The Devon Buy Collection of Knives and Bladed Instruments
Knives make great collectable items, and with the array of styles for fixed-blade and folding knives, there are the various blade steel types, handle materials, method of deployment, lock mechanisms and sheath.
I lost my 20-year-old Cressi-sub RC550000 Super Totem whilst out at sea in 2013.
It is with these in mind that I buy and collect knives – by manufacturer, steel type, lock and element materials.
I have been collecting knives for about 30 years now, mainly modern works and production. Although my parents had always objected to the idea of me carrying knives, my first knife was actually given to me by dad – a multi-tool – at the tender age of 10; and mother bought me a hunting knife a year or two after that.
I have not seen these knives for some 25 years now, but these were the knives that spurred the interest, and ultimately resulted in this collection. Some noteworthy knives from the collection such as the Cressi-sub RC550000 Super Totem (above), and a Gerber military dagger which I had purchased in Munich in the summer of ’98, have been lost or misplaced.
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Nevertheless, the collection continues to grow, and especially so in the last few years. I lost the Cressi-sub fairly recently, and due to this incident, I felt it is best that the collection be photographed and recorded. Today’s article will be a showcase of what is left of my collection.
A quick glance at some of the knives in the collection, as many as my sofa will allow space for.
The Collection of Knives – A Quick Glance
The knives are organised based on the type and category which they fall into:
FIXED-BLADE KNIVES
FOLDING KNIVES
BUTTERFLY KNIVES
MULTI-TOOLS
The number of missing knives is recorded in the last box under each category.
1. FIXED-BLADE KNIVES
2. FOLDING KNIVES
3. BUTTERFLY KNIVES
4. MULTI-TOOLS
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The specifications of each knife are provided further below.
For each knife below, click on the Photo or Make/Model (blue link) for a review with more details and photographs. On these pages, a photo of the knife held in the hand is shown (where available) so that the dimensions may be visually estimated. The exact dimensions of the blade, handle and overall lengths are given in the caption of such photos at the end of these pages.
Recommended Retail Price (RRP) and value of each knife is given below as at time of purchase, and approximate conversion to local currency based on exchange rate as at end of first quarter of 2015 (USD1.00 = MYR3.70 approx).
1. Fixed-Blade Knives
Many of my fixed-blade knives are bought for their aesthetics, although some have been really put to rigorous use in the wilderness and open sea.
Folding knives form the bulk of my knife collection, and I buy these mainly because they are utilitarian and portable at the same time. Some of the better ones are also works of art in the way they were designed and constructed. They present the most varied of options, and are interesting to accumulate. Most of these have served as an Every Day Carry (EDC) knife for me at some point in time. I collect these by the manufacturer, construction (steel type and handle material), and lock mechanism type.
Remaining 5 of the 6 balisong butterfly knives in the collection.
These are mainly butterfly knives popularly known as the balisong, an ancient art which originated in the Philippines around 800 AD. I had about 6 of these knives, one of which have been misplaced over a span of 20 years, leaving the remaining five below in my collection. I spent a few years learning this art during my teenage years, and remember practising a particular difficult airborne flip with these knives on one afternoon, resulting in sixteen cuts and stab wounds on the palm of my right hand all within an hour. Oh, what fun is art if effort is not spent in attaining its perfection…
My Victorinox Swiss Army Knives and merchandises deserve a page of their own, and are presented in The Devon Buy Collection of Victorinox Swiss Army Knives. Here below, the Leatherman Surge shares the section with these wonderful multi-tools.
Make:
LEATHERMAN
Model:
SURGE
Model No.:
830160
Length:
115 mm (4.50″)
Height:
20 mm (0.79″)
Weight:
335 g (12.5 oz)
Blade Material:
420HC SS (HRC 56-59)
No. of Tools:
21
Acquired in:
2007
RRP:
US$102.00 (MYR377.00)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
HUNTSMAN
Model No.:
1.37 13
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
91 mm (3.58″)
Height:
21 mm (0.83″)
Weight:
97 g (3.42 oz)
No. of Tools:
14
Acquired in:
1989
RRP:
US$46.00 (MYR170.00)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
HANDYMAN
Model No.:
1.37 73
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
91 mm (3.58″)
Height:
27.5 mm (1.08″)
Weight:
155 g (5.47 oz)
No. of Tools:
22
Acquired in:
1991
RRP:
US$91.00 (MYR336.00)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
POCKET PAL
Model No.:
0.69 00
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
84 mm (3.31″)
Height:
6 mm (0.24″)
Weight:
21 g (0.74 oz)
No. of Tools:
3
Acquired in:
1993
RRP:
US$20.50 (MYR76.00)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
SUPER TIMER
Model No.:
1.67 96
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
91 mm (3.58″)
Height:
33 mm (1.30)
Weight:
185 g (6.53 oz)
No. of Tools:
30
Acquired in:
1994
RRP:
retired/discontinued
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
SWISSCHAMP
Model No.:
1.67 96
Scales:
Black Cellidor
Length:
91 mm (3.58″)
Height:
33 mm (1.30)
Weight:
185 g (6.53 oz)
No. of Tools:
30
Acquired in:
2000
RRP:
US$115.00 (MYR425.50)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
SWISSCHAMP XLT
Model No.:
1.67 95.XLT
Scales:
Red Transparent Cellidor
Length:
91 mm (3.58″)
Height:
42 mm (1.65″)
Weight:
272 g (9.60 oz)
No. of Tools:
46
Acquired in:
2007
RRP:
US$220.00 (MYR814.00)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
PIONEER
Model No.:
0.8201.23
Scales:
Black Alox
Length:
93 mm (3.66″)
Height:
12 mm (0.47″)
Weight:
71 g (2.50 oz)
No. of Tools:
8
Acquired in:
2007
RRP:
US$38.00 (MYR140.60)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
CADET
Model No.:
0.2600.L1223
Scales:
Black Alox
Length:
84 mm (3.31″)
Height:
8 mm (0.31″)
Weight:
46 g (1.62 oz)
No. of Tools:
9
Acquired in:
2007
RRP:
US$25.00 (MYR92.50)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
EXECUTIVE
Model No.:
0.66 03
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
74 mm (2.91″)
Height:
9 mm (0.35″)
Weight:
44 g (1.55 oz)
No. of Tools:
10
Acquired in:
2014
RRP:
US$38.00 (MYR140.60)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
MOUNTAINEER
Model No.:
1.37 43
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
91 mm (3.58″)
Height:
21 mm (0.83″)
Weight:
111 g (3.92 oz)
No. of Tools:
18
Acquired in:
2015
RRP:
US$47.00 (MYR174.00)
Make:
VICTORINOX
Model:
CLASSIC SD
Model No.:
0.62 23
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
58 mm (2.25″)
Height:
9 mm (0.35″)
Weight:
21 g (0.74 oz)
No. of Tools:
7
Acquired in:
2007
RRP:
US$20.50 (MYR76.00)
Make:
WENGER
Model:
ALPINE BACKPACKER
Model No.:
1 08 01
Scales:
Red Cellidor
Length:
84 mm (3.31″)
Height:
15 mm (0.59″)
Weight:
69 g (2.43 oz)
No. of Tools:
12
Acquired in:
1994
RRP:
US$45.00 (MYR166.50)
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Updates
This article will be updated from time to time as the collection grows. I do keep all my knives sharp, as the adage “You are only as sharp as your knife” from survival consultant and former SAS member John “Lofty” Wiseman truly applies.
