Knives Books

I found a cigar box full of old pocket knives in my mother in laws attic. I wanted to learn more about them and what they might be worth. This book answered that question easily while also sparking some interest in acquiring other similar knives of value. I would recommend it or "Official Price guide to collector knives" by Price to anyone wanting to know more about pocket knives they might have.

What I didn't like about this book was the poor quality pictures and sketches for many of the knives, they were of copier type quality. But they were good enough for me to learn what I wanted to know.

Positives: Comprehensive overview of the various manufacturers. Good valuation system that gives direction on which brands are more desirable. Decent discussion of knife care. Good glossy color insert.

Cons: Does not discuss the history of various patterns(Stockman,Trapper, etc.), but this seems beyond the scope of the book (find an old copy of Bernard Levine's Guide to Knives...either the 3rd or 4th edition). A general overview of patterns and their intended use would be nice.

This book will get you headed in the right direction of knife collecting. This combined with the Bernard Levine book mentioned above is all you need unless you specialize in a brand. There are Case, Cattaraugus, etc... specific books. As to some other comments, I guess I knew this didn't cover fixed blade knives, but I guess it should be "The Standard Pocket Knife Collector's Guide."

Other than proposing to be a knife price guide, this book has no information about knives, other than a very cursory overview, for someone who knows absolutely nothing about knives. The book fails miserably in its attempt to be an informative price guide. The concockted mathematical formula for determining a knife's value is devoid of reality. In the case of certain brands, such as "Case" and "Cattaraugus", the values are so far below real world values that the book is almost entertaining as a jest. Someone who wants to learn about knives and gain a feel for their values would best be served by getting a copy of Levine's 4th Edition. I wish I had read my own review before I purchased this book.

Excellent in every way. The authors have incorporated years of common sense in their advice. The rating scale is a stroke of genius. Thank you.

The fifth updated edition of The Standard Knife Collector's Guide remains a 'must' pick for any who would regularly consult a 'bible' of knife values and history. Over seven hundred pages pack in details on major knife companies, issues, collectible ratings, current stampings and more, with small black and white photos and illustrations enhancing the book's reference value for collectors. It's a specialty item to be sure - but knife collecting is one of the most popular collector's items and so this book is sure to see ongoing interest for any collector library patron.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is so full of information. The illustrations are great, and this was such remarkable facts about several types of prehistoric arrowheads. It is a great glimpse that unearths the tools of the past.

Very disappointed with this, it is a republication of a pre 1900 tome on lithics, which contains not a thing new or interesting. Mostly line drawings which are not of quality. Major disappointment, waste of my time and money.

This treasure of a book is a huge survey of prehistoric stone weapons, amazingly rendered in what must be hundreds of artfully detailed line drawings.
The wonderful Helen Marshall Thomas frames the material perfectly.
Besides having hours of fun with it, I came away with the strange sense of empathy and understanding for the prehistoric peoples who fashioned these early stone tools.

I am so happy I bought this book. The line drawings are breathtaking. The writing is fascinating. This is truly a relic that I'm glad has been brought back to life for historians, collectors, etc.

Small but pretty book that will show you a lot of pretty pocket knives, mostly of European origin. If you want to see all the different types of pocket knives and how they evolved, this is an interesting book. If you are trying to learn more about American made pocket knives or identify the knife you have, this is not the book you want.

I disagree with the reviews of this book:

Of course, it is Euro-centric in nature, with a focus
on French regional patterns. It lacks detailed descriptions.
It doesn't include much modern knives, and its selection
is more interested in displaying generic modern patterns
rather than discussing modern masters or knife-factories.

Then again, this book extends Levine's small section
on historic patterns outside the US; which is quite
interesting and one of the few texts/images on French
and even some South-European patterns.

This is especially important when you consider that the
so-called US-patterns from Canoe to Stockman
(aren't those "merely" simple 19th century European patterns
from Sheffield/Solingen!?) actually only cover a very small
part of the spectrum from medieval patterns to industrial
revolution patterns, both in time as well as in design space.

