So every now and then a famous auction house (Rock Island ) has some very old airguns among the vast arsenal they sell and I'm always looking for the unique odd and just plain cool ones . Well being an auction house they sell knifes, swords and other things . I've always enjoyed learning about the history of the piece and the maker .
Now being a man I've always loved knifes but not really a collector as much as a user . Until I met Gary Barnes I didn't really follow any master blade smiths or their knifes . At the auction coming up is a collection of knifes from the 50's~60's by Bob Loveless .

There are 11 knifes displayed in a case . Now these are all fixed blades but you could walk right by and really not even notice that it was anything special except they are in a display case all together . In the description and value estimate the numbers are $85,000 - $120,000 . Holy smolly that's serious cash ! Now remember Im not up on all the knife makers past and present but that guy RW Loveless must have been something . Now if I were to have walked by a table with a bunch of knifes on it , I'm sure I would have laughed and thought that guys crazy for that price .

This brings me to the story that happened yesterday at work . There's one guy who has a small bottle of marvel mystery oil in his tool box . I asked him once or twice a month for a drop or two to lube the Barnes I'm carrying . It's also a good time to brag and play some show and tell ! He told me he was looking at a knife at the store for ........ Wait for it $69.99 . And nope too much money .

That's exactly how I felt when I saw the 11 knifes at Auction house but I'm sure some one will enjoy their purchase .
The thing we both have in common is we are not collectors but like to use and have a good value . I

I for one will buy every Barnes knife that I can afford and USE in my daily grind . And then I'm going to make a display board for them !



Thanks
Kurt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2016 12:40PM by kurt wag.

Hey Kurt,
What a great story. I grew up hearing about Loveless knives, but even years ago they were to expensive to buy. He was a trendsetter of sorts and his quality was high. That is quite a collection to find them all together as a set. Just like your Barnes collection will be! Thanks for the info.
Later,
Jeff

That is some serious money, especially considering that all the knives there are pretty basic variations a common theme.

Kurt,

Loveless is a legend and I remember reading about his knives is some magazines back in the 70's and if I remember correctly you could pick up a Loveless blade for a couple hundred dollars back then. Always wished I could own one. Now you have to be careful not to buy a fake.

I was looking at blades at Nordic Knives yesterday and they are listing a number of used Loveless blades at a price of $4K - $13K, which isn't bad for something that retailed for far, far less. Knives can be a good investment, as proven by the current value of knives from Loveless, Randall, and other early american knife makers compared with their original sale price. But like any investment, you have to know what you are buying and know that knives are a long term investment, sometimes multi-generational investments.



Keith

Kurt,
Hey very intresting story! I never knew loveless blades were so sought after.... When I was a kid my father had a small fixed loveless blade, I remember looking at it wishing I had one too lol.. Not sure what happend to it over the years. Thanks for sharing your story brought back some good memories.

Matt