Browne and Pharr, Makers, Atlanta, Ga history

[Browne]

There seems to be quite a lot of misinformation about the company, knives and other products.

I am the Browne, lets start with that fact. Cecil O. Pharr of Tucker is the Pharr. As friends in the motorcycle business and active gun enthusiast, we were discussing knives at the cycle shop on a number times. I had purchased a number of Case, and found them disappointing as the metal was poor at edge holding and they were hard to keep clean in you pocket and did not fit the contour of the hand.

we began to discuss what would make a really good knife, good blade steel, take apart to clean, and easy to fit the hand in any position. Cecil had the idea of screws, we talked about 01 tool steel for the blades, higher heat treat levels and with the blended additives long on edge holding with modest rust when reasonable care taken.

Cecil made the first pattern, a single scale, at home and we discussed further development. Cecil's original had thick bolsters and the rosewood protruding making the knife wide. WHAT FOLLOWS IS A VERY BRIEF AND CONSOLIDATED HISTORY MUCH MOST LIKELY OMITTED AS A LITTLE TIME HAS LAPSED.

BP mfg was formed, a plant sight leased and equipment purchased to start production. I went to work in my home shop refining the design, and still have the prototypes, I got a screw company to make the stainless screws with an axle shaft for the blades and the brass cups and knurled nuts for the wood scales.

The original production knives were thicker and the rosewood protruded from the bolsters. these had crudely ground blades done by band saw and then ground by hand. Cecil had a contact who imported the Rosewood, very old, and high quality, that is what we used. I checked with some contacts of mine at Lockheed and determined the correct stainless for the bolsters and later scales. we used 3/4 hardness brass for the scales.

I showed them to Orvis, Eddie Bauer, and other possible outlets with mixed results. They were to thick, heavy and needed refinement. thinner bolster material, level rosewood with the bolsters, and more uniform blades
I then contracted with a die maker to have the blade blanks, scales, bolsters using a 50 ton machine we had and thus stamped out the blank parts of the knife. The result were immediate improvement of appearance and function. He also made the name die for impressing "Browne and Pharr Makers, Atlanta, Ga" this design being Cecil's very good idea.

we did our own heat treating of the tool steel and springs, -- the spring are another story, as they are an inverse curve the normal pattern of a knife spring would not work, I must have make 20 different springs testing each to no avail. about 11:30pm eating a late dinner, the good Lord put a picture in my mind of the correct shape for the spring. I road my Ducati back to the plant, made the spring and that is what you have today.
Cecil ran the plant, I continued working to provide capital to build, and in his position he came up with the packaging, advertising literature and personally inspected each knife made before it was sold. I came in in the afternoon and weekends and continued development and design work.

I will omit the Flicket, pistol Belt Clip and other projects as this is a knife forum.

I will say to you, we never sold a knife without the company "logo" on the blade
we never sold a knife without screws,
we never sold a knife with a single blade.

we had a problem of a production individual liberating parts and assembling them at home -similar but not ours. He was selling them our around the area.

unfortunately in the Carter inspired high interest rates of 23% we were forced to close as banks were in real trouble, thus we closed down. - another story.

Bob

Robert A. Browne, Sr.

[Cutty]

Thanks for that info. Robert. I am a Georgia native of Cobb County. I have heard of your knives but never bought one not knowing the back story. As a quasi collector I always like the where and how. So thanks again.

[Miller Bro's]

Bob, welcome to AAPK!

Very interesting and useful information thank you for posting it here

[Iron Hoarder]

Thanks for sharing that. Glad you took the time set the record straight.

[Paladin]

Bob,
Welcome and thanks for the post. Good info to have.

Ray

[wlf]

,and don't be a stranger.

[Miller Bro's]

Here is an old thread that can now be addressed

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... f=2&t=6618

[Classic Case]

Thanks for taking the time to tell the story. and to the site.

[Browne]

Miller Bro
your post you directed me to is interesting

the unmarked bladed, no screws, knife is one which appears to be one of those made by the employee who liberated parts and put some together at home,

the knife is a fake, not a Browne and Pharr, just made with some of the parts from our plant.

Bob

[Miller Bro's]

That is good to know, I am sure Ray (Knife7knut) will be glad to find out what he really has.

Here is another old thread you may find interesting:

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =4&t=21510

[knife7knut]

That is good to know, I am sure Ray (Knife7knut) will be glad to find out what he really has.

Here is another old thread you may find interesting:

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =4&t=21510

I definitely am glad Dimitri! I read the other post first;not seeing this one. Bob I would like to thank you for the history of your company that you posted.I would also like to say that the real one that I own was carried for many years and the only thing I had to do to it was re-shape the blades slightly so the points would sit down inside without protruding.A prvious owner had sharpened both blades quite a bit resulting in the blades sitting proud.I still think it is one of the most ingenious knives ever built.
Sincerely
Ray Smith aka Knife7knut

[Browne]

Ray, if that ever happens again, just open the knife and reduce the kick, the blade will sit down lower. just watch out you don't get the blade into the spring hump over the center screw.

some day when I have time I will comment about the hunting knives, machetes and other things we made.
I have some interesting prototypes I worked on but never got to produce re the economy shutting down.

