There is a large market for collectibles of all kinds; one hardly needs to be reminded of the massive success of the internet as a marketplace to understand this – the internet is a destination for shoppers precisely because of the relative ease of finding collectible items which heretofore had been very difficult to find. Naturally, this has been a boon to hobbyists of all stripes and this most certainly includes those whose passion is custom folding knives.

Of course, you need not be a hard core hobbyist to be thrilled by the fine craftsmanship and history behind custom folding knives, many of which were crafted by small companies all over the country; there is also a market internationally for custom folding knives. These are one of the easier old collectibles to find in general; pocket knives were once an item almost universally carried by people, although this has become quite a bit less common these days.

It’s easy to see the appeal of collecting custom folding knives for serious collector and the more casual lover of old items alike. Even if one is not interested in putting the knife on display in curio cabinet or the like, there are plenty of other great ideas for custom folding knives.

If you’re like this author, you may have fallen in love with a custom folding knife at an old shop or estate sale and restored it to the point where it can be used as one’s own pocket knife for day to day use – and a surefire conversation starter in social settings! How about as a Father’s day gift. Your dad is sure to love a custom folding knife, especially if it is a make or model popular in his own youth. In fact, custom folding knives make great gifts for any occasion. Both practical (if intended for use) and an objet d’art in and of itself, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t be delighted by such a unique gift.

Of course, there is a huge collectors market for custom folding knives. Some collectors specialize in particular brands or models, such as the pocket knives made by the Union Cutlery Company of Olean, New York (the originators of the Ka-Bar knife used by the United States military). Others collect knives from  a specific time period, even in custom folding knives made in a certain region! The possibilities are many – there were at one time a great many companies in the U.S. alone engaged in the manufacture of pocket knives.

Whatever your angle on collecting or reason for interest in custom folding knives, there is certainly a lot to like about these beautifully crafted and in some cases, still useful collectibles. There is not nearly enough room in this article to tell you all about the many different types of custom folding knives out there, but hopefully we’ve managed to pique your interest in learning more.