Bulldog Collecting

[Camillus]

I have collected 16 Bulldog knives now and really find them to be a great knife in price and quality.
I think I will stick with the first and second generation knives made.
These I feel are better quality and not as mass produced.
How do you feel about the other generation knives under Jim Parker?

[singin46]

1st gens are very hard to find these days, I wish you luck tho! They will show up sometimes at shows but not too often. Be careful on ebay, there's a lot of parts junk out there.

[gmusic]

I believe the Parkers took over operations in Germany in the early 90s. The same factory, same employees, different production program and marketing strategies. I think one would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 1985 and a 1995 Sowbelly if they were blindfolded and asked to do so, they are very close in quality. I have some Bulldogs that date into the late third generation, and they seem a little different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's still a good knife IMO.

Check out this Ivory can I say that? Sowbelly, I bought a few of them back in the day, and the Ivory Copperheads..................love them!

[singin46]

WOW nice Gary!

[gmusic]

Thanks Perry....................

I really like the Bulldogs, there's just something about them.

[singin46]

Yes Gary, somethin bout them Dogs and Sowbellies too. Great knives

[Rustle47]

Yes, there is something about Bulldogs and that something may be Charlie Dorton, founder of Bulldog Brand Knives. We should thank him for being such a perfectionist. You can tell that those sowbellies are 1st generation by the sharply pointed tobacco leaf shield. And, being 1st gen, the bolsters should be very thin around the edges compared to 2nd generation and later.

As far as collecting Bulldogs, the 1st gen will be the hardest to find and the most valuable. Some patterns may only be available in the 1st gen such as the barlows. Other patterns were introduced in the 3rd gen such as the Sunfish and baby Sunfish. The 4th gen produced the Anglo-Saxon whittlers and used pearl where only celluloid was available before. I have a 4th gen 5 blade sowbelly with the peacock etch & pearl handles. Previously, the peacock etch only came with celluloid handles. The 4th gen is not documented so there is no telling what you will find with the standing dog stamp, which makes it fun to keep looking. Of course, this is all based on skimming the books and watching ebay. If I am wrong about anything, please tell me so.

[gmusic]

Thanks Perry!

Hey Rustle thanks for the info! I have several of the late Sowbelly's with the 80s blades in them, any speculation as to they may have actually come out. You know the knives with the rounded off leaf and the heavy bolsters.

[singin46]

That's a beauty Gary

[Rustle47]

Yes, that is a terrific barlow - love that one-hand blade. You are trying to trap me with that question though. According to the paper that came with some of the 2nd gen knives, they were assembled between 1987 and 1992. I know that some people are doubtful as to when these knives were made. I know that when I started collecting Bulldogs in 2004, 12 years after the 2nd gens were shipped from Germany, that the 2nd gen's were plentiful compared to today. I also know that the knives are beautiful and I would be reluctant to let any of mine get away.

[gmusic]

No I'm not not trying to trap you (I'll go back and read the rest of your post now) I really don't know! The workmanship is definitely different, whether it's because of management directive or a change of craftsman I don't know. I'm seeking knowledge, and while I'm learning the other Bulldog collectors can too. Man I wish Hukk or Tom would chime in.

[gmusic]

I have several of those Sowbellys of questionable era, they have the 1984 blade in them but are not finished out like the early ones.

In fact I started to list one on ebay last night and just didn't feel right about it because I don't know!

There are so many rumors flying around about this stuff I don't that anyone really knows!

Hey, I know some folks in Germany maybe I can get them to visit the factory and talk to the hands themselves!

[Rustle47]

I miss Hukk a lot. Most of what I know about Bulldogs came from reading his posts.

[gmusic]

OH man..........................he knows them well!

[On Edge]

OK gentelemen, I am VERY late to this party, and I have a few questions.

I have always admired the Bulldog (and H&R) Sowbellies for the 'swept' blades and just the look of them. Add to that their German origins and I am likin' these a lot.

But by now, it is getting pretty hard to find 2nd gens, and if available, they are gettin pretty "dear" (read: expensive).

So is it worthwile to even start collecting the later generation Bulldogs?

I picked up a 1993 Stag Sowbelly (is that 3rd gen?) a couple days ago - looks to be nicely finished (in the pics), and the Stag is just beautiful. Can't wait to get it - going to be sorely tempted to carry it, I fear.

Also, I have spotted (each knife in three difeerent places) 3 of the "25th Anniversary" (2004) Sowbellies - one in Stag, one in Pearl, and one in Buffalo Horn - would it be worth picking up all 3 to make a "set"? The Buffalo Horn doesn't seem to be easily found. Would that be a decent place to start my "Dog Pen"?

I am defintiely drawn to these knives - just something about them - so I would enjoy having them at any rate, I just want to know if they are worth starting to seriously "collect" as late as 2004 ...

Thanks for any advice or assistance you can provide.

~ Edge

[Rustle47]

I seem to remember a post by Hukk where he said he thought the 2004 25th anniversary bulldogs were of higher quality than normal. I can't remember specifics, just that 2004 stuck as a good year for Bulldogs. I like the 3rd gen (1993-95 with either the year or surgical inst tang stamp) and the 4th gen (standing dog with year 1996-2000 stamp) also.

[On Edge]

Thanks, Rustle ...

That would be rather serendipidous, as I just bought all three!

(Like that $60 word?)



~ Edge

[Rustle47]

I just received this 1st generation gunstock bkc10A from olderdogs1 via ebay. A beautiful piece with the spear blade, and check out the bone jigging!

[Aimus Moses]

Nice one Rustle.

Aimus

[On Edge]

Very nice.

[zed6309]

Very nice.

x2

[1967redrider]

Here's a pack of dogs that I have-

[1967redrider]

Part 2

[1967redrider]

Part 3

[olderdogs1]

Hi , I just found this forum. Myself and a couple of other collectors have really studied the 1st and 2nd generation bulldogs when Charlie Dorton had them and the knives finished out in 1991. We have several hundred. We have most all of the rare stag and bone handled knives and would be glad to show them. There is a big difference in the quality of the old original bulldogs and the ones being made today. Especially the stag. A lot of the ones being sold as 1st generations are actually knives put together much later, maybe 2000 or so. I look forward to contributing to this forum with the help of my fellow collectors and the knowledgable guys already on here.
Tom