All About Pocket Knives

Hey guys! I believe I stated some incorrect information along with some of my pics, when I described certain blades as "katana", when in actuality I think it should have read "lam's foot" and "tanto". Sorry bout that, I learn something new everyday!

These are some that I thought you may like to look at and aren't talk about much
Al-Mar ,Cold Steel , A Coast Cutlery , A Browning . A.G. Russell Abalone Pearl and a Taylor Cutlery from 1980 when he had good knives

Those are some seriously good knives. Didn't know Cold Steel had Japanese made knives. Is the CS the knife with the scissors?

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 2:31 pm Those are some seriously good knives. Didn't know Cold Steel had Japanese made knives. Is the CS the knife with the scissors?

QS the Cold Steel is the one next to the AL-Mar the one with the scissors is a Browning

I have a bone stag version of that Browning. I use to have that Taylor with the fat stag on the bottom. They are all good knives. Some may not quite be the quality of the more modern Moki’s but pretty darn good for the time period.

Very nice knives KK! I really like the A.G. and the Taylor! Gorgeous!

Got in this Browning Damascus Classic Fighter today. Produced by Master Ichiro Hattori in the 1980’s. The blade is 200 layer Damascus high carbon stainless steel w/ a double edge. The handle is cocobolo wood. Full tang construction. Came w/ a very nice walnut presentation case. Only 1000 were made and this one is number 135. The blade design is what grabbed me on this knife. Other Hattori knives have this blade design and it’s always caught my attention, glad I can finally add one to the collection.

I replied on the other thread that you showed this knife on Mark, but I'll say it again, congratulations on your Hattori acquisition, you must be ecstatic, I know I would be! You know how much I love that blade profile!

First, I also appreciate it when the "false edge" is sharpened into a true edge.

Second, I am really intrigued by the blade. He (Hattori) appears to have created a hamon line all around the edge of the blade. Its that wavy grey area. I know this is done by covering the edge of a blade with clay so that the edge will remain harder during the heat treatment while the rest of the blade will remain more flexible, allowing the blade to absorb any hard blows. Yet I wonder if the hamon is real. If he made a thousand knives that represents considerable extra effort. Hmmm. In any event it adds to the visual interest of the blade.

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 8:55 pm First, I also appreciate it when the "false edge" is sharpened into a true edge.

Second, I am really intrigued by the blade. He (Hattori) appears to have created a hamon line all around the edge of the blade. Its that wavy grey area. I know this is done by covering the edge of a blade with clay so that the edge will remain harder during the heat treatment while the rest of the blade will remain more flexible, allowing the blade to absorb any hard blows. Yet I wonder if the hamon is real. If he made a thousand knives that represents considerable extra effort. Hmmm. In any event it adds to the visual interest of the blade.

Let me check Garry, that’s a good question. There was a rice paper w/ information on the blade construction in the walnut case. From my close examination of this blade I think it’s more like a San Mai construction. What makes me think that is when you look at the full tang construction you don’t see any layers of Damascus in the tang or on the spine of the blade. The paper in the box calls it Damascus and it probably is, but to me a true Damascus has all the layers throughout the steel. It’s possible they polished it so fine the layers aren’t apparent but I would think you could still see the layers. On all the 33 layer Damascus blade Mcusta’s I have, you can see the layers on the spine of the blade. Maybe I don’t understand a broader definition of Damascus? I do know that this isn’t an etched false Damascus, if it were, I wouldn’t have paid nearly so much for it.

Mark, to me the Damascus is clearly the real deal. But I'm guessing the hamon line is not a true hamon but somehow a technique was used to create the effect. Nothing at all wrong with this. I am sure it was not misrepresented. It is, I believe, simply a creation to add visual appeal. Just wondering how he did it.

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 9:46 pm Mark, to me the Damascus is clearly the real deal. But I'm guessing the hamon line is not a true hamon but somehow a technique was used to create the effect. Nothing at all wrong with this. I am sure it was not misrepresented. It is, I believe, simply a creation to add visual appeal. Just wondering how he did it.

Garry here is a copy of what the paper in the case says. Hopefully this will clear up what I was trying to say.
When I read this I had to double check to make sure that Master Hattori was the one that created this knife. It is included on the Hattori Forums as one of his knives. But this paper says the blade steel was created by Makoto Takabo. How all this works together w/ Hattori isn’t clear to me. Gives me something to research.

Mark, Thank you for taking the time to try and track this down. But with the passage of time I am doubtful you will be able to discover much. Please don't spend too much of your valuable time on my question. With the number of blades involved I would picture more than just one or two people involved in the manufacture. Might well be wrong on this point.

Got in this A.G.Russell lockback today. The handles are smooth natural white bone. The blade is VG-10 stainless steel with stainless pins, liners and bolsters. The black spacer between the handle and the bolster is a nice touch. I bought this w/ the intention of selling it because I thought I already had this one in my collection, but after checking, I don’t, so into the collection it goes.

Very nice Mark. Typical AGR/Japanese quality.

Thanks Garry. It is top notch. The front cover looks almost like ivory and if the back cover didn’t have few specks it could almost pass for ivory too.
Of course the run up is what always impresses me the most on these Seki made knives.

Very nice knife Mark! It's a good thing you're keeping it!

Another winner in my book Mark .

I have this one Seki-made knife, that I got just today, and it's one I got from Mark(SSK)and has been posted previously by him, but now that it's mine I wanted to post it again. It's a Benchmade Marbles lock-back, likely designed by Tak Fukutu, and is 7"/SS spear-point blade/nail-nic and top-swedge on the last inch by the tip, NS accented bolsters and scale inlay, brass liners and pins, Rosewood(I think)scales, and lanyard hole. Has an eagle perched on a branch etched on the front blade and "Marbles" stamped on the front tang, as well as "HANDMADE/SEKI-JAPAN" stamped on the rear tang. Weighs but a couple of oz.'s and arrived shaving-sharp. I have been admiring this knife for close to a month from pics that Mark sent me, but now that it's in-hand I like it that much more. A well-built and designed lock-back folder! Thanks Mark!

Mark, that Marbles does look great. Glad you like it.

Thanks Mark! Did I get it right that the bolsters and inlay are nickel silver, and, the scales are Rosewood?

Yes Mark, I believe that is correct. The Rosewood is a good guess. Sometimes it’s hard to figure exactly what wood you have but that’s what it looks like to me as well.

Thanks Mark! Didn't want to appear the fool providing incorrect information!

Wonderful knife Mark and Mark, you both done good in my book .

Thanks Willy, you're the best!