US Classic?

QuasiHoosier · Post by **QuasiHoosier** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:45 am

While trawling for John Primble knives on a couple of auction sites I ran across something called a US Classic. Obviously they are some kind of foreign made knock offs. Hopefully without sparking a whole new discussion on the merits of China made knives; does anybody know anything about them?

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:06 am

i was given two of them. i still have one. i tore down the congress and file worked and replaced the handles. as most of the chinese knives go it was of average quality. rough opening.
when the co. started making knives they had large ads in knife world touting exact copys of genuine classic knives. some big collector was the source of the originals. he pulled out later with an ad in knife world disclaiming anything to do with them. as well. knives were most likley made by the same facyory as rough riders, about the same qualities and very similar patterns and bone and packaging. they have a fake web site on the box. china is barely etched on one blade. steel warriors are much better knives. no politics.

QuasiHoosier · Post by **QuasiHoosier** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:20 am

Thanks for the heads-up, jonet143.
There is something else I've been trying to sort out about Primble.
The ones I have are those that I got from my Grandfather, he liked them. I really love those knives; I'm sure my love for congress knives and Primble is more about my relationship with him than knives themselves. Anyway, my issue is about the steel. The knives are US made? but the steel... India?

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:30 am

The Primbles are all U.S.A. made... by Camillus, Schrade, Utica, etc. The "India" part was just marketing. Now, we would consider that junk marketing, most likely.

Bill

QuasiHoosier · Post by **QuasiHoosier** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:48 am

OK, that makes sense. I have a bit of knowledge about the whole origins being Belknap Hardware in Louisville. The couple I have left all say John Primble Belknap Inc on the tang. I'm gald to know Granddad won't roll over in his grave, he wouldn't be caught dead with a India made knife. Lets not even mention Japan or China.
Is there any way of knowing which co manufactured them?

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:17 am

if you can provide pictures... i'l bet someone in the knife lore forum might be able to suggest a maker.

in the meantime here is a u.s. classic 3 5/8" congress with brown bone.

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:56 pm

I should make a slight correction on what I said about the Primbles. There were some from Germany, like many sellers of knives through the years, but they were marked Germany or Prussia. The trademark has been held by Blue Grass Cutlery since 1986, and there have been some nice reproductions on the market. Still made in the U.S.A., as far as I know.

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:06 pm

Primble had an early stamp "INDIA STEEL WORKS" that was used from 1890 to 1940, according to Goins. I was always under the impression that either the steel or the ore came from India.

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:35 pm

I believe that is the stamp we were discussing, although there was an India Steel Works - Prussia, as well.
According to Bernard Levine, Houston Price, and other knowledgeable knife folks, it was just a marketing name picked to sound nice and exotic...possibly because India was the birthplace for Wootz steel.

Bill

wildcat · Post by **wildcat** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:09 pm

They have a big article about them in Knives Illustrated this month. I saw it and was thinkin they looked nice. Then I saw the "CHINA" etch on the back of the blade

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:53 pm

wildcat wrote:They have a big article about them in Knives Illustrated this month. I saw it and was thinkin they looked nice. Then I saw the "CHINA" etch on the back of the blade

I have seen where someone had removed that China etch on a couple knives, usually it's a black etch and on the surface (they used AC current, DC current will deep etch into the metal). Some say you can rub the black etch away with tooth paste, I've never tried that. It will certainly buff off with just pink scratchless buff. I tried it on my buffer, yeah it's from China also, but so far I'll put it up against any Baldor I've used. I paid $170 including tax, the same Baldor will be over $600.00. It will use anything from a small drum to a 10 inch wheel and it runs smooth as silk even with a 2 inch drum on one side and a 10 inch wheel on the other.

wildcat · Post by **wildcat** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:57 pm

it's gettin to the point that you can not avoid buying chinese goods. alot of my shop tools are made in china too.

what are ya gonna do...

