Show off your fixed blades!

[CheckSix]

New to me Bowie came in the mail yesterday... 12" OAL, 7-1/8" blade length. Schrade Craftsmen from the 60s.

[CheckSix]

American Eagle Craftsman (Schrade) Sportsman - 8-1/2" OAL with a 4-3/8" blade...

[kootenay joe]

Dave do you have a WW II Mark 2 knife ?
If you do hold the blade next to the Schrade Bowie above and see how similar they are. Pretty well all the USA knife manufacturers made the Mark 2 during WW II and i bet there were lots of extra blades at the end of the war. Schrade might have gotten the blades from Camillus and sltered them some to create this Bowie.
That is strictly my own idea so don't believe it !
But it is a possibility.
kj

[Quick Steel]

[quote][/New to me Bowie came in the mail yesterday... 12" OAL, 7-1/8" blade length. Schrade Craftsmen from the 60s.quote]

I am always drawn to Bowies and yours looks very fine. Congrats.

[tongueriver]

That bowie knife is absolutely unique and original to Schrade Walden. It has no connection to WWII knives, either military or civilian. It was made in entirety @ Schrade buildings and not connected to Imperial or Ulster or Camillus. It is useful to note that Schrade Cut.Co., who sold to the Baers in December of 1946 and became Schrade Walden never made a single fixed blade knife, in their entire history, from 1904 to 1946. The contracted a tiny run of fixed blade knives from Kinfolks and stamped them Schrade Cut.Co. They may have made some TL-29s for the military in WWII or they may not have. This is uncertain. In 1956 they began to fill a contract with the navy for a pilot survival knife which was a progenitor to the familiar H-15s and their ilk as a low price point civilian hunting knife. Those civilian knives were made in unbelievable versions and numbers, but were less robust than the military knife which spawned their genesis. The original pilot knife is uncommon and usually badly reported; I have one coming in the mail which I have awaited to seize for a very long time. I am currently very far from home and can't wait to get back to take a look.

[CheckSix]

Man! it is really interesting to be patient and wait for the comments to come in. TR that is fascinating stuff! Thanks!

Waiting to see your pilot's knife!

[kootenay joe]

Cal, what i am pointing out is that the blade length and blade grinds are quite similar between a Mark 2 and this Schrade-Walden Bowie. 'Schrade' had never made a blade of this size before which is why i wondered if they obtained a bunch of Mark 2 blades and modified them slightly to become this Bowie.
It is a possibility.
kj
edit to add: what might confuse some is that the H-15 was known as the "Bowie Hunter" for part of the many years it was made. The "Bowie" i am referring to is NOT the H-15 but the big honkin' knife posted above by Dave.

[Old Hunter]

Dave, got no facts or speculation for you, but I know a great knife when I see one - and I love the two you've acquired - fine looking knives! OH

[knife7knut]

Dave do you have a WW II Mark 2 knife ?
If you do hold the blade next to the Schrade Bowie above and see how similar they are.
kj

I think it looks more like a Catt 225Q or an E.G.Waterman than a Schrade due to the size of the fuller.

[kootenay joe]

Thanks k7k. Maybe 'inspired by' is more accurate. Blade length is almost identical and the overall profiles resemble each other. It's an observation that surprised me so i wanted to share it here.
kj

[CheckSix]

well, my Buck 119 fits into this thinking also...

[tongueriver]

I believe that MARBLES originated this style of knife with their IDEAL pattern. WESTERN of Boulder, Colorado was a heavy player in WWII with that style of knife and continued to sell into the 1950s. And who cannot recall the famous KABAR? All great knives.

[tongueriver]

Man! it is really interesting to be patient and wait for the comments to come in. TR that is fascinating stuff! Thanks!

Waiting to see your pilot's knife!

Look in the Schrade subforum.

[tongueriver]

You likey Remingtons?

[garddogg56]

YES I DO

[knife7knut]

You likey Remingtons?

Remingtons001 (Large).jpg

Those are some rare and beautiful Remingtons? Were they made by Remington or contract knives? Supposedly the early fixed blades were made in house and later ones farmed out.

[tongueriver]

You likey Remingtons?

Remingtons001 (Large).jpg

Those are some rare and beautiful Remingtons? Were they made by Remington or contract knives? Supposedly the early fixed blades were made in house and later ones farmed out.

Those three were made in-house in the 1920s and 1930s. They gave it up to PAL Cutlery in 1940 or 1941. Much later the Remington marque was resurrected by Camillus if I understand it. Nowadays if there are any Remingtons being made I don't know who makes them. But I have an idea...

[Sasquach]

You likey Remingtons?

Remingtons001 (Large).jpg

Those are some rare and beautiful Remingtons? Were they made by Remington or contract knives? Supposedly the early fixed blades were made in house and later ones farmed out.

Those three were made in-house in the 1920s and 1930s. They gave it up to PAL Cutlery in 1940 or 1941. Much later the Remington marque was resurrected by Camillus if I understand it. Nowadays if there are any Remingtons being made I don't know who makes them. But I have an idea...

