All About Pocket Knives

Does anyone have a list or know what old time U.S. brand names are now being made in China? Or German knives for that matter? I see some of the classic names turn up on eBay with no mention of where they're made.

It may be buried in a thread somewher but I haven't come up with it.

Schrade are all made in china. So are part of Buck's knives but not all....yet.

Mike,

This link has some information about different makers (US and other).
But as always, things change quickly.
For example, a post I read recently stated that several new H & Rs out of a box had China stickers on them.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =4&t=12109

Keith

Thank you Craig and Keith. That's the thread. Time to dust it off.

I believe that Buck has discontinued their China line.

It would probably be easier and a shorter list to just name only the brands that are made in the USA.

Aimus

vikingdog wrote:Does anyone have a list or know what old time U.S. brand names are now being made in China? Or German knives for that matter? I see some of the classic names turn up on eBay with no mention of where they're made.

It may be buried in a thread somewher but I haven't come up with it.

If the tang is stamped Schrade, it is rubbish. Made by Taylor Brand - Good name, bad knife.
If the tang is stamped Schrade USA or Schrade NY, it was made in the U.S.A.
If a U.S. made knife is for sale (say on eBay) the seller will say "made in the U.S.A"
The knives without the U.S.A. stamp sell for very little. .
The U.S.Schrade company did have some knives made in China before 2004,
the Badger was clearly stamped "china", and was a well made knife. ...Ken

The current owner of Imperial Schrade, Taylor LLC. did have a few knives made in the USA. The Fire & Ice series knives were made by GEC. They carry the Schrade name along with the Taylor name but, they are also marked on the tang stamp as being made in the USA. Dam good knives too I might add. If I recall correctly, Taylor LLC had some Schrade knives marked Ever Lasting Sharp etched on the blade and the blade tangs carried the Schrade Waldon tang stamp. I seem to recall that Utica and Bear & Son made those knives for Taylor LLC China-rade. All the reports I got on them (the Utica & Bear & Son made knives) were that they were good knives for the money, and they were made right here in the good old USA. These USA made knives that I'm speaking of were made not long after Taylor LLC China-rade took possession of Imperial Schrade and all of the other old related cutlery brand names like Hammer Brand, Ulster, and so on that went with Imperial Schrade. As for what they have made and sale currently, I believe everything is made in China and imported here to the states. You just have to love those folks that think they got a good knife for their money when they bought that $6.00 and $8.00 imported junk that they call a knife.

Aimus

Paladin wrote:I believe that Buck has discontinued their China line.

I hope you are right and that the chinese Buck I just bought from my distributer for a customer was just old stock not sold yet. But it was definitely a china mad Buck?

And it was just last week I purchased and sold it to my customer at the store.

Craig,
Truth is, I can't remember where I got that bit of information on Buck so what I did was send an email to them seeking verification.
I'll let you know when, or if, I get a response.

Ray

Ray, that would be fanstastic! I do hope they have brought all products back to the USA!

But, I will have to admit that since opening the retail location last spring I have sold more Rough Rider knives than Buck, Case, Queen, GEC, and any other combined. I haven't sold a single GEC! Have sold a few Case and Buck but it sure is a hard sell. The chinese brands all sell reasonably well.

I don't like it, but I can also understand why people buy the cheap knives for their EDC knife. If they loose it they are only out a few bucks where if they carry a USA made knife they're out $25-$45.

I just wish things could get to where American companies could compete with the rest of the world again. If they would lift most of the environmental and labor laws involved American companies would be able to compete then.

If we could get a tax or tariff put on the China
imports to make them more expensive, it would
make people give them a second look before
purchasing the low quality merchandise.

It would put the "fair" back in "fair trade."

......... Joe

Good information, thank you and keep it coming.

Joe Dirt, I may be wrong but I think anything imported already has an importation tax.....but like I said I could be wrong?

Today, I received the following reply from Buck:
Dear Ray,

We do have approximately 20% imported.

We are trying to eventually eliminate all our imports but it is a process that we are working on.

Thank you for your inquiry.

PF Store

So they do still import a portion of their knives and I stand corrected.
Ray

Let's not forget MARBLES. Great old Chinese knife maker.

I bought a Kissing Crane trapper off the bay a few weeks back.

Won it with the opening bid (15.95). Bad sign.

Box says "German Quality and Tradition since 19XX"

But the little sticker on the primary blade says CHINA.

Note that it is a removable sticker, no tang stamp anywhere to indicate place of origin.

Funny thing is, it doesn't appear to be half bad. Can't tell about the steel, but build quality and fit and finish seem fairly good.

I have NO confidence in it though ...

Can't bring myself to carry it or gift it, so it sits in a drawer reminding me that if it doesn't say where its from, it isn't.

Some of their products are kinda nice.....
















THIS ONES NOT BAD!!!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You got a good point there, JR.

I definitely admire the craftsmanship on that model!

YEAH,BUDDY!!

koldgold wrote:

vikingdog wrote:Does anyone have a list or know what old time U.S. brand names are now being made in China? Or German knives for that matter? I see some of the classic names turn up on eBay with no mention of where they're made.

It may be buried in a thread somewher but I haven't come up with it.

If the tang is stamped Schrade, it is rubbish. Made by Taylor Brand - Good name, bad knife.
If the tang is stamped Schrade USA or Schrade NY, it was made in the U.S.A.
If a U.S. made knife is for sale (say on eBay) the seller will say "made in the U.S.A"
The knives without the U.S.A. stamp sell for very little. .
The U.S.Schrade company did have some knives made in China before 2004,
the Badger was clearly stamped "china", and was a well made knife. ...Ken

badger=prettyknife=just don't use it for work,didn't last one day JUNK my take.

garddogg! Thanks for posting. I think it's too bad that so many of the great old time knife names are being put on Chinese made knives.

just to add to the schrades i seen some stockman patterns with bone handles over the weekend that were tang stamped schrade over walden ny over model # and on back of main blades was very litely inked on p.r.c (peoples republic of china)i believe i removed some of the ink by accident just handleing it

Johnnie,

The question is; will she hold an edge?

Keith

I just got home from a business trip to Shanghai saturday night (second trip over there - I'm in the tech industry). I did some shopping - didn't see anything but the cheap junk, so didn't buy any knives (I did take my little Case copperhead in my checked luggage, though).

I did come home with a raging case of food poisoning. You haven't lived till you are in a Shanghai airport men's room puking up your guts five minutes before you get on a 25 hour trip home. Wasn't a fun trip.

My wife is happy, though - pearls are cheap over there.