Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

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Old Hunter
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Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

This past Tuesday (7/17/12) I went hunting for a Bear & Son pocketknife to purchase and use; I only have one, a 2009 Remington BSA replica and it has never been out of the box. I wanted to put my money where my mouth is and buy a "using" USA made pocketknife; I found this one at ACE Hardware in Tarboro NC. The label on the box is marked 4" but the knife actually measures in at just slightly under 3-7/8" OAL. The label is spartan:

547
4" Genuine India Stag

The information below concerning this knife model was copied off of the Bear & Son website this past week:

4" Genuine India Stag Bone™ Large Stockman
Model: 547
• High Carbon Stainless Steel Blade
• Liner Lock
• Nickel Silver Bolsters
• Hollow Ground Master Blade
Retail: $62.49

My review:
The knife is built with a wider Turkish clip master blade, and the usual spey and sheepfoot secondary blades commonly found on a Stockman, all of stainless steel construction. The liners and springs appear to be of stainless steel construction as well. I have carried and used the knife for the past week and am favorably impressed so far. The "walk and talk" on the two secondary blades is perfect. The master blade is a bit "crunchy" when opened and closed, but not excessively and the quality of the snap is not effected; I oiled the blades with some SMKW Coon P knife oil and all blades improved in their action. I expect the slight crunchiness of the master will improve with use. The was absolutely no side play or wiggle in any of the three blades - the knife is well fitted. The stag handles are nice looking, well fitted, well matched, and finished with a semi-gloss polish, the knife lacks a shield. The rounded bolsters carried well in both tight fitted jean pockets and in the very loose fitted pockets in my Columbia fishing shorts.

I didn't get to use the knife on any hard cutting (wouldn't you know it!) but I did cut and fit a Better-Built liner for my truck tool box - the master made a sharp, clean cut. I used the sheepfoot to clean some rubber drippings from my hammer handle (broke a piece off last week, glued it back on, and dipped it in liquid rubber to repair) - the blade sawed the rubber right off. I did need to touch the factory edges up using ceramic sticks - the factory edges were sharp, but not perfectly clean - the ceramic had them just right with a few strokes for each blade. I had read various things about Bear and the fitting of the blades - this is what my knife is like; no blades rub on another or on the liners - everything fits right, closes correctly and opens without busting a thumbnail - I would rate the pressure needed to open the blades as between moderate and hard (harder than the typical Case, softer than the screwdriver blade on electrician knives). Bear has apparently begun date marking the master blade tang with a system similar to Case's dot system, my knife has eight marks, which I assume means 2012 production.

I think this knife represents great value; the MSRP is $62.49 but the ACE Hardware price was $29.99 plus sales tax (not a sale, the everyday price), the knife is made in the USA and works great. I will use this knife for an EDC and will buy them for gifts when I don't want to buy a $50.00 or $60.00 dollar knife for a gift. I would recommend one for your use and to support a USA company trying to hold the line against cheap imports. Old Hunter

I added the close-up photo of the tang - the date marks appear to be five point stars - there are eight well formed marks and one partial or stray mark.
Attachments
2012-07-17_17-08-35_467_opt.jpg
Bear & Son tang stamp.JPG
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by ironmage »

It will serve you well.I,like you only had bullet knives win it came to Bear.So I started to buy a few Bear MGC and Bear&Son knives.I'm very happy with the Bears I have now and plan to start collecting the Custom Heritage knives they have.There Bear-ops division have some really nice stuff as well.Since we are talking about USA made knives make sure you take a look at the new Bulldog, USA made knives.They as you may know are bin made by Great Eastern Cutlery.
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by glenn »

::tu:: Nice ::tu:: Looks like Bear has put the Turkish Clip on that one.
razor edge
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313 Mike
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by 313 Mike »

Thanks for taking the time to write up the review OH, great job! I can't believe that knife was only 29.99, fantastic deal. I have a Bear with that stag bone, it is some good stuff, they do a great job with it I think..looks classy and rustic at the same time, and is functional by allowing for a sure grip.
Mike

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Old Hunter
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

I was surprised at the competitive price too, but there are quite a few ACE Hardware stores spread throughout eastern NC; most have the same display case containing Bear, Case, and Victorinox knives at the same price's from store to store - nice to see a display with no China made knives in it. The prices on the Bear knives (and all the knives) appear to be professionally printed (as at the distribution center) and not inked in at the store. I assume ACE must be buying in quantity and letting their independent dealers have a very good sell price on the Bear & Son knives to attract customers. The Case and Victorinox knives are priced much closer to their respective MSRP. By the way, the Coon-P oil has crept into the hinges pretty well by this morning and the slight crunchiness I felt yesterday is now gone from the master blade (I've been sitting here working the blade open and closed as I read AAPK).
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by jerryd6818 »

Old Hunter wrote:(I've been sitting here working the blade open and closed as I read AAPK).
:lol: :lol: :lol: And I thought I was the only one who did that.


Edit: Does that Ace Hardware have a large selection of the Bear & Son knives or just a few of the more popular patterns?
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Old Hunter
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

Jerry, I didn't really look at them all, many were 3" and under - those rarely interest me. I would guess there were 10 Bear knives about equally divided between wood grips and stag grips in various small and medium sizes. There were some Bear fixed blade too, looked like OT Sharpfingers. Not a huge case, I'll snap a picture next time I'm in an ACE and post it. OH
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

I just registered my purchase online at Bear & Son, received this e-mail response (they certainly come across as a good company):

Dear Customer,

Thanks for Choosing a Bear & Son knife! We know there are many options out there and the
workers that make this USA made knife appreciate your support!

With over 80 American Workers in the Bear & Son Cutlery Facility & almost 1000 American
Workers at Bear & Son's Many Suppliers

All Bear & Son Cutlery Products are Made in the USA!

