David's Blades

Adolph Kastor & Camillus Cutlery Co.

A short history of the Kastor brothers.

The History of Buck Knives

Here is a collection of website links covering the history of Buck Knives.

The Demise of Belknap Hardware Co.

The Closing of Belknap: A Tragedy of Errors

THE BOLO KNIFE A BRIEF HISTORY

One of the most infamous knives ever developed.

Boker at 140

Boker Celebrates 140 Years.

Case Brothers Cutlery Co.

Case chronology from 1881 to 1993

The History of CASE Knives

Here is a collection of website links for the story of CASE knives and to a library of the latest CASE tang stamps and patterns.

History of the Robeson Cutlery Company

Great website to learn about the history of Robeson Cutlery

Revolutionary War Journal

Colonial Pocket & Folding Knives – History of the Barlow Knife

Schrade Rooted In History Educational

A short video history of Schrade knives.

Simmons Hardware Company

Enjoy a brief history of Simmons Hardware.

The Shapleigh Hardware Company

Learn the company's history and it's founder Augustus F. Shapleigh

Walden Knife Co.

Read from old memo's

Historic Marker WALDEN KNIFE CO

Read some very good History about the Walden Knife Co.

The History of the Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Company

Compiled by Jim Escher From the Archives of The Winchester; Keen Kutter; Diamond Edge Chronicles; The Official Publication of The Hardware Companies Kollectors Klub

PAL Blade Company

The information below was taken from the February 3, 1941 Holyoke Transcript-Telegram

Red Devil Tools

The putty knife that wanted to be a real knife.

"THE WINCHESTER-SIMMONS MERGER"

Will They Make It Beneficial?

Ulster Knife Co. Inc.

Enjoy some Ulster pictures and then follow the link to some copies of old Ulster knife catalog pages and prices from 1959 - 1962.

The following website links are provided strickly for your convenience. Please refer to David's Blades "Terms and Conditions" for our External Website Disclaimer.

All About Pocket Knives

All About Pocket Knives is a knife related resource center for buying, selling, researching, discussing & showing off all things knives.

CASE Tang Stamps

The most comprehensive list of CASE Folding, Hunting/Fixed Blade, CASE XX Select and Miscellaneous Tang Stamps.

Shepherd Hills Library

Tang stamps, patterns and much more.

American Knife & Tool Institute

The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) represents all segments of the knife industry and knife users.

Knife Informer

Knife Informer is committed to providing you with in-depth and unbiased opinions on all things knife related.

William Henry

HOW TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN YOUR DIRTY POCKET KNIFE

Farm & Dairy

How to teach children to use a pocket knife safely

Web Links to Knife Makers, Manufacturers, Suppliers, & others

Great collection of knife websites for just about reason.

Nothing But Knives

The Ultimate Guide To American Made Knives By Andrew North Updated on August 17, 2022

What Condition Is My Folding Knife In

I started collecting knives over 20 years ago as of this writing and I like to think that my collecting, research, and just general knowledge of knives that I’ve gained is worth something in judging the condition of a knife. All along I’ve tried to learn the value of knives, depending on their brand name, condition, style, and current market demands. But the one thing I never knew was how to judge a knife to be in Mint, Near-Mint, or Excellent to just Good according to the current charts.

There were charts out there that described each category, but for some reason I just couldn’t understand and make the distinction between some of the categories. Their requirements and descriptors were very different from one chart to another.

So, I’ve been looking all over for different grading scales, studying the wording, the knife conditions that are being considered, what is acceptable and what’s not in each category. So, I read and study as many charts and articles as I could, taking the best of what I saw as the most appropriate descriptors. I even contacted auction houses, no help because very few of them can agree.

In the chart that I developed I take what I considered the best of the best and developed some of my own condition requirements. I use some different words to describe it’s condition like, shall, must be, will not. Example: “Any handle inlays and shields shall be in factory condition.”

