All About Pocket Knives

Seeing what you guys think about this knife I got a while back, I’ve never seen one like it.

That is a Japanese Eye Brand. There were some of those made by Schlieper back when. It might be more accurate to say that Schlieper had some of those made in Japan. I have always suspected that he had a problem from IXL Wostenholm because of the name he used. Schlieper called them Eye XL. Just speculation on my part.

Ray

Ray, do you know for sure that Schlieper was involved with these ?
I have owned a variety of their patterns and quality goes from O.K. to terrible.
I always thought that someone used parts of old IXL, Eye Brand or Taylor's Eye Witness, logos and morphed them into the one you see on the tang. The variation in quality suggests more than 1 Japanese manufacturer was involved.
Do you know when these came out ? 1980's ?
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:18 am Ray, do you know for sure that Schlieper was involved with these ?
I have owned a variety of their patterns and quality goes from O.K. to terrible.
I always thought that someone used parts of old IXL, Eye Brand or Taylor's Eye Witness, logos and morphed them into the one you see on the tang. The variation in quality suggests more than 1 Japanese manufacturer was involved.
Do you know when these came out ? 1980's ?
kj

Yep, I am sure. If I can find my catalog, I'll post it.

Ray

hey guys,

i agree with ray. i know my 2 cents aint worth much, but the other knife i have made by this brand has Eye brand all over it! its a really good quality large sodbuster. this pattern is only the second one ive owned, so i cant speak for all of them, but i know that anything ive ever questioned about Schlieper ... Ray has known!


p.s. I still have 10 Cattaraugus knives im goin to sell plus others like a Case Bowie with oringinal sheath and box! i know this aint a good time but yall know how it goes...

Here is an 'Eye Logo' XL box with six 4" single blade trappers with an EO notch.
The handles are a plastic that looks a bit like low quality pearl. The fit of blade spine to spring when open is poor. The finishing of liner edges is non existent. Liner edges are rough seen well in the EO notch. The blade is dull. One side has a tiny edge grind attempt and the other side no edge grind.
This is about as low quality as Japan made in 1970's & '80's.
I had a pen knife of this brand and it was worse.
Somewhere i have a Delrin Stockman of this brand and it is o.k.
I did have a 4" LB that was marked "Schlieper" on the front tang, and "Japan" on the back tang. It is a well made knife, nothing to do with this odd EYE XL brand.
kj

Paladin wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:33 am

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:18 am Ray, do you know for sure that Schlieper was involved with these ?
I have owned a variety of their patterns and quality goes from O.K. to terrible.
I always thought that someone used parts of old IXL, Eye Brand or Taylor's Eye Witness, logos and morphed them into the one you see on the tang. The variation in quality suggests more than 1 Japanese manufacturer was involved.
Do you know when these came out ? 1980's ?
kj

Yep, I am sure. If I can find my catalog, I'll post it.

Ray

Ray, any luck finding this catalog ? I would really like to see what knives are 'out there' with this branding.
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:21 pm

Paladin wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:33 am

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:18 am Ray, do you know for sure that Schlieper was involved with these ?
I have owned a variety of their patterns and quality goes from O.K. to terrible.
I always thought that someone used parts of old IXL, Eye Brand or Taylor's Eye Witness, logos and morphed them into the one you see on the tang. The variation in quality suggests more than 1 Japanese manufacturer was involved.
Do you know when these came out ? 1980's ?
kj

Yep, I am sure. If I can find my catalog, I'll post it.

Ray

Ray, any luck finding this catalog ? I would really like to see what knives are 'out there' with this branding.
kj

KJ,
I finally took the time to dig out catalogs from both Schlieper and Forest Cruse. I am going to post 4 photos of Knife Importers (Cruse) catalogs (one from 1963) showing this line. Know I know this is not irrefutable evidence that they were connected to Schlieper. You may want to contact Mark Cruse at his wholesale knife business in Austin.
Anyway, that's my story and I am sticking to it, for now.

Ray

Well, Joe. It appears that yours is a #34.

Ray, the 'eye-X-L' catalog is from 1963 ?
I did not realize they were that 'old' but it does fit with the quality of these knives. Japan was still coming out of the effects of WW II and the quality of manufactured goods was still quite poor. It was in 1970's & 1980's when 'Made in Japan' knives became high quality.
So, Mr. Cruse was the importer for both Schlieper and 'eye-X-L' knives, correct ?
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:09 am Ray, the 'eye-X-L' catalog is from 1963 ?
I did not realize they were that 'old' but it does fit with the quality of these knives. Japan was still coming out of the effects of WW II and the quality of manufactured goods was still quite poor. It was in 1970's & 1980's when 'Made in Japan' knives became high quality.
So, Mr. Cruse was the importer for both Schlieper and 'eye-X-L' knives, correct ?
kj

Yes, actually he was the sole distributor of Schlieper products and since this is a Schlieper product,,, well, you know.

Ray

Love it! great piece