Rare and Collector Knife Gifts for the Holidays: 5 One-of-a-Kind Picks

Some people on your list already own a good pocket knife. What they don't have is the one that got away: a numbered limited edition that sold out at launch, a tool Leatherman has since retired, or an original from the earliest days of the multi-tool. This guide is for those people. We went through our shelves and pulled five of the rarest collector pieces we have right now, each a single example, and dug into the history behind every one.

Every item below is the exact piece pictured. Most are new in box; one is a carefully described pre-owned knife. For each we cover where it came from, why collectors care about it and who it makes sense for as a holiday gift.

1. Leatherman Garage Batch #008 Captain's Crunch

The history

The original Leatherman Crunch arrived in 1999, the same year as the Wave, and it was unlike anything else in the lineup: instead of standard pliers it had locking jaws, like a folding pocket version of a vise grip. It stayed in production for more than two decades before Leatherman retired it in 2023.

Leatherman Garage is the company's small-batch program, launched in 2022 to release short runs of special tools that disappear once they sell out. Batch #008, the Captain's Crunch, brought the Crunch back one more time in 2026. Leatherman built 1,900 of them worldwide, and US stock sold out quickly after its June launch at $250. The tool has 11 functions including the locking pliers, a gold-finished scalpel holder, a T-shank blade holder and a bit driver, and it ships with a black full-grain leather sheath made in the USA with gold lettering.

Why it makes the perfect gift

This is the gift for the Leatherman fan who already owns a Wave and a Surge. It is a piece of the company's history, in a run small enough that most people will never see one in person, and it is still a fully usable tool with the locking pliers that made the Crunch famous. Ours is new in box; the seal was opened only to take photos.

2. 2025 Victorinox Companion Damast Limited Edition

The history

Every year since 2010, Victorinox has released one Damast Limited Edition: a classic Swiss Army Knife fitted with a Damascus steel blade and special scales, made in a fixed run. The series opened with a Pioneer in 2010, and the 2025 Companion is the 16th edition.

For 2025 Victorinox chose the Companion, a 91 mm model with 12 functions including scissors, a corkscrew, can and bottle openers and screwdrivers. The main blade is Damasteel hardened to 60 HRC in Victorinox's Svavner pattern, set against white, speckled Corian scales. Production was limited to 7,000 pieces, each sequentially numbered and delivered in an anthracite presentation box with a certificate. Demand was strong enough that Victorinox's own German online shop listed it as unavailable because of demand.

Why it makes the perfect gift

It is a Swiss Army Knife, so it gets used: opening a bottle of wine at dinner, trimming a thread, tightening a screw. But the Damascus blade means no two look quite alike, and the numbered box makes it feel like an heirloom from the moment it is unwrapped. It also starts a collection neatly, since there is a new Damast edition every year. Ours is new in box with its original papers.

3. Leatherman Skeletool SX (Retired)

The history

Around 2013 Leatherman teamed up with Signal Snowboards, another Portland, Oregon company, on a series of tools built for riders. The Skeletool SX was the full-size member of that family: the lightweight Skeletool frame, tuned for the mountain with a diamond-coated file for touching up board edges and a large bit driver for binding screws.

Leatherman lists it at 4 inches closed and 5 ounces, with needlenose and regular pliers, hard-wire and wire cutters, a 420HC combo-edge knife, a carabiner that doubles as a bottle opener, the diamond-coated file and a large bit driver, finished with DLC coating. It has since been retired and now appears on Leatherman's own retired-products page, which is why new-in-box examples are hard to find.

Why it makes the perfect gift

Perfect for the snowboarder or skier who also collects gear. It clips to a jacket or pack with the carabiner, it fixes bindings on the lift line, and it is a discontinued collaboration that a casual buyer would never know to look for. This one is new in box and has never been carried.

4. Vintage Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool, New and Sealed

The history

This is where it all started. Tim Leatherman came up with the idea for a pocket tool with pliers during a 1975 trip through Europe, when he kept wishing he had pliers on hand to fix things. He spent years refining prototypes, and in 1983 the outdoor retailer Cabela's placed the first order for 500 tools. That tool was the Pocket Survival Tool, or PST, the very first Leatherman.

