IXL knives. What do you know of them?

dewman · Post by **dewman** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:07 pm

Recently, I bought a trapper pattern off e-bay just to see what kind of knife it REALLY was, quality, fit and finish wise. Really inexpensive....something like $15, so I didn't figure I was going to loose much of it was a junker. But much to my suprise, it really is a nice knife for the price. Fit and finish is superb with good walk and talk. It came very sharp, but I put an even sharper edge on it with a very fine Arkansas stone. The steel appeared to be very hard. It has a black laminated wood hand....one of the type that appears to be epoxy impregnated. I've read somewhere that the blades were made by the Parker company in Japan and after Mr. Parker's death, someone bought the entire stock of the blades and they're now being assembled in the USA. Don't know if this is true or not. But, overall, I'm quite pleased with it. It will be a good knife to throw in my ATV bags for trips into the woods. No drawer queen for sure, but a good user at bargain basement prices. I know it'll never have any "collector value", but I never had any illusions about that to begin with.

I liked it so much, I've got a Copperhead of the same brand coming.

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:44 pm

Here is an interesting read, if you are so inclined...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... p?t=477491

Not passing judgement here, just as information.

Bill

dewman · Post by **dewman** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:04 pm

Hard to believe the difference between those guys and the ones here on THIS site. Thanks for posting the thread. Very interesting reading, indeed. Now, I know the true skinny on "Wostenholm" and "IXL"....I think.

Still, it'll do for an ATV bag if nothing else.

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:08 pm

IMO, that thread contains interesting information (my posts not withstanding) on what became of the Wostenholm name and trade mark after the company's demise in the early 1970s. I can not comment on the quality of your knives as I have never held/used one.

s-k

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:20 pm

Hey now s-k.....

Your input was valued as it always is...at least by me and the others here.

Keep smiling now...

Bill

dewman · Post by **dewman** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:41 pm

smiling-knife wrote:IMO, that thread contains interesting information (my posts not withstanding) on what became of the Wostenholm name and trade mark after the company's demise in the early 1970s. I can not comment on the quality of your knives as I have never held/used one. s-k

The Copperhead came in the mail this afternoon and it sucks BIG TIME! The main blade is extremely gritty upon opening with very little snap. The other blade is O.K. Oh well, live and learn I suppose. You spend $15 on a knife, that's what you're gonna' get....a $15 dollar knife. I'm sending it back for a refund. I'll keep the money squirreled away and put it toward a good Schatt & Morgan or GEC trappers.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:31 am

I just won one like yours for $7.95 Trapper.
Wostenholm IXL ~ Parker Cutlery Trapper knife.
I expected the steel to stand up.
Just did not know about the rest of the knife.

The Copperhead came but was in made in Japan ??
Could it be that there like the Coleman knives ?
Coleman Japan made ok others suck ?

I wanted to test it too.
Waiting for the snail man Dave.

dewman · Post by **dewman** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:39 am

....both say, in very faint almost painted on lettering "Japan" on the back of the main blade. The Trapper appears to be a nice knife for what I paid for it, but it has yet to be put to any test other than sitting in front of the T.V. and snapping it open and closed for hours. My wife works four days on and 10 days off. She's a psychiatric nurse. She's down in Boise for those 4 days, so I can fondle and play with my knives all I want for the entire time.

The rest of the time, she really gets irritated if I sit around and "snap, click, snap, click, snap, click, snap, click........................."

needbucks · Post by **needbucks** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:31 am

Ha Dewman....

If I had seen your post I would have warned you. Like you, I wanted one and figured what the heck. I bought a copperhead from SMKW. When I got it, like yours, it was almost like sand between the tang and spring. Very rough. Not only that, the master blade was so off center it had cut halfway thru the brass liner. I sent it back with no regrets.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 3:08 am

needbucks and dewman If you are still looking for a low cost every day user.
I will stick out my neck again and say try a Coleman Japan made one.
Here is one more I have and real like for the money.

When it's in my hand it fells as good as a USA Schrade...

