Bear & Son (Jacksonville Alabama)

[big monk]

Got these in today,and was really impressed,with quality,colors,and packaging +++++++!!!!!!! Read several post,on here about the ""Super Customer Service"" also,_________so that was a good reason,to give them a try,and I was not dissapointed. These are a very reasonablely priced knife,for collecting or using____the colors,on the bone Trapper,are really nice,and the Stag Barlow,is hard to beat,_____with the Medium Lockback,coming in @ just the right size ( 3 3/4 inch,

[rangerbluedog]

[Toejammer]

Nice

[testcase]

I've gotten a few Bears, like them just fine, great value on well made in the USA knives.
I like the carbon steel versions personally.

A peanut

and a Barlow

I have a yellow peanut in Carbon I slip in a pocket now and again as well

[singin46]

Those are pretty nice Monk. Are they actually made in J'ville Alabama?

[big monk]

Those are pretty nice Monk. Are they actually made in J'ville Alabama?

YEP________Parkers old factory ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vikingdog]

Nice looking barlow there Monk. I'm happy to see another quality made in the USA knife.

[gino]

Great lookin knives Monk. I just traded for a Bear so I will get a pic up when it gets here.
For now this is the only one I own. I plan on doing something about that.

[trail]

I got started collecting knives when I was looking for quality American made goods to buy and hit on Bear & Son out of Jacksonville AL. Over the past couple of years they seem to have really upped their game. As far as I can tell, with Schrade and Camillus out of the picture, Bear is the last man standing for low priced, quality working American knives. All the other makers seem to focus mainly on the collector market. Here are two Bears I just bought from Red Hill. I won't have them for long, as they are earmarked for Christmas presents. Who knows, maybe they will turn my brothers into knife collectors.

[gino]

Here is one I just picked up. I plan on picking up a few more soon.

[singin46]

Very cool Gino, it almost looks like a Queen the way they colored the bone.

[gino]

Thanks Singin, it does look like a Queen. I just stopped at the local sporting store and found this Bear & Son stockman on sale.

[big monk]

Couple of nice ones Gino !!!!!!!!!!!! The colors ,do favor the colors of the Queen, and they are both ,very nice

[jerryd6818]

As far as I can tell, with Schrade and Camillus out of the picture, Bear is the last man standing for low priced, quality working American knives.

Don't forget Utica. Good working man knives, reasonably priced. That Utica KutMaster Catskill Premium Stockman is going to be one of my Christmas presents to me.

[trail]

Thanks for reminding me, Jerry. I agree, Utica makes some very nice "working man's knives." I have a few and plan on buying more. They are easy to overlook, I think in part because of their very limited distribution network. I know you can get them from Knife Center and have heard they are locally available near Utica, but otherwise they are hard to find. Bear is getting more attention because they are in more stores. I think having Mr. Griffey as the owner is also helping Bear, because he seems to be dedicated to providing top knotch customer service and seeing his company grow. After the devastation of the American knife industry over the last couple of decades it is great to see Bear, Utica, GEC, Canal Street, Case and others hanging in there and making fine knives.

[gmusic]

Pretty nice looking knives they're putting out! How much are they running?

[gino]

Here is a few others I have (up for trade by the way). PM if interested

[trail]

Two more that came in the mail today. A Red Hill Exclusive Kentucky Congress and a 4th Generation Mini Trapper.

[trail]

Another Red Hill SFO, they call this a Jack Rabbit Special. Bear is starting to use real stag on some of their knives, in addtion to the "bone stag" that they have long used and which they describe as bone jigged to look like stag. This is a pretty good little knife at a price that means I can carry it now and then without worrying about it. I'm someone who would like to see the last small remnant of the American knife industry survive, and that means I need to buy a new knife now and then. These Bears fit the ticket for me.

[big monk]

That's a beauty Trail !!!!!!!!!!!____the stag is awesome****

[just in case]

I been wanting to get a few bear and Son knives too.This is the factory where the Parker/Edwards came from I think. Edwards was a maker of damascus .And isnt that Uncle Henry Bear of Schrade? Please correct me if I wrong , it seems like I reed that somewhere.I just went to their web site Nice knives.Thanks monk for sharing.You picked some real beauties! Where did you get'em?

[jerryd6818]

Trail, you're a bad influence. These impulse purchases are going to kill me but, for the price, I just couldn't pass up one of these Bear Jack Rabbit Specials in Stag. I just ordered one with the Kentucky shield.

(Red Hill, stock photo)

[trail]

Just in Case, I think you would like the Bear & Son knives, and yes, they are made in the former Parker Edwards plant. Fain Edwards was the damascus maker and I think he retired to the mountains of Tennessee some years ago, but his old shop in Jacksonville still makes the damascus that Bear uses in some of their knives - although if someone knows better I'll defer to them. Bear has a lot of close links to Case due to the Parker connection and due to one of the founders being a former Case employee. There are even a few identical patterns that are made by both makers to this day. Also, the pattern numbering system at Bear is very much like the one at Case. I think the current Bear owner Ken Griffey has a lot of respect and admiration for the Case heritage and it tells in the way he runs his business.

Big Monk, thanks for the comments on my knife, and Jerry, mine was an impulse purchase too, just couldn't pass it up - nice handles, limited edition, unusual pattern and a heck of a good price. Looking forward to seeing some more pictures of yours in a few days.

[j1730]

They make a great looking Barlow. They are on my list.
I ordered on of their catalogs the other day. Can't wait to see it.
Great prices.

Thanks for the show and tell.

J

[zed6309]

There all very nice, love the trapper and the barlow bears and son make a nice multitool as well, gets good reports