Bulldog Tang Stamp Question

[sunburst]

Ok you smart Bulldog Folks this dumb Bulldog owner cannot figure out the following tang stamp. What is or who was the S&D Cut Co. I have never seen this particular tang stamp on a Bulldog knife???

Or at least I can't remember seeing this..?

[Hukk]

Ok you smart Bulldog Folks this dumb Bulldog owner cannot figure out the following tang stamp. What is or who was the S&D Cut Co. I have never seen this particular tang stamp on a Bulldog knife???

Or at least I can't remember seeing this..?

Quite a few have that from the first generation.

Scott and Dorton

Tom may be able to provide more info than I.

[olderdogs1]

When Charlie Dorton owned the Bulldog Knife Company in the 80's, Dave Scott joined with him to produce knives with the S&D, OUR BEST, blade Etch. They felt, and I agree, that they were some of the finest knives being imported from Germany. As Dave Scott told me, they have a different feel than almost any other knife. The barlow pattern is one of the finest, as I am sure you know, Sunburst, since you have one.
S&D Enterprises was the sole distributor of these knives and they were in limited quantities. The S&D OUR BEST blade etch is on several different patterns and I like the quality of them all. S&D Enterprises had an office in Maysville Ky. and some of the 1st generation bulldog knives bear this blade etch also. They are in Manchester Ohio now but I believe they only produce display cases for knives. Bluegrass Cutlery is there also and they produce the Winchester & John Primble knives you see today.
Thanks for the post. Hukk and I keep trying to learn more about these knives. I know there is lots more to learn.
Tom

[sunburst]

Thanks Hukk, Olderdogs for that great history lesson, I have been collecting Bulldogs for a couple of years but never heard that story before. I've never heard the name Dave Scott before until you told this story.

This is the kind of stuff where a modern version of PA will be investigating 50 years from now as he or she looks for the entire history of Bulldog knives..

Much appreciated,

Sunburst

[Hukk]

Thanks Tom, I couldn't remember Scott's first name. I also believe they were making some of the best production knives in the world at that time, certainly some of my best stag is on these knives.

I think my favorite is the 3 3/8 inch frame that the Oktoberfest and Kentucky Derby knives used. WATCH OUT! There are some Kentucky Derby knives that are made in 1993 and have the Bulldog Hammer Forged tang stamp and I can feel a difference when opening and closing. The Kentucky Derby knives made in 1984 have S&D Cut Co. I'd pay a premeium and buy less knives if they could make the new ones as good.

[El Lobo]

Just as a little more information...

And, here's hoping this is not too obtuse, I believe that Mr. Scott, and possibly Mr. Dorton (?) are still around the business world.....

http://www.s-denterprises.com/s-denterprises/index.html

Maybe one of the others can add to the story further.

Bill

[olderdogs1]

Dave Scott and his son Tim run Bluegrass Cutlery, they make the Winchester and John Primble knives. I don't believe Charlie Dorton is involved at all anymore. This is just what people tell me at the knife shows. I know Tim does set up at some of them. He sells the display boxes under S&D enterprises.
All of the Bulldogs now are under the direction on Buzz Parker as far as I know.
Tom

[Ringmaster]

Hiya Sunburst,

I can't add much about your One-Arm Barlow, except to say the "Our Best" was a very collectible knife, from the get-go. They later changed the etch (same knife), and tried to cash-in on the "Tobacco" collectors, etc., and any other catch-phrase that would sell.

I was a Bulldog dealer in the mid-80's (wish I had kept all their literature), and for my money (which is worth more than my opinion) - they were selling the best factory pocketknives in the world. They were great people to deal with, mostly because they knew knives, and wanted to sell 'em. I had people practically give me their Eye Brand, in trade, to move up to Bulldogs. (Yep, back in the 80's people actually used 'em).

One fond memory (won't take up too much space) - they had a salewoman named Mary, that called me about once a month, selling knives. She knew knives, backwards and forwards, and she just about had honey "dripping" out of her mouth. I emptied my bank account more than once, just to keep her on the phone !

Your Barlow is one very good knife. I'm pretty sure it wholesaled for $32, at the time. ( I may not remember what day it is, but I remember prices, fairly well).

