So You have decided you like toenails, so what’s next?
Deciding Your Collection’s Direction or Theme
So you have decided you want to purchase a toenail and are trying to decide which one to get. This is a common situation and I am frequently contacted for suggestions. There are several factors you must consider at this point before you jump right in.
Buy the Knives You Like
First, I would encourage you to buy what you like. Do you like new shinny ones or the older varieties that are showing their age? Different strokes for different folks- there is no right or wrong. Again it is what you like. The issue of your likes and do other collectors like your likes only really comes into play when you go to sale the collection. Also, you can take comfort in the fact that the toenail pattern is a popular pattern and unless you only buy JUNK toenails or an entire collection of plastic or celluloid handled toenails, folks will want to buy the knives when you do decide to sale.
See The Possibilities- Go To The List
The first place I would go is The List here at ElephantToenails.com. You will find many different makes and variations, plus there are actually different style toenails too. I don’t want to get too deep into all the specifics at this point and will stay somewhat general to begin with here, but when you go to The List you will see the different drop down menus for most of the different variations manufactured, like maker, style, handle material, color, etc.
Then I recommend you think about this- If you were to want to purchase additional toenails as you go, it is important to consider what I am going to call the direction or theme of your collection. Again keep in mind you are going to be buying what you like, so as you look through The List are there any factors that appeal to you the more. It is OK to begin with to have a hodge-podge of unrelated toenails.
Giving a little thought to the direction of a collection is healthy and will save you headaches and money in the long run.
Your budget is going to come into play immediately, and while it will probably grow as you get into toenails more and begin to appreciate other toenails (either make, handle materials, era, etc).
For now, buy the best you can afford at this point. I typically say, it is better to buy one knife that may be a little more expensive than to buy two or three that may be in lower quality (as a result of its condition, make or handle material, etc).
While I am not suggesting you attempt to determine how much you are willing to spend/invest in toenails over the next ten years, I am recommending you take other factors into consideration as you begin to select your first purchase or two.
Direction Options and Considerations
So, let’s talk about thinking through the variables you like about toenails as you approach your first purchase.
The Maker’s Pedigree
Do you like a particular maker (commonly called BRAND)? Not all BRANDS were made by the company stamped on the knife. Don’t be overly concerned about that for now, but I wanted you to be aware. Some collectors’ direction is by the maker of the knife, for example, New York Knife Company. They made very high quality knives. Their knives are stamped with their name on the knife, but they also made knives for other companies. Most NYKC toenails have their signature grooved bolsters. You will learn about what that means as you go but for now just understand collecting all NYKC made knives is a direction you could take. Maybe you live in New York or the Northeast US and want to buy makers who manufactured knives in your State or region, so that particular knife company would also be a candidate if you were to go that direction.
Handles
Other collectors go the direction of handle material. Say you want to collect only pearl handled toenails (note: this direction will be the most expensive on a per knife basis, but also recognize you won’t find but a few pearl toenails because they were rarely made due to the knife being made for hard manual labor or strenuous use. And pearl handles weren’t very practical on this pattern of knife, but I wanted to give you an example). It could be, on the other hand, you like all the different looks of bone handles- there are hundreds to choose from.
Lessor-Known Brands
Others go the route of what I am going to call obscure brands. This is a variation of BRAND (a subset actually). This direction is finding those brands that are the “lesser known” brands. This isn’t always true, but generally it is. The “name-brand” toenails are the most popular and most sought after by toenail collectors. You will learn quickly this list is made up of Case Brothers, Cattaraugus, W. R. Case, Napanoch, New York Knife Company, Platts and several others. There are dozens of small lesser known stampings, either of a manufacturer or hardware company, for example. Again, understand many of these toenails may have been produced for this particular firm by other cutlery firms (including some of the most popular makers, which is fine and doesn’t take away anything from its desirability in most cases).
Three Styles to Choose From
Even still another potential direction could be toenail styles. You will find toenail collectors commonly accept three distinct variations and all of these are found under Style in The List at ET.com. There you will find the Swellcenter, the Teardrop (or sleeveboard) and the Standard style toenail.
- The swellcenter is rare and expensive, but is highly sought after for many reasons, one of which is its age, particularly what is called the JUMBO Swellcenter. The Jumbo Swellcenters age is easily pegged because it will have one one of two company names stamped on it- C. Platts or W R Case. These toenails were produced around 1900 to 1905ish. Without getting into condition at this point, this style commands a premium and is highly desirable. Its sheer size (hence the term JUMBO) adds significant collector appeal too. I must mention a subset of the Swellcenter style, yet it is not a Jumbo. It is the Robeson Cutlery Company swellcenter style. It is highly desirably and difficult to find but really cool (see The List). It is not simply a smaller version of the JUMBO but does swell-out in the middle of the handles like the JUMBO.
- Then lets take the teardrop style. Here you will find a single Brand associated with this knife and it is Henry Sears and Sons (marked either Prussia or Germany). This is an unusual style and is viewed favorably by collectors, but not as much as the standard style. The Teardrop was made in different handle materials, but you will have a small collection once you acquire the handful of different variations (again see The List).
- The standard style is the most common and was produced the most and by more different cutlery firms. You can go to town with the wide variety of standard style toenails should you choose it as the single factor for the direction of your collection.
Not to take the fun out of it, but determine your budget
I must come back to budget now. If you are one of the few collectors who actually do budget your available allowance for your purchases (most just buy what they want and then get in trouble with their spouses later), then putting a little thought into the amount you can afford and or are willing to spend on this wonderful hobby is important. If you can justify spending $5000 or more a year then you can go many directions. If, on the other hand, it is going to be say $500 a year, you are going to be much more limited. Let me give you some examples. Again keep in mind we are talking the direction of your collection here.
We know that the older toenails tend to be the most expensive. Therefore, if the direction you take is for the old toenails, then you are going to need to realize your budget is going to be a major factor in the number of purchases you can make in a given year. I know we aren’t overly concerned with the quantity of knives we buy each year, but the point still needs made here. So back to the $5000 a year budget; you can purchase most individual toenails in collectible condition and depending on the other factors in your direction you can possible purchase several knives that year. On the other hand, if you decide you are limiting your direction to Jumbo Swellcenters, then you may only get a single knife that year. The truth is we are now crossing the $5000 threshold for a very high quality Jumbo as I write this.
On the other hand, if you are going after the “Dotted Series” Case toenails (made 1970 and after) then you will be able to acquire the entire collection of them quickly. Again, if you want to buy the New York Knife Company toenails (again in collectible condition), then you will be able to acquire a few (probably 2 to 4) on the $5000 a year budget.
The $500 a year budget is best limited to some of the “newer” makes, like Case Classics, W R Case Cutlery Co (post-1940, depending on condition, or after) or one of the brands that are not the “name brand” toenails. I would suggest you refer to the Vintage Toenail Price Guide for detailed info on the ranging of the brands to get a better feel for what I am saying here. There are several individual toenails and certain brands that are poised to appreciate as they have been under appreciated by collectors up to this point. For example, the W R Case XX (1940 to 1963ish) Red and Green bone are prime for collectors right now. There are many excellent knives for sale fairly regularly at shows and on eBay. Also, the W R Case XX USA (1964- 1969) most commonly found in wood handles but a few transition knives are found with brown bone. These also are excellent choices. On the brand side, personally I feel Cattaraugus, for example, is going to take off in the near term. Catt is a great brand and is one of the oldest toenail makers.
Stretch to Buy The Best
In closing, don’t be preoccupied with trying to accumulate a large collection, instead, focus on the the satisfaction you gain from the knives you purchase. Keep them visible so you can enjoy them. Don’t do like many collectors by keeping them stashed away. Also, focus on buying the best condition toenails you can find and afford. Obviously, the better the condition the more expensive it will be, but the higher demand and value it will be when you do decide to sell it too.
Check out Recent Sales on the main menu of ET.com to get a feel for past sale prices for those knife brands in their stated condition. This will give you an excellent idea for what toenails have recently sold for. I’m constantly working to keep that list updated with the most current sales.
Enjoy the hobby as you work at it
Remember as you build your collection….”It is the journey, not the destination.” Don’t think when you finally acquire your 10th or 100th toenail you are going to enjoy them anymore than you did when you acquired each one along the way, so take the time to immerse yourself in the satisfaction and accomplishment of each knife as you go.
Recent Comments