Rusty1 · Post by **Rusty1** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:09 pm

I bought three in the range offered of the IXL knives mentioned above from SMKW, about three years ago when they first came on the market, probably the less said about them the better, IMO they fall in somewhere between Rough Rider and Taylor Schrade.

s-k, as Bill said keep smiling we all enjoy your input here and of course there.

Rusty1

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Thanks Rusty1 and El Lobo... I didn't mean to sound dour.

Hey Rusty is that I*XL hawkbill of yours getting homesick yet

?

s-k

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:39 pm

Snail-man Dave came again. Just gave me a $7.95 Trapper.
Wostenholm IXL ~ Parker Cutlery Trapper knife.
For the money I am pleased...

The handle would look better in the dark...

So S&M I will still give this Wostenholm Trapper a good C+

The Copperhead might be a different story.

Rusty1 · Post by **Rusty1** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:04 am

Thanks for asking after the IXL Hawkbill s-k, sorry to say he still likes it around here at the moment.

Rusty1

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:50 pm

Rusty1 wrote:Thanks for asking after the IXL Hawkbill s-k, sorry to say he still likes it around here at the moment.

Rusty1

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:23 pm

dewman wrote:Hard to believe the difference between those guys and the ones here on THIS site.

Isn't that the truth.
Kudos to Bryan for keeping AAPK such a nice, informative & friendly site.

I have an older I*XL Barlow that is top drawer. Great fit & finish, even though it is probably at least 60 years old. Wonderful carbon steel. It is too bad that other people drag a respected name through the mud by making cheap offshore knives. It may have the I*XL name on it, but it does not, in my opinion, make it a real I*XL. The same can be said for knives bearing the Schrade name, but that are made in China.

Ken,
I also agree with you on the Coleman, made in Japan, great knives for the money, and a decent user.

Dale

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:47 pm

orvet wrote:
dewman wrote:Hard to believe the difference between those guys and the ones here on THIS site.
Isn't that the truth.
Kudos to Bryan for keeping AAPK such a nice, informative & friendly site.

I have an older I*XL Barlow that is top drawer. Great fit & finish, even though it is probably at least 60 years old. Wonderful carbon steel. It is too bad that other people drag a respected name through the mud by making cheap offshore knives. It may have the I*XL name on it, but it does not, in my opinion, make it a real I*XL. The same can be said for knives bearing the Schrade name, but that are made in China.

Dale

You 'nailed' it on many levels there Dale. I was thinking the same thing when I read this post. George Wostenholm & Son ceased to exist in the early 1970s. Subsequent knives have nothing to do with the original company. One can still buy 'Wostenholm' knives today... including 'Bowie' knives with a choice of classic markings. If it is any consolation, they are now made in Sheffield again. I don't know what they are like though. Schrade is a good analogy. Only the name lives on.

s-k

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:24 pm

Well Thanks Old Vet for the "I also agree with you on the Coleman, made in Japan, great knives for the money, and a decent user."

I have said that here at AAPK about 4 times and no one said a thing about them.

Oops speaking about saying thinks. I goofed again..

I see after reading it again, " So S&M I will still give this Wostenholm Trapper a good C+"

I meant to say S-K do to the fact Wostenholm being in your back yard.
I think they made many good knives. I have some Schrade I*XL that make me Hot each time I clean them...

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:42 pm

justold52 wrote: I meant to say S-K do to the fact Wostenholm being in your back yard.
I think they made many good knives. I have some Schrade I*XL that make me Hot each time I clean them...

Hi Ken... I agree, at one time, Wostenholm made many great knives. Please read the link posted by El Lobo for a detailed discussion of the Schrade I*XL knives. Those knives were made in the late 1970s after Imperial purchased the Richards-Rodgers-Wostenholm company. Please show pics of your Schrade-Wostenholms.

s-k

All About Pocket Knives

IXL knives. What do you know of them?

IXL knives. What do you know of them?

Holy cow! Those guys are very anal, are they not?

Just goes to show you....

Yep....