Favorite way to buy

[Porky1016]

I have a question: do you like to buy knives online through sites like ebay or auction sites or would you rather buy one in person? I have bought several online but I am at the point where holding it and examining it in person has much less risk. Thoughts?

[cudgee]

I have a question: do you like to buy knives online through sites like ebay or auction sites or would you rather buy one in person? I have bought several online but I am at the point where holding it and examining it in person has much less risk. Thoughts?

If i could, in person every time, no doubt what so ever.

[Railsplitter]

I definitely prefer to buy in person but unfortunately, it's not usually a practical option for me. The only places we have in town to buy new knives (which is what I'm mostly into) are sporting goods stores and they seldom have what I'm shopping for. As a result, I do 95% or more of my buying online.

I live about 85 miles from a well known dealer and every time I take the trip down there it's like a little mini adventure. I love going there but again, they have a website too and that's much more convenient than driving 70 miles round trip. By the time I pay for gas and lunch I could have dang near bought two knives online instead of one knife in the store.

[cody6268]

Here has to be. Most people know what they're selling, and charge a fair cost. eBay and Etsy often produce some good finds, but you often end up with trash because the seller wasn't really well versed in selling knives. I've gotten old and rare knives, as well as modern users, for prices I found were excellent deals.

Big box stores--few Buck, few Leatherman, maybe a Gerber, but that is all that is USA-made. Rest is Kershaw, SOG, and CRKT imports.

Locally, I'm one of the few people with a cutlery store, instead of just some big box. They carry lots of stuff, and occasionally get some old stuff in, but despite me even asking the owner, they don't carry old inexpensive users that much. Occasionally, the best they've done is like a bag of 5-10 knives for $25-50, but that's only been like twice, and I was too late both times. Rough Ryders, especially after the COVID mess, just don't interest me like they did, and got my opinion back towards "not touch anything from there with a barge pole". Italian cutlery firm Antonini has some cheap offerings, but our US distributor retired late last year, and he was the only one to carry their cheap workingman models. Thus, I'm getting more and more into old, beat-up, not that expensive American-made knives. But, I'd likely be the only one to buy them. Way too many young collectors are wooed by "mall ninja crap". And I mean those stupid looking, ugly, unsafe, and crappy fantasy knives. I have one M-Tech I beat the heck out of as a dirty barn work knife, and that's better than anything from Frost, but is still a really cheap knife that I hate to use, unless I know the job at hand will make a mess out of a better knife.

Do industrial supply places count? We have State Electric (regional), Blizzards/Raleigh Mine Service (local), and Fastenal (national) all carrying Klein and/or Proto. State Electric has quite a few Kleins, including the excellent Japanese-made models. Raleigh Mine Service does usually keep the hawkbills in stock. Fastenal carries no knives other than those crappy Milwaukee Fastbacks, and if I want to special order a Klein, their prices are insane.

Our flea markets and thrift shops occasionally bring up good knives at a fair price. But, I would say that is 25% or less of sellers. The rest either have those !@#$ fantasy knives they bought for peanuts to resell, or are asking way too much for Case/Boker. Didn't go the past couple of years, and I bet, thanks to COVID, we uh, don't probably have half what we did. I'll often find a few cool older diecast models, which was why I started going to flea markets as a teen. And, it's definitely helped outfit my toolbox.

[XX Case XX]

Buying on-line is pretty much my only option. Of course, it depends on if the knife is a keeper or an EDC. If it's a keeper, I only buy from certain sellers. If it's an EDC, I don't care who it is.

___________
Mike

[dlr110]

For me the answer is very simple. I love going up and down the backroads and towns finding shops, flea markets, pawn shops and junk stores. It's the hunt, the find and the haggle for the price. It's meeting other collectors, buyers, and sellers and making new friends.

Unfortunately like many others in 2020 I have not been able to do that. Places have been closed due to the virus and government orders, and my own health has not allowed me to travel. Maybe God will grant us a better 2021.

[cudgee]

Buying on-line is pretty much my only option. Of course, it depends on if the knife is a keeper or an EDC. If it's a keeper, I only buy from certain sellers. If it's an EDC, I don't care who it is.

___________
Mike

I, like you can only purchase online, although that may be coming to a grinding halt, but that is off topic. My favorite way to buy would be in person if i had the option, as i'm sure most would feel that way, but i don't sadly, so online it is. But it ain't my favorite way. Hope you have a good weekend over there.

