If you have an eye toward appreciation of values and want to “make money” on your knife collecting hobby, don’t buy hot. Still, if you “hit” one once in a while—buy the maker’s work right before he hits the big time and make lots of money—it can be quite a thrill and keep you buying knives on a regular basis. When you buy a knife from an individual knifemaker, you’re more likely sending his kids to daycare or piano lessons, paying for his electricity and buying his wife new shoes.