All About Pocket Knives

Maybe it's just me, but seems like Schrade knives are fetching a much higher price on feebay lately. As in this Walden 8OT is commanding a price 50% higher that it would have just a couple of months ago.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222489388186?ss ... 1436.l2649

Making it hard for a poor fella like me to feed his addiction.

I would pay $65 for that knife any old time.

Wow, that's a bit much. Just like Steve was talking about the other day, certain sellers on eBay are getting really high prices for their knives. I don't know how they do it.

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Mike

Yeah I've been watching that one and it's starting to get up there in Dit Wit of Texas range.

Sometimes I think it's just luck to catch the right couple of buyers who are in the market for the same knife at the same time, and thus ensues a bidding war. But overall, it seems Schrades are fetching higher prices.

gwelker62 wrote:Sometimes I think it's just luck to catch the right couple of buyers who are in the market for the same knife at the same time, and thus ensues a bidding war. But overall, it seems Schrades are fetching higher prices.

I don't really think schrades are fetching higher prices overall, some get noticed more than others and the battle rages on. The OP knife being an example of that.

I got a walden 8ot not too long ago, just some specks on it excellent condition. Nobody else bid and I got it for $30. There's enough of them around I would just skip the bidding wars and wait for the low bid ones.

For 10 years now my basic search on ebay is "Folding Knives". This used to bring up hundreds even thousands of good collectible knives, many being vintage USA. There were a few knives from China scattered among the great supply of vintage folding knives.
Now vintage knives are almost rare on ebay. The "Folding Knives" search brings up 100,000 or more knives from China and very few collectible USA, Sheffield or German knives.
With so few collectible knives being listed collectors get far fewer chances to add to their collection. Hence when a good one is posted some will 'go hard' to get it.
Wait a few years and all of the collectors who scooped up all the best collectible knives in past years will start dying off and ebay again will be swimming in great old knives.
kj

kootenay joe wrote:For 10 years now my basic search on ebay is "Folding Knives". This used to bring up hundreds even thousands of good collectible knives, many being vintage USA. There were a few knives from China scattered among the great supply of vintage folding knives.
Now vintage knives are almost rare on ebay. The "Folding Knives" search brings up 100,000 or more knives from China and very few collectible USA, Sheffield or German knives.
With so few collectible knives being listed collectors get far fewer chances to add to their collection. Hence when a good one is posted some will 'go hard' to get it.
Wait a few years and all of the collectors who scooped up all the best collectible knives in past years will start dying off and ebay again will be swimming in great old knives.
kj

Kj the only problem with that is it may be our heirs selling our knives.

Yes, the knives get sold by our heirs. This makes them available to younger still alive collectors. Many of us knife collectors are 'seniors' and between us we are hoarding a large number of collectible knives. This is why they are not on ebay at present. They all got snapped up some years ago by us older guys before the 'younger guys' got into collecting in a serious way.
Our heirs will see to it that our knives become available to other collectors. I think there are many 'senior' collectors such that in the next 10-15 years a lot of knives will become available.
kj

kootenay joe wrote: Wait a few years and all of the collectors who scooped up all the best collectible knives in past years will start dying off and ebay again will be swimming in great old knives. kj

I agree, Roland, with one caveat: No buyers. The demand for classic cars, antique furniture, collectible vintage knives is going away with the die-off of the current afficionados. The young sprouts grew up with dirtbag gangbanger music and clothing, goofy switchblades and cell phones. That's their deal. Just my opinion and possibly very wrong. But I don't think so. There is a gentleman on this forum who came up with some extremely desirable old CutCo Schrades and who might sell them for 400% of market right now... or not. But he is hoping for appreciation and then to use them to help his grandchild through college. I feel for him but I don't think it will happen. This market fall-off has already started with the classic automobiles. And I hate to say it, but this country is getting poorer all the time. The one percent is hoarding the wealth and the 99 percent are sliding, sliding. The jobs for the middle class have been seized by the ultr-rich and sent to Asia. The perps are not the Asian workers; they are right here in America, and you could put the lot of them into a medium size sports stadium.

