What else ya got?

JohnDF

Gold Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
28,337
My knife collecting/shuffling has almost come to a stand-still. I've grown very tired of the GEC LollyScramble and secondary prices, so I've stopped looking at them and I'm (pretty much) done trying to buy them. I'm tired of the same-ol-same-ol knives that Case keeps putting out, I think I have all the ones I want and like. Have to patiently wait for them to bring something cool out of the vault. Same goes for the Schrade USA knives, I have the ones I want already and it's not like they are going to come out with new ones. I don't buy knives just because they're there, they have to fit my wants and needs. I don't like the Rough Ryder knives and I'm not particularly fond of the French styling that seems popular here these days. So I'm asking you guys to give me ideas on what you enjoy collecting and maybe something might strike up an interest for me. Plus, who doesn't enjoy seeing knife pictures. :D
 
Good suggestion and I've been dabbling in those waters.
I've mostly been looking for bargains in the vintage knives.
But the desirable ones fetch BIG money and there's a lot of competition for them.

The good stuff can cost you, but not always.
 
Older Schrades from the Walden and Cut Co eras are high quality for very reasonable prices on the secondary markets compared to GEC. I have recently acquired a few of the Italian knives from Viper, lionSTEEL and Fantoni which use excellent stainless steel in their blades. These may be a few untapped markets for you to explore.

Walden 897UH
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Shapleigh Diamond Edge (Cut Co)
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lionSTEEL Bolus
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Viper Key
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Fantoni Dweller
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Guaranteed the old Imperial Schrade AKA: "Schrade USA" won't be bringing out any new anything, seeing as it went bankrupt and locked the doors back in 2004. The brand names and all intellectual properties were sold at the bankruptcy auction.

The current owner of the "Schrade", "Imperial", "Old Timer" and "Uncle Henry" brands (and possibly "Hammer Brand") is BTI.
BTI might bring out a new pattern or variation, (such as a "Gunboat" 4 blade 2 backspring whittler on the canoe frame.) but I wouldn't hold my breath.

BTI is still an American company, but all the Schrade/Old Timer/Imperial branded knives are produced offshore now. (and as much as some people don't want to hear it, the current production knives are every bit as good as the pre-bankruptcy knives. Better in one way, in fact. Taylor Brands, who bought the Schrade, Old Timer, Uncle Henry, Imperial, and Hammer Brand, saw fit to eliminate the proprietary weak, unreliable, prone to failure, un-reparable "Swendon Key" construction. When Taylor sold the Schrade brands it had to BTI a couple years ago, BTI saw fit not to bring back that da ... I mean daRn ... Swendon Key.
That alone his a huge improvement over the pre-2004 knives.
The post 2004 offshore knives hold an edge and are just as easy to sharpen as the pre-bankruptcy knives. (yes, there is a cosmetic difference in the saw cut delrin and stagalon covers, to help prevent the new offshore production from being passed off on eBay as cost 2x and more now than when new pre-2004 USA production.)
 
My knife collecting/shuffling has almost come to a stand-still. I've grown very tired of the GEC LollyScramble and secondary prices, so I've stopped looking at them and I'm (pretty much) done trying to buy them. I'm tired of the same-ol-same-ol knives that Case keeps putting out, I think I have all the ones I want and like. Have to patiently wait for them to bring something cool out of the vault. Same goes for the Schrade USA knives, I have the ones I want already and it's not like they are going to come out with new ones. I don't buy knives just because they're there, they have to fit my wants and needs. I don't like the Rough Ryder knives and I'm not particularly fond of the French styling that seems popular here these days. So I'm asking you guys to give me ideas on what you enjoy collecting and maybe something might strike up an interest for me. Plus, who doesn't enjoy seeing knife pictures. :D

I totally understand where you're coming from, John. The answer for me was to up the amount of money I was willing to pay, by purchasing fewer knives or occasionally selling some towards that effort.
Take a look at custom knives, there's plenty of places on the web to purchase. Do your research and when the time is right pull the trigger. I get a lot of satisfaction out of carrying a really nice knife.
I still buy some Case knives, but I rarely carry them, with the exception of the Case-Bose collaborations. I don't buy GEC unless it's a forum knife or one of Charlie's that catches my eye. I don't like carbon steel in my pocket knives.
 
Mike Moran. You won't regret it.

You might also try out the Winchester Black Box knives from the 80's. They aren't usually so highly priced as to be untouchable, and they have close-to-GEC quality (they are from the Bill Howard era at Queen).
 
