From stamps, to model cars, to ceramic frogs, there are nearly as many things to collect as there are items in which people are interested. What’s more, the origins of each collection are as personal and unique as the owners. Some collections begin with a childhood present that blossoms into a lifelong pursuit. Other collections start with the purchase of a trinket in a souvenir shop. The one thing all collectors share is a willingness to devote considerable resources to their hobby.
To outsiders, a collection can appear to be an eccentricity, not to mention a waste of time and money. But people have good reasons for collecting things, says Lisa Sebenick, business manager of the National Knife Collector’s Association. For example, some collectors are drawn to the aesthetic value of the items they amass. “Imagine you’re holding an 80-year-old Green Bone knife in your hands, and as you look at it, you picture someone sitting in a factory in 1930, jigging the bone on the handle. The artistry that went into that knife was amazing,” she says.
Like most enthusiasts, Seb-enick speaks a language that would sound foreign to those who are not in the know. But she also has the presence of mind to explain her terminology. “Jigging the bone,” she says, is the process of carving slits into a knife handle for decorative purposes or to give a smooth surface more grip. Some collectors are drawn to the thrill of the hunt, and are willing to expend considerable effort acquiring those objects. One NKCA member collects only unique W.R. Case & Sons tang stamps from 1890 forward. Other members collect Buck Knives, or antique pearl handle knives, or silver fruit knives from England. The list goes on and on, as it does for any category of items people collect. Some people collect things for their monetary value, which can increase over time. For these individuals, collecting is primarily an investment. Sebenick says smart, opportunistic, and patient collectors can reap a tidy profit. “We started selling Club Knives in 1975. We made 1,200 of the first one we sold. It was a three-blade Kissing Crane Knife with a stag handle. Back then, we sold it for $12.50. Today, it’s worth $875.”
That’s a fair sum, but there are collectors for whom money is not a concern. One such gentleman would be Dr. J.W. Rosenthal, who donated his entire knife collection to the NKCA museum, a 40,000 square foot space in Sevierville, Tenn., with over 11,000 pieces dating as far back as 200 B.C. There’s a hint of awe and respect in Sebenick’s voice as she speaks of the man. “He was 8-years-old when he came into the possession of a Boy Scout knife. He then started collecting souvenir knives from the places to which he traveled. By the time he died, he’d visited every country in the world except one, and his collection was worth one and $1.5 million.”
Rosenthal donated his knives to the museum because he was more interested in preserving the history of the cutlery he’d collected than capitalizing on its worth, Sebenick says. Although collectors have similar motivations for accumulating items, they can’t be identified by age, gender, or socioeconomic status. Rather, they come from all walks of life, Sebenick says. “Our members include doctors, lawyers, and farmers. We have men, women, children, and grandparents.”
Despite their differences, the love these people have for knives has drawn them together. This tightly knit community is what drew Sebenick, who’s worked for the NKCA for 23 years, to the organization. “These people are my family. The camaraderie is unbelievable,” she says. While the social component of collecting is important to some people, the convenience of the Internet has led to the emergence of hundreds of small local groups. It’s also resulted in lower attendance at shows, as many collectors now buy and trade online. At its height, the NKCA had 15,000 members worldwide and would host an average of 400 tables per show. Now, those numbers have dwindled to 3,500 members and about 175 tables per show. The online phenomenon has also given rise to counterfeiting, in which someone makes and sells knives that look like a revered brand, but is actually worthless. The best ways to avoid such a scam, Sebenick says, is to buy a knife at a show.
One could also join the NKCA, as one of the perks of membership is a free 512-page book that explains how to avoid purchasing a counterfeit Case knife. Becoming a member also entitles a person to purchase one of the organization’s custom knives. It might be just one knife, but that’s all it takes to start a collection. That, and a geek-like passion for something others might consider an eccentricity.