Interesting Robeson on eBay

[orvet]

I saw this knife on eBay and post it here, hoping Charlie would enlighten us as to the history of this knife.
I think the inlaid 'R' on the front handle is unique and pretty cool.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Pocket- ... 2099316741?

[RobesonsRme.com]

Dale, it's one of less than a half dozen patterns that Robeson imported from Germany in the 1950's.

Not made in Perry, New York.

I have a totally mint example.

If you are interested in the Ebay knife, I'd sell you mine for a very reasonable price.

Charlie Noyes

[orvet]

Thanks Charlie,
I just found it interesting as several other US knife companies had SAK type knives made in Germany, including Schrade. I don't collect them, but I do find it interesting that so many US companies imported these knives.
It speak to me of the practical nature and timelessness of the design

[btrwtr]

Interesting knife and interesting to me in that a number of U.S. manufacturers tried to find a way to compete with the SAK's. I don't know of any of these attempts that got off and stayed off the ground. Something to be said for the Victorinox and Wenger knives.

Wayne

[RobesonsRme.com]

I doubt this was an attempt to compete with SAKs.

This was the only such pattern Robeson imported at the time.It's basically a six blade scout/utility.

The other patterns they brought from Germany were small two blade penknives and junior three blade stock knives.

I think this was more of an attempt to sell knives that cost less than their in-house products.

They were in a severe decline when they did this and failed not long after.

It's a nice knife, but not up to Robeson's standards of quality, even for the time period.

Charlie Noyes

[knife7knut]

It seems there were many companies in Europe prior to WWII that offered similar knives with Germany and France being the most prolific. Their quality ranged from terrible to really nice. They all seemed to favor the shadow pattern scales with reinforcing washers to compensate for the lack of bolsters although the really cheap ones sometimes had no reinforcements whatsoever. The really good quality knives usually had reinforcements that although they were two piece you could barely see the division.The cheaper ones usually had dissimilar metals for washer and pin.
I have a small collection of them;with the French made ones usually referred to as champagne patterns. I even have a multi-blade made in Poland with an eagle for a shield. If no one minds I will post a couple of pictures.