All About Pocket Knives

I kept asking myself that as I scrubbed and polished this knife....

Before and after pics:

Apparently you do. Scott. Maybe you were a Magpie in another life and just like shiny things.

Nice job.

You may not be able to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but you can sure make it a shiny sow's ear!
Nice job Scott.

Damn. I didn't know you could polish a turd.

Well, i'm gonna hafta go the other direction and say that I think the Japan Sabres are pretty decent knives. IMHO you did just fine by cleanin' it up and did a great job of it.

WB

I do agree they are fairly decent knives. I've just been wanting to use that gag line for a couple years. There is no hope for me.

Guess i'm just in a disagreein' mood IH, but personally I think there's plenty of hope for ya! Maybe you're just feelin' like Scotts ol' Sabre and needin' to be polished on a bit.

WB

likewise here i think the older ones that are stamped usa and japan are great users they were probably one of the first to jump the sea of japan and once they had they hong kong stamp on them went to junk and never recovered

Yea. I could use a good polishing. I don't know who I sent it too but I had a Sabre that was put together so well that the only thing that gave it away was the bone jigging and the tang stamp. It was a good quality knife.

Here's an old Sabre that belonged to my wife's uncle. Carbon steel blades, nickel silver bolsters and brass linings. Marked American Knife Co. Germany on front of tang and Sabre Solingen 232 on back of tang. About 4.5" closed. Very sturdy knife. I use it in the summer-time to cut the tops off the dispensers of the chlorine tablet bottles for the pool.

Yah, I run into Sabre's from time to time. They weren't too bad. They always seemed to be right on the edge of being really well made.

Glenn

Sabre's are a step above those Frost Flying Falcon knives made in Japan and two steps above the ones made in China. Even with that said, the quality of the Sabres I've had was inconsistent at best.

jerryd6818 wrote: Even with that said, the quality of the Sabres I've had was inconsistent at best.

I have to agree with Jerry; Some Sabre's I have seen are so poorly made I tossed them in my "$5 or 3 for $10" basket for my show able, others have surprised me by the quality of the steel and good fit & finish.

Their quality seems to be all over the board.
I have a hunch there is a story behind the quality variations; change of ownership, financial trouble or something. It would be interesting to know the history…………………. So I checked out Sabre in Goins’ Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings.

Sabre was the trademark of Cole National Co.
Circa 1960-1980; there was Sabre Germany with the “American Knife Co.” on the rear tang; Sabre Ireland; Sabre Japan & Sabre USA with “Monarch” on the rear tang.

Apparently it was a brand name and they had various companies in several countries make the knives.

Interesting…

Here is a box of unused knives from Cole National. The knives are pretty well made, solid grooved nickle silver bolsters, brass liners and pins and nickle silver shield. The finish on the blades is excellent, the finish on the inside of the back spring and final polish of the frame is lacking, however for the price these sold for at the time they were as good as some of the Camillus knives being sold.

For what it's worth, about 25 years ago I sharpened a German made Sabre fixed-blade for a friend (first one I'd ever seen) and was surprised and impressed at the quality of the metal in that blade. Real stag handles too. I just figured it was long before they started using Japan as their base of manufacture.

orvet wrote: on the rear tang; Sabre Ireland; Sabre Japan & Sabre USA with “Monarch” on the rear tang.

I just ran across a Sabre Ireland on eBay this morning and was skeptical so I'm glad I saw this post, because (with no facts to back it up of course) I had it set in my mind they were all made in Japan. Thanks for the research Dale.

Another day dawns in the Great Midwest and already I've learned something at AAPK, The Educational Knife Forum.

Before I place this knife on eBay, is there anyone who would like to trade or purchase it?

Way to go OP.

Japanese Sabres have great memories for me. They were the first knives I bought with money I'd earned as a kid. There was a spinner display in the local hardware store and I would go in and consider what had the best return on my meager funds. The yellow-handled fish knife was the first one I bought and many a fish went under that knife.

I just recently joined finding this post about Sabre knives I've had a few over the years didn't think much about it more I got into it more fun it is I do polish them I like taking old ones and cleaning them up they are a decent solid knife

Scott you did a good job on the fluff and buff. I bet your boys won't criticize it. A job well done is still a job well done and you cleaned that one very well.

TripleF wrote:I kept asking myself that as I scrubbed and polished this knife....

Before and after pics:

Cleaned up really nice.

Welcome, Termite.
Nice looking fixed blade.

Termite wrote:I just recently joined finding this post about Sabre knives I've had a few over the years didn't think much about it more I got into it more fun it is I do polish them I like taking old ones and cleaning them up they are a decent solid knife

Termite glad to meet you and look at you posting pictures already. And a knice group of knives you have there.

Thanks dog leg glad you like those most of them were junk when I pick them up they cleaned up really nice I think I got a few more somewhere I never thought much about them I'll be looking into them more and more now