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:18 pm

Problem is a lot of American companies are making tools there too and you just don't have much choice. The primary American tools I have in the shop is a Bader III with all the attachments and a kiln made by Evenheat. My annodizing set up and etching set up are American made also. I have 2 bandsaws, 1 for metal, the 1 for wood is a Grizzly and that thing is darn near bullet proof. It's cut and ripped some really hard woods and it just goes through them like a knife through butter.

wildcat · Post by **wildcat** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:20 pm

shoot, you have some nice tools there. most of mine are from harbor freight and tool

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:30 pm

wildcat wrote:shoot, you have some nice tools there. most of mine are from harbor freight and tool

Thanks, took my time and bought one at a time, got a Bader III through Pops, best price if you send him a cashier's check. One by one I bought all the attachments and wheels from 3 inch to 10 inch.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:47 pm

wildcat wrote:it's gettin to the point that you can not avoid buying chinese goods. alot of my shop tools are made in china too. what are ya gonna do...

The reality is we all probably have tools made in China in our shops, if you have bought any new tools in the last 15-20 years. I know I have Chinese tools, but I have become more aware of it & look for American made tools. I often buy used tools, when I can find them so that I can get the American quality. My 14" band saw is a Delta, made in the USA. I bought it for $100 from my neighbor when he bought his new Grizzly band saw. I must admit, the Grizzly is a big upgrade from his old Delta (the one I have now).

Even some of the Craftsman tools are made in China. I was looking at a set of small pliers & nippers at Sears this week & saw that they were made in China. I didn't buy them.
My Craftsman belt sander is made in Taiwan & my Craftsman drill press is made in China. So much for the good old American brands!

China has been making industrial motors for years. IIRC, when I was working for a company that fabricated rotary screw air compressors, in 1979, we often used large motors (500 HP to 1750 HP) that were made in Taiwan or China. From what I have seen of some of the Jet & Grizzly equipment, a fellow would be hard pressed to find a comparable American made product at any price.

Like Hukk said, the American companies are having their tools made there also. When was the last time you bought a keyboard that wasn't made in China? My last two were in about 1995. I bought two programmable keyboards from a company in MN, as I recall. A couple years later I went to get some parts for them & they had gone out of business.

Maybe the reason I like American knives so much is that they are one of the few things I can buy that are still made in the USA.

Just my 2¢,
Dale

wildcat · Post by **wildcat** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:51 pm

I agree Orvet. Knives and guns is about all you can get made in USA now. Most chinese guns are no where near the quality of USA, except for my MAC 90

, it's very good quality.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:00 pm

Even the Chinese made AK-47s are not as good as the ones made in Chezkslovakia, according to what I hear. When guys were bringing them home from Vietnam they didn't want the Chinese made ones because they didn't work very well.

Dale

wildcat · Post by **wildcat** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:38 pm

it's still pretty good though, but your right. I would love to have one of them new US made jobs. My buddy just got one with underfolder for $700

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:36 am

I think U.S. Classics have Salt River Ky on at least 1 tang. Well there is no town or company of that name, but there is a river of that name.

I did a fairly good search and it's just the name of a nice area.

The Salt River is a 140 mile long river in Kentucky that drains 2,920 square miles. It begins near Danville, Kentucky and ends at the Ohio River near West Point, Kentucky. Taylorsville Lake is formed from the Salt River and Guist Creek Lake is also in its drainage basin via Breshears Creek and Guist Creek.

Nothing to do with knives just nice lazy class 1 rapids to go rafting on. Class 1 is not much.

Yep, as mentioned before DEFINITELY made in China. It does sound like a nice place to go.

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:55 am

your right hukk. and china etched very lightly on back of one of the small blades.

knifeaholic · Post by **knifeaholic** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:43 am

Please note on the current John Primble knvies - they are made in China, similar to the Rough Riders and US Classics - see the SMKW catalog for these...the prices are a dead giveaway.

John Primble modern reproductions by Bluegrass have been made by Colonial (1980's), Queen (1994) and by Utica and some by Camillus.

But the latest ones are made in China.

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:27 am

when you compare them side by side it's obvious they are made in the same factory with different tang stamps.