Hen and Rooster

[Grizlly Adams]

Are they still making all of their knives in Germany? I saw some Steel Warrior knives on e-bay, and the seller claims they are made by the same folks that make H&R. I thought the Steel Warrior was Chinese!

What gives?

[agteacher2]

He is refering to Frost Cutlery. They import both brands. Steel Warrior from China and, as far as I know H&R are still from Germany.
Jeff

[calico jack]

Jim Frost bought Bertram Cutlery a few years ago and makes all of his blades there (Solingen). Any regular blades (Steel Warrior, Frost Family, etc.) are shipped to China and assembled there. Trade between Germany and China is not as regulated as if it came to the US directly, thus the CHINA stamp on the blades. The tang stamping should say "Solingen Steel" or "German Stainless."

[agteacher2]

I did a google search for Bretram Cutlery. This is on the AG russell web site.

Hen & Rooster Knives
Made in 1980 and Before

Bertram, the maker of the original Hen & Rooster knives, was founded in 1865 and quickly became the finest knife made in Solingen, Germany. In fact, the knives made between 1865 and 1980 in the tiny factory with 14 employees when I purchased the company, remain the finest traditional, production, pocketknives that I know of. The blades are better ground, better finished, and the insides of the knives are so clean they appear to have been mirror finished inside as well as outside.

I bought this company, on the verge of bankruptcy in 1975 and managed to keep it alive for five years, turning out some of the finest knives of the past 100 years. I insisted on thicker liners, always nickel silver, the finest handle materials, and the finest possible workmanship. You cannot compare this 25-30 year old work with that done after the courts dissolved the little company and took the trademark away from us. Robert Klaas was never more than second rate, and even the work now being done by the best company in Solingen is not on a par with these knives made in the best years of this great trademark.

[Grizlly Adams]

Thanks, gents. Very instructive!