[1967redrider]

I would rather buy in person, but I do not have the opportunity to do so here where I live. I looked in local antique stores, but when I asked, "Do you have any antique pocket knives for sale?," some shop owners looked at me like I asked if they had any live grenades. The few that did have some pocket knives usually only had fob/gentleman's type knives which I'm not into.

I usually hit a few local shows like the Shenandoah Valley and Mason Dixon, but both were cancelled this year. I have picked up some pretty sweet knives at those shows. Recently I did find a good source at an antique mall, but it is about a 2 1/2 hr drive away.

[espn77]

I'd say 75% of what I get come from guys I talk to on the phone. They send me pictures of what they have. Sometimes it's a straight cash deal, other times it's some sort of trade. I enjoy these types of deals. They ask a price and its either yes or no. I'm not a huge haggler. Not enough Dutch in me I guess

[Mumbleypeg]

If I can buy in person that’s the best, hands down. You can’t beat looking at and handling a knife yourself, and I enjoy the banter and talking with the seller.

Ken

[LDF Knives]

With Cancellations of Knife and Gun shows, driving to places is not too bad, Gas is cheap now, but the most trustworthy way is through AAPK, with good Reputable store owners, you can always ask questions or call, find 5 star ratings, You'll do just fine

[Lansky1]

eBay has always been my go-to as a self professed late model Case knife bottom feeder (never pay full retail). The deals I've gotten over the years, you probably wouldn't believe (thats dried up during COVID - too many guys apparently have time to hunt eBay these days), but I do put the time in to hunt the deals down. eBay all the way for me ...

[knivesbeforeforks]

I wish I would have found this wonderful hobby before the plague came, but I guess I discovered it because of the plague since I couldn't go to any stores I would look at stuff on ebay and I started finding pocket knives that caught my interest and then next thing you know I'm a full fledged slip joint traditional knife addict. I started with a few RR's but like others have stated the China situation has spoiled me for everything un-american, save a few patterns that are not made currently or patterns that I can't afford from American makers. Anyways there is a hardware store not to far away that sells American made pocket knives, I think my next purchase will be my first "in person" purchase, because I've gotten pickier and want to see the knives up close now.

[jerryd6818]

Pretty much eBay bolstered by some of the online stores. I'd say about 75% eBay, and 25% online stores, plus a flyer now and then like the AAPK stores or equivalent. And then as Scarlett O'Hare opined, there is the kindness of others (bombs).

[terryl308]

I prefer to look before I buy, we have had some really good auctions here lately, however I like to go preview the knives first. On line auctions are starting to get rather common around here too. I have used AAPK sellers also with mostly good results. Terry

[knife7knut]

I really have no favorite way of buying knives. I have several antique shops I frequent who know I collect knives and will call me if they think they have something I might be interested in.
I have a couple of acquaintances who run estate sales and likewise will inform me if there are any knives I might be interested in in upcoming events. Yard sales can be a source but those seem to be drying up as more people get into collecting knives.
And then there is always the chance encounter. This happened a couple days ago when I was waiting in the lobby of the cancer center where my wife had an appointment and the receptionist who had checked us in was getting off work and talking with a fellow employee about going to a local antique store.
As he was leaving I asked him if he was a vendor there and struck up a conversation that led to him telling me he has a bunch of old knives he picked up a long time ago and we made a date to meet up so I can check them out.Who knows what he might have?
I used to buy a lot on e-Bay but stopped when they instituted their PayPal only policies.I used to use postal money orders for the simple reason that if someone stiffed you on a sale and the amount was over $25 the post office could go after them for mail fraud.I haven't tried other sites because I don't use credit cards(tore up my only one in 1992;a long story).

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

The cost of the gas driving to see a knife would be more than the cost of most of the knives I buy...

[stockman]

For me the answer is very simple. I love going up and down the backroads and towns finding shops, flea markets, pawn shops and junk stores. It's the hunt, the find and the haggle for the price. It's meeting other collectors, buyers, and sellers and making new friends.

Unfortunately like many others in 2020 I have not been able to do that. Places have been closed due to the virus and government orders, and my own health has not allowed me to travel. Maybe God will grant us a better 2021.

David has it figured out. It is all about the hunt. Harold