So for me, this translation of Pascal's book nicely complemented
Levine's Guide. However it is not about collectible US-local knives
for the pure collector of old US patterns.

So I'd like to give 6 points, to the combination
of the 2 books, 5 points to Pascal and Levine individually,
and deduct a point each from both the English publisher and Amazon
for misrepresenting the nature of this book.

This is a collection of color photos of knives from around the world and of the last 200 or so years. As a knife collector and seller I will buy any book with knife and collectable in the title. I am usually rather harsh on books that aren't what they should be. This is not one of them. Nice pictures, most completely doped (the background is white) so there is nothing to compete with the knife. Nothing in here about collecting, buying, selling or values. Any custom knifemaker should have one of these, there are a bunch of good ideas in there. Having this book can save you tons of money travelling to museums both here and on the continent; which of course you can spend on more knives. I didn't find anything in this book that I wouldn't want to own.

The author is French. Most of the knives are French. Although the author makes a half-hearted attempt to include international knives, it is very feeble. The American made knives are overshadowed by the French ones, because, the author chooses, for some reason (I wonder why) to include American made knives that are mostly inferior to the industry's standards. Not all of them are inferior,that's why I gave this book two stars instead of one. But the vast majority are. The French knives, on the other hand, are often far better made, or more exquisite. This is peculiar, because France has far worse knife laws than the U.S., and thus would have far less of that sort of knife. And it does. This book instils a false sense of French dominance in the cutlery industry, by giving grossly disproportionate view of the world of knives. Most of the French knives are also quite old, giving the author another chance to proclaim the vast collectability of French knives compared to other knives. If you're from France, this book will be music to your ears; otherwise don't buy it.

I have every edition of the "KNIVES" annuals since the first one came out in 1980. As a knifemaker and collector I like to keep up with the state-of-the art knives that these amazing makers present in this book. The photos are plentiful and the paper quality of these softcover books has greatly improved since editor Joe Kertzman has taken over the helm. If you like knives in all their glory, then all of these books are highly recommended. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I feel that Mr. Kertzman gets a little "ornate" in some of his descriptions. Let the knives speak for themselves, Joe. Hee hee.

Not the book I wanted. I wanted a book listing Case and Buck knives values. My mistake.

I decided to buy this book basing on the pictures of the knives inside. Once received, the pictures are worth more than the price I have paid for. Details with each knife is the extra bonus to the owner. Very good especially for custom knife collectors, and myself as a trader on ebay's -unclevit- listing store. I will buy more from this writer, perhaps every year. Recommend. Good Value.

By the subtitle of this book you are lured to think that this is work was aimed to be used by professionals, whose job puts them in dangerous situations,
and it can do that, but at the conclusion of it the author admits that this book is intended for civilians, and there is nothing wrong with that, except that I would have preferred to have the entire book written for professionals and to include a chapter to address civilian's matters. This book really covers the basics and provides you with valuable information, but I do feel that sometimes some concepts that needed more detail were left unexplained. It seems like the author tried to bank on a trend in the market, this produced a regional and highly dated book instead of one that could be used trough time and worldwide; several sources are listed, but half of them must be obsolete by now and more in the future, but as another writer puts it, trying to provide contacts is a never ending chore; one of the things I really dislike is that it might mention a knife because of its qualities but not include a picture of it, this is very disappointing.
I do like when the author reviews knives, even though that I might never be able to get one them for any reasons, but by doing so he gives
guidelines for features to look for in the ones I have available.
For the author the best fighting and combat knife might be a 9 to 10 inches bladed knife, with a clipped double edged point that in USA is known as a "Bowie", for purely combat/utility chores he recommends a 6 to 7 inches knife, single edged.

