All About Pocket Knives

Found a bargain on one of these and bought it on the spot, of course. Great little lockback hunter, slimmer and lighter than a Buck 112, and I do love the sandalwood handles.

Mine says just "Kershaw" on the mark side, "1040" and "Japan" on pile side, no mention of Oregon, USA or KAI or Folding Field anywhere. Does anyone know whether that indicates earlier or later production? Long since discontinued at any rate, so I consider myself lucky for having found one.
Looking great next to the big brother 1050 as well!

Can't help with the age, but it looks very good and makes a great pairing with your larger model.

Frankki wrote:Found a bargain on one of these and bought it on the spot, of course. Great little lockback hunter, slimmer and lighter than a Buck 112, and I do love the sandalwood handles.

Mine says just "Kershaw" on the mark side, "1040" and "Japan" on pile side, no mention of Oregon, USA or KAI or Folding Field anywhere. Does anyone know whether that indicates earlier or later production? Long since discontinued at any rate, so I consider myself lucky for having found one.

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Looking great next to the big brother 1050 as well!

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If you don’t get an answer, contact Gary Kennedy. He will know.
SSk

There is a good post on here that will show What you are looking For ( First & Second Generation Kershaw ) By Orvet Custom It's kind of like what Al-Mar did the first couple years the Back of Blade Stamp Had USA with Japan then they took the USA off . Hope this make sense

Thanks fellas!

There is good info about the 1050 tang stamps on the Hattori Collector website, http://hattoricollector.com/2015/09/24/the-kershaws/ and from there I sort of got the idea that the less writing and details in the stamp, the earlier the version. Still, not quite the same knife, obviously.

Also, found this old advertisement from a 1981 paper, showing the 1040 series knives: http://www.vintagepaperads.com/1981-Ker ... 06248.html It's just a bit small so you can't really see the tang stamp in detail.

Frankki, welcome to AAPK
I sold Kershaw's in a cutlery store I managed in the 1980s. We were about 25 to 30 miles from their office and warehouse.
Your country is known for producing some excellent quality blades also!

I don't have a 1040 to compare it to, but I think they have the Oregon tang stamp until about 1985 or 1986.
The earliest I have been able to confirm a 1040 by catalog is 1984.
I posted a copy of the catalog page below.

Hi Dale,

thanks much, great information and that old catalogue is delightful to see! I wasn't much of a knife guy back in the '80s, too young for that, but there are things I remember from that era, such as some old Kershaw ads and the Folding Field knives in particular. Had to wait until my forties to own them, but I guess that makes it so much more satisfying!

Here's a 1985 ad of a Finnish sporting goods distributor, Hjorth, showing some lovely Kershaw knives:



Ahh, nostalgia!

Frankki, Welcome. I believe Finland has a strong knife culture. I am wondering if your laws are supportive. For example, are you allowed to openly carry a knife on your belt in public? Any restrictions on blade length? Thanks for your input.

Quick Steel wrote:Frankki, Welcome. I believe Finland has a strong knife culture. I am wondering if your laws are supportive. For example, are you allowed to openly carry a knife on your belt in public? Any restrictions on blade length? Thanks for your input.

Cheers!

Legally speaking, it's a "yes and no"- kind of a situation. We can own, buy and sell almost anything sharp and shiny, excluding switchblades (with certain exceptions for historical or technical significance), but carrying knives in public without good reason has been forbidden since the 1977 Law on Bladed Weapons. Superseded by, and further confirmed in the 2003 Law on Public Order. Historically, this has mainly to do with trying to limit alcohol-induced violence and heat-of-the-moment manslaughter.

Applying the strictest interpretation of the law, carrying any object, sharp or blunt, capable of causing bodily harm is a no-no. No mention of blade length in the wording of the law. So even a Victorinox Classic on a keychain could, theoretically, be seen as a weapon. Now, realistically, the police have neither the manpower or inclination to do stop-and-searches of everybody in the street and they are not that interested if someone behaving in a sane and orderly fashion has a pocket knife or multi-tool on them. But if you behave in a way to attract police attention and end up detained, they will take your knife away and possession may lead to being fined.

Frankki,
I am a bit intrigued that someone from a country with such a strong knife culture as Finland would be so fond of an American-style knife made in Japan. But then when I really think about it I guess it's no different than Americans who like and collect Scandinavian knives!

I can't think of many knives made in Finland off the top of my head, that are currently in the US market with the exception of Rapala knives, which I believe are made by J. Marttiini of Finland. This is one of mine below.
Are these knives available in Finland or they made mainly for export? They generally sell for $20 or less here in the US and are one of the better quality filet knives at any price, in my opinion. The only ones I personally like better are some of the Japanese Kershaw filet knives.

I do have a few Helle knives from Norway that I really like and one old Puukko that I don't see a brand name on it. All the knives that I have seen from Norway, Sweden and Finland have been above average two outstanding and quality. I was wondering if you have knives made in Finland that are not exported? And if you do have them, could you be so kind as to post some pictures of them?

Thank you

I've got the 1050 and the 1030. These babies feel so great in my hand, like an extension.

orvet wrote:Frankki,
I am a bit intrigued that someone from a country with such a strong knife culture as Finland would be so fond of an American-style knife made in Japan. But then when I really think about it I guess it's no different than Americans who like and collect Scandinavian knives!

It's probably exactly that, a case of the grass being greener on the other side! If doing some outdoorsy stuff, I like to pair a good carbon steel puukko with a small/medium stainless folder, gives me lots of options. Culturally, Finland is not much of a pocketknife country, instead everybody has a puukko or several. Things like the Swiss Army Knives are well known, and indeed around the turn of the 20th century companies like Fiskars did produce many folding pocketknife types, but mainly it's just fixed blades. Some new companies like EnZo have started making modern folders in the recent times, though. Some custom makers as well.

I can't think of many knives made in Finland off the top of my head, that are currently in the US market with the exception of Rapala knives, which I believe are made by J. Marttiini of Finland. This is one of mine below.

Are these knives available in Finland or they made mainly for export? They generally sell for $20 or less here in the US and are one of the better quality filet knives at any price, in my opinion. The only ones I personally like better are some of the Japanese Kershaw filet knives.

Sure, Marttiini knives and puukkos are everywhere. Every department or sporting goods store sells them and you can find them in the camping sections of regular hypermarkets as well. Usually decent quality, but wouldn't hurt if the user-grade models were a little better finished and with more attention to detail. The other really big maker is of course Iisakki Järvenpää, they produce somewhat more old-fashioned and traditional models. Roselli is well-known and well-liked too, and all mentioned brands have been exported for many, many decades. In the US, at least Kellam and Ragweed Forge sell them.

I do have a few Helle knives from Norway that I really like and one old Puukko that I don't see a brand name on it. All the knives that I have seen from Norway, Sweden and Finland have been above average two outstanding and quality. I was wondering if you have knives made in Finland that are not exported? And if you do have them, could you be so kind as to post some pictures of them?

Thank you

Helle and Brusletto make a good, solid product, as does of course Morakniv. In Finland, there are also dozens of custom makers (always your best choice if you want a really good puukko - prices starting at around €150-€200) and a good number of smaller, often one-man shops that use ready-made blades from Laurin Metalli and do their own assembly, styling and decorations. And of course there are hundreds, if not thousands of hobbyists as well, who make knives just for the fun of it.

In Finland, Lamnia sells many brands, custom and production, and ship worldwide. Take a peek: https://www.lamnia.com/en/sc/5/knives/f ... d=5&mcid=1