Is Anyone Else a Knife Collector?

[inyati13]

Ok here goes. I'll start with the fancy expensive ones first

Custom or hand made knives. Left to right a caping knife by Arno Bernard of South Africa with warthog scales, skinning knife Bob Dozier, Skinner Dwight Towel, and a skinning knife given to me by a friend from Alaska native made, handle is caribou I think.



Buck Collection
L to R presentation grade folder with Sterling Silver engraved scales, two straight up buck folders, a set of bird knife and skinner, and a David Yellowhorse presentation knife that was a gift from my wife close to 30 years ago.



Puma Collection/My favorite. Top to bottom White Hunter(very old) Trail Guide, Hunters Friend, and a Very old Puma Fishing Knife, it is also a functional scale if used correctly. I believe the heavy knob also qualifies it as a "priest". The first two were scrimshawed years ago for me as a gift from a friend. I am going to try to get the Hunters friend done to so that I can leave one to each of my sons.




...and last but not least the working knives. These bad boys do most of the hard work. L to R Boker Skinner, Western folder with saw, Piranta (with changeable surgical blades), Outdoor edge combo with gut hook, and Kershaw folding all purpose hunter.

Outstanding Vic. Thank you for showing those. My working knives are Buck and Gerber. I am partial to the Buck Shinner. They are perfect for taking the hide off of an Elk.

 

[inyati13]

I only have one knife. As I've shared before, I lost my possessions in a tornado. I have since come to the conclusion that we all have too much. I used to collect a few things: knives, guns, Native American artifacts, toy tractors. I now just have one knife, the one use everyday.

Oddly, of everything I lost, I miss a knife the most. I was about 4 years old, not much over that if any. I was spending the day with my grandfather. I was standing behind him, as he hand milked a cow. He was sitting on an old milking stool. I can still see the whole scene to this day. The cow kept flopping her tail, hitting him in the side of the head. When he stood up, and turned around he reached in his pocket, and got out an old wooden handeled Barlow knife, and handed it to me to go cut a hay string for him. When I returned, he told me to stick the knife in my pocket, and that I could have it. I carried it for many years, and when I got old enough to understand the significance of the knife, I put it away for safe keeping. Apparently, a safety deposit box is the best place for your family heirlooms, and not a display case.

Nice story. Wait till you reach your 60s!!! It is a solemn time. You reach the age when the material things you have accumulated may get limited or no use in the fall and winter of your life span. The activities that you use to do that employed them, are diminishing or maybe the time of their use has totally pasted. I reached a personal pinnacle with long-range rifle shooting. It has been 3 years since I have shot my two long-range rifles. I stopped collecting Case XX knives because I know at some point they will need to be disposed of - so why collect more? I acknowledge to myself that it is a frame of mind. In reality, nothing has changed. It is a function of how time changes our assessment of things and priorities often forced on us change.

 

[highgrit]

Beautiful collection Vic. I lost my Pops knife that he carried hunting. It was a KB-Bar folding hunter. One of my so called friends stole it, and Lord help them if I ever find out who's got it.

 

[3waycross]

Beautiful collection Vic. I lost my Pops knife that he carried hunting. It was a KB-Bar folding hunter. One of my so called friends stole it, and Lord help them if I ever find out who's got it.

Highgrit that western knife with the saw was my Dad's favorite i'll bet that thng gutt close to 50 Elk and God knows how many deer and Antelope.
Funny story there. When I was 13 he bought me one just like that and one for himself. Of course I lost it deer hunting somewhere before i made it out of high school. He gave me a pretty hard time about it and I of course never forgave myself for losing it.

So fast forward about 47 years. My Dad is starting to break things down as to who gets what of his knives and guns. I say to him :if you can forgive me for losing the first one I sure would like to have that Western knife. He starts laughing like crazy, so i ask him what's so funny.
He says ah heck Vic I lost mine too about a year after you lost yours so I went and bought another one. Of course at this point i am ready to wring his old chicken neck. He finally tells me he's sorry he never told me he lost his and he puts my name on this one.

