Last updated 7/1/2016
Here’s a list of items that were once on the Want List, but have been acquired or removed from the list. If an item was removed because it is no longer desired, it will be crossed out. Otherwise, item links now go to my posts about them.
Rick Hinderer Gen. I or II Flipperless 3” XM-18
Well, that was a mouthful. The XM-18 is one of the most popular semi-custom folding knives out there. With its thick titanium slab handles and unique “spanto” blade shape, the XM-18 is very well suited for a number of tasks. Rick Hinderer, based out of central Ohio, hand ground the blades for his Gen I and II knives. Gen III and after were mostly CNC ground. I have a distaste for knives with protrusions, so I am a fan of the flipperless version which, in my opinion, has some “sick” curves. He offers many accessories for his knives, including different anodized standoffs, scales, clips, and collaborative pieces with Steel Flame. I’d love to get my hands on one of those early XM-18s and “deck it out” with some Steel Flame bling. Production XM-18s go for ~$325-500 depending on the model while custom and special models and can upwards of $3000.
Chris Reeve Gold and Diamond Mnandi
Okay, I already have my grail knife, the Giraffe Bone Mnandi, but the Mnandi is seriously a very well made and attractive knife. Gold and Diamonds were an option for a number of years as an add-on feature. I’ve seen them on Ebony, Snakewood, and Ivory inlaid Mnandis. A line of gold, starting from the pivot, goes down around half-way down the inlay to meet a diamond. The design makes for a very dressy knife. Examples are pretty difficult to find nowadays, selling for between ~$1200-2000.
Blaisdell 600 Calculator Pencil
The Blaisdell 600 is often compared to the Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602 in that it produces a nice black line while wearing down slowly. It features a deep black lacquer over the body with white or gold lettering. I love how it looks simple, yet formal. They are quite rare, with examples selling for between ~$50-100 unsharpened and perhaps a tad lower if used. I’d be a bit wary sharpening an unsharpened survivor, so I’m on the lookout for a sharpened one.
Zach Wood is a custom knife and tool maker in the US. He is perhaps most well-known for his steel and titanium prybars. They are most commonly made out of 3V, A2, and strike plate Ti. He also makes smaller tools such as his Falcon, based off of the eponymous Star Wars spacecraft, that are similar to Peter Atwood’s tools. I have been longing for a 5-6” A2 prybar or a Monster (7” extra thick) prybar.
Rotring 600 Gold Mechanical Pencil
If you’ve read my review of the Rotring 600, you’ll already know how much love the brand Rotring. In its current lineup, the Rotring 800 is their retractable tip mechanical pencil. While there are some reports of quality control issues including tolerances problems, its predecessor, the Rotring 600 Gold (most easily recognized by with its gold trim) has been stated to be almost perfect. The mechanism is all metal with no plastic spacers like the modern version. Produced in the 1980s and 1990s, they occasionally pop up on eBay and other auction sites. Prices range from ~$60 (broken, for parts pencil) to ~$400 (a NOS pencil).
Eberhard Faber Janus 4046 (4048) Pencil Sharpener
I love brass and the Janus 4048 (4046) is made of brass ^.^. Seriously though, this pencil sharpener has the unique feature of having a convex blade which carves into the wood when it sharpens. The result is an amazingly sharp pencil with beautiful curves. My current Dux, Staedtler and M&R pencil sharpeners perform pretty well, but I can’t even imagine what sort of vintage tip this sharpener could create. These pencil sharpeners come up for sale quite often although the convex blade is often cracked. Furthermore, the brass is often oxidized. Beaten up examples usually sell for ~$20 while nicer examples sell for ~$50-100. They can be a bit difficult to find.
Chris Reeve Mnandi with Giraffe Bone Scales (Old Pivot)
The Chris Reeve Mnandi was the knife 13 year old me wanted. Now, at 20, I still want that knife and have major regrets not picking it up when I was younger. I love the curves that the blade and handle make and the size is just perfect for all situations. It has a gentleman look and feel although it has titanium bolsters and a S30V blade (damascus was also offered; the blade steel is now S35VN). It comes with a variety of handle woods, but my favorites are Snakewood and Box Elder. Some even had gold and diamond inlays. My grail, though, and the one I will always be on the lookout for is the giraffe bone version. Produced in 2005 with only 50 made, it is one of the rarest handle materials for the series. The older version comes up occasionally at around ~$400-500 depending on the wood.
Mitsubishi Uni 50th Anniversary Pencil Holder
Also produced for the 50th Anniversary of Mitsubishi Uni, this pencil holder has the appearance of a fountain pen. I love the wooden barrel and the fact that it can fit a pretty lengthy pencil. These features make it stand out against other pencil extenders on the market. They came with specially made Mitsubishi Hi-Uni’s that were shorter than normal. Refills were sold in packs of three. I believe there were 5000(?) produced. I’ve seen the auction history for one of these, but not any others.
(picture from jetpens.com)
Similar to the Eberhard Faberr Janus 4048, the M&R Pollux is supposed to have a convex edge creating a concave surface on the pencil. They were showcased at Paperworld 2016 but have not been released. Little is known about them, but I will definitely try to acquire one or get more knowledge about them as soon as possible!
(picture from lexikaliker.de)
Agatha Christie Montblanc Fountain Pen
I’m not a big fan of most Montblancs nowadays, but the Agatha Christie Limited Edition really caught my eye. The snake on the cap reminisces from the days of Montblanc Safety Pens. Those pens now go for quite a premium (around ~$4k and up). Montblanc also came out with a similar pen in 2016 called the Rouge et Noir, which comes in black and coral (orange) color schemes. The Agatha Christie, though, is still the winner in my eye. It is a tad bigger and has a prettier snake made in Sterling Silver rather than the mysterious “alloy” in the Rouge et Noir. There’s also something about the shape of the pen that really drives it home for me. There were 23,000 fountain pens produced and an additional 4810 of the limited edition produced. The limited edition had a gold plated snake instead of a plain sterling silver one. Examples are readily available across the internet, with prices starting around ~$1000 for worn and used examples and rising to around $4000 for prestine ones.
Frozen Pocket 