All About Pocket Knives

I have searched but cannot find the dates when Queen put out Robeson knives. I think it may have been in the 1990s but cannot be for sure.
Can one of the Robeson collectors here help me with this info.

Ray

I would like to know too. Maybe the Queen collectors know. Most Robeson collectors only want the knives made by Robeson and might not be familiar with the Queen made ones.
kj

I don't have any photographic proof of it but I used to own a Queen made Robeson SureEdge Railsplitter. It had 1 of 200 etched on the blade and may have been an SFO.

I delete my photos when I part with a knife but I save my written records in a "sold" tab on my Excel spreadsheet. My records indicate that the knife I mentioned above was made in 2007. Wish I still had the pictures but that's the best I can do.

When Robeson shut down in 1965, the name was acquired by a company called Cutler Federal and they had knives assembled by Camillus, some using factory parts and some were total Camillus products.

Ontario Knife acquired the Robeson name after that, not sure of the date, but pretty sure it’s in Tom Kalcevic’s book. I’ll check later.

Don’t really know when Ontario Knife started issuing the Queen made knives, but for sure they were making some in the 80’s, possibly earlier.

Whoever owns the Queen name now probably also owns the Robeson name and I think they have issued knives in the 90’s and 2000’s.

As Roland says, a Robeson purist, such as myself, has no interest in Robeson knives not made prior to their closure.

I own none.

Ray, I’m fairly certain that SMKW owns the Robeson name and had all of the Queen made knives made as SFO’s back in the early to mid 2000’s. They might have had a few made closer to the end of that decade but most come from the middle part of that decade. I think they are exceptional knives and collect them. They are in the same league as the Queen made Winchesters, only better in some ways. These came from that time when Bill Howard was in charge of quality at Queen and it shows on these knives. They are becoming more popular as time goes by, I’ve sold a lot of them and collect a lot of them too and the prices are climbing all the time.

I may be mistaken, but I thought Ontario still owned the Robeson name.
I sure hope SMKW doesn't own the name. If they do we will see Robeson knives made in China.
That would make me sad.

Guys,
Thanks for the input on this subject. I had no idea it was so complicated and I sure appreciate the help.

Ray

As a side note, Robeson never used that tang stamp with Mastercraft in it. That’s a total fabrication.

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:19 pm As a side note, Robeson never used that tang stamp with Mastercraft in it. That’s a total fabrication.

Are you saying it wasn't made by Queen?

Ray

Paladin wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:58 pm

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:19 pm As a side note, Robeson never used that tang stamp with Mastercraft in it. That’s a total fabrication.

Are you saying it wasn't made by Queen?

Ray

I believe what Charlie is saying is that Robeson never used that stamp.
It's a fabrication of Queen.

Your knife was made by Queen.

What he said.

Sorry I wasn’t clear.

I had a Queen built Robeson MasterCraft 4" stockman in green bone and 420HC steel that was made in 2007, and a Robeson PocketEze 3⅝" stockman in amber wormgroove bone and D2 tool steel made in 2002.