I am Weird for Collecting Vintage Knives and Swords?

Collecting vintage knives and swords are very popular amongst hobbyists and if you are fascinated by these you need not think that there is something wrong with you or that you are weird. Collecting vintage folding knives and swords can be a fun, educational, rewarding and sometimes a very profitable hobby. But half the fun is in the hunt itself - the hunt for such knives and swords. It is like finding some hidden treasure. Looking at every sale in town or over the net it is always interesting and curious. So if you are interested in such knives and swords then take this hobby a little more seriously as that can do you a lot good.

But sometimes collectors look for old knives and overlook or fail to notice the problems with these knives. It might be the general wear and tear owing to its age. But these wears greatly reduces the value of the knife. While you are about to buy knives first buy all the price guides that you can, even the older books. Most of these will make an interesting read and they will give you general ideas on the old knife companies, blade stampings used, and knife identification. It would give you an idea of the price trends for certain knives over the years. Some of the knife brands and specific patterns seem to increase in value almost every single year. It is good to know all of these things beforehand.

There are older knives that are honestly repaired to make it more useful. Like a re-shaped blade. Oftentimes, due to some misuse, the blade tip gets broken and the owner then tries to re-shape it using a grind wheel or using stone. You can spot this if the blade has a rounded edge. Such a knife is of lesser value so think before buying one.

Then there are replaced blades. It is pretty easy to change a blade and no special tools are required other than a punch and a good hammer. Again there are replaced handles or handle pins. Many center handle pins that you find on collectible knives will be spun. Obvious signs of replaced handles would be one handle looking drastically different than the opposite side handle.

What will help you from buying fake knives is the old price guides and the pattern numbering system that most major knife companies have. You need to trust your instincts and be very cautious if a knife seems suspicious. What you can do about it is do a little research over the net or talk with other collectors. Try to find knife dealers that you can trust and ones who have a good reputation. You can get to know about such dealers from another hobbyist - befriend other hobbyists as that would be of great help. Never be afraid to ask questions, as you will generally find a collector who is more than willing to share their knowledge, as well as a few good knife stories.

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