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How pocket knife makers still making in USA as of Dec 06?
Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:10 pm
by Turkey Creek Tom
Just wondering ???
How many active pocket knife companies are still manufacturing knives in the good old USA as of this December 06?
Re: How pocket knife makers still making in USA as of Dec 06
Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:56 am
by justold52
Turkey Creek Tom wrote:Just wondering ???
How many active pocket knife companies are still manufacturing knives in the good old USA as of this December 06?
Just a gess 12 ?
Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:52 pm
by jabberwocky
Good "guesstimate" justold 52... I'd have said about the same, I think...
After you go through the obvious, (Case, Canal Street, Camillus), I think quite a few of the other larger companies offer both USA and foreign or asian products. I.E....Kershaw, Gerber...I don't know, a few others, I guess. That's not considering/counting the many USA "custom" makers, many of whom you can see referenced on this forum. I think it'd be a tough number to pin down.
cj
Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:47 pm
by Hukk
Don't forget about Moore Maker of Matador, Texas. They do make some very good knives.
Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:27 pm
by jabberwocky
Whatever the number is...I'm fairly certain that we'd all wish it were a higher percentage of total knife sales.
This thread ties into so many others...I think all of us wish there were an abundance of US knifemakers, controlling the market and dictating what the quality standards should be. We should be leading the market...by standards of price and craftsmanship...we can do both.
Enough of my rantings.....
cj
Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:54 pm
by knifeaholic
ACTUAL US Manufacturers (not contract buyers) of traditional slipjoint pocketknives, as far as I know:
Case
Queen
Camillus
Buck
Colonial
Utica
Bear & Son
Canal Street
Great Eastern (soon to be starting up if not already in production)
The same list from the end of WWII - about 1950:
Case
Queen
Imperial Schrade (includes Imperial, Schrade, Kingston, Ulster)
Camillus
Colonial
Utica
Boker USA
Western
Kabar
Robeson
Pal
Federal Knife Co, Ideal Knife Co, and (I think) Providence Cutlery Co (all separate companies but spinoffs of Imperial and Colonial in Rhode Island). Not sure when Ideal Knife and Providence Cutlery started up, may have been later than 1950.
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:14 pm
by jabberwocky
knifeaholic...
Interesting lists...I'm just curious (probably not as informed)...where DO
makers like Gerber and Kershaw fit in? In my small collection, I have both makers' knives with "USA" tang stamps. Do these companies no longer make knives in the USA?
I have a "multi-tool" or two from Gerber that's USA made. Not sure how old, but I'd say no older than 10 years...and several "Black Horse" knives from Kershaw that are "USA" stamped. Have these makers gone overseas as well?
Thanks for your info...
cj
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:52 pm
by El Lobo
cj,
I'm not knifeaholic of course, but I believe he was talking about the "Traditional" patterns only. There ARE several other makers who make some or all of their folding knives here in the states, like those you mentioned ( plus Benchmade, Spyderco, Microtech...etc.), but not any of the slipjoint patterns we've all come to love.
Just as info, open to correction of course.
Bill
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:04 pm
by knifeaholic
Bill is correct, I was only referring to companies that make traditional slipjoints in the USA. There are others of course that make tacticals and multitools here, in fact Leatherman is making tactical folders now.
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:41 pm
by jabberwocky
Ohhh..OK, Guys...
Yes, traditional slipjoints were mentioned up front...my mistake.
cj