The PST packed 13 tools into a stainless steel body about 4 inches long and around 5 ounces, and it sold more than 30,000 units in its first year. It stayed in production for about 21 years, through dozens of small variations, before Leatherman retired it in 2004 and replaced it with newer models. Our listing describes this example as a 1991 tool. It is still sealed in its original "The Original Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool" card, printed "Proudly Made in U.S.A., Portland, Oregon" and "Pliers in Your Pocket!", with its leather sheath inside.

Why it makes the perfect gift

For a collector, a sealed PST is a time capsule: the original design, in the original package, never opened. It is a great fit for someone who has carried a Leatherman for years and would appreciate owning the tool that started the whole category. Because it is sealed, it is best as a display piece; opening it is entirely up to the person who receives it.

5. Benchmade 710FE-2401 Seven|Ten Limited Edition

The history

Benchmade's AXIS lock made its debut on the original Benchmade 710 in 1999. The lock was invented by custom knife makers Bill McHenry and Jason Williams, and the 710, with its distinctive recurve blade, became the knife that introduced it to the world.

The 710FE-2401 Seven|Ten was released to mark 25 years of the AXIS lock, going back to the knife where it began. Benchmade made 2,500, each individually serialized, with a 4-inch CPM-MagnaCut recurve drop-point blade in a flat dark earth PVD finish and black 6061-T6 aluminum handles; our listing also notes a bronze AXIS bar. It was made in the USA and carried an MSRP of $600.

Why it makes the perfect gift

This is the pick for the Benchmade or EDC knife enthusiast who knows what the 710 means. It pairs a classic design with MagnaCut, one of today's most talked-about blade steels. Ours is pre-owned and in good working order, opening and closing smoothly with no blade wobble. The handle shows some wear and a few nicks, and it comes as the knife only, with no box or papers. That makes it a good choice for someone who plans to carry it rather than keep it in a case.

Tips for buying a collector knife as a gift

• Decide: display or carry? Sealed and new-in-box pieces hold their collector appeal best when they stay that way. If your recipient will use it every day, a carry-condition piece like the Benchmade is the more practical choice.
• Keep the box and papers. For numbered editions like the Victorinox Damast, the original box and certificate are part of what collectors look for. Wrap the gift in a way that keeps the packaging intact.
• Read the condition notes. Each of our listings says whether a piece is new, sealed or pre-owned and what is included. Every photo shows the exact item you will receive.
• Check local knife laws. The Benchmade is a locking folder with a 4-inch blade; make sure it suits where your recipient lives and works.
• Order early for the holidays. These are single pieces, and orders typically ship within one business day.

Frequently asked questions

Are these really one of a kind?

Each listing in this guide is a single, specific piece; the photos show the exact item you will receive. The editions themselves were made in limited numbers (1,900 Captain's Crunch tools, 7,000 Companion Damast knives, 2,500 Benchmade 710FE-2401s), while the Skeletool SX and the PST are retired models that are no longer made.

Can I open a sealed or new-in-box piece?

Of course, it is your tool. Just know that collectors usually value sealed or unused examples most, so if the gift is meant as a keepsake it is worth leaving it as it is.

Do these come with a warranty?

Leatherman, Victorinox and Benchmade each have their own warranty policies, and coverage can depend on the item and on whether it was bought from an authorized dealer. Check with the manufacturer for details on a specific piece.

How does shipping and returns work?

US shipping is free, orders typically ship within one business day, and we offer free returns within 30 days.

Can I travel with these?

None of these belong in carry-on luggage: the TSA does not allow knives in carry-on bags, so pack them in checked luggage or ship them ahead.

Give them the one that got away

A collector piece says you paid attention: to what they carry, what they talk about and what they never managed to find. If none of these five is quite right, our shop is full of other retired, vintage and hard-to-find tools, and you can browse everything at Great Lakes Knife Company. Happy holidays from all of us at Great Lakes Knife Company.