Lots of good recommendations, keep 'em coming. :cool::thumbsup:

Tuna Valley might be worth looking into
I've looked and they are very nice. I tend to stay away from premium lines, like Tuna Valley and Northwoods. I have a hard time justifying the extra cost they charge over their standard lines.

Take a look at custom knives, there's plenty of places on the web to purchase.
I haven't yet purchased a custom knife, it might be worth looking into them. I like the idea of getting something very nice without having to rush a decision for fear of getting beat out.

You might also try out the Winchester Black Box knives from the 80's.
This has some great possibility. A well built knife that will fit my likes and not break the bank. Seems like there is enough variety to keep me busy for a while.

I am keeping an eye on @ea42 's up coming release!
Something tells me that these are going to be the same as the GEC LollyScramble.

go vintage, endless manufacturers and patterns, you just need to learn what to look for in pictures and descriptions to avoid getting a bum one.
You posted some very beautiful knives. :cool::thumbsup:
 
My knife collecting/shuffling has almost come to a stand-still. I've grown very tired of the GEC LollyScramble and secondary prices, so I've stopped looking at them and I'm (pretty much) done trying to buy them.

I'm in the same boat. I ended up selling most of my GEC knives. Even with just a handful left I still don't carry most of them on any sort of regular basis.

I tend to watch ebay for older traditionals that seem to have slipped through the cracks but even those seem to be pretty hard to find these days.
 
My knife collecting/shuffling has almost come to a stand-still. I've grown very tired of the GEC LollyScramble and secondary prices, so I've stopped looking at them and I'm (pretty much) done trying to buy them. I'm tired of the same-ol-same-ol knives that Case keeps putting out, I think I have all the ones I want and like. Have to patiently wait for them to bring something cool out of the vault. Same goes for the Schrade USA knives, I have the ones I want already and it's not like they are going to come out with new ones. I don't buy knives just because they're there, they have to fit my wants and needs. I don't like the Rough Ryder knives and I'm not particularly fond of the French styling that seems popular here these days. So I'm asking you guys to give me ideas on what you enjoy collecting and maybe something might strike up an interest for me. Plus, who doesn't enjoy seeing knife pictures. :D

I'm coming to the same point. I've begun looking for vintage knifes that are in rough condition, cleaning them up, repair (within my limits), sharpening. Maybe lesser well known brands. "Restoring" a vintage knife could lessen the value of a rare knife, but I think in most cases it would improve it. So I'm thinking about maybe flipping vintage ones in rough condition. Not to make money, but to enjoy doing so without losing money. Also hitting garage sales for anything fixed or folding, including Japanese kitchen knives. Still sorting through it, but same place as you, basically.
 
I have recently acquired a few of the Italian knives from Viper, lionSTEEL and Fantoni which use excellent stainless steel in their blades.
I've owned a few, currently have a Shuffler and I ordered the Forum Knife. While I agree that they are quality knives, they just aren't something I want to trade and collect.

You might check out Boker-Germany
I have yet to purchase a traditional Boker and it's definitely something I'll check out further.
 
Guaranteed the old Imperial Schrade AKA: "Schrade USA" won't be bringing out any new anything, seeing as it went bankrupt and locked the doors back in 2004. The brand names and all intellectual properties were sold at the bankruptcy auction.

The current owner of the "Schrade", "Imperial", "Old Timer" and "Uncle Henry" brands (and possibly "Hammer Brand") is BTI.
BTI might bring out a new pattern or variation, (such as a "Gunboat" 4 blade 2 backspring whittler on the canoe frame.) but I wouldn't hold my breath.

BTI is still an American company, but all the Schrade/Old Timer/Imperial branded knives are produced offshore now. (and as much as some people don't want to hear it, the current production knives are every bit as good as the pre-bankruptcy knives. Better in one way, in fact. Taylor Brands, who bought the Schrade, Old Timer, Uncle Henry, Imperial, and Hammer Brand, saw fit to eliminate the proprietary weak, unreliable, prone to failure, un-reparable "Swendon Key" construction. When Taylor sold the Schrade brands it had to BTI a couple years ago, BTI saw fit not to bring back that da ... I mean daRn ... Swendon Key.
That alone his a huge improvement over the pre-2004 knives.
The post 2004 offshore knives hold an edge and are just as easy to sharpen as the pre-bankruptcy knives. (yes, there is a cosmetic difference in the saw cut delrin and stagalon covers, to help prevent the new offshore production from being passed off on eBay as cost 2x and more now than when new pre-2004 USA production.)

Swinden. Dave Swinden.
You seem to know every other detail, but can't (or won't) spell it right when you go on your continuous Schrade USA bashing.:poop:
 
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