All About Pocket Knives

Picked up a folding hunter this weekend, it was love at first sight !!! Kinfolks 6292 USA is etched on clip blade. No stamp on the tangs. Handles are pretty red bone. Did Robeson make knives for Kinfolks ? Have heard " Strawberry Bone " was a Robeson handle. Why didnt they stamp the tangs ? Hope some of you folks can help me out on this one. Thanks, Robert

Nice Knife!! After Kinfolks ceased business, Robeson acquired the Kinfolks trademark and made primarily hunting knives with the Kinfolks stamp. There were maybe four patterns of folders offfered too...with bone handles like that yours is late 40's to 50's vintage. All of the folders that I have seen had no tang stamps - just the etching like on yours. Robeson actually published a separate Kinfolks catalog in the 50's to early 60's.

Thanks Knifeaholic, Some knife friends and I where thinking mid 50's also. Quality and workmanship as good as Case. I would like to find one of those catalogs ! Will start looking ! Thanks again for the info. Robert

That's a very nice knife! I have never seen one in strawberry bone before. Usually they are in tan color (green bone?). They also made the 8292, which was the same knife with celluloid handles, usually cracked ice. Most of them have etched markings, but I have seen some with tang stamps. I believe that Kinfolks with etched markings were made by Robeson, but don't have any real proof of that. There is almost no information on Kinfolks, so we have to rely on guesswork. If anyone knows of any solid information, i.e. catalogs or any articles or anything else, I would really appreciate hearing about it. Also would like to hear from anyone who shares my interest in Kinfolks.

A very sweet looking knife..

Thanks for the kind words 256newton and sunburst...found some info in the Official 1981 price guide to collector knives by Parker and Voyles...Never give up the quest for the answers are waiting to be found.

256newton wrote:That's a very nice knife! I have never seen one in strawberry bone before. Usually they are in tan color (green bone?). They also made the 8292, which was the same knife with celluloid handles, usually cracked ice. Most of them have etched markings, but I have seen some with tang stamps. I believe that Kinfolks with etched markings were made by Robeson, but don't have any real proof of that. There is almost no information on Kinfolks, so we have to rely on guesswork. If anyone knows of any solid information, i.e. catalogs or any articles or anything else, I would really appreciate hearing about it. Also would like to hear from anyone who shares my interest in Kinfolks.

The proof I had at one point was that I owned an original late 50's Kinfolks catalog, mostly hunting knives with a fe folders, that gave the same address for the company as the Robeson Cutlery Company. Add to that the fact that some of the hunting knives had the "Flame Edge" etch, which was a Robeson trademark.

Agreed! The "Flame Edge" knives were obviously Robesons, and one in the box will have the Perry, NY address of Robeson, rather than the Little Falls, NY address of Kinfolks. What I meant was I have no proof that All etched Kinfolks were made by Robeson. I would love to see that catalog. Does anyone know if Kinfolks (pre Robeson) produced a catalog? Most of my info, such as it is, comes from what I see for sale on ebay, and guessing from there. Maybe I am out of line here since Kinfolks was primarily a sheath knife maker. But I sometimes see discussion of sheath knives here. I would just like to mention, I really like the friendly atmosphere of this site- nobody gets called names for not knowing as much as the moderator. Steve

Hello Steve, These are not good pic's...but a knife friend had a 1981 parkers and voyles guide...the only info I have found so far....Robert

WelderBob my hat is off to you my new man at AAPK.

Any man that looks up knives in books is a man well on his way in this knife world...

Just a note to new knife collectors BOOKS HELP you learn a lot.

it was love at first sight ....

Thanks Welder Bob, that's the best info I have seen. I will have to find that book! Steve

Your right justold52...books have helped me out allot...Steve you might try knifeworld.com and ebay...have found some books from both...check out this guide......

WelderBob,
I sent you an email in reference to this book by Parker and Voyles.

Ray