There are a handful of young people into old style knives. I say style because the interest is mostly in gec and other currently produced knives, not truly old ones of makers long gone. I suppose I'm one of the few young'uns that likes the old knives.

Most knife aficionados go the direction of the tactical blades. I've been there, got bored after awhile. It's like most other modern things- useful but boring and lacking character.

I believe the pre'73 8OT's are fetching a higher price, esp with this style of hinged box, and condition. The early match strike pull 8OTs come up for auction far less than the 80s and 90s stockmans.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote: I got a walden 8ot not too long ago, just some specks on it excellent condition. Nobody else bid and I got it for $30. There's enough of them around I would just skip the bidding wars and wait for the low bid ones.

That's pretty much what I do for the most part. A lot of the ones that sell cheap are the ones the seller was using a really generic listing title and leave out a key detail like "8OT". Or list it wrong. Picked up a Walden 34OT cheap because he listed it as a 84OT.

There are more than a few sellers these days that post a very high BUY IT NOW and hold out for someone to shell out the bucks. But I agree Schrade Walden are bringing premium prices a lot of the time. Bargains are a lot harder to come by. 2-6 years ago I bought and sold several hundred Schrades on eBay of all varieties. A good number of nice bone handled knives (there were a few bargains to come by) and well over a couple hundred New In Tube Open Stock knives. 7 or 8 years ago it was easy to bid low and wait for good deals and score a lot of nice Schrade knives. Generally I made good profit on most of them but if I would have hung on to them longer they would be getting much higher prices these days. Tongue River and Kootenay Joe were on the forums back in those days and right in the thick of things. There are some older members that remember even better buying days than me.

tongueriver wrote:

kootenay joe wrote: Wait a few years and all of the collectors who scooped up all the best collectible knives in past years will start dying off and ebay again will be swimming in great old knives. kj

I agree, Roland, with one caveat: No buyers. The demand for classic cars, antique furniture, collectible vintage knives is going away with the die-off of the current afficionados. The young sprouts grew up with dirtbag gangbanger music and clothing, goofy switchblades and cell phones. That's their deal. Just my opinion and possibly very wrong. But I don't think so. There is a gentleman on this forum who came up with some extremely desirable old CutCo Schrades and who might sell them for 400% of market right now... or not. But he is hoping for appreciation and then to use them to help his grandchild through college. I feel for him but I don't think it will happen. This market fall-off has already started with the classic automobiles. And I hate to say it, but this country is getting poorer all the time. The one percent is hoarding the wealth and the 99 percent are sliding, sliding. The jobs for the middle class have been seized by the ultr-rich and sent to Asia. The perps are not the Asian workers; they are right here in America, and you could put the lot of them into a medium size sports stadium.

I think I can shed a little light on this. I was an auctioneer for several years and I discovered several things about the antique and collectibles market. Folks have a tendency to collect things that remind them of their childhood. For the baby boomers it's usually things they remember their parents and grandparents having.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen baby boomers give nose bleed prices for items from the depression or earlier because they remember a parent or a grandparent having one. I've also seen some of those elderly parents shake their heads and say something to the effect, "I wouldn't have that old junk, that's all I ever had."

So with each new generations of middle aged collectors the era from which they collect tends to advance. I'm not saying this will happen with pocket knives, but with most other antiques and collectibles it does.

IMO, the Schrade market is a little unique. Being one of the iconic US knifemakers like Buck and Case, but is no longer in business. Their knives are now a finite supply. There are a limited number of yard sales and estate sales where they will be discovered and put back on the market. It says a lot when a just a box and sheath w/o a knife can command the the price it did originally w/ a knife.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/282454559496?ss ... 1436.l2649

I seems to be some weeks for sure.

