Need Advice With Redirecting My Collection

[johns7076]

"Posted this on TalkBlade, thought I might find additional opinions here"

It seems I have been buying knives for a while with no real direction. I have about 200 American & Italian switchblades of various ages and makers. I know I have too many Frank B marked knives and will be trying to sell some of them. Also have a lot of the older Schrade, Presto, etc, new Kershaw, Benchmade, Microtech, etc. I am thinking I would like to get into some higher quality and more visually appealing switchblade with a preference for Italian made. Perhaps members could offer suggestions about their preferred knife sellers, brands, makers, etc.

[bestgear]

Posted this on TalkBlade, thought I might find additional opinions here

I can't help you specifically with your auto collection but I can share my experience with redirecting a collection.

I believe having a written (or mental) mission statement helps to stay on a collection trajectory. The statement should be narrow enough to help with buying decisions but broad enough to allow for evolving tastes and marketplace entries. If you ask yourself about whether a knife in your collection or a possible purchase meets the mission statement, you can determine what to sell and what to keep and what to look for in the future.

Second, I believe strongly in an inventory with details about every knife. This will prove to be invaluable over time especially if you find yourself redirecting your collection every decade or two. It will also help your heirs with better understanding your collection and true market value.

The last piece of advice I'll share is something I learned from my youngest son who is a PGA Professional. When fitting a customer for new clubs, the first thing he asks in looking over all of the clubs is "which ones look good to you" with the idea being that it isn't appealing to your eye then in all likelihood your game won't improve. I think the same is true with knives, if they don't touch your senses (at least see and touch) then why are you collecting it?

Not sure any of these ramblings help but this is my $0.02 on the subject.

[johns7076]

Posted this on TalkBlade, thought I might find additional opinions here

I can't help you specifically with your auto collection but I can share my experience with redirecting a collection.

I believe having a written (or mental mission) statement helps to stay on a collection trajectory. The statement should be narrow enough to help with buying decisions but broad enough to allow for evolving tastes and marketplace entries. If you ask yourself about whether a knife in your collection or a possible purchase meets the mission statement, you can determine what to sell and what to keep and what to look for in the future.

Second, I believe strongly in an inventory with details about every knife. This will prove to be invaluable over time especially if you find yourself redirecting your collection every decade or two. It will also help your heirs with better understanding your collection and true market value.

The last piece of advice I'll share is something I learned from my youngest son who is a PGA Professional. When fitting a customer for new clubs, the first thing he asks in looking over all of the clubs is "which ones look good to you" with the idea being that it isn't appealing to your eye then in all likelihood your game won't improve. I think the same is true with knives, if they don't touch your senses (at least see and touch) then why are you collecting it?

Not sure any of these ramblings help but this is my $0.02 on the subject.

I appreciate you advice!!! A lot of it was in my thinking already. The part about "which ones look good to you" is great! Regarding inventory, I need to document my collection since I'm 80 years old and my heirs need to know about them. I have collected switchblades off and on for the last 30 years, but my purchases have had no direction. Sold a nice size collection in 2005 and regretted it immediately. Started collecting again around 2010. I have had a fascination with switchblades since I was about 10 years old, I bought Hammer Brand and Shur Snap in the mid 50s at the hardware stores, they always broke and who knows what I did with them after that.

[Kappi]

"Posted this on TalkBlade, thought I might find additional opinions here"

It seems I have been buying knives for a while with no real direction. I have about 200 American & Italian switchblades of various ages and makers. I know I have too many Frank B marked knives and will be trying to sell some of them. Also have a lot of the older Schrade, Presto, etc, new Kershaw, Benchmade, Microtech, etc. I am thinking I would like to get into some higher quality and more visually appealing switchblade with a preference for Italian made. Perhaps members could offer suggestions about their preferred knife sellers, brands, makers, etc.

For higher-quality, visually appealing Italian switchblades, I'd suggest checking out brands like A.G. Russell, Boker, or Viper for premium builds. If you're sticking to Italian-made, Stiletto and Mikov also have great offerings with solid craftsmanship. As for sellers, Knife Center and Blades and Tools usually have a good selection of both classic and high-end knives. Maybe look into more boutique knife makers for some truly unique pieces too

[johns7076]

"Posted this on TalkBlade, thought I might find additional opinions here"

It seems I have been buying knives for a while with no real direction. I have about 200 American & Italian switchblades of various ages and makers. I know I have too many Frank B marked knives and will be trying to sell some of them. Also have a lot of the older Schrade, Presto, etc, new Kershaw, Benchmade, Microtech, etc. I am thinking I would like to get into some higher quality and more visually appealing switchblade with a preference for Italian made. Perhaps members could offer suggestions about their preferred knife sellers, brands, makers, etc.

For higher-quality, visually appealing Italian switchblades, I'd suggest checking out brands like A.G. Russell, Boker, or Viper for premium builds. If you're sticking to Italian-made, Stiletto and Mikov also have great offerings with solid craftsmanship. As for sellers, Knife Center and Blades and Tools usually have a good selection of both classic and high-end knives. Maybe look into more boutique knife makers for some truly unique pieces too

Thank you!