There are several things and even more reasons why a knife is a collector’s item. Although I cannot begin to cover all of the reasons here, taschenmesser I will try to cover some of the reasons now.
The first thought that comes to mind is a very old knife. Knives have been around since the days of the cavemen. The pocket knife has been around since the 1st century. In fact, the oldest pocket knife found dates from around 500 BC. No one knows who invented the first. What person wouldn’t want one of these keepsakes?
World War II military personnel
The “Buck” knife was first manufactured by Hoyt Buck in 1902 and became very popular as it was carried by servicemen during World War II. In the mid-1960s, a lock was added to the buck knife as a safety feature, preventing the blade from closing accidentally. The Buck knife is the most popular pocket knife out there. Some have bone or antler handles, others have a plastic or metal handle. In fact, the Buck knife is not a manufacture, it is just the common name for pocket knives, as this style of pocket knife is very popular.
A person needs to study a lot and spend hours researching the different brands and styles of knives in order to be able to tell a genuine collectible knife from a fake knife.
A person has a lot to learn
Collectors don’t just have to look for old knives. Several knife manufacturers only make a limited number of a particular style or size of knife, making that knife very desirable to own. In fact, the knives used by the military during the Vietnam era have become a popular knife for collectors.
Another type of collectible knife are items that have a story, such as the “Bowie knife”. The Bowie knife has a colorful Texas history, making it a very often copied knife. Most hunting knives look like the bowie knife. The first was made in 1827 and used by American statesman Jim Bowie, who is probably best known for his association with the Alamo! Or the story of a collection of knives that once belonged to actor John Wayne! The name of one of these gentlemen alone makes these knives very popular and a piece of preservation!
Collectors who buy a knife
Then there are the knife collectors who buy a knife because they like the look or feel of a particular knife and it can be a pocket knife, a hunting knife or maybe a survival knife. There are many different styles, shapes and sizes of knives that are reason enough for someone to want them.
There’s a specific knife I’m looking for, and that’s a three-edged deer knife that my dad used to save his life. When he was a young farmer, his arm got caught between a wide belt and a large pulley on the combine. Somehow he was able to pull that knife out of his pocket and use it to cut the strap that was keeping him from bleeding to death out there in that wheat field. Now somewhere in the family is this three-edged taschenmesser knife with a red handle that has been misplaced somewhere over time. Now this knife is a very collectible knife for my family. As you can see, there is no particular reason to want this or that knife! Sometimes it’s just a feeling that says I have to have this knife.
There are hundreds of knife collectors clubs around the world. You can find listings of clubs in any area all over the internet. Knife collectors’ clubs are a great place to share information about specific knives and even trade a knife or two. A great place to find specialty knives is at Gun & Knife shows.
