All About Pocket Knives

Hi. There is some debate about the origin of this knife on another site to which I belong. Most of the German made knives are 'Kissing Cranes' whereas this one is a 'Kissing Crane' Kissing Crane seems to be the Chinese version. However, the blade says Germany. There is no R Klaas Solingen. The seller says made in Italy. Can anyone clarify all of this please? Thanks in advance. s-k
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/kissing-crane-bla ... dZViewItem

OK s-k,

Here is El Lobo...showing up at a knife fight with a gun.....er, well, you know what I mean.

I don't have a definitive answer...(sorry)...but, here are some pictures for comparison...



Brown Mule...wood handles...1 birdseye pivot pin and 2 brass pins...sells for around $13 US.



Black Angus...ABS handles...pivot pin only...sells for about $7 US.

Note (if you can see, sorry) the top knife has blade etch, but only the two Cranes on the tang. The second knife has etch, two Cranes, and stamped name.

Sooooo, based on absolutely nothing...I say, because of the price, and construction, top is German...second may be Asian, possibly Italian?
My Brown Mule has no country of origin either... ...but I've had it for a decade or so. Can't explain that one...

I'll always seen and heard "Kissing Crane"... no plural ...even though there are 2, to, too, two Cranes.

Please disregard this if it makes no pence...cents...er, sense.

bILL

That make good sense El Lobo. The Solingen knives that I have seen do not say Crane or Cranes but have the birds stamped. However, the boxes say 'Cranes' whereas the Chinese have 'Crane' on both the stamp and box. The Black Angus has Germany etched on the blade so maybe made elsewhere with German parts? s-k

Oh,

I forgot...just a sidenote of interest.....

Kissing Crane™ Brown Mule Sodbuster with Hardwood Handle

Kissing Crane™ Black Angus Sodbuster with Black ABS Handle

I purloined the above from Smoky Mountain. Note the registered mark for Kissing Crane. Do you have a picture of the box with Crane(S)??

This is interesting, on a slow day.

Bill

Kissing Crane tang and box (Chinese?)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kissing-Crane-kC6 ... dZViewItem

Brown Mule: Kissing Crane in the title; Cranes on the box no Cranes on the tang.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/German-Kissing-Cr ... dZViewItem

Black Angus: Crane in the title and on the tang but Cranes on the box; Germany on the blade. (Italy?)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/German-Kissing-Cr ... ket-Knife-

There are other confusing e.g.s but you get the idea. Thanks s-k

Thank you!

I would agree with China on the first knife.
(Ir)Rational...Germans were usually Carbon or "Solingen" steel. No mention of 440 series until recent stuff like Rough Rider and Owl Head. Low starting price for a German made traditional?

I think I see the Cranes on the tang of the Brown Mule (#2)??
Mine is so heavily patinized (word?) that it may have looked like that, with that light etch for the country of origin, once upon a time, and I've ah, "misremembered" the knife when new. I of course, would never forget a knife.

Thanks for taking the time to post those my friend.

Bill

I have been looking around and noticed the silver shield and red kissing cranes is from china. the round gold emblem comes from italy or Germany.
that brings me to a question. Is everyone satisfied with a kissing crane knife from anywhere but china. what about a boker from argentina? I am curious and would like to know and why.
As you can see by the attached pictures and wording the silver shield or gold disc gives you some info. Most stores i looked at said nothing of the maker when it had the silver shield but stated germany with the gold disc. one article pretty much said all kissing cranes were made in germany. and there was another exception. a knife with a blank silver shield but had kissing crane etched all over it. thanks, Brent