At Exquisite Knives, we’re all about investing, collecting, and trading in high quality hand crafted knives. However, there are some knives that are easier to shop for and there are some that are harder. If you’re looking for a hand crafted hunting knife, it’s a bit easier than if you were shopping for an all-purpose collectible pocket knife. Many assume that if you’re shopping for a pocket knife that as long as it has all the bells and whistles, they’re fine, but that’s simply not the case.

Pocket knives are one of the most useful tools that mankind has ever constructed, and their value is un-paramount when you consider the capabilities of the right piece. They’ve been around for thousands of years as multi-use tools, and choosing the right one can be really difficult. The reason choosing the right pocket knife is so hard is because they’ve evolved so much from the initial designs.

The initial design being a double bladed pocket knife; no bells, no whistles.

With pocket knives, there are a few primary blades to choose from when you go on your collection adventure, and those include:

• Tanto Blades
• Clip-Point Blades
• Non-Serrated Blades
• Stainless Steel Blades
• Carbon Steel Blades
• Drop Point Blades
• Serrated Blades

Now, the steel of the blade is one of the key points to consider when investing in a collectible pocket knife. The steel, although a difficult concept to keep interesting, is crucial. Some of the key points when choosing the right blade steel revolve around what you intend to use the blade for. If you’re just going to take it out of the case for opening moving boxes, then a wear resistant alloy will do because those are more abrasive materials to cut through.

Keep in mind that stainless steel blades will rust. Pocket knives require more maintenance than your other handcrafted knives because there are more components within it. Pocket knives are a multipurpose device, so you’ll need to oil the joints regularly, as well as keep them in a temperature controlled environment.

If you’re looking to collect a high quality pocket knife that will only grow in value, then there are a few different types that you want to look out for and those include the Barlow Knife, the Congress Knife, a Canoe Knife, an Elephants Toenail, and a Stockman. All of those are the most traditional pocket knives on the market, some of them far more difficult to find than other, so if you get your hands on one and make the investment, make sure to properly maintain it.