Bob

[Miller Bro's]

some day when I have time I will comment about the hunting knives, machetes and other things we made.
I have some interesting prototypes I worked on but never got to produce re the economy shutting down.

Bob, I would like to see that stuff!

Are you able to post pictures? We love pictures

[Bamarick]

Bob,
Thanks for the information. Several years ago I purchased a bunch of knives on ebay. When I got them I was surprised to find a mint Browne & Pharr in the mix. I think the knives together averaged about $5.00 each. This particular knife has a checkered pattern on the rosewood handles. The blades are well finished and the rosewood handles are flush with the bolsters. It is truly a great looking and great feeling knife. I've never thought about using it, but have it stored away with a lot of my better pieces. I was never able to get a lot of information on the Browne & Pharr brand until now. This information is valuable because I have something that will speak toward the history of the knife. Thanks again.

Bamarick

[wazu013]

Welcome to the AAPK forum.
Tell me it's not great to have a founder come on board and deliver a companies history?
Good Stuf

[coffeecup]

There seems to be quite a lot of misinformation about the company, knives and other products.

I am the Browne, lets start with that fact. Cecil O. Pharr of Tucker is the Pharr.

Welcome to the forum!

Something I've always wondered about--your company also made the belt clips for pistols, correct? The company name always made me think so, but I was never certain.

Thanks,
Jim

[Browne]

Coffeecup,

The belt clip, flicket, were both our products. when time permits I will fill in on them and the hunting knives etc.

Bob

[coffeecup]

Thanks--they were a good piece of kit, one of the few add-ons that actually increased the utility of the pistol. Over the years I put several hundred thousand rounds through various 1911s; at any given time at least one was fitted with the belt clip. I've got no auto-pistols on hand now, but I still have one of the clips (this one for a S&W 59) as a reminder of times past.

[Browne]

Cecil had been a gun dealer for years and had in his history seen a picture of something along the lines of a belt hook used back about the turn of the 1900's by those who had no holster.

we designed one for the 1911, sw39/59, sw chief special, which we made and sold. I even made on for myself for a PPK which I carried. still have the original patterns.

we had purchased a mill by then and I made the punch dies for all of them, Cecil found a metal bending machine and I made the dies to bend them and the flickets.

Bob

[knife7knut]

Bringing this one back up again.Was talking with my old friend Bob and he mentioned that he had picked up a knife that was nearly identical with a B&P. His had no country of origin(I found out later that there was a faint Japan marking on the back of the tang)but was still in the original box wrapped in foil and wax paper and had a disassembly instruction sheet.
Long story short he wound up sending it to me the other day and here it is.There are differences between it and the B&P;most noticeably the blade shapes.Also the scales are held on with tiny Phillipsscrews rather than them being dovetailed which requires no screws.The fit and finish seem good but not of the quality of the original.Stil and all it is a great addition to my collection.
THANKS BOB!

[rbrowne]

Browne and Pharr knives

ok fellows, at the ripe age of 85 i am cleaning up some things, i am going to offer 4 new Browne and Pharr knives,for sale

2 Aluminum one of each size 2 bladders -- $125 each
1 new 2 blade the most popular of ours -- $275
and the cou de gra
1 4 blade new, about 12 made few sold as test item just before our bank failed in economic crash and took us with it.--$400

i f any of you interested
[email protected]

[doglegg]

Wow, what an opportunity to get a special knife from the source. Those are impressive offerings. Thanks.

[rbrowne]

got some of the knives posted for sale, in another post re knife name, etc.

[guylenz]

Blast from the past!
I hope this finds you well Mr. Browne.
If you remember, My fingerprints are all over those knives as I was the fellow that cut the blades out of the D2 stock (before they were stamped out), Ground them to form prior to heat treating, and then put the final finish on them after heat treatment. I'd test the edge by shaving my arm hair...being a lefty my right forearm was bald! I've always been proud of my time at B&P, a very unique occupation for the time I was there.

Guy Lenz

[doglegg]

Blast from the past!
I hope this finds you well Mr. Browne.
If you remember, My fingerprints are all over those knives as I was the fellow that cut the blades out of the D2 stock (before they were stamped out), Ground them to form prior to heat treating, and then put the final finish on them after heat treatment. I'd test the edge by shaving my arm hair...being a lefty my right forearm was bald! I've always been proud of my time at B&P, a very unique occupation for the time I was there.

Guy Lenz

I bet it is knice to see your own work.