As a beginning knife enthusiast...I found that the book provided valuable basic information in choosing a knife, but the book is a bit outdated. Due to new knife manufacturing technology, there are more knives to choose from, improvements in quality, better handles and blade materials, and upcoming bladesmiths entering the field. Overall, a good book, but maybe Mr. Walker can come out with a millenium edition on Battle Blades.

This book tells you about all of the unconventional ways to obtain the maximum benifit from your blades. Doesn't bore with scientific details of certain metals, or what company of the month you should buy from. Tested many of the techniques in the field- they work.

I like to be fair and open minded but I don't feel that this book is that practical for the average reader. There is good information here but I have seen this book at military uniform stores for years and I just don't feel that it is that "readable". For the price you can get it at on Amazon.Com it is worth it but there are technical aspects of this book that the average reader will not be able to do without hands on instruction in my opinion. Photos are OK, font and writing style are below average. Would I want to this manual in the bush with me? Yes...but personally I wouldn't expect it to be the "tell all-how to" handbook on using knives.

By 1934, the new German President and Fuhrer of the Nazi party faced competition for power and control from a source that he had once relied upon to grease his way to control over the German state. This now unreliable source was the rowdy Sturmabteilung, the SA, the brown-shirted bully boys who had bashed in the heads of many an anti-Hitler opponent since the inception of the Nazi party in the early 1920s. They numbered in the millions, but from Hitler's point of view they were fast becoming a nuisance. They were wild, unpredictable, hooliganistic, and rumored to be rife with homosexual leaders. Somehow they had to go, and go they did. Max Gallo, in his NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES, details a sequence of events that had been building up for years since the 1920s, finally culminating in an orgy of the slaughter of the top leaders of the SA during the weekend of Saturday, June 30, 1934 to Monday, July 2.
Gallo begins 'in medias res' with the incarceration and execution of targeted SA officers:
Edmund Schmidt, Gruppenfuhrer, SA shot
Hans Joachim von Spreti-Weilbach, Standartenfuhrer, SA shot
Hans Peter von Hydebreck, Gruppenfuhrer, SA shot
Hans Heyn, Gruppenfuhrer, SA shot
August Schneidhuber, Obergruppenfuhrer, SA shot
The ranks listed above were all of high rank, mostly brigadier general or higher. The same day, the leader of the SA, Ernst Roehm, the most powerful man in Germany after Hitler, the commanding officer of a body of armed men many times larger than any other uniformed corps in Germany, was then begging for his life in a filthy jail cell. He was offered a pistol to kill himself. When he declined, one of the most vicious of sadists in the Schutzstaffel, the black-garbed SS, Theodore Eicke, blew a hole in Roehm's head with that same pistol.
Gallo describes the events of that weekend on a daily and near hourly basis. Each of his many chapters is a blueprint for the killing of those who should have kept their eyes and ears open to the clear signals that Hitler had been sending out. Adolf Hitler felt threatened by the demands of the masses of the SA who were complaining that now was the time for massive social upheavel in Germany. They shouted for jobs in the civilian sector, for posts of high rank in the regular army, and for a broom to sweep out from power those whom they deemed unreliable.
Gallo notes Hitler's inability to eliminate the SA until he had the backing of the Wehrmacht, which would act in concert with the one force upon which he could rely absolutely, the SS,under Heinrich Himmler. Hitler had to mollify Ernst Roehm until he was ready to use his long knives. Gallo documents a letter from Hitler to Roehm dated December 31, 1933, which concludes with, 'I must thank you, Ernst Roehm, for the inestimable services you have rendered to nationalism and the German people.' While writing this letter, Hitler was getting ready for the events of the June 30 weekend. Within the space of that time, hundreds of SA were rounded up and summarily shot. The newspaper headlines following that weekend blared out in huge headlines: TRAITORS OF SA SHOT! Hitler's grip on power was now secure.
THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES details what had been only before sketchily known, the day by day elimination of those who truly thought themselves to be in the front line of Hitler's best defense against Jews and godless communists. Almost to a last man, they thought that the order to kill had originated with someone other than Hitler. Most died shouting 'Heil Hitler' even as the bullet crashed through their thick skulls. Max Gallo's book serves as a minor seer for the next decade. If the Fuhrer could so easily eliminate those closest to him, then what about those in the SS who survived the purge? Their survival, as it turned out, was only temporary as they learned that a long sharp blade often cuts in both directions.

Shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, he found that the Sturmabteilung (SA) which had helped bring him to power was becoming a catastrophic liability for him. It had failed to maintain internal discipline against corrupt practices, and many of its leaders were openly homosexual. Further, the SA wanted to merge with the army, and have its members granted equivalent ranks in the army (for which many were unqualified). The SS had its own axe to grind. Gallo's "The Night of Long Knives" explains how these problems all came together and culminated in the eradication of the hierarchy of the SA, and left Hitler as the uncontested Fuhrer.

Gallo gives a good discussion of the substantial, but often overlooked, socialist element within the early National Socialist movement, and its conflicts with the bourgeous forces Hitler ultimately allied himself with. Hitler's stance on economic policies is presented as being essentially one of political expediency, which is hard to reconcile with Hitler's extensive philosophical discussions in "Mein Kampf" about socialist economic experiments.

There is also a moderate amount of discussion of the early predecessors of the concentration camps, which were primarily small facilities housed in vacant basements and the like. (Read carefully, and notice that one of the camps has the same name as a well known record company.)

The book is of intermediate length, and has pictures of Roehm and his entourage (but nothing explicit). Its literary format is based on each chapter starting off with the events of a few hours of the several days of the "Night of Long Knives", and then spending the rest of the chapter discussing events leading up to the event over the previous year. This jumping back and forth is quite gimmicky, and detracts from the book.

This book came very highly recommended from Amazon readers but I disagree. The writing is hard to understand, 1918 was'nt that long ago,there's no need for the hard to understand language. Also he does'nt describe other characters well, More confusion! mediocre story about a topic that doesn't have nearly as much written about it as ww2.

Trench Knives And Mustard Gas: With The 42nd Rainbow Division In France by historian Hugh S. Thompson consists of his personal memoirs of fighting in the trenches of World War I. Informed and informative, this is the story of a young man who entered the U.S. Army in 1918 as an officer and served with the 42nd Rainbow Division -- which was one of the first units to secure a sector of the line along the Western Front and experience the horror of mustard gas attacks by the Germans. Thompson barely survived the lethal battles of Lorraine, Champagne, and St. Mithiel, suffering severe wounds to the arm, leg, and back on three separate occasions. He was eventually awarded the Silver Star, the French Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters. Ably written with a personal intensity and realism, this battlefield memoir was originally published in 1934 in the "Chattanooga Times". This new edition from Texas A&M University Press has been enhanced with a superb introduction by historian, academician, and World War I expert Robert H. Ferrell. Vivid, insightful, and very strongly recommended reading, this memoir (Thompson died in 1961) is an enduring tribute to the hardships and horrors, comraderie and dedication, that were so characteristics of life and death on the western battlefields of World War I.

Originally published in 1989, and now revised and updated by edged-weapons expert Michael D. Janich, Switchblade: The Ace Of Blades is a solid history of switchblades and their marketing for automatic knife collectors, historians, and users. From the evolution of new locking and release mechanisms, to the differences between modern gravity, butterfly, and one-handed opening knives, switchblade law. A sprinkling of black-and-white diagrams and photographs enhance this superlative reference and resource.

Don't bother with this one. The illustrations are poor and there should have been more photographs of interesting knives. The material is very general and sketchy. A book that goes into a great amount of detail on any particular part of the subject would be more interesting and useful. I think most people would prefer a book showing in detail the mechanics of switchblades and some of the pattent drawings. A book about collectable button knives and their values might be popular too. I would like to read more about the Estes Kefauver and the motivations of other people in office that write and pass stupid laws regulating pocket knives.

My seven year old nephew could have done a better editing job. If the text weren't such a compilation of useless nonsense, I'd say the Paladin editor (if there actually is one)owes Mr. Benson an apology. This book was so horribly put together (misplaced paragraphs, missing words, sentence fragments, etc.) I almost want to believe that this was a vanity printing. If so, I hope the author didn't pay too much.

One of the few times I have felt that I have truely wasted my money -- I learned more about switchblades by looking at the ones I have. Drawings are minimal, with essential information left to the imagination. Sad that it is not more informative in detail.

This book explains the history, legal, and mechanical aspects of switchblades. I found it to be interesting to the point where I read it in one sitting. Some parts weren't as good as others; however, I do not regret adding a copy to my library.

The first thing to notice is a lack of an index. Why call something a guide if you don't provide a way to find information? The book, called an Identification and Value Guide covers only four brands of knives. It would better be called an extensive look at Case Knives and short look at a few others. If you are looking for a general guide for collecting knives, there must be better books available.

The book covers mostly Case and four other makers. It is
advertized as a guide to help you identify and date individual
knives or whole collections. If your collection is limited to
these five makers then you could be satisfied,however if you
collect throughout the industry you will want a refund. It should be described properly.

Jim Sargent's book, American Premium Guide to knives and razors is not a let down if you are into Case or Queen knives. If you have bought other guides and been disappointed by how many advertisements were in it you will be very happy with this book because there are none.

Most of the pictures are black and white but they are detailed and easy to see. There are color pics and these are quite good but few. Even still, going through the pictures is akin to walking into a knife museum.

There are sections in the book for Crandall and Remington but not as detailed or lengthy as the Case and Queen sections. Still these smaller sections are very good compared to anything else I've found.

The Case fixed blade section of this book is about as good as any I have ever run across with information I have never found anywhere else for any price. This section even details the differences in sheaths from different eras and how to date the knife by the sheath if necessary.

I would recommend this book to any Case, Queen or Remington collector. It is not going to cover other manufacturers in detail so if you are looking for values on your Spyderco knives this is not the book you want. What it does cover for the Case, Queen, and Remington collector is perhaps some of the most comprehensive and detailed information for these knives as you can find anywhere at this writing. It is a great guide for these brands.

I've said, "WOW, I did not know that" more times since acquiring this book than any other knife guide I've ever purchased.

No one book can completely cover even one subfield of knife collecting and values anymore, but this is probably one of the five or six essential reference works for knife collectors. I bought it mainly because I've been a case collector in the past, and it's also especially strong on pocket knives, and Case is the most well known and most collectible of the factory production pocket knives. The book covers all the other main names in that field, including Buck, Schrade, Remington, Queen, Camillus, Parker, Kershaw, Schatt and Morgan, Winchester, and many other lesser known names. But it also covers fixed blades, limited editions and semi-custom, and custom knives are covered as well. But this book is considered to have the strongest coverage of any collector's book on Case, and it's probably an essential reference work for any Case and other American pocket knife collector.

I will be returning this book. I should have read the reviews before buying because one reviewer described what I just discovered with the arrival of "Knives and Razors." It is a huge, detailed encyclopedia of Case (307 pages), with a bone-thrown to Queen/Shatt & Morgan (84 pages), and Remington (86 pages). It is advertised as an all-encompassing guide to American knives. It is not, although Case collectors will love its focus/detail.

I collect vintage knives, mostly the Texas toothpick pattern, but not Case. An incomplete list of manufacturers in my collection includes Parker, Buck, Ka-Bar, Shrade, Robeson, Hammer Brand, Imperial, Camillus, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, Smokey Mountain, A.G. Russell. NONE of these brands are given a word in the "American Premium Guide to Knives and Razors."