What would you do?

[DavidZ]

Here is the scenario - You just bought a set of 10 very collectable 36 year old traditional folders that are still sealed in their original packaging. What would you do?

Leave them as is, admire them through the plastic - They made it this long undisturbed
Open the sealed bags and set them free. They deserve to breath the air of freedom, and enjoy their life as was intended by their maker.
Keep them together as a family or
Keep a few as part of your EDC rotation, and share the rest with others who would admire and appreciate a great old school pocket knife.

 

[Spydiefan04]

I'd keep them sealed in the box, but I'm more of a collector. It's just too easy and affordable to buy a brand new yeller handle Case or any of the Buck 300 Series for users to ever use a collectable or pristine older knife in my opinion.

 

[johnny twoshoes]

I'd sell them and buy some new EDCs, but that wasn't an option.
I like knives for use and sometimes the oldies just get admired instead of used, I just can't abuse the oldies.

 

[Railsplitter]

I chose option number 4 because it is the closest to what I would probably do. I would probaly keep a few for EDC and leave the rest in the packages.

Having said that, I might have a different opinion if I knew what the knives are.

 

[Frostyfingers]

I didn't vote, because my opinion wasn't represented, but here's what I would do.

I would open the pattern that appealed to me the most, carry it and use it. As for the others, leave them in plastic until you decide to do one of the following: a) sell them (higher return on unopened knives); b) gift them (the receiver will appreciate the fact that they are still wrapped up); or c) open them one by one when you just can't stand it any longer!

The way I see it, you can always choose to open them later, but you can't put them back into pristine condition.

On the other hand, they're just knives. Open them, use them, send them all to me....it doesn't really matter what you do with them. Don't be paralyzed by the fact that they're "mint." I bought an older mint knife a few weeks ago....took it home, sharpened her up, and dropped her in my pocket. As long as you respect and care for them, they'll be around longer than you will be, and a well-used knife is more valuable (in my opinion) to posterity than a cold, unfeeling new knife with no memories attached.

Frosty

 

[Django.cj]

I didn't vote, because my opinion wasn't represented, but here's what I would do.

I would open the pattern that appealed to me the most, carry it and use it. As for the others, leave them in plastic until you decide to do one of the following: a) sell them (higher return on unopened knives); b) gift them (the receiver will appreciate the fact that they are still wrapped up); or c) open them one by one when you just can't stand it any longer!

Frosty

Frosty nailed it for me. I'd open the ones I'm interested in carrying, and leave the others alone.

 

[The Government]

I would really have to see the knives (or at least know what they were) to tell you what I would actually do.

In my mind, there only need to be so many people who collect mint NIB knives. 1/1000 knife users sounds fair to me. Its not like we need a vintage knife museum in every town. I almost always favor the idea of using old knives. If you could find used versions to carry, that would please the collectors, because you could sell them the NIB versions.

 

[DavidZ]

I chose option number 4 because it is the closest to what I would probably do. I would probaly keep a few for EDC and leave the rest in the packages.

Having said that, I might have a different opinion if I knew what the knives are.

Railsplitter - They are a set of 10 Bertram Hen and Roosters from 1976, when A.G. Russell owned the company. I will post pics this week, but they were in The cutting edge printed catalog. I just could not resist!

 

[Railsplitter]

Railsplitter - They are a set of 10 Bertram Hen and Roosters from 1976, when A.G. Russell owned the company. I will post pics this week, but they were in The cutting edge printed catalog. I just could not resist!

Thanks, David! That sure does make the decision harder to make. Would you be breaking up the set if you took one or more out for EDC? In other words, were they sold as a set?

 

[Bob W]

I'd leave them sealed, considering they are a valuable and collectible set. I sure don't need to carry or use anything that nice or expensive.

However, when I buy a new knife for the collection I always open the package, fondle the knife, and put it back away.

 

[The Government]

Railsplitter - They are a set of 10 Bertram Hen and Roosters from 1976, when A.G. Russell owned the company. I will post pics this week, but they were in The cutting edge printed catalog. I just could not resist!

In that case, I would sell them. They sound like they belong in a museum/collection. I would only consider using one if it were my favorite pattern/ combination, and if no other similar modern substitutes existed.

 

[ranchmanben]

+1 for what Frost said.

 

[Bigfattyt]

This is a tough one!

I would probably be unable to resist opening at least one or more to use.

I can't wait till we see pics.


If I already had a sizeable collection of users, I might leave them in the packages unopened. (but I have never left anything unopened in the package ever!!!!)

But I have also never bought a set of collector knives like that.

 

[DavidZ]

Thanks, David! That sure does make the decision harder to make. Would you be breaking up the set if you took one or more out for EDC? In other words, were they sold as a set?

They were sold as a set, and if I took one out to edc, the set would be incomplete!

 

[DavidZ]

This is a tough one!

I would probably be unable to resist opening at least one or more to use.

I can't wait till we see pics.


If I already had a sizeable collection of users, I might leave them in the packages unopened. (but I have never left anything unopened in the package ever!!!!)

But I have also never bought a set of collector knives like that.

I will get pics up this week, as soon as I can. I do not have a large collection of traditionals as edc's. I get a few, get bored, and then keep looking for new ones. The only one I wish I still had, was an old Puma stockman from the early 1980's. I miss that knife!

 

[black mamba]

I voted "LEAVE THEM IN THE PLASTIC," but . . .

--IF you plan to keep them forever, and
--IF one of them is a grail knife for you, then open it up and enjoy that baby!

 

[ranchmanben]

If you just can't stand it any longer and you have to get that two blade trapper out of your house...I'm here for you.

 

[GLDNDomer]

I voted "LEAVE THEM IN THE PLASTIC," but . . .

--IF you plan to keep them forever, and
--IF one of them is a grail knife for you, then open it up and enjoy that baby!

I agree with this. It sounds silly to open one up and then sell the rest. That means you paid a collector's set price for ONE knife! I say, go all or go home. If you want to carry around a knife hardly anyone else has (I don't really know how rare these are), then do it just because it's your money and you get to spend it the way you want to. Did you pay the price for this set to collect and sell back later for profit or to use?

For me, I would probably keep them in plastic because it would hurt me every time I looked at my bargain-beater Buck 110 and my grandfather's old mini Case stockman. They would look back at me and say, "You didn't pay as much for us... Do you not love us as much as your new collectable set??" And then they would slink away like a faithful, lifelong mutt dog whose master had just abandoned him for a couple pure-bred Great Danes.

 

[billym]

Don't touch them! They are like individual time capsules, each one. There are plenty of knives on the loose...well maybe open one or three...

 

[pinnah]

Flip 'em.

In pretty much all things, I use what I own. As a maker of things, I'm actually saddened by seeing collected things that sit around unused. I would rather see something I've made used and and dead than in perfect but unused condition.

But, stumbling across nearly perfect or perfectly unused things is a challenge. It's only original once. This said, putting something like that in my possession makes nobody happy. Other collectors who want unused stuff are sad because I own it and they don't. I'm sad because I have something I don't feel good about using up.

So, my approach is to hold on to them for a bit until they wear on my nerves (which includes taking up too much space and getting on my wife's nerves) and then selling them to a collector who's willing to pay through the nose for them. Did I say that out loud? (Shrug) The buyer's adage is, "Good, fast, cheap: pick two." I can play that game in reverse for a while. Hold the line on price and eventually the right buyer will come forward.

Short version, the wrapper means money. Don't burn money.