Does anyone collect knives?

[MillIronQH]

I'm trying to figure out the value of a knife I picked up about a year ago and don't have a book.

It's a Case mini trapper stamped on the clip blade "1879- Bradford Centennial-1979". Never carried, never sharpened, never used. Kept boxed. If you took a magnifiying glass you might be able to see that the blades had been partially opened a few times.

Anybody got a clue what it's worth?Z

 

[backhoeboogie]

The only opinion I see is what those things fetch on eBay. If you really want to know what it is worth at auction, I'd go to eBay and put in the knife model. Look at the prices of knives like that one right at the end of the auction. That should give you and idea.

I've got two good Case XX knives that are really old. I bought one years ago at a flea market and the other came from my Grandad when I killed my first deer. It was old when he gave it to me. I don't care to ever part with ethier. I only carry them for special circumstance.

As far as collecting goes, MillIron I pick up Marbles knives off of eBay regularly. Fixed blade knives are what I collect. The old American made Marbles are what I am after. I've got several collectors.

I guess you know that just about everything of quality that was ever made now has "knock off" conterfeited counterparts out there in the market. These foreign knock off products devalue authentic pieces as it is often difficult to readily distinguish between the two. After you put an edge on a Case knock off and see that it doesn't hold, you know you've been had.

If I had a really good old case, I believe I would just hold on to it.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I do your best bet would be to contact the The Knife Store in Spurger Tx largest Case dealer in the south east.
I collect sowbelly's and saddlehorns.

 

[MillIronQH]

I pretty much stick with the Case Trappers and Folding Hunters. Most of them don't amount to much ($25-50) but there are a couple I carry and use that are old and have a history. A friend gave me the Trapper after I lost mine and kept borrowing his. Model 6254 with the lightning S in Case and USA. Eight dots. The really unusual thing about it is that the tangs aren't square and straight up and down but have a smooth sweep toward the blade points. I think they only made them like that the one year.(1982) The hunter is an '85 model I found in a pawn shop. I doesn't have a model number on either blade which alone is unusual for a Case and the blades have lines in them like Damascus steel. I've been told the handles are rosewood but I don't have a clue.

I've stayed away from the stainless steel models. You can never tell, I might need to use one of them someday and I want a knife that will take and hold an edge.Z

 

[JHH]

I dont collect knives but my wife thinks I do. I kept buying a new knife and it kept coming up missing. She was putting them UP in the gun cabinet. I know have six pocket knives and she LETS ME keep one on the dresser now. Just cheap scharade folding ones. JHH

 

[aplusmnt]

I'm trying to figure out the value of a knife I picked up about a year ago and don't have a book.

It's a Case mini trapper stamped on the clip blade "1879- Bradford Centennial-1979". Never carried, never sharpened, never used. Kept boxed. If you took a magnifiying glass you might be able to see that the blades had been partially opened a few times.

Anybody got a clue what it's worth?Z

Looked it up best I could in a book I had and they ranged from $65.00 to $100.00 for a non etched one. Since you say it is stamped (assume this is Brown etching?). The prices fall for the etched ones between $85.00 and $150.00.

There was a whole set of 6 of the knives in total. If the one you have is a 5207 which I believe is the Trapper. It shows that one as $150.00 etched. Does it also have 5207 or 5207 Stamped on a blade and 1 dot?

I am pretty new to looking this stuff up, but I think that gives you some idea. The book I looked it up in was printed in 2004.

It says there was 7,500 made of each plain knives and 1,000 each made of the etched ones.

 

[MillIronQH]

5207 on the spay blade and one dot under the USA. Give yourself an A+. I guess my estate is in better shape then I thought it was. Thanks.Z