Knife has been useful tool from the early ages when the first “breeds” of knives were made of stones until now when knives are made of premium quality steel. Knife collecting is a personal hobby where each individual can select his or her specialty.
What kind of knives are collected?
There are knife collectors that search for certain patterns such as trappers, whittlers, canoes, muskrats, peanuts, folding hunters, etc.
- Collection of certain handle materials such as stag, mother of pearl, yellow, rough black, green bone, celluloid, etc.
- Certain brand names such as Case, Remington, Winchester, Fight'n Rooster, IXL, Queen, etc.
- certain blade stampings such as Case Tested, Case XX, Old Remington, New Remington, etc.
- Certain specialties (such as advertising, figural, souvenir, etc).
According to
wikipedia:
Knife collecting is a hobby which includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining knives. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating an assortment of different knives. Others focus on a specialized area of interest, perhaps bayonets, knives from a particular factory, Bowie knives, pocketknives, or handmade custom knives.
The knives of collectors may be antiques or even marketed as collectible. Antiques are knives at least 100 years old; collectible knives are of a later vintage than antique, and may even be new. Collectors and dealers may use the word vintage to describe older collectibles. Some knives which were once everyday objects may now be collectible since almost all those once produced have been destroyed or discarded, like certain WW2 era knives made with zinc alloy handles which are rapidly degrading due to the material's shelf life. Some collectors collect only in childhood while others continue to do so throughout their lives and usually modify their collecting goals later in life.
Getting started with collectible knives.
1.) Decide yourself how to start off?. Ask questions like, what in knives are you interested most? How did you know about knives and why do you think you have what it takes to be a genuine knife enthusiast?
2.) Get the sufficient knowledge about that specific category. To begin, see how you would focus in your collection – should it be by patterns, handle materials, brand names, or specialties. With this, when you are about to purchase collectible knives, you would know which specifications you need.
a.) To attain sufficient preparation, invest on reference materials such as books and magazines whose markets are knife collectors. They could provide you with histories, features, news, trends, and knife values.
For example: genuine antique knives are said to be expensive because they did not only survive the tests of time, they are also rare. Take note, they should be antique and not simply looking like antique. Now you know that collectible knives could actually make good investment.
b.) Aside from print materials, the web will offer you loads of information and most likely, the most updated news about knife auctions, shows and knife forums.
c.) There could be thousands of knife makers in the market, but rare are those that produce premium quality products. You can begin the investigation through telephone directories if you wish to hear from them literally. But the reads from magazines, books, and from the internet will make the process easier though.
3.) Aside from your knives collection, you may also get collectible knives and swords that are useful to you. Some people who are the adventurous and the wild type would prefer knives that can keep up with multitasking and out-of-the-world activities. They would choose hunting knives if they are always in the wild. There are also tactical combat knives which are considered survival knives useful as weapons and for self-defense.
Bowie knives could be a wise option in knife collecting too. The most common, are the affordable pocket knives from automatic switchblade knives, fixed knives, and butterfly knives or Balisong. These collectible knives are easier to find, handy, and practical for daily uses as tools.
4.) Take care of your priced collections. Different kinds of knives require different ways of maintenance and care.
a.) Keep your knife clean and sharp. If you have knives that you constantly use such as pocket knives and combat survival knives, clean them very often with hot, soapy water and spray them with penetrating oil.
b.) In cases of antique knives, store them in glass boxes or in their cases. There should be proper waxing or oiling to preserve this knife.
c.) Sharpen knives. The easiest way is to have a knife sharpener which is available in knife stores.
5.) Join knife clubs: At these knife collecting clubs or forums you can meet knife collectors, knife makers and professional ones. There could be knife shows, auctions, and the exciting barter of knives! There are also other enjoyable activities such as knife handling and flipping skills and competitions on how to throw a knife!
Souce:
2-clicks-collectableknives
Useful links:
* Join the online
community of knife collectors 'inikfe collector'
An antique clock is unusual in the world of antiques in that it is a working piece of art, or should be in order to get the most enjoyment and value. Whether you have just one family clock, or a collection of interesting timepieces, there is much that can be learnt about the craft, particularly when some hundred years or more ago, before machine tools, just about every component of the timepiece was made by hand.
The dials were often elaborately engraved as if by the finest silversmith, the dials were indeed silvered long before electro-plating was invented. Brass decoration was gilded to demonstrate the wealth and flamboyance of the times and owner. Both cases and dials could be painted to illustrate country life, trade with the Chinese, or voyagers to the four continents.
Almost all antique clocks were signed by the individual clockmaker, giving his name and the town where he made the clock.
Clocks are indeed fine antiques and represent many facets of history.
