Hi all,

Do you think that the price of a custom knife from a no-name maker involuntarily falls in the after-market? And we're assuming here that the maker won't become a big shot but makes decent knives.

Thanks.

p.s. In which forum do I have the best bet to get an unknown knife recognized?

If the maker builds good value knives, they will probably hold their prices. The key is the Value. Some no name makers sell knives that frankly, are not a real value. In that case, the aftermarket will reflect the true value of the knife.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'get a knife recodnized' but I assume you're trying to identify some knife you own. I'd post pictures and as much info as you can either here or in Bernards forum.

HTH

Thanks for the answer. I was just wondering if the aftermarket only values quality in big/known name works, or also quality without the name. I guess a value knife will hold its value, but it won't rise without a name.

Yes, I meant identifying a knife. I already posted pictures in this forum. Thanks.

Hi Charon,

The aftermarket is where collectors can really learn valuable lesson's.

Value, quality and name are only a few of the factors that dertermine if a knife will hold it's value in the aftermarket.

To be able to accurately predict which knives and which makers will be desireable in the aftermarket.

You will have to do your homework and be able to understand the "totality" of the custom knife market.

Once you have done your homework you will be able to accurately predict who and which knife from that person to buy.

Generally, what works against a collector is the desire to "buy what they want" and at the same time "want their knives to hold their value". Many times these two desires are mutually exclusive.

Nothing wrong with buying what you want. But don't complain down the road when you have invested several thousand dollars and your collection is now worth several hundred dollars.

Yes, name, value and cost do make a difference. The question really is, do you know how and why these make a difference?

Hi Les,

Thanks for your answer. I've read quite a few of your posts in your forum, and you often talk of 'doing one's homework'. Makes sense, but I have trouble in finding the book in which my homework is! I rarely have the oportunity to touch and see custom knives in person; mostly I read about them on the Internet.

After browsing the forum here, I can say that a knife from a certain maker will probably go up in value, but only because I've read that here. If I were to see the maker and the knives in person without knowing anything about either, I have no idea how I am supposed to tell if the knives are a good value considering the aftermarket. The stories I've read about you meeting a new smith and instantly buying all the knives on offer, correctly predicting the makers rise, well, I guess that's just experience, some luck and your name. I don't see how I can tell the difference between nice knives and knives with a future, so to speak.

For example: I posted a question in this forum concerning two damascus daggers. Take a look, if you want. One of them just has something special in my opinion - and I'm not talking about beauty. I don't think it is gorgeous, just special. Hard to put in words. But as a member answered, he believes they are from a famous maker. Is that 'something special' what you look for in a knife from an unknown smith, or how do you do it?

So, regarding your question, no, I have no idea how name, value and cost make a difference. But I'd be glad to learn from you. :)

Send Les $10 for his book on knife collecting- it will serve you well.

In the internet age we have to consider eBay a significant member of the Aftermarket. One thing that seems absolutely constant there is: It's a Buyer's Market. Often a maker's work sells for less than his posted rates. In these cases it might be said the dealers are doing the makers a disservice. But the next guy might opine, "That's capitalism."

I have an advanced degree in business - business school burned the poetry right out of me - but I'm coming back to my humanity and am less a supporter of capitalism every day. But that doesn't mean I blame those eBay dealers for 'lowering' the rates for a maker's work. I think this is what Les is referring to as "value."

Years ago my passion was comic books. I bought and bought - I bought books I didn't read, hoping for appreciation. Then the "market adjustment." A perfect example is Fish Police No 1; I bought it for 17.50 when it was "worth" 42.00; now it's "worth" 2.50... Good thing I loved reading that comic so much! (It's wonderful - worth every penny.)

Yes, I have a point somewhere in here. :D It's this: Collect only what you like. Unless you're a really savvy professional knife dealer it must be very difficult indeed to recognize a profit on knife purchases. The "value" comes in holding a functional thing of utter beauty - of show and tell with your buddies - of using a knife that performs almost magically. As collectors, let's try to set aside the $$ out in our collections.

That's why I make knives - I just love em.

Dave

Good points made by everybody.

Les will always keep you honest and make you THINK before you purchase. He's well-aware of a collector's impulsivity, and at the very least wants you to feel knowledgable about your decisions. Buy his book. It's the best $10 spent in our world. But even still, he always closes with "Buy what you like". It's reassuring.

Dave you also hit the nail on right the head. Good to hear. There are other, better ways to spend our money and make a profit. My knife collection represents a substantial chunk of change, but I don't plan on turning it over just for the sake of profit. Invariably when I sell a knife, it's profit goes again towards--ANOTHER KNIFE!!!

Enjoying the hardware and taking the time to 'show and tell' it amongst friends and even here, is a great pleasure, if not THE greatest pleasure we can derive. Join a club. Get together with other knife nuts. Post your stuff here.

What CAN'T be shown or told is the pride and bond you may get from a maker's work whom you admire. The 'special' thing in that knife? It's a part of the maker's soul. It's our connection back to him. Priceless.

Coop

I think it's mistaken to say that eBay is a buyer's market. Remember what's found in some shop:

"Here, you can have it made:
- Cheaply;
- Quickly;
- Well.
Choose 2 out of 3."

eBay is a market for people who are willing to exchange convenience and speed (for a *very* small market) against a discount in $$$.

Think about it from a collector's point of view, who wants a custom knife. He can:
- Go to a show, with the costs that incurs, and maybe find the knife he wants - or not...
- Commission the maker, and get nearly exactly what he wants, at the just price ... after a 1+ year wait generally;
- Buy from eBay whatever knife is close enough, for which he's understandably not willing to pay the price of a new blade, custom made to his specifications.

All that to say that those knives are not commodities, even when they are the same "model". If you have to wait, you don't want to pay as much. On the other hand, if it's trully custom made, you're willing to pay a premium. If you can buy it now, right away, at a discount, you might be willing to compromise on the custom made aspect. Etc...

This being said, I agree with you: collecting knife is a hobby, not an investment. In the long run, if you do your homework, you should see the price go up, but that's even not sure.

Another interesting point. I happen to also collect antique Japanese blades (well, I have one), and I like to check out antique Persian blades (pesh kabz mostly.) They are both sold considerably cheaper than it would cost to get a new one made with similar amount of work. Of course, a new one would be ... well ... new, after all. Still, it does not bode well for knife collecting as an investment.

JD

I agree with all of you saying that the 'true' value of a knife comes from your personal appreciation of it. If you would have gladly payed a penny more for a certain knife, than you made a good deal for yourself .

My very first handmande knife to my specifications is in the works right now from a hobby smith who does good work. I doubt the market value of the knife will go up, but this knife was my design. I had pleasure in having a white piece of paper in front of me and at the end a design I liked. I talked to the maker and we discussed various aspects of the knife, and I know that when I finally hold the knife in my hands, it will be something special. Not just a run-of-the-mill knife of which there are hundreds of thousands, but a singular piece of art in the creation of which I had a (small) part. I admit that I now would have changed the design a bit, but that is just part of the learning process.

BUT, it is nice to know that a newly aquired knife will not depreciate in its monetary worth. If we have the choice of making an intelligent investment coupled with personal pleasure, i.e. a knife we like, why not hunt around a little longer or, as Les says, do one's homework, and make such an investment? You never know what might crop up, making you want to part with your knives. There are a million reasons.

I certainly will try to combine pleasure and investment in my future purchases. But, at the end, since most of us are in it for fun and not business, we should buy what we like. Thanks for the book tip. ;)

BTW, am I wrong that very few knives are able to hold their worth after being used?