Some grading charts even have separate grading standards for NEW or USED knives, I don’t. To me an item is new only once and when it’s removed from its original packaging and put in your pocket, it’s used. Like when you drive a new car off the lot, it’s now used. I’m strictly looking at the condition of the knife and nothing else.

I have no illusion that my chart will become any kind of standard or used by anyone else, but I’m military with a legalistic background so I need everything spelled out exactly. The chart below is what I finally came up with and is what I will be using on my personal collection or when someone asks me to clean, sharpen or grade their knife.

DAVID’S BLADES FOLDING KNIFE CONDITION CHART

MINT CONDITION:

1. Knives in this category are still factory new. Never sharpened and never used.

2. Blade(s):

a. All blades shall still have the original factory polished finish, no scratches, rust, pitting or tarnish.

b. All tang markings shall be clearly readable without signs of wear.

c. Blade etchings by the manufacturer, shall still be in factory condition without signs of wear.

3. Bolsters:

a. Must still have the original factory finish with absolutely no scratches, rust, pitting or tarnish.

b. Etchings or other embellishments shall be in original factory condition.

4. Handle(s):

a. Handles shall be original factory material with no evidence of wear, chips, cracks, scratches, defects, or color fading.

b. Factory inlays, shields or decorative embellishments shall be in original condition without wear or damage.

5. Other Items:

a. Springs, liners, pins, and bails shall be in original factory condition without scratches, rust, pitting or tarnish.

NOTE: A knife that has been cleaned or repaired in an effort to restore it to factory MINT condition shall only be graded as NEAR-MINT or lower depending on the category requirements and condition met.

NEAR MINT CONDITION:

1. Knives in this category have no mechanically, cosmetic, or material defects. These knives are seldom used.

2. Blade(s):

a. All blades shall still have the original factory polished finish with some light honing is allowed, however there must be no noticeable blade material loss.

b. A very small amount of light scratches is acceptable, but no rust, pitting or tarnishing.

c. All tang markings must be clearly readable, but some very minor wear marks are acceptable.

d. Etchings or other embellishments shall still be in original factory condition with very small signs of wear.

3. Bolsters:

a. Must still have the original factory finish with very few scratches, but no gouges, rust, pitting or tarnishing.

b. Etchings shall be in original factory condition with very minor scratchers, but no gouges, rust, pitting or tarnishing.

4. Handle(s):

a. Handle material may have minimal scratches or color fading, but no gouges, cracks, chips, or missing material.

b. Factory inlays, shields or decorative embellishments shall be in original condition with minor signs of wear.

c. Any handle material wear is barely noticeable.

d. No missing factory installed pins, screws, or bails.

5. Other Items:

a. Springs, liners, bails shall be in original factory condition with only minor signs of scratches, but no rust, pitting or tarnishing visible.

EXCELLENT CONDITION:

1. Knives in this category are still in extremely good working condition and are frequently used as EDC knives.

2. Blade(s):

a. May have been sharpened, but still retain their original shape with no noticeable blade material loss.

b. Light scratches, small amounts of rust, tarnishing or pitting is visible.

c. Tang markings may be slightly worn but are still clearly readable.

d. Any factory etchings may be slightly worn but are still clearly readable.

3. Bolsters:

a. All bolsters shall still be intact with only light EDC scratches. Small amounts of rust, pitting or tarnishing is allowed.

b. Any etchings or embellishments are still clearly noticeable.

4. Handle(s):

a. Some EDC scratches, a small chip or crack and some color fading on the handles is acceptable, but no pins/screws are missing.

b. Any inlays, shields or decorative embellishments should still be intact with only minor signs of wear.

c. A small amount of handle material wear is noticeable in certain areas on either side.

5. Other Items:

a. Springs, liners, and bails may have minor signs of scratches, rust, pitting or tarnishing visible.

