Excerpts taken from American Premium Guide to Knives & Razors, 4th Edition, by Jim Sargent, owner Sargent Cutlery Co

• Gain knowledge about what you want to collect. For example, read knife reference books, attend knife shows, talk with other collectors and dealers.

• Consider QUALITY and RARITY as a prerequisite in collecting, which may or may not appreciate in value.  Remember, only the current market DEMAND will determine the market appreciated VALUE of any collectible!

• What can your budget afford (or your spouse will allow) to spend on your hobby?

• BUT, above all else...If you like it, BUY IT!

   There are some who collect everything as long as it's of excellent quality and brand. Then there are others who collect a certain pattern, handle material, manufacturer, or a specialty knife.  Whatever your school of thought,  collecting is a wonderful hobby!

     PATTERN...Trappers, Peanuts, Gunstocks, Copperheads, Stockmen, Doctors, Scout/Utility, Canoes, Whittlers, Elephant Toes / Rope Knives / Sunfish, Fruit Knives, Glass Cake Knives, Muskrat, Bowie, Horticultural Knives, etc.

     HANDLE MATERIALS...Stag, Pearl, Rogers Bone, Sterling, Green Bone, Ivory, Micarta, Wood, Composition, etc.

     MANUFACTURER...W.R. Case, Queen / Schatt & Morgan, Fightin' Rooster, Bulldog, Schrade-Walden, Buck, Great Eastern Cutlery, Spyderco, German Eye, Boker, Kershaw, Hen & Rooster, Kissing Crane, Victorinox, Boker, Puma, Cold Steel, Camillus, and the list goes on and on!

     SPECIALTIES...Custom Knives, Local Knife Club's Annual Knives, Military, Advertising Knives, etc.    

Mint - Never been carried or sharpened, straight from the factory and sometimes in the original box.

Excellent - Handles are in good shape, blades still close with a snap and also blades show only slight wear.

Very Good - Blades how approximately 25% wear, handles in good condition, one blade may snap weakly, blades can't have been repaired or changed, stamp can still be seen clearly with the naked eye.

Fair - Blades show 50% wear, blade closing is mushy, cracked handles, replaced handles, blades repaired or changed stamp is weak.

Poor - These are used mostly as parts knives and will have well worn or broken blades, handles are broken or completely missing, the stamp is barely visible, if at all.

   Use a soft, all-cotton cloth or chamois to clean your knives. Then apply a coat of Simichrome Polish and wipe it off A protective film will remain on the entire knife. A number of collectors are using a wax called “Renaissance.” It has very little grit and does not leave any white film around edges and cracks. Never use Vaseline because it allows moisture to seep beneath its coat and cause rust. It is a good idea to check your knives often for possible trouble spots. 

   The most recommended method of storing knives is in vinyl rolls with a cloth interior. These rolls are also a very convenient way to transport knives. Leather rolls have a small degree of tanning acid in them and this can cause rust. If it is possible, leave your knives unrolled during storage; this allows air movement and cuts down on moisture.

   Display cases with felt interiors are another way to store knives and also allows a collection to be exhibited easily. Some collectors use elastic bands to attach their knives to the display while others choose to use wire. Elastic makes it easier to slip knives in and out for closer inspection while wires must be cut and replaced each time. A Plexiglas top will also cut down on dust and possible theft.

   Transporting your knives from cold to warmth will cause condensation which will result in rust. In other words don't leave your collection in your car trunk overnight during the cold season and then bring it in the next day without expecting some condensation. Keep your knives at a constant temperature or at least within a few degrees at all times.

   A word about celluloid...celluloid was made from a petroleum base and does give off fumes; these fumes will cause rust.  Keep celluloids stored separately.

   A word about sunlight...direct sunlight fades anything!

   Knife handles are fragile, especially bone, stag, and Pearl, so don't toss them around carelessly and DON'T ever DROP them! Broken or cracked handles reduce the value of your knives.

   There are knife dealers and there are knife collectors and it's most important to choose your direction before jumping in with both feet. Some people are both, but they know when to turn their hat around when it comes to dealing. So, if your main interest is turning a profit in knife marketing there are a few things that affect the pricing structure and you must learn to recognize these.

   General economic conditions...when times are bad, individuals and dealers are willing to take less than they would during the previous "good times" in order to obtain some badly needed ready cash. As a dealer, this may be the best time to pick up some collections at a depressed price, but you also know that your own inventory isn't selling at the previous higher prices. If you have the staying power, your purchases at this time can reap benefits when times are better.

   Sudden increases in numbers of knives available...sometimes large collections are broken up and introduced back into the knife market. A company will announce that it will no longer produce knives with a certain handle material, in turn driving up that particular handle material market; however, several years later you may find that the company that stopped producing with that material is going to release another several thousand limited editions with the same material and this may tend to level off prices. There have been warehouse discoveries of large numbers of certain patterns with these being dumped into the market. You can imagine what this does to prices.

   Remember, not all knives continually go up in value.  In short, playing the knife market is like playing the stock market; keep your finger on the pulse and stay up with it on a daily basis by reading newsletters, monthly knife publications and by keeping your eyes and ears open.

   Then there is the investor that purely enjoys his or her collection and the price is inconsequential if that certain knife will finally fill out that treasured display. The collection is then thought of as part of the family and as in a family, no one thinks of selling their children, right?

   The days of wandering the back roads in search of general stores and hardware stores in order to relieve the owner of this outdated and overburdened knife displays are over. Some of the reasons that these fertile hunting grounds are a thing of the past are the owners of these emporiums grew wise to the fact that they themselves already had a decent start on their own collections, another reason is that as knife collecting grew in popularity it didn't take long for the collectors to clean these sources out, and still another is the sad fact that so many of these popular gathering places have been pushed aside for more modern convenient stores, discount stores and malls.

   Don't be disheartened though, there are still excellent sources for a would-be serious collector.

   Join a knife club in your area and become a student of knives. Get your hands on as many knife publications as possible and LEARN! (Many knife clubs have swap meets where you can gain a world of knowledge!) Attend knife shows. These are excellent places to find knives, and the prices are usually very reasonable due to very competitiveness of the dealers. Several other sources are antique shows, flea markets, estate auctions and dealers' direct mail lists.

   Also, don't forget that there are still those mystical, dark, cluttered corners of attics, barns, garages and workshops. One never knows what lurks in the bottom of that tattered old cardboard box.

   Each limited edition knife or set will be given careful consideration as to whether it warrants inclusion into further editions of the "American Premium Guide to Pocket Knives." Those with themes based on National historical events will be given highest priority. Others such as NKCA events, Factory Anniversaries and Conservation themes will follow. You can usually research these knives through current dealers.

   Prices in most knife reference books are for knives in mint condition only. Deduct value for the following grades: Excellent - 40%, Good - 60%, Poor - 75%.

   Remember, when approaching a dealer in order to sell a collection or even  just one knife, you will most likely be offered 40% to 50% of the listed values. Dealers are businessmen and must pay overhead, salaries, etc. and make enough profit to do so.

   There is absolutely nothing wrong with restoring a knife by using original parts that are available. Most of the time it makes the knife even more desirable than one in worn condition.

   We can draw a parallel here with the restorations of antique and classic automobiles. When one of these is restored with original parts you can be sure it is more valuable so don't worry whether a knife has been restored. Of course, if you find an old knife and you are positive that it is in original mint condition and it's still in the original box you are better off.

This page sponsored by Sargent Cutlery Company

Owners - Jim & Jean Sargent

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