye: miniatures, big fan of Buck's, etc., etc., Buck knives were my biggest interest, mainly the 110's. Folders, autos, fixed blades all found a home with me.

 

[slatroni]

I collect antique Indian (India) tulwars Katars and Kards. For some reason I think the Indo Persian weapons were the coolest! The swords had big slashing blades and the daggers were long sharp and pointy. And they were usually long enough to go completely through a man.

 

[Kevin Jones]

I like and appreciate most all styles of custom knives, however I mostly collect forged hunters/bowies/fighters and folders to a lesser extent. I'm drawn to Damascus and natural handle materials, especially mammoth and stag. I've lately started picking up a few small pocket EDC fixed-blades. I find these pieces very handy and enjoyable. I will also buy a Loveless from time to time if the right knife surfaces at the right price. I consider myself a collector first and investor second and derive enjoyment form both aspects.

 

[i4Marc]

Apparently I collect my own since I make blades faster than I can finish them into knives. If I hit the lottery though, a lot of you people will be getting an email from me.