GOOD CONDITION:

1. Knives that are in this category are usually well used but are still good working knives.

2. Blade(s):

a. Have been sharpened, but the blade may be slightly shorter or narrower than its original size.

b. Blades may be harder or looser to open/close and may show signs of some rust, pitting or tarnishing, but does not affect the use of the blade.

c. Tang markings are noticeably worn, but still readable.

3. Bolsters:

a. All bolsters shall be intact, some EDC scratches, rust, pitting or tarnishing and may be slightly dull or loose.

b. Any etchings or embellishments are still noticeable with some fading or wear.

4. Handle(s):

a. Handle may have some scratches, small cracks, but no major chipping or loss of handle material.

b. Handle inlays or shields may show signs of wear or damage but are still present.

c. There may be signs of the scales starting to separate at some points from the liners/springs.

d. Some color fading or wear on the handle texture/pattern will be common, but no pin or screws are missing.

5. Other Items:

a. Springs and liners may have scratches, rust, or tarnishing present.

b. Camping/Utility knives might have damaged or missing bails.

FAIR CONDITION:

1. Knives in this category must still be useable working knives.

2. Blade(s):

a. Blades have been heavily sharpened, but no more than 1/3 to 1/2 blade material loss.

b. Still has all blades even though they may be worn or shortened and could have an edge or point chipped, but still useable.

c. Blades may be much more difficult or even looser to open or close.

d. Rust and tarnishing may be present, and a blade may have moderate pitting.

e. You can still identify the maker by the tang stamp or shield even though there may be a lot of wear.

3. Bolsters:

a. Bolsters may have scratches, dents, rust or pitting with a dull surface appearance.

b. Any etchings or embellishments may or may not be visible due to wear or damage.

c. Bolster may be slightly loose.

4. Handle(s):

a. Handle inlays or shields may be missing.

b. Some scratches, cracks, or chips on edges or near pins, is likely.

c. Scales are starting to separate at some points from the liners/springs.

d. Color fading and a significant amount of wear on the texture/pattern is to be expected, but no more than one pin/screw may be missing.

5. Other Items:

a. Springs and liners may have scratches or rust and show a lot of tarnishing.

b. Camping/Utility knives might have damaged, replaced, or missing bails.

POOR CONDITION:

1. Knives in this category are questionable as to whether they should be used or not and to their safety.

2. Blade(s):

a. Blade material loss is over 50% of the original shape and size.

b. Blades may be very loose or difficult to open/close. They are usually much shorter, or one blade may be broken or missing.

c. Blade chips or deep scratches may be visible and may affect the blades use.

d. Some blades could have heavy rust, pitting and tarnishing.

e. Tang marks are barely readable if at all.

3. Bolsters:

a. Bolsters are dull, heavily worn, damaged or even missing.

4. Handle(s):

a. Handles may show heavy wear, deep scratches, chips, or missing pins.

b. Any inlays or shields may be heavily worn, damaged or missing.

c. Handle material is well worn from EDC and a scale may be missing.

5. Other Items:

a. Springs, liners, pins, or any other items may be damaged or missing.

JUST JUNK: Any knife worse than poor and no longer useable or even safe to use because of its condition. These knives are usually missing one or more parts and are worthless except for any salvageable part(s).

WARNING: Avoid possible personal injury and DO NOT use any pocket knife in this condition.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTIQUE, VINTAGE, AND COLLECTIBLE

There has been a debate for years on what these terms should represent. They mean different things to people in a wide variety of items that dealers sell, from cars to old six-shooters or fine art to bottle caps. In the strictest sense, the difference between an antique and a vintage item is its age. With Collectibles it’s not the age, but the desire or the demand.

I’ve spent a number of hours reading and researching this subject, and it’s clear to see that not everyone is going to agree on how these terms should be defined. I’ve taken from what seems to be the majority opinion and what makes good sense to me and written the following terms and descriptions. I’ll call them the:

Roberts Guidelines and Definitions for Antiques, Vintage, & Collectables

ANTIQUE

First lets look at the definition of an Antique? This would be an object of considerable age that is valued for its artistic or historical implications. To most antique dealers, the term “antique” is applied to items that are more than 100 years old from todays date.

As defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

1: a relic or object of ancient times

2 a: a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period

and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago

b: a manufactured product (such as an automobile) from an earlier period

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s publication on Works of Art, Collector’s Pieces, Antiques, and Other Cultural Property: “In order to qualify as an antique for CBP purposes, the article must be over 100 years of age at the time of importation.”

Therefore it is a commonly accepted standard that an object must be OVER 100 years old in order to be classified as an antique. Condition of an object has nothing to do with classifying an object as an antique. However condition and the rarity of an item will greatly play a part in determining the items value.

Vintage

Now lets look at a badly misused term, “Vintage.” The word literally means "of age" and was originally applied in the early 15^th century to the age of a bottle of wine. It was adapted from the Old French “vendage” (wine harvest) derived from the Latin “vindemia” (grape-gathering). Today it has been so freely misused throughout the antique and collectables market that it is now considered a part of the accepted vernacular. Most reputable dealers believe that it should only apply to items more than 40 years of age, but less than 100.

Collectible

Now we come to the term “Collectible.” The term is used loosely to describe an object that is less than 100 years old, is in high demand, and therefore of value, sometimes more than the item’s original retail cost. Some buyers incorrectly use the term collectible for an antique or vintage item. You can have an antique item that is 110 years old, but if there is no market demand for it, it’s simply an antique.

On the other side of that coin you can have an item that is any age and it is a valuable “collectible” because there is a high demand for it and collectors are willing to pay prices over the normal value. In fact you could have a “collectible” item before it even hits the marketplace i.e. “Bennie Babies” or “Cabbage Patch Dolls.”

Other Terms To Know

You will also hear of several other specific terms such as “retro” that is shortened from the words “retrograde” or “retroactive” which the original meaning references the past. Most dealers typically apply the term retro to items that are at least 20 years old, but not yet 40. People, like the “baby boom” generation believe this refers to the time period between 1950 to 1959 and items from that period.

Retro items are not from the past, instead they are objects that imitate the styles of the recent past. We’re not referring to copies or fakes being sold as real items from that time period, but items which are representations to the past. That Philco radio that looks like it came from the 1950’s, but was made in 2010. New jackets that look like a high school letterman’s jacket, but you just bought it at J.C. Penney.

You may also hear terms like “Repurposed.” An object that is being used or combined with another object for a new purpose. Also you will hear “Repro” or “Repops” which refers to “Reproductions.” They are copies of older items, not "fakes," because they are being sold as copies of much older things such as doorknobs, Coke products or cast iron toys.

Have you ever heard someone say something like “Antique dinosaur bone” or “Antique sword from ancient Rome?” Well, they meet the over 100 years old rule, but that’s not correct, even antiques have an age limit. Any item over 300 years old and is the remains or impressions of formerly living things are called fossils. If the items were manmade, they are called antiquities or artifacts.

CONCLUSIONS

Simply labeling something as an “antique,” “vintage,” or “collectible,” doesn’t set a price range for the value of an item. As in almost everything we buy, the value is determined more by whether there is a market or buyers demand for it. When it comes to purchasing items on the antique or collectible market, the buyer should do a lot of research on the items they are planning to collect before handing over a bundle of money and suffering a lot of disappointing purchases.

So, when you compare antiques to vintage or collectibles remember, antiques stand the test of time. Their value is more likely to remain stable. So called vintage or collectibles, however are priced more on the current demand of the market and their long term value is highly speculative. Be sure to exercise much more caution when investing in a vintage or collectible items as opposed to antiques.

These are books that will be helpful to the new collector or even the long time professional.

Folding Knives, Starting Your Collection:By David L Roberts

"If you're new to knife collecting this is the book to start with. Written with the new collector in mind, this book will provide you with some basic knife information, history of the folding knife and things to consider as you start your collection. As you read it enjoy some pictures from my own collection."

