The Knife Thread.....

soundmotor

super modified
Appropriately pointed out on the EDC knife thread, that was for EDC knives and not collections, I am guilty as charged. So, what do you collect, obsess over, what have you always wanted, is it cheap but cool, scarce but expensive, factory or custom made? I know I am not the only one interested in what others hunt down for themselves. Did you find it at an estate or yard sale, auction, buy it at a knife show, was it passed down, do you know the story that went with it? Tell us what you have, brag & please show off but pics only or it didn't happen,

Let's See 'em!

Here's one I no longer have and sorta wish I did. It's a KA-BAR folding hunter. Nothing special, they made a lot of them, and the blades although full have a lot of dark spotting. Great stag though, the best looking of any knife I've ever had. What's weird about it is where KA-BAR is stamped, in the middle of the main blade and not at the base. I would guess that it is a very early one. Oh well, you can't keep them all -

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Edit: I forgot to tell how I got it. I responded to a craigslist post for someone selling oil lamps (another obsession). I went to see them and they looked a lot better in the picture than in person so I passed. I asked if they had any knives and they did. I don't remember what else I bought except this one though.
 
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The is an early 1900's Schrade "Hunter's Pride" swing-guard switchblade. The bolsters have popped of and are gone. I finally bought some nickel plate to make new ones. I gave up trying to buy one to pillage as even duds have gone crazy if they still have the bolsters for this reason. Knife works great, fires hard w/ tight lock-up. Blade is full, it was never sharpened much. I got it at an auction and it was filthy with grease & grit. Blade barely moved and it sold for an appropriate amount. After cleaning it worked perfectly and looks great. There is even a trace of the original blade etch (not visible in these pics -

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Another flea market find, this is a superb Japanese AMCUTCO copy of an Italian lock-back stiletto complete with swing-guard and honey horn scales. Before I was holding it in my hand I never knew the Japanese made stilettos of this caliber. Construction & quality matches 50s Italian knives I have. The later Japanese pieces are truly junk in comparison. The Japanese also made switchblades at the same quality level but I've yet to see one in the wild -

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Another flea market find, another 50s Japanese stiletto. This one marked OMOR w/ dark horn and a pick-lock. Another one I'd never seen before but had heard of, they are rare. It is small, under ~7" OAL -

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Better pics needed on this one, a 1961(I think) Eickhorn Bundeswehr Fallschirmjäger-Messer (paratrooper knife). These are all dated, I just can't remember exactly what year it is. It is a trapdoor gravity knife. You flip open the door on the end, push down the release and either let gravity drop the blade or swing your arm out. I swapped it from a European collector straight across for one I had -

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This one is not mine, it belongs to a friend. I felt fortunate to get to see it and help him figure out what he had. His dad was in the North Africa Campaign during WW2 and IIRC he got this knife after a shootout in Tunisia. He actually took it off the Italian officer he vanquished! The knife is an Italian fascist fighting knife. There are several variants of fascists knives for that era, most called "fascist dagger". The bulk of them were for dress or parade use and very stylized. This one however is all business and reflects the thoughts on knife fighting of that time. It was meant to be used. Note that the blade is reversed, the sharp edge faces you when you hold it point down. The British BC 41 was set up the same way. You punched in and cut as you pulled back. You have a lot of leverage hooking the blade like that and this one would have created an awful wound. We spent a couple hours researching it and finally found an auction house in the UK that sold one, we both gasped! I take it from that price that not too many of these made it back from combat but many dress / parade ones did -

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In case you`re not aware, there`s a great variety of auto knives available on today`s market, everything from traditional Italian designs to ultra-modern designs. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Here is one such vendor:

http://www.nicnac.net/contents/en-us/d3_switchblade_knife_sales.html

I don't really collect any newer ones though, I have ~50+ vintage. Half the fun for me is finding them in the wild rather than mouse-clicking them to my PO box. The majority of Italian made ones on the nic-nac site come from Maniago Italy. The companies that make them are all interrelated though marriage, direct bloodlines, and employees bouncing back & forth. It is sometimes hard to tell who made what they are so closely aligned with one another.
 
The "Why you go to the auction preview and look through everything" post. The one on the right is a Cattaraugus "Quartermaster" 225Q. It is a beast of a knife with a blade nearly 1/4" thick and a hammer for the pommel. The one at the bottom is an 1943 dated Imperial M3 in great shape, the parkerizing is 90%. The leather on the handle has one break where the blue tape is. The M1923 web belt is unissued and the fish scale is 1950s era from Sweden. The best thing however is the M6 sheath for the M3. It was made by Viner Bros., less than 20K were made.

Everything was in a paper bag at the bottom of a large cardboard box. In the box was a bunch of fisherman gear like a folding chair, net, some rotted out waders, fishing pole travel tubes and some other junk. All was filthy with dust, dirt, & spiderwebs. The waders mostly covered the bag the knives were in and it looked flat in the bad light of the auction. I reached in and felt the 225Q and the sheath and figured they went together. In my groping I could not feel that the sheath had a knife in it. I put everything back the way I found it and sat until the lot came up, bid, and got it on my opening bid.