Take Care,
JR

[Hukk]

Hi JR, sunburst,
Thanks for the the information. I have a good number of first generation and newer knives.
Yes, those S&D OUR BEST and S&D CUT.CO marked knives are some of the best knives I've ever owned. They have the best stag and you can actually feel the quality when you hold the Barlow. They only made 199 of the BKC 365 IN 1986. The book value mint is $110.00 and I have seen them sell for near $200.00 on eBay. When I think about Barlows, those first generation knives likely caused my addiction to the Barlow. I haven't seen much that measures up to the Bulldog first generation Barlows. So, that's my reason for wanting to make a Barlow of my own. If I can't find a decent Barlow, I'll just have to make one, and hope it measures up.

[justold52]

YUP PERS Sunburst found a decent Barlow..

Hukk I hope you are felling good to day.
When you make you Barlow I am sure you will make 2 (one for your son).
Can you put me on that want list too ?
I will buy one home made Barlow from you...

[Hukk]

Hi JR,
Here is a little bit of literature from 1993, the first or second catalog under Jim Parker's ownership. I have both the first and second, just don't remember which one this is. All 5 knives appear to be the same ones that are on the catalog. All 5 have the same engraving BULLDOG BRAND PROTO #2 written in print. Also in the picture is a shipping invoice signed by Achim Gronauer of Friedrich Olbertz from September of 1993. It also has the factory letterhead. The tangs are not marked Bulldog but are marked Rostfrei, Solingen.

Here is a picture of the back of the same catalog with 3 toothpicks that appear to be the same as the ones used on the catalog. EACH of the Toothpicks has Bulldog Brand Prototype engraved on the back of the blade in print. The tangs are unmarked.

Here are a few other original 1993 prototypes with block print letters. Most have a shipping invoice or a copy of the invoice signed by Jim Parker with his hand written description of each knife. Of the rest posted only the Muskrat has an unmarked tang, the rest have a Bulldog tang stamp.

[Ringmaster]

Hey, Hukk

Oh, that Bulldog green bone ! There was just nothing like that, was there ? The one Dog that I ever pulled outta inventory and actually used, was a greenbone trapper, with the round ends - can't remember what they called it.

Fond memories, alright. Then, I scrolled down to the large congress, and thought I'd fallen in love. And THEN, I saw the stag muskrat ! Man, would that be a good one to pull out, at the coffee shop, or what...?

Wonderful show, Hukk. 'Scuse me, while I go get a dish towel to clean up the slobber off my kybd...

Thanks,
JR

[Hukk]

Would that be a dogleg trapper, here is on in stag, a first generation.
I like it much better, the 3 7/8 inch length is what I like in the trapper.

Here is another of those original 1993 prototypes, a 4 inch round bolster stockman. Those are the only set of knives that I've ever seen with print on the blade rather than script writing. It has a COA also.

Here is one I really like a third generation greenbone single blade trapper that never went into production.

Last is a celluloid that confused me for a couple years. It was sold to me as a rare first generation. It was on eBay and I got it for less than $50.00. For a long time I thought it was a third generation because of the shield, reminded me of Jim Parker and Case. Well, I finally found that it was a first generation, in writing, similar shield to the single blade folding hunter and later the USA made sowbelly. Here it is.

[Ringmaster]

Hukkster, you're right on ! That dogleg trapper, to me, is the perfect trapper size, and mighty useful, for nearly 'bout everything. Wonder what it would be like, to have one of those, with a Wharncliffe blade ? The quality just "oozes" out of those Bulldogs, don't it ?

You've got quite a collection of Dogs, there mister ! (Heh, Heh ...where were you, back when I was selling the durn things ?) I sold the dogleg trapper in bone, for $40 and in stag, for $45. I musta been too cheap, I don't have any left !

Gosh, it's good to see those knives again...thanks, my friend.

JR

[Hukk]

Hukkster, you're right on ! That dogleg trapper, to me, is the perfect trapper size, and mighty useful, for nearly 'bout everything. Wonder what it would be like, to have one of those, with a Wharncliffe blade ? The quality just "oozes" out of those Bulldogs, don't it ?

You've got quite a collection of Dogs, there mister ! (Heh, Heh ...where were you, back when I was selling the durn things ?) I sold the dogleg trapper in bone, for $40 and in stag, for $45. I musta been too cheap, I don't have any left !

Gosh, it's good to see those knives again...thanks, my friend.

JR

You're quite welcome! There's a few Bulldog collectors on this site. Ask and one may have a picture of what you want.

That would be a great idea, the dogleg trapper with one clip and 1 Warncliffe blade. I kinda like that combo.