Folding Knives, Starting Your Collection

The Cutting Edge: Man's Most Important Invention:By David L Roberts

Enjoy beautiful pictures of hundreds of fixed and folding blade knives. A great addition to any book or knife collection or as a center piece for your coffee table or office desk.

Levine's Guide to Knives & Their Values, 5th Edition:Bernard Levine

"Long regarded as the bible for knife collectors, this new, expanded edition provides everything one needs to know to successfully collect knives. Knife collecting is a rapidly growing international activity where "finds" are still plentiful. The author is regarded by many as the leading full-time writer on knives and cutlery. He has refined and corrected information, as appropriate, on brands, models and overall cutlery history, while providing fully updated prices."

Levine's Guide to Knives & Their Values, 5th Edition

W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company:By Shirley Boser and John Sullivan, Foreword by John R. Osborne Jr.

"Still handcrafted in Bradford, Case knives are the most collected knives in the world. W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company contains photographs of Russ Case and his family, the factory, special knives, Case collector events, and even the Case car. Rare finds from the Case archives, employees, and family members help chronicle the company's incredible history."

At Arcadia Publishing

Knife Repair & Restoration:By Adrian A. Harris

"A 92 page Paperback. Contains black and white photos and illustrations. This book is written as a guide to the repair and restoration of knives. The knowledge contained in this book comes from several years of hard work, trial and error. With a little practice and patience one can become very proficient in cutlery work. Although problems will be encountered in the repair of a knife, this book is designed to help answer many of the questions that may arise."

Knives of the Hudson Valley:By Richard Langston

A look at the knives produced in New York’s Hudson River Valley from approximately 1840 to 2015. By the co-founder of the the Wawarsing Historical and Knife Museum, and author of The Collector’s Guide To Switchblade Knives. 46 full color pages.

Official Price Guide to Collector Knives 15th Edition:C. Houston Price & Mark D. Zalesky

"The Official Price Guide to Collector Knives is designed for all collectors, from novice to expert, and presents information about the hobby, its history, and value identifications. The 15th edition includes fully-updated prices, 50 pages of new listings, 100 new black-and-white photographs, and for the first time, an eight-page full-color insert."

Official Price Guide to Collector Knives 15th Edition

GOINS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CUTLERY MARKINGS:John and Charlotte Goin

This book is the result of over 30 years of work by John and Charlotte Goin. This "Encyclopedia" is the compilation of all previous books and extensive research to produce one of the best collections of knife companies and markings you will find. This is a reference book that every serious collector must have in their library.

Old Knives, Xx, and More:By Tom McCandless

"Author Tom McCandless, a longtime knife collector, explores the history of Case knives from their beginning to 1920 in Old Knives, XX, and More. He also chronicles his own experiences as a collector in building knowledge, networking with dealers and vendors, and finding answers to questions of value and authentication. If you want to know more about collecting knives-including pattern numbers, handle materials, grading conditions, and pricing-this book is an essential resource."

The Standard Knife Collector's Guide 6th Edition:Ron Stewart

"This book lists literally hundreds of manufacturers of cutlery from all over the world. The easy-to-use format allows the collector to become an expert in evaluating or appraising knives by using the RBR evaluation scales. There are overviews describing the histories of major knife companies, a section on commemoratives and limited editions, clubs and organizations, numbering systems, and a section on identifying knife patterns. This book is a must for the experienced as well as the new knife collector."

The Standard Knife Collector's Guide 6th Edition

Knives Digest 1:By Ken Warner & Bruce Voyles

Ken Warner and J. Bruce Voyles between them have edited or written over 50 books on knives and guns, edited over 400 issues of magazines, and have also claimed the highest awards within the cutlery industry. Both are Cutlery Hall of Fame members, both have received the Don Hastings Award from the American Bladesmith's Society and the Nate Posner Award from the Knifemakers Guild. These two awards are the highest awards given by those two leading organizations.