All About Pocket Knives

Afternoon to all. I just joined a few weeks ago and this site is great! I just started collecting knives mainly John Primble and Boker USA and Schrade. I recently bought a Big John knife made for Primble.I was wondering if anyone could tell me who made this knife for them and what year? Thanks for any help,Brian.

Welcome to AAPK Brian.
I am not familiar with that particular Primble knife off the top of my head, but someone will be along soon with some info.

The Big John was made for Belknap Hardware in either 1975 or 76 by Boker U.S.A. . Boker made the same knife for themselves except that the shield was marked "Olde Stag" and tang stamped BOKER .

Bob

Thanks for the info guys. I thought it may have been a newer re pop. 75-76 is even better. And a plus because I like Boker also.

to AAPK!

Another welcome !

I collected Primble knives at one time and had, I think, about eighteen when I decided to sell them all, along with thirty-six Case 1970 Ten Dots, and concentrate my efforts solely on Robeson.

I forget the particulars, but when I started collecting in about 1987 or 88, I started buying the Ten Dots, as they were approaching twenty years of age, were still readily available in mint condition and were gradually going up in value. Of course, I was about eighteen years late to that party.

As I recall, Belknap Hardware had just recently gone out of business or had been taken over by True-Value and whatever the actual facts may have been, there weren't going to be any more John Primble or BlueGrass knives marketed.

So, I guess about 1987 is where you should draw the line on your collecting of actual John Primble knives.

If you have the financial ability and the patience, concentrating on the older, pre-WWII John Primble / India Steel knives would be a nice way to go, as the knives are better made, more attractive and more traditional than the later knives by Boker or Camillus or whoever else might have made them.

I don't recall now who all made the India Steel knives, but Napanoch comes to mind, among others.

Be very careful re' reproduction Primbles, as many are out there, having been made in Germany and imported here with little to no regard for differentiating them from the older authentic knives, i.e. there are no date stamps on those reproduction knives. Feel free to post questions here before you throw your money down on something that was made in the 1990's.

Have fun, be careful, enjoy the ride. Bradford Clinics do not offer counseling services for this knife collecting addiction.

Charlie Noyes

Thank you robe some. You have taught me things I didn't know. I really do like the John Primble knives,don't know why but they spark my interest. My dad has an older knife collection and iv,e seen Robeson in his small collection.

Welcome to AAPK 427 .... do you have any photos of the Big John knife you can post?? As somebody noted to me when I joined AAPK... we love photos ....

Cheers
Lee