All About Pocket Knives

I was walking around at Wal-Mart yesterday looking at kitchen set knives in Blocks, Looks impressive, BUT!!! As I looked to see if it's made in the USA, NOPE! all from China! So W/O costing an arm and a leg, Where is a good quality Carbon steel Kitchen set could I find some? That will last through the rest of my days? I'm 68 now. Thank you!!

Look for an Old Hickory, Ontario Knife Co. set. We still have my great-grandmother's butcher knife in the kitchen at the farm.

Hunt the flea markets, garage sales, even antique malls although small shops are usually cheaper. You can find lots of great 1930s-1950s kitchen carvers and slicers by many famous American cutleries like Russell, Case, KA-BAR, Keen Kutter and of course the great knives mentioned above. There are an amazing amount of fine examples with a majority of their life left, little used knives out there.

As Gene says, it’s possible to find what you’re looking for in a used set. Knife sets with wooden cases or blocks can be found on eBay. However most folks nowadays want stainless steel knives they can put through their automatic dishwasher - something not conducive to carbon steel nor wooden-handled knives in any steel. We once had a complete set of excellent carbon steel Case kitchen knives. My wife ruined several in the dishwasher (the wooden handles cracked) and sold the rest for next to nothing in a garage sale because they rusted. She wanted knives she could put in the dishwasher. Period.

Case makes excellent stainless steel kitchen cutlery - complete sets aren’t cheap, and they’re stainless steel. https://www.casexx.com/Details/?Product ... &Patid=213. But they’re made in U.S.A. You can also buy the knives individually, without the wooden block. Cutco is another American made option. https://www.cutco.com/ Again, stainless steel and not cheap. But they’re excellent quality.

Ken

I had a friend in Baltimore who, with his father, had a knife service that catered to the restaurant, and butcher trades. He owned hundreds of carbon steel knives in every form imaginable.I don't know the sources of his knives but I know he had no stainless knives. He would regularly pick up the knives and leave a freshly sharpened supply, and deliver the knives all over town He made a very good living at that business. He retired in the 1990's and I'm not sure what happened to the business. Should have "picked" him !

In the 1950's there were one-man businesses that plied their trades walking or in horse-drawn wagons or trucks through the alleys and streets of the city. They were nicknamed "A-rabs" or "A-rabbers" or "Hucksters". There was one man who carried a folding grinder with a treadle drive and seat that would come around periodically to sharpen knives. He wore an old military jacket, maybe a WW2 vet. He rang a big old school bell and we could hear him coming for quite a way, the ring of the bell resounding in the alley. He did knives, shears, scissors, and anything that could be sharpened. I remember the cost was something like a quarter for a knife. The mom's, (who were always home in those days), seemed to appreciate the service.
J.O'.

Instead of a wooden block to hold my kitchen knives,I went to my local hardware supply store and bought a couple of magnetic strips for holding tools in a shop.They will support up to 30 lbs.,are about 18 inches long and easily installed.I mounted one just under the window ledge to the right of the sink and store them point up.
I don't like wooden blocks because if the knife is accidentally put in wet they will rust rapidly and it is almost impossible to get the moisture out of the block.

Addendum to my last post. Spoke to my friend who had the knife service. He told me tat the Baltimore City health department made him change to all stainless . Didn’t remember exactly when. Big brother and “mommy “ looking out for us !! J.O’.

LDF Knives wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:15 am I was walking around at Wal-Mart yesterday looking at kitchen set knives in Blocks, Looks impressive, BUT!!! As I looked to see if it's made in the USA, NOPE! all from China! So W/O costing an arm and a leg, Where is a good quality Carbon steel Kitchen set could I find some? That will last through the rest of my days? I'm 68 now. Thank you!!

See if you can source J Russell & Co., Green River Works. They used to be made in America, i don't know if they still are. I have a few, great carbon steel knives that take a wicked edge. I bought mine years ago, so don't know if they are still available.

RUSSEL-DEXTER might be still around. I see a lot of their knives around the professional fish-cleaning stations here in Ocean City. J.O'.

Just checked. They are and still made in USA ! DEXTER/RUSSEL (www.dexterrussellcutlery.com) J.O'.