I will say one thing for that old carbon steel knife. It will take an edge like a razor blade. It doesn't hold it forever but it will gut an elk like slicing butter.

 

[greybeard]

Ok here goes. I'll start with the fancy expensive ones first

and a Very old Puma Fishing Knife, it is also a functional scale if used correctly. I believe the heavy knob also qualifies it as a "priest". The first two were scrimshawed years ago for me as a gift from a friend. I am going to try to get the Hunters friend done to so that I can leave one to each of my sons.

Very nice collection!!
For people (like me) that don't collect them, explain the meaning of "priest" and how the scale thing would work--(unless you mean removing scales from a fish--I read it tho, as some means to determine weight)

 

[3waycross]

Ok here goes. I'll start with the fancy expensive ones first

and a Very old Puma Fishing Knife, it is also a functional scale if used correctly. I believe the heavy knob also qualifies it as a "priest". The first two were scrimshawed years ago for me as a gift from a friend. I am going to try to get the Hunters friend done to so that I can leave one to each of my sons.

Very nice collection!!
For people (like me) that don't collect them, explain the meaning of "priest" and how the scale thing would work--(unless you mean removing scales from a fish--I read it tho, as some means to determine weight)

It's a club for dispatching fish. That thing would make one heck of a sap. Like I said it works as a scale also. using the point where the lanyard connects as a fulcrum you can weigh a fish up to something like 20 lbs with it. The ball on the end acts like a counterweight to the fish. If you look at the blade you can see the scale increments.

 

[greybeard]

Ok, I know what a sap is and now I see the increment index. Thanks!

 

[3waycross]

Ok, I know what a sap is and now I see the increment index. Thanks!

Looked at it closer. The scale is 10oz to 12lbs. I have tried it with some known weights and it work real well. I have also used it to dispatch some Northern Pike on a trip to Canada many years ago. It worked very well for that also. I just hate to take it out much(especially in a boat) it was my Dad's and i would sure hate to lose it.

 

[3waycross]

I only have one knife. As I've shared before, I lost my possessions in a tornado. I have since come to the conclusion that we all have too much. I used to collect a few things: knives, guns, Native American artifacts, toy tractors. I now just have one knife, the one use everyday.

Oddly, of everything I lost, I miss a knife the most. I was about 4 years old, not much over that if any. I was spending the day with my grandfather. I was standing behind him, as he hand milked a cow. He was sitting on an old milking stool. I can still see the whole scene to this day. The cow kept flopping her tail, hitting him in the side of the head. When he stood up, and turned around he reached in his pocket, and got out an old wooden handeled Barlow knife, and handed it to me to go cut a hay string for him. When I returned, he told me to stick the knife in my pocket, and that I could have it. I carried it for many years, and when I got old enough to understand the significance of the knife, I put it away for safe keeping. Apparently, a safety deposit box is the best place for your family heirlooms, and not a display case.

Nice story. Wait till you reach your 60s!!! It is a solemn time. You reach the age when the material things you have accumulated may get limited or no use in the fall and winter of your life span. The activities that you use to do that employed them, are diminishing or maybe the time of their use has totally pasted. I reached a personal pinnacle with long-range rifle shooting. It has been 3 years since I have shot my two long-range rifles. I stopped collecting Case XX knives because I know at some point they will need to be disposed of - so why collect more? I acknowledge to myself that it is a frame of mind. In reality, nothing has changed. It is a function of how time changes our assessment of things and priorities often forced on us change.

I know what you mean Ron about possesions. I had another Puma a bowie knife that had been my Dad's. Recently i had a conversation with a friend since 7th grade who is now confined to a wheelchair. We hunted Elk together for many years and he was closer to my Dad than he was to his. I told him about inheriting the Puma from my Dad and how i didn't really care for that particular type of knife. His answer was at least your dad thought enuf of you to leave it to you and besides thats a great knife in my book.

