All About Pocket Knives

Nothing made nowadays seems to have the quality or careful craftsmanship as in the old days, knives included.

However, recently I've been getting the distinct impression, on this forum, from guys who know their stuff, that some of today's knives are meeting old world expectations, or coming VERY close.

Names like Canal Street, Schatt & Morgan, Great Eastern come to mind.

Is this really the case?
Are there knives on today's market which can compete favourably with their predecessors? Or slowly getting there?
Or is this just wishful thinking?

Care to toss a name into the ring?

Welcome to the forum. I think there are many knife makers that are doing a quality job. Case, Buck, Spyderco. and many more. But that's my opinion from what I've seen so far.

Great question Edgewise,

Everybody has an opinion on what he or she thinks could stand up to the standards of yesteryear. I would have to say that you are pretty close already in your observations..

Schatt & Morgan
Case Classics
Canal Street
Case/Tony Bose Collaboration knives
Fight'N Rooster
Germany Eye
Bulldog (The earlier generations)
Queen Cutlery and many more that I am forgetting, but as you have already noticed the knife collector will quickly sort out the modern knife makers that don't maintain the higher standards of a forgotten era..

What is interesting is finding out who is actually making the knife your going to purchase or trade for even if it has a different tang stamp..


Queen Cutlery for instance has made knives or still does for the following company's;

Schatt & Morgan (In-house brand)
Robeson (In-house brand)
Old Hickory (In-house brand, 1970's)
Bluegrass Cutlery
Case Classics
Winchester Reproductions
Moore Maker (established 1985. Matador, Texas)
Marbles (Marbles Safety Axe Co.)
NorthWoods (Marbles)
Scagel (Marbles)
John Primble
Bowie Corp.
Chris Tenney - Tenney Trading Co.
A.G. Russell
Cripple Creek (Blackjack)
Family Tree Series For Parker - Kinfolks, Platts, Standard Knife Company, Crandall
Bulldog Brand
Bowen Knife Co (1970's-1980's)
Bob White Cutlery (1970's)
Sargent/Sarco
Voyles Cutlery (1970's)
Kabar
Swanner Cutlery - Fairfield, Ohio
Sampson
Canal Street Cutlery, Ellenville, NY.
Browning U.S.A.
Rigid
Col Coon

Does Queen Cutlery have anything to do with the Great Eastern knives?

richied wrote:Does Queen Cutlery have anything to do with the Great Eastern knives?

Well actualy yes and no..The men who started up Great Eastern Cutlery left Queen Cutlery after many years of experience working there and started up the new company GEC..

So in a way there is still a connection...

Sunburst

You know Sunburst, I have collected knives off and on for many years but I never was a student of the game. Never did a lot of research, just bought what tickled my fancy. It is interesting to know....(which I didn't until joining this great forum) just how few knife co.'s (American) made or make their own knives! I knew Case did(except the Classics), and I knew Camillus, Queen, and Schrade did. But I thought all the other major players did as well. Had no idea they were farmed out to the other co.'s. Your list is a grand example! Thanks for sharing. Kelley

I usually collect old knives & rarely buy new knives.
I have heard, from people I know & trust that Canal Street is making some of the best of the new knives. I do intend to pick up one or two in the not to distance future.

Recently I picked up a Schatt & Morgan at the OKCA show in Eugene Oregon. That is a quality knife that reminds me of some old knives in my collection.

I also bought a GEC Primitive Bone from Bryan (here at AAPK). That knife also has the quality fit & finish, walk & talk, that reminds me of the quality knives of 70-80 years ago.

I cannot speak of Case as I do not collect them.

While I usually buy American made knives, there is one company that has impressed me for the last 25 years for their quality & service. That company is Kershaw. The knives are made in Japan and are not traditional slipjoint knives (with a couple exceptions), but for a knife to use, they make a good product at a reasonable price. Their service is second to none.

Just my 2¢
Dale

orvet wrote:...I also bought a GEC Primitive Bone from Bryan (here at AAPK). That knife also has the quality fit & finish, walk & talk, that reminds me of the quality knives of 70-80 years ago.

Dale

Those knife name games are worse than I suspected, Sunburst.
Names are not what they used to be, obviously, especially at the frantic pace at which today's fickle business world moves.

What we need are recommendations like Orvet's above; people who have tested the waters and are ready to share their experience.
The Daddy'sGirl thread is a fine example of that.

Another medal for AAPK!

I've had a couple new S&M knives recently, a couple Queens, and a few others. They are all nice, they are good looking, decent fit and finish etc but they just don't quite get there as far as a comparision to the old stuff from decades ago. They are however a lot better than most of the lower quality stuff thats been made in recent years. Lots of the Queen/S&M/Canal Street stuff has been made using 420 steel. Its takes a nice shiny polish (aimed at the safe-queen collectoer market)and is pretty easy to sharpen but doesn't hold an edge as well as the old carbon steels used by Case, Remington, etc, way back when. Only very recently has there been a widespread change to stuff like 1095 and D-2, and that change is likely only due to demands from people on this and other knife forums that actually use their knives. So far, the only new production knife I have found that holds up to the standards of 50 or more years ago is the model 1902 made by Vintage Knives from Brandon Mississippi. Its a 3 7/8" balloon handle moose, black ebony wood scales, 1095 carbon steel blades, nickel silver liners and bolsters, and springs like a bear trap. The 1902 is a detailed reproduction of the genuine article made at the turn of the century. It looks, handles and feels just like something made in the 1920s or 30s and compares very well with a couple other large jacks in my possession that date from the early 20th century, one being a large Miller Bros moose pattern . If it didn't have modern makings you would swear it was and old Empire or M&G knife. The only flaw I can find is on the clip blade. The pull is too far back to open the blade easily, it should have a nick at the front of the blade for more leverage.

The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure that knife was made for Billy (Vintage Knives) by Queen, off an old Schatt & Morgan pattern.

Hopefully a few American companies will still try to churn out a high quality knife...and we, the knife buying public, will choose to support them, if warranted.

Bill

The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure that knife was made for Billy (Vintage Knives) by Queen, off an old Schatt & Morgan pattern

I think you are correct about the origins of the 1902. However, this knife is a cut above anything I have seen from the regular Queen lineup. It just goes to show you what they could really accomplish if they tried a bit harder. Of course, its a bit pricier than most Queens also, but you get what you pay for in the end.

Billy had Queen use 1095 and the handles are ebony. A bit pricey but a very nice knife. Certainly a cut above standard Queen. Also, he's a great guy to deal with . Link to his site...

http://www.vintageknives.com/tek9.asp?id=1&pg=blank