United Cutlery & Arrowhead In Tennessee

[9ball]

Good morning Folks ,

This was in our local Sunday newspaper, I thought some of you may find it interesting.

Not as may pictures and charts. I did notice Case only does 8% and United does 7%. The two largest are Gerber and Leatherman both with 25% of the $420 million dollar industry.
United is tied with Victorinox for 5th in the business.

Later,
9ball

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/business/ar ... 65,00.html

[SEVENTY]

Thank you 9ball. I, for one, do find it interesting. However, I find the statistics troubling for a collector of Case knives. I have no statistics, but I question the validity of his report. Case has been one of the most collectable brands in our country for years

[9ball]

Hello SEVENTY ,

I do not think they are talking about collecting, the charts are refering to manufacture, Who is making the most for market. I just noticed the chart is available industry data dated 2004. I will scan it later and post it here.

What I found interesting was that they have already been to China and have came home. Did you notice they were making Remington, Browning and other American Brands also?




EDITED

[Bear Claw Chris Lappe]

Nice article, that chart puts some interesting light on the often made claim taht Taylor/United is "flooding" the market with Chinese knives. At only 10% combined, that seems unlikely.

One small error in the article though, Gil Hibben only did the knife for Rambo:First Blood III, the first two were by Jimmy Lile.

[9ball]

I noticed no mention of Lile either and that was a big deal back then Lile was still above ground, he would be at The Blade Show when it was in Knoxville.
I remember Hibben & United together had some Rambo knives on the market at one time, made in the Far East. I'll check some of my older catalog's to be sure.

[El Lobo]

BCCL,

I'm not really interested in debating the offshore knife thing... ...but since you mentioned it...I see this data was compiled in 2004, (see bottom of chart), so the 15 or so months since then has shown MUCH change in the importing/selling/buying of cutlery here in the United States, and maybe elsewhere.

Heck, even Rachael Ray changed knives.

Bill

[Bryan]

Interesting article. Even more interesting chart. Thanks for sharing.

If that data is correct, I find it very surprising. I had no idea Gerber and Leatherman had such large shares of the pie.

Aren't multipurpose tools more popular around the world than here in the states? I wonder if that has something to do with it...???

Bryan

[SEVENTY]

Hello 9ball. I agree with you on your assessment that this is not about collecting, but could Bryan be right that this is more about market share of tool and utility? I find the article is more like an advertiserment to promote one man and his manufacturing growth, but, even then, how truthfull can it be? My what a web we weave when we attempt to deceive.

[El Lobo]

Gerber has pretty much been the "Knife Darling" at WalMart for awhile now. With their own brand of knives and multitools, as well as all the Winchester knives and multitools made in China, that's a pretty big bite of the knife market right there, in my opinion.

Bill

[9ball]

SEVENTY,

I just live here.

See KNIFE WORLD Vol. 31 No.6 June 2005.
"United Cutlery: Under the Radar" by Edw. C. Bell,. Cannot miss it, starts on the front page.
You can order back issues from KW's web site, if you missed it.

Better story, better detail, photo's and history.

? doh.......department of health?

Later,
9ball

[Bear Claw Chris Lappe]

BCCL,

I'm not really interested in debating the offshore knife thing... ...but since you mentioned it...I see this data was compiled in 2004, (see bottom of chart),

Yeah, I missed that 2004 date, your right, current figures would probably be noticably higher. Was Taylor even importing the "new" Schrades in 2004?

[El Lobo]

I don't believe that Taylor began producing/importing the offshore-made Schrade pieces until 2005.....as the auction of the Intellectual Property, equipment, inventory and such, wasn't until late October 2004.

Thanks for the article 9ball...your break.

Bill

[9ball]

You are welcome Bill.
I slung them all over the place.