Case makes excellent kitchen cutlery for the money.
Why would you look for quality cutlery at Walmart? Seems like a losing proposition from the get go.

Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:53 pm Just checked. They are and still made in USA ! DEXTER/RUSSEL (www.dexterrussellcutlery.com) J.O'.

Ken

If you want the best and highest quality, check out Japanesechefsknifedirect.com. Bring lots of money. But worth every penny if you want the highest quality you can get that will be a legacy knife to pass down. I have a set of Henckels kitchen knives and I have just as many Japanese chef knives. My Henckels were made in Solingen German. All are great knives, takes an edge and holds it. Watch out for Henckels International, most of those are made in China. But they do have a line of Japanese made knives in the International line too, Myobi, these are great priced and fantastic knives.

These old Dexter and French knives won't let you down.
They've been around a long time for a reason.

The best way, as has been pointed out, is second, or tenth, hand, if possible. I have gathered these and many more. I need to start selling. These are all great old knives with some stag repairs, by me, on the ends,

I have never handled one, but Old Hickory look okay, and made in America. Hopefully someone here will know about them.

CUTCO.

Made in USA.
Guaranteed for life. Free sharpening.
Give to your grandkids.

Can't tell you how many I've bought at an estate sale, resold for godd money on ebay, AND had some replaced for free
because of a broken tip.

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll worth your American dollars!

IMO.

cudgee wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:03 pm I have never handled one, but Old Hickory look okay, and made in America. Hopefully someone here will know about them.

Very good knives with cheap handles. I picked up this set for $15.
Bill

thankgod4rkids wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 3:17 am

cudgee wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:03 pm I have never handled one, but Old Hickory look okay, and made in America. Hopefully someone here will know about them.

Very good knives with cheap handles. I picked up this set for $15.
Bill

That is $15 well spent.

Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 10:49 pm RUSSEL-DEXTER might be still around. I see a lot of their knives around the professional fish-cleaning stations here in Ocean City. J.O'.

Definitely they are still around they make great knives that are inexpensive to buy. Commercial quality stuff. They have a line called Sani-Safe that is dishwasher safe. As much as I love the traditional handle materials, in the kitchen I prefer these.

I plan on putting the Old Hickory set in a block set. But these are my go to's. The Chicago was a wedding present 32 years ago ( Yes my dog chewed the handle while we were eating Christmas prime rib). The Dexter was a barn find and definitely my favorite kitchen knife. The Old Hickory butcher knife was a curiosity buy after seeing them on different internet forums. Have dreams of putting bone scales on the full set of Old Hickory's but that is a back burner project right now.
Bill

Excellent examples of old knife models. You have them in excellent condition, despite the fact that a dog chewed the handle of one of them.

LDF Knives wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:15 am I was walking around at Wal-Mart yesterday looking at kitchen set knives in Blocks, Looks impressive, BUT!!! As I looked to see if it's made in the USA, NOPE! all from China! So W/O costing an arm and a leg, Where is a good quality Carbon steel Kitchen set could I find some? That will last through the rest of my days? I'm 68 now. Thank you!!

What'd you purchase??

TripleF wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:25 am

LDF Knives wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:15 am I was walking around at Wal-Mart yesterday looking at kitchen set knives in Blocks, Looks impressive, BUT!!! As I looked to see if it's made in the USA, NOPE! all from China! So W/O costing an arm and a leg, Where is a good quality Carbon steel Kitchen set could I find some? That will last through the rest of my days? I'm 68 now. Thank you!!

What'd you purchase??

Nothing yet, Garage/Yards Sales will be up in the warmer months, I'm in WI. we get nine months of winter here

LDF Knives wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:18 pm

TripleF wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:25 am

LDF Knives wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:15 am I was walking around at Wal-Mart yesterday looking at kitchen set knives in Blocks, Looks impressive, BUT!!! As I looked to see if it's made in the USA, NOPE! all from China! So W/O costing an arm and a leg, Where is a good quality Carbon steel Kitchen set could I find some? That will last through the rest of my days? I'm 68 now. Thank you!!

What'd you purchase??

Nothing yet, Garage/Yards Sales will be up in the warmer months, I'm in WI. we get nine months of winter here

same here in Michigan. Garage sales are few now but the donation thrift stores can be a very good source.