The next day I boxed it up along with a note that said "he thought a lot of you to", enjoy your new knife, and mailed it to him. Doing that with that knife gave me more pleasure than owning or selling it ever could. When he called to thank me he said the best thing about owning that knife for him was seeing the marks on the back side of it from my Dad using a rock to drive it thru the pelvic bone on a bull he had shot. Funny what sticks with us for all these years.

 

[skyhightree1]

not a knife collector but I do like seeing them looks like some nice ones there.

 

[greybeard]

I know what you mean Ron about possesions. I had another Puma a bowie knife that had been my Dad's. Recently i had a conversation with a friend since 7th grade who is now confined to a wheelchair. We hunted Elk together for many years and he was closer to my Dad than he was to his. I told him about inheriting the Puma from my Dad and how i didn't really care for that particular type of knife. His answer was at least your dad thought enuf of you to leave it to you and besides thats a great knife in my book.

The next day I boxed it up along with a note that said "he thought a lot of you to", enjoy your new knife, and mailed it to him. Doing that with that knife gave me more pleasure than owning or selling it ever could. When he called to thank me he said the best thing about owning that knife for him was seeing the marks on the back side of it from my Dad using a rock to drive it thru the pelvic bone on a bull he had shot. Funny what sticks with us for all these years.

Thanks to all, for sharing these stories and memories.
A great thread!
(dang forum software won't let me include all the quotes involved)

 

[inyati13]

I only have one knife. As I've shared before, I lost my possessions in a tornado. I have since come to the conclusion that we all have too much. I used to collect a few things: knives, guns, Native American artifacts, toy tractors. I now just have one knife, the one use everyday.

Oddly, of everything I lost, I miss a knife the most. I was about 4 years old, not much over that if any. I was spending the day with my grandfather. I was standing behind him, as he hand milked a cow. He was sitting on an old milking stool. I can still see the whole scene to this day. The cow kept flopping her tail, hitting him in the side of the head. When he stood up, and turned around he reached in his pocket, and got out an old wooden handeled Barlow knife, and handed it to me to go cut a hay string for him. When I returned, he told me to stick the knife in my pocket, and that I could have it. I carried it for many years, and when I got old enough to understand the significance of the knife, I put it away for safe keeping. Apparently, a safety deposit box is the best place for your family heirlooms, and not a display case.

Nice story. Wait till you reach your 60s!!! It is a solemn time. You reach the age when the material things you have accumulated may get limited or no use in the fall and winter of your life span. The activities that you use to do that employed them, are diminishing or maybe the time of their use has totally pasted. I reached a personal pinnacle with long-range rifle shooting. It has been 3 years since I have shot my two long-range rifles. I stopped collecting Case XX knives because I know at some point they will need to be disposed of - so why collect more? I acknowledge to myself that it is a frame of mind. In reality, nothing has changed. It is a function of how time changes our assessment of things and priorities often forced on us change.

I know what you mean Ron about possesions. I had another Puma a bowie knife that had been my Dad's. Recently i had a conversation with a friend since 7th grade who is now confined to a wheelchair. We hunted Elk together for many years and he was closer to my Dad than he was to his. I told him about inheriting the Puma from my Dad and how i didn't really care for that particular type of knife. His answer was at least your dad thought enuf of you to leave it to you and besides thats a great knife in my book.

The next day I boxed it up along with a note that said "he thought a lot of you to", enjoy your new knife, and mailed it to him. Doing that with that knife gave me more pleasure than owning or selling it ever could. When he called to thank me he said the best thing about owning that knife for him was seeing the marks on the back side of it from my Dad using a rock to drive it thru the pelvic bone on a bull he had shot. Funny what sticks with us for all these years.

Vic, you got to me with that one. His recognition of those marks was touching. I can identify with you and this story. Thanks. It is a pleasure to know others share a feeling like that. I sent a knife to Fire Sweep Simmental, Kris' young son about 2 weeks ago. I told Kris I wanted to send him a knife but he needed to know it was a collector's knife and he should protect it. She said he wanted a knife he could use. So I found a folding hunter that I have used. I like doing those kind of things.