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Cattaraugus after clean-up -

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More switchblades, most are 90s buys, top-to-bottom -

AKC (Italy) 10" "fish" pick-lock w/ purple scales (this one is crazy fast)
AB (Italy) 9" bird's head lever-lock w/ green scales
Dalton Companion (USA) (gift from my son)
Benchmade Spike (USA) ~'92 (first version)
Anton Wingen German-market switchblade (9" body, 8" body blade, German brand, Italy made)
1950s Mauro Mario (Italy) 8" pick-lock switchblade
1970s Bargeon (France) 7.5" switchblade
Dalton Slim Seal (USA) (so fast it will fly out of your hand if you aren't careful)
Paragon (USA) mini-tanto

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Post '58 fake switchblade after US national ban. This was a yard sale find. This one is interesting in the combo of features it has. It had the sink thrown at it. It is one of the earliest Valor branded knives I've seen. If I had to guess I put it at no later than the mid 60s -

Fish tail rear bolsters
Humback (lock location)
Spring backed button does nothing
Rounded tip cross-guard bolsters
Full nail groove
Bayonet blade
Stamped on both sides of blade

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WOW, that's some collection. I have a few oldies. Will try to snap some pictures later to post. I do prefer my older knives for the most part but to be honest some of my newer ones get the job done, and much better. These are a couple that the kids or family gave me over the past few years. While not the most expensive, they get the job done !

Grumpy

This Columbia is a superb knife for under 30 bucks. Holds and edge like no tomorrow and even fits my big ham fists very nicely.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050I64MA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00
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This Kershaw is in my pocket just about every day
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V7JOUM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
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I'm a sucker for US made Buck's. This ones a bit heavy as an EDC but how can you not love the Rosewood. It also has one of the best blades in a sub $70 knife in my opinion
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BN0M3HY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
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I have a box of these in the warehouse:

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M-7 bayonet with an M-10 scabbard. Several different manufacturers.
 
The majority of Italian made ones on the nic-nac site come from Maniago Italy. The companies that make them are all interrelated though marriage, direct bloodlines, and employees bouncing back & forth. It is sometimes hard to tell who made what they are so closely aligned with one another.

Yeah, Maniago has become like Solingen, Sheffield, and Seki City, it`s a major knifemaking area that turns out a LOT of nice stuff, and not overpriced. I have a few knives from there, including this Lionsteel SR-1....

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I don't have a big collection, just a few.

ESEE Junglas
Morakniv something or another
A nice little Schrade folder

Thinking next probably a Fallkniven F1 or maybe another ESEE, ESEE 3 MIL or ESEE 4.
 
WOW, that's some collection. I have a few oldies. Will try to snap some pictures later to post. I do prefer my older knives for the most part but to be honest some of my newer ones get the job done, and much better. These are a couple that the kids or family gave me over the past few years. While not the most expensive, they get the job done !

Grumpy

It's a sickness Grumpy. If I posted one a day I could go nearly a year without a repeat. Would love to see what you have. For me it's the thrill of the hunt and finding something that's been buried in a drawer for decades. You can tell so much about the person by their tools with a knife being the most personal. I do gravitate towards the older ones as collection pieces. For users though I buy what I can easily replace if I break or lose it. Many Meyerco, Gerber, Buck, & SOG have gone missing over the years and I don't blink an eye, just go get whichever is cheap at Walmart that week as it's going to happen again. I had a similar Kershaw assisted opening for a year. Took it out one time to use it in the yard and left it there. It will show up again I suppose. I may search better this year as I am curious how it has held up in the elements.
 
I don't have a big collection, just a few.

ESEE Junglas
Morakniv something or another
A nice little Schrade folder

Thinking next probably a Fallkniven F1 or maybe another ESEE, ESEE 3 MIL or ESEE 4.

I have an old Mora style, a Broderna Jonsson ~1950s. It was a mess when I got it but it is my hiking knife now. Holds a wicked edge.
 
This group is from WW2. When the US went to war there wasn't a standard issue combat knife so they issued civilian hunting knives. When those dried up the next ones were the same knives less aluminum as that became a strategic material for aircraft. These are the same as the preceding civilian models with the aluminum parts replaced with bakelite, wood, and/or steel. The MK2s below are early and non-standardized. The "real" MK2 came out in 1942 and quickly became known as the Ka-Bar.

Top is a Western MK1, L - R -

Kinfolks skinner
Kinfolks MK2 w/ fuller
Case MK2 w/ fuller
Case MK2 w/o fuller
Camillus MK1 USN marked


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This group is from WW2. When the US went to war there wasn't a standard issue combat knife so they issued civilian hunting knives. When those dried up the next ones were the same knives less aluminum as that became a strategic material for aircraft. These are the same as the preceding civilian models with the aluminum parts replaced with bakelite, wood, and/or steel. The MK2s below are early and non-standardized. The "real" MK2 came out in 1942 and quickly became known as the Ka-Bar.

Top is a Western MK1, L - R -

Kinfolks skinner
Kinfolks MK2 w/ fuller
Case MK2 w/ fuller
Case MK2 w/o fuller
Camillus MK1 USN marked


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WOW, Loving these ! Sadly I lost quite a few of my older ones in many moves. Don't have anything really special but they are all special to me. Most were given to me as gifts over the years. Believe it or not. One that means the most is a china made Spyderco that a friend gave me some years ago. He really knew how to put a blade on and its still sharp nuff to shave with. Ironically I mostly use it to open boxes lol
 
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