Thanks for you Purchase!

Ken Griffey; President of Bear & Son Cutlery
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by garddogg56 »

8) Thats COOL
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Colonel26 »

That's wonderful OH. I've been waiting around thinking of getting one of the heritage series knives. Butatvthat price I may have to go to my local ACE and pick one of those up. It sounds like a real deal. I'm impressed.
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

I have used the knife more extensively this past week (since writing the review) - tied in a sub-panel for my nephew, skinning 10-3 w/G UF on both ends (sub-panel end and power-pack end) - the knife performed as expected - just fine. I also used it for more usual things, opening quite a few blister packages of home improvement items. I am still pleased with this knife - it has earned a permanent spot in my EDC rotation.
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

Used the sheepfoot yesterday to cut and scrape off old, worn felt pads under my wife's dining room chair (only did one yesterday) - cleaned the feet up very well by slicing and then used the tip of the sheepfoot to rough up the grain in the wood so the new felt pads would grip the wood well. I cleaned and checked the blade when done - no rolled edges, still sharp, ready to use again - this knife is well made.
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by jerryd6818 »

I remembered this thread and stopped at the ACE Hardware up in Necedah Wisconsin earlier this week. All they had were three Kershaws of undetermined origin and several others (not Kershaw) that were obviously from China. Oh well.
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

Jerry, hate to hear that you were disappointed in your search at ACE. I have noticed that not all the ACE HDW in this area have the display case that I purchased my knife from (ACE in Tarboro NC). The ACE in Washington stocks Rough Rider (left them all there) and the ACE in Swansboro had a mixture of brands - the only one that stocked BUCK that I have been in. The balance I have been in (Beaufort, Emerald Isle) have the same display that appears to be from the ACE warehouse. They are all independent dealers that probably choose what they want to stock. You might try another ACE when you pass one.
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by jerryd6818 »

I'm sure they just stock what sells or the price point they think will sell.
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

I stopped by the ACE HDW at Carolina Beach NC last week while we were vacationing there - they had quite a few knives, Bear & Son, Buck, Leatherman Tools, and some others. I couldn't look long because I was watching my daughter while my wife shopped; she will disappear in a heartbeat so I couldn't linger at the knife display. There was also a Tru-Value in Carolina Beach - they had a very decent display of Case knives there - maybe the Chinese won't get all our money!!
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by deanmm56 »

Hey Old Hunter,

You definitely are from Eastern NC, aren't you ?
I live in Durham and used to travel those areas all the time when I was a salesman for a national company.
Have stopped many a time ... probably at the same stores, to look at a knife or two at the local Ace hardware.

If you are familiar with Durham .... there is an old knife store off of Sharron Rd. Quite a nice selection of American made knives.
Dean M. Morron

email : deanm56@aol.com

ebay as : deanm56635w
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Old Hunter
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

Dean, I was in the Army National Guard unit in Durham for a number of years (5-1/2 total on two different tours) - the Armory up Duke Street, across the street from the HS football stadium. I have only been back there once (cased the colors of the 30th CSG - my old command) since I retired 7 years ago, but I do pass through heading to Charlotte several times a year - maybe lunch one trip? Bruce
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Old Hunter »

I have an update on the Bear & Son 547; been doing some whittling lately and decided to try the sheepfoot on the Bear 547 for that purpose. It wasn't sharp enough for whittling so I got out my old Browning Arkansas stone and some honing oil to touch the blade up. Much to my surprise the Bear stainless steel blade sharpened very easily to an extremely sharp edge - I was pleased. Sometimes I struggle with stainless to get the edge I want (a late 1980's Blue Grass Cutlery Winchester being my toughest ever, then my Buck's being easier than the BGC-WIN but tougher than the Bear). At any rate this knife sharpens readily - time will tell how long the edge holds. OH
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Cutty »

I agree OH

B&S stainless is easy to sharpen and gets razor sharp. Edge retention, 8 out of 10 IMO. I whittle with my 547, nothing major as I have zero talent ::td:: but it'll make big sticks into smaller sticks with ease.
I dig half stops!!



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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by deltaboy »

Have to check out ACE hardware next time I am near one.
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by stagman »

I carried that Bear MGC Sideliner...4 1/2" with pocket clip and stag -bone scales
for 4 yrs straight back in early 1990's...the one with the black titainium coating
on the blade,,,never had no trouble with it,,retired it when I bought a Crawford
Great cutlerly outfit !!!

Will
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by Chase »

I was just at Shot Show 2017 and I had the opportunity to meet up with the good folks at Bear & Son Cutlery.

Wally Gardiner (Former President of Imperial Schrade and Owner of Canal Street Cultery Brand) is now thier National Accounts Guy. I also met Ken and his son Matt. These folks are really down to earth and more than happy to work with their customers. I had several meetings with them and some of my Military Customers and it looks like we are going to do some significant business with them (Tactical Line)

They have some really great assisted openers as well as some phenominal Autos. Their top price (MSRP) is where others, like B-Made start their low end prices. Their pricing is extremely competitive.

The quality of their Tactical line is fantastic and I must warn you, they fire hard, both the assisted openers and the autos. In fact if you are not paying attention, they will fly out of your hand.

If you are looking for a great assisted opener or Auto that is "Budget Friendly" and yes AMERICAN Made, you have to check out the folks at Bear & Son

Tom
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by deltaboy »

Thanks.
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Re: Bear & Son - 4" Stockman #547

Post by AR Norby »

I bought the same knife the OP pictured around 2013 at an Ace in the Phoenix area and have found it to be a solid reliable knife. My only complaint, and a minor one at that, was it was not sharp out of the box and took awhile to get an edge on it. But once i did, it was great and holds an well.
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