Schrade is NOT unique in being an iconic USA knife manufacturer who has gone out of business. There are many other examples, such as: Camillus, Robeson, Remington, Winchester, Ulster Knife Co., New York Knife Co, Miller Bros, etc.
The supply of Schrade USA knives is fixed, the number will not get any larger. It is only on the demand side that fluctuation can occur. Many of us think that there are ever fewer people taking up knife collecting, while the number of established collectors is declining as many of us are 'seniors'.
As we old collectors 'pass on', ever more knives will return to the market. Prices will depend upon how many people want them.
kj

kootenay joe wrote:Schrade is NOT unique in being an iconic USA knife manufacturer who has gone out of business. There are many other examples, such as: Camillus, Robeson, Remington, Winchester, Ulster Knife Co., New York Knife Co, Miller Bros, etc.

kj

I won't argue those are not iconic companies. But were they as well known as Schrade by the masses? In the same manner as Buck and Case? I would say Schrade, Buck, and Case were the GM, Ford, and Crysler of the knife world.

gwelker62 wrote:

kootenay joe wrote:Schrade is NOT unique in being an iconic USA knife manufacturer who has gone out of business. There are many other examples, such as: Camillus, Robeson, Remington, Winchester, Ulster Knife Co., New York Knife Co, Miller Bros, etc.

kj

I won't argue those are not iconic companies. But were they as well known as Schrade by the masses? In the same manner as Buck and Case? I would say Schrade, Buck, and Case were the GM, Ford, and Crysler of the knife world.

I did read somewhere once that Schrade for a time was the biggest cutlery in the world.

I agree that schrade is one of the more recognized/known brands. Most of the non knife people I've spoken to know nothing about cut co's or bone waldens. They know about old timer and uncle henry and that's about it.

I bet that back in their day companies like Robeson, Remington, etc. i.e. most USA knife manufacturers, were more widely known than Schrade is now in the 21st century (from 2000 on). Reason is that back then many people & most men carried a pocket knife so were aware of the various companies that made knives. Now very few people have any interest in knives and most i bet cannot name a single cutlery manufacturer.
It's easy to forget that knife knowledgeable people are now a very small fraction of the population.
kj

I'm not all that in touch with the younger crowds and what type of knives they like if any but I would imagine that the most popular knives among the younger crowds would be "tactical" knives in general (as long as it's considered "tactical") and karambit or butterlfly knives too... Personally, that's mostly all I see at pawn shops or flea markets and I have no interest in them at all. I scan over them just looking for the vintage knives of any brand but, find nothing but tacky knives. They bought them and pawned them so those must be the latest newest fad with "thugs" who are mostly really just tattooed up "thug" wannabes. (A handle they take pride in) When I was growing up only ex cons and men who had some tats that meant something had them. Now aside thug wannabes, the geekiest & nerdiest are the ones with the most tattoos all over. In the past men with neck tattoos were junkies trying to hide their needle tracks. Now It's the latest...fashion statement(?).

Edit: It's a crazy world out there but a lot of the tat up younger groups are good people. In fact, I learn new things from all age groups. IMHO, it's just a growing tendency to follow the crowds and vintage knives are not popular among them and or gamers and such.

It's true that only a small percent of people have any interest in antique (collectible) knives, however, given the fact that population growth is what it is, even a shrinking percentage can result in a net increase of actual collectors. For instance, if 5% of a population of 100,000,000 is interested in collecting, that amounts to 5,000,000. If the population grows to 150,000,000 and the percent of people interested DROPS to 4% that still amounts to an INCREASE in actual collectors of 1,000,000 to 6,000,000. Of course, the number of antique knives in the meantime hasn't increased at all (in fact, it always DECREASES) and therefore the value MIGHT still increase.

Basically, the math is exactly the same as that which allows politicians to always claim that a tax hike (or cut) is the "largest" of all time.

If there are 50,000 knife collectors in the U.S., that would be in the range of 1.5% of the population. I don't think there are even remotely close to 50,000 collectors. I suspect 20,000 would be closer to the mark, and 90% of THEM are not interested in vintage knives. That leaves 2000 collectors of old vintage lovely excellent beautiful knives. It could be higher, but we talking about a VERY small number of people, most of whom will be dead in 20 or 30 years. No, they are not being replaced to any significant degree by young people. They want quite a different genre of knives. GEC is hot now, but they are new knives. I have been talking about the old ones. When I see posts by younger folk they ask questions about new knives, not old ones. Many of them don't seem to be aware that their wants could be satisfied by looking at some of the used knives on the market.