 

[inyati13]

The Case knife is the most collected knife in the world. It takes a little study to master the identification of a Case knife. The information on the tang including a long history of using the "dots" to date them can get complicated and hard to see. Even with good eye-sight, it takes a magnifying glass to see the dots sometimes. The dots are on the tang but are often concealed by the center scale and bolster.

My favorite Case knives are the Sunfish, Folding Hunters, Trappers, Canoes, and the big 5 1/2 inch Clasp Knives that include the Buffalo, Bulldog, etc.

 

[3waycross]

The Case knife is the most collected knife in the world. It takes a little study to master the identification of a Case knife. The information on the tang including a long history of using the "dots" to date them can get complicated and hard to see. Even with good eye-sight, it takes a magnifying glass to see the dots sometimes. The dots are on the tang but are often concealed by the center scale and bolster.

My favorite Case knives are the Sunfish, Folding Hunters, Trappers, Canoes, and the big 5 1/2 inch Clasp Knives that include the Buffalo, Bulldog, etc.

Found a 4in Stockmans knife made by Puma probably 30 or more years old on the internet last night. Might just own that bad boy before this week is over.....and I will not put it in a case and look at it. I will carry it, albiet carefully.

Yer gonna cost me money Ron you got this started with your thread......... :nod: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[inyati13]

I got a PM asking what made Case the most collected knife. This is a brief response and I wish it could be better but it would take a lot of time to do it justice.

The Case knife is the most collected brand knife in the world. Case Cutlery Co. began in 1896 and still makes knives today. The company has changed hands and the quality at times has been poor. The quality of their knives today is not what makes them collectible - it is their history. In the early 1900s they made a high quality knife that was all about function. What made them special was every farm boy in America wanted a Case knife just like the one his dad and friends carried.

The method of identification is unique and only an experienced knife collector can follow the method through the years. Best to employ the use of a reference book to properly date a Case knife. The style of the stamped brand name gets you started, them:
Briefly: The number you see on the tang of a case knife denotes the following:
First number - type of handle
Second number - number of blades
Last two numbers - factory pattern, i.e., a Stockman, a Muskrat, a Sunfish, a Trapper, a Canoe, etc.

To determine the date you must reference the style of the "word" CASE that is stamped on the tang of the blade. That has changed over the decades. Then you have to count the dots to get the year. It is difficult to explain. Best to get a collector's book and classify a few knives to understand the process.

It is clear that Case produces a great number of their knives for collection only. They are made and boxed to collect. There was a time in the early past of the twentieth century when a Case knife was an economical knife that came in a variety of styles to do all the jobs that were called for. Skinning muskrats, casterating hogs, cutting rope, guttin' an elk, etc. One of the most interesting knives is the sunfish or elephant toe, it was designed as a sailor's knife with the huge main blade to cut rope on a ship.

Anyone who wants more information can find it online. The history of the Case family is worth reading. The Case brand is magic to a collector but it started as a real working knife through the influence of Grandpa Job Russel Case who was born in 1821. The story of the XX is a must read if you are interested in the Case knife. When I was a boy you never said, "I got a Case knife." You said, " I got a Case XX".

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

The Gerber on the left is always in my pocket (30 +years ).

I bought the double Gerber set as a kid working the docks in Ketchikan in 1973.

The Buck knife is my main hunting knife, had it since the early 80's.

The sharpener is one of the best I have ever used, picked it up in Georgia in the 80's

 

[3waycross]

I like that Gerber 2 knife set. do they still make a set like that?

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I'm not sure 3 way. The small blade is good for caping and the fat one for skinning. It's called the flayer set. It's done a lot of work in 40 years.

 

[3waycross]

I'm not sure 3 way. The small blade is good for caping and the fat one for skinning. It's called the flayer set. It's done a lot of work in 40 years.

I believe that this is the current version of it. Yours is much much classier.

http://www.gerberknivesdirect.com/Myth-31-001159n.html

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I was so excited about that knife I had to start wearing a belt to pack it around. I was 13. :banana: