The News from ElephantToenails.com

Fellow ET Collectors

The News and our collector club are moving. Yes that’s right. We’ve got new digs over at iKnifeCollector with more room and a better location.

This decision won’t affect ET.com, only The News blog and our club. I’ll be blogging there on toenails from here on. Will leave up this blog and it’s archives.

iKnifeCollector offers the Elephant Toenail Collectors Club a better place to gather and talk. So, come join us there.

Oftentimes change is different, but in the long run iKC offers more advantages for our club and with greater capabilities than simply this blog format. We have our own forum too.

Come check iKnifeCollector out and once you join, look up under Groups on the main menu and find the Elephant Toenail Collectors Club. We’ll be waiting for you there.

Scott

Time to rally the troops, again- Please listen to this message from the Director of Communications of the American Knife & Tool Institute about the new threat to our knife rights.

It’s official now-

This is a video recorded to let the YouTube knife folks know about iKnifeCollector

The Grand Opening of iKnifeCollector- the new online knife community has not been announced yet, but a few folks are signing up already (Thanks Ken- the Secretary/Treasurer of the Elephant Toenail Collector Club).

So, let me offer you a sneak peek. iKnifeCollector is all about people- knife people- all knife people, young and old, tactical or antique collectors (and everything in between), and now we have us a special place to gather.

One of the cool features of our community there is the ability to form Groups. They are special gatherings of collectors with the same interest. I went ahead and formed us a group there and want you to join us. Look on the main menu for “Groups,” then click Elephant Toenail Collectors.

As time goes on, ETC will give us a place to gather and talk about topics of interest- real discussions, not just comments to one of my post like here at The News.

Groups is just one of about 15 really cool features of iKC, so head that way and become a Charter Member.

See ya there- but don’t tell anyone else about it yet…I’m still moving in myself and trying to get it ready.

If you haven’t yet you can read some details about iKC in my latest post at CNJ. Don’t let the tech talk make you think it is too geeky..cause it’s not. In fact, I’m even expecting Roger (the ETCC Vice President) to pop in there too.

I’m ready for you guys to discuss toenails, cause I know after over a year, you may be getting tired of me doing all the talking.

Here’s the link. See ya there.

Oh yeah, thanks for all the cards and flowers, but I am now over my recent agony.

After having my ear to the ground, I am convinced collectors are letting go of some high quality toenails right now.

Whether it is related to the economy or folks just cashing out, some very nice toenails have, and I believe will continue to, make their way to our attention.

Recently, we’ve seen a high quality Jumbo Swellcenter, a pearl Case Brothers, a stag Case Brothers, a few hardware brands and others come up for sale.

We have known there are some extremely rare and excellent conditioned toenails in collections out there. Most of these collectors stay below the radar.

My recommendation is to 1) Start setting aside a war chest of cash to be in a position to take advantage of these opportunities, 2) Start talking to anyone in the Knife World about what you are looking for, and 3) Watch all auctions- online or traditional. Attend as many shows as you can. We will probably have to find them and not expect them to come knocking on our door.

Now that the kids are in the other room playing on the Wii, I thought I’d tell you how it went this morn. Remember yesterday’s post about me buying myself the Case Brothers for Christmas? Well, it played out exactly like I told you it would. Exactly. 

Oh yeah, I got me a knife 

This morn after we went round and everyone opened their presents, I let them know I got myself a knife (from the family, of course). I had decided not to wrap up the knife and then open it during our “Christmas.”  

See here is the knife I bought me

Instead of taking the knife into the room and letting my four kids, wife and her parents, fondle it, I took my laptop (this sounds weird, I know) into the room and showed them my previous post here at The News, cause it had the picture of it.

After I quickly flashed it around the room, my wife was the only one to speak and sure ‘nuf she asked, “How much was it?” I knew it.

Words and their meanings

Let me ask you, how many is a “few?” I know a few isn’t as many as a “bunch,” or even as many as “several,” but what came out of my mouth was - “A few hundred.”

I’m still here 

I knew intriguing minds would want to know if I’d still be here (writing from my desk here in the house), or if I was going to be posting to The News wirelessly from the dog house.

I think the best way to tell you about my last three days is as a photolog, so here goes. The tale begins at Parker’s Knife Show, then a tour through the NKCA Knife Museum and finally, breakfast with some fellow Elephant Toenail Collector Club Members. Then I headed home.

Parker's Show Hall

C Platts Jumbo for sale by Joe Seale

National Knife Collection Museum

Platts History & Jumbo

Case Family Toenail

Case Brothers Toenail

Early Case Toenail

Henry Sears & Son Tear Drop Style

Napanoch Display featuring Toenail

Voyles Knife Auction

Just got back yesterday from Parker’s Show. Got lots to report, but I need to head out for the morning.

But, if you aren’t a subscriber to Knife World you got to get a copy. A wonderful front page article on toenails is there front and center by our toenail friend, Joe Seale. Also, in full techno-color is that wonderful old C Platts Jumbo he has for sale (got to see it in person at the show too!).

Anyway, you got to get a copy (Dec. 2008 edition), if for no other reason than to add the article to your toenail archive/library.

I’ll be back to report more about toenails, our toenail friends (and fellow ETCC members) at the show and more- later today (unless my honey-do list is real long, which in that case it might be midnight before I can update you on this weekend’s findings and great fellowship).

With all the goings-on in each of our lives, it is hard to keep up with, well, all the goings-on. So, I wanted to provide you the results of the three toenails sold last week in the J Bruce Voyles Auction.

• Lot 128- Case 7 Dot (”mint, except for a spiderweb or two”): $80
• Lot 249- Case Brothers (”very good, except pen blade repinned”): $232
• Lot 256- Cattaraugus (”excellent,” except for handle chips): $212

Granted, these three toenails may not have been “pristine mint”- but most old knives aren’t anyway; these prices seemed to be good deals.

I know there is a very cautious attitude most collectors of vintage knives take to buying “online,” but even still, I wouldn’t say that in and of itself would cause knives to sell below their true worth. While I didn’t see these knives in person, and do note the “condition description” provided, the Case Bros and Catt seemed to sell for less than they should have.

 As I shared with you in my last post- you know the one about the many branches of the tree trunk, my interest in bringing knife news and interesting tidbits to knife collectors has branched out. I have published a new weblog called Cutlery News Journal. 

You guys have supported me greatly here at The News and I appreciate the encouragement expressed to me in this effort. One thing I have learned during that time is while I have a tremendous interest in all things related to elephant toenails, I have experienced a growing interest in knives and cutlery history on a broader scale.

The Cutlery News Journal will provide me an avenue to share with all collectors, of all types of knives, news relating to all of knife collecting. You know I have worked very hard to keep The News as toenail specific as possible. I have intentionally passed up on other topics in an effort to stay true to my original goal here at The News. 

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