It's my understanding that the Remington knives made in the USA are made by Bear MGC/Bear & Son of Alabama these days. I have three or four USA Remington folders that are no doubt the work of Bear MGC and there are two USA Remington Bowie knives being advertised by SMKW that look very much like Bear & Son Bowies. I also have a couple of Keen Kutter folders that are obviously made by Bear & Son. With people buying and selling trademarks left and right these days it's hard to keep track of who makes many of the old standards now. Marbles, Schrade, and Camillus are made in China now by some conglomerate that bought the trademarks.

[royal0014]

It's my understanding that the Remington knives made in the USA are made by Bear MGC/Bear & Son of Alabama these days.

This is correct. Bear started producing some of the Rem line in 2014.
By 2015 Bear made all patterns for Remington Outdoor Company (ROC).
At least they are made in America, despite Bear's less-than-stellar reputation.
And, they offer a life time warranty.

LINK >>> http://www.remingtoncutlery.com/index.p ... egory=Main

[jerryd6818]

I bought one of the yearly Remington Scouts for my buddy's birthday in 2011 and had to send it back to Bear & Son for a tune-up before it was fit to give to him. (this is not intended as a judgment of the quality of their product, rather a statement of the source of current Remington knives, at least the Scout knives)

[kootenay joe]

I just bought a knife i cannot afford, but simply could not resist.
I like smaller fixed blades and this one at 7.5" is at the top end of 'smaller'. It's a Bark River Knives take on the Loveless Caper.
Desert Ironwood handle is 'sculpted' to fit the hand as in the original Loveless, blade is 3 1/8" and handle is a relatively long 4 3/8"(longer than original), 0.125" (1/8th) Elmax steel at Rc 60-61.
Here is the picture that made me buy it:
kj

[stagman]

I get to see in person alot of Bark River knives at a few shows I go to every year
in Michigan....I do not believe any pattern of theirs I have handled was not a
great quality knife... i have yet to find a bad one

Will
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/clearcreekknives

[mrwatch]

RE stagmans comment on Michigan. I was told that a few employees of Marble's did not like some company changes and started their own knife company's. Can a get the company brand names and which are still in business? Quality?
Thank's Bob, West Michigan

[kootenay joe]

The most important thing about every knife is it's design. No matter how well made a poorly designed knife is, it can never be a 'good' knife.
I have a few Bark River knives and everyone i see as perfect in design, both for function and visual appeal (flow & balance, the Look sisters).
The workmanship is custom level. They do not seem like a production knife. I have quite a few custom fixed blades all carefully chosen by me, many from well known makers. None of these customs are 'better' than the Bark River knives i have.
Add to this that BRK seems to have stopped using A2 steel in favor of higher end super steels like Elmax, M4, and others. I don't see steel type as of major importance but here it is icing on an already very fine 'cake'.
Their prices are often in the $300 range which is entering custom territory but the knives are worth it, if you want a beautiful knife that cuts very well. If you just want a knife that cuts very well you can get a Mora or Rough Rider for under $20. Both cut extremely well, amazes me every time and are the number 1 deal in the knife world. $20 to $300 for looks. Not surprising that some who know us think we are crazy.
kj

[knife7knut]

The most important thing about every knife is it's design. No matter how well made a poorly designed knife is, it can never be a 'good' knife.
I have a few Bark River knives and everyone i see as perfect in design, both for function and visual appeal (flow & balance, the Look sisters).
The workmanship is custom level. They do not seem like a production knife. I have quite a few custom fixed blades all carefully chosen by me, many from well known makers. None of these customs are 'better' than the Bark River knives i have.
Add to this that BRK seems to have stopped using A2 steel in favor of higher end super steels like Elmax, M4, and others. I don't see steel type as of major importance but here it is icing on an already very fine 'cake'.
Their prices are often in the $300 range which is entering custom territory but the knives are worth it, if you want a beautiful knife that cuts very well. If you just want a knife that cuts very well you can get a Mora or Rough Rider for under $20. Both cut extremely well, amazes me every time and are the number 1 deal in the knife world. $20 to $300 for looks. Not surprising that some who know us think we are crazy.
kj

KJ: You raise some interesting points and some that have been debated for many years. It is the old axiom:"Form Follows Function". Why would someone go out and spend $400,000 on a Mercedes Benz SLS when he could spend $10,000 or thereabouts on an econobox? Both fulfill their task of getting one from point A to point B in reasonable comfort and time.Why spend $12,000 on a Breitling Bentley chronograph when you can buy a $10 Timex or better still look at your phone?
Most people would deem that to be insanity but a lot of people do exactly that. If I had the wherewithal to purchase a Henry Frank folder for $10,000 I would do so in a heartbeat. Why would I do something that to the average person(non-knife variety)is bordering on insanity? Because to me in that knife Mr. Frank has left a little bit of his soul.
I just received in the mail a little dagger I bought on e-Bay. It is a beautiful little piece that is obviously hand made but the sad part is it was never signed.I don't understand why someone who had crafted such a piece neglected to let the world know he did it.
I would agree that a poorly designed knife can never be a truly good knife no matter how well constructed it is.