All About Pocket Knives

What are some of the old knife companies that went bankrupt/closed their doors but then were “reborn” later and are still being made in the USA? I think Queen is an example - the name bought by SMKW and are (supposedly) now being produced by Bear & Son for SMKW.

Remington, and Winchester come to mind , Weed and Co, and several of the names Great Eastern builds the under or for.

Thanks, Wade, but I think some companies need to be listed with a “caveat.” For example, unless I’m mistaken, yes, some Remingtons are made in the USA, but some are made overseas. Same thing with Winchester - “some” are made in the USA. Sadly, we even have to be careful about Buck - there are a few Bucks made overseas, too.

Daniels currently make knives under the historic names Tuna Valley, Napanoch, and Excelsior.

tvic wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 12:03 pm What are some of the old knife companies that went bankrupt/closed their doors but then were “reborn” later and are still being made in the USA? I think Queen is an example - the name bought by SMKW and are (supposedly) now being produced by Bear & Son for SMKW.

Some of the "new" Queen knives are also being made in China as well. And although I don't know who currently owns the trademarks, I have owned several Keen Kutter and Camillus branded knives that were made in China.

tvic wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 12:24 pm Thanks, Wade, but I think some companies need to be listed with a “caveat.” For example, unless I’m mistaken, yes, some Remingtons are made in the USA, but some are made overseas. Same thing with Winchester - “some” are made in the USA. Sadly, we even have to be careful about Buck - there are a few Bucks made overseas, too.

Although they were never closed and then "reborn", other long time USA manufacturers like Buck have also moved some of their production overseas such as Gerber, Kershaw and Spyderco.

All these company changes, different owners, other countries and situations have made collecting/accumulating some knives a real challenge!
I think most folks have caught on to the identification of Old Timers made over there and now we hear Queen is made over there, and here, the HOKs become very special!
Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 2:59 pm and here, the HOKs become very special!
Treefarmer

Very special indeed.

Once an original knife has been retooled by someone else it will never be the same.
A Robeson or a Case or a Buck or a Northfield, can only be such in their original form.
Step away from that and you have something in title only and their great heritage is missing.
Honest old American knives; my loyalty is to them.

If they are closed up in the USA, generally that means Chiese made today. True of many of the German brands also

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:12 pm If they are closed up in the USA, generally that means Chiese made today. True of many of the German brands also

Add Ontario to "that" list. I discussed the BRK (Blue Ridge) buyout with the co-owner of a local cutlery store, and he said that the only things they were keeping were the items made in Taiwan and China--BRK did not continue production of any models made in NY. Sucked, as I am a big fan of the Spec Plus handles for the military models, and I usually have a few Old Hickory models kicking around the kitchen and my fixed blade drawer.

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 2:59 pm All these company changes, different owners, other countries and situations have made collecting/accumulating some knives a real challenge!
Treefarmer

Do you ever feel like throwing your hands up in the air and saying, “I give up!”?

Then, it seems that the only truly 100% made in the USA source for “traditional” pocket knives is Case?

tvic wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 12:05 pm

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 2:59 pm All these company changes, different owners, other countries and situations have made collecting/accumulating some knives a real challenge!
Treefarmer

Do you ever feel like throwing your hands up in the air and saying, “I give up!”?

Then, it seems that the only truly 100% made in the USA source for “traditional” pocket knives is Case?

NO ,GEC 's are I'm sure. Case has knives made in China.


I'm not positive, but probably Daniel's Family Knives, Bear and Sons, and maybe Bluegrass?


The absolute premier knife maker since 2006 , when Bill Howard left Queen. With Queen he built the black box and Bluegrass Winchesters. The Parker Case Classics were also built by Howard.

wlf wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 12:34 pm

tvic wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 12:05 pm

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 2:59 pm All these company changes, different owners, other countries and situations have made collecting/accumulating some knives a real challenge!
Treefarmer

Do you ever feel like throwing your hands up in the air and saying, “I give up!”?

Then, it seems that the only truly 100% made in the USA source for “traditional” pocket knives is Case?

NO ,GEC 's. I thought Case had some fingers in the overseas market too?

The absolute premier knife maker since 2006 , when Bill Howard left Queen. With Queen he built the black box and Bluegrass Winchesters. The Parker Case Classics were also built by Howard.

Whoops! Right, Lyle! Forgot about GEC! Thanks!

wlf wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 12:34 pm Case has knives made in China.

Are any of the Case traditional patterns being built in China? I thought only the TecX series knives were MiC.

Gtrclktr-351 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 4:19 pm

wlf wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 12:34 pm Case has knives made in China.

Are any of the Case traditional patterns being built in China? I thought only the TecX series knives were MiC.

T X. There
Trad. Here
Don’t believe anything you may have heard from the “experts”.
John

jmh58 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 4:35 pm T X. There
Trad. Here
John

I wii readily admit I am far from a Case “expert”, but that was my understanding. I do own a couple of small TecX Harley Davidson licensed knives. Even though MiC, they seem to rival the quality of their Made in USA “cousins”.

Bear and Sons builds a few traditional in the USA don't they? I've never seen one in person though.

Last remaining traditional slipjoint manufacturers in the USA:

Case

Bear & Son

GEC

Buck (but only two models - 301 and 303).

Cooper Cutlery

Utica ??? Not sure what they are doing now, but until recently they were making contract knives for Moore Maker.

Bluegrass Cutlery ??? Hard to tell whether they actually manufacture their knives, or have them made on contract by Bear and Utica.

cody6268 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 2:59 am

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:12 pm If they are closed up in the USA, generally that means Chiese made today. True of many of the German brands also

Add Ontario to "that" list. I discussed the BRK (Blue Ridge) buyout with the co-owner of a local cutlery store, and he said that the only things they were keeping were the items made in Taiwan and China--BRK did not continue production of any models made in NY. Sucked, as I am a big fan of the Spec Plus handles for the military models, and I usually have a few Old Hickory models kicking around the kitchen and my fixed blade drawer.

As am I with regards to Ontario. I have the Spec Plus Fighter, with its nearly 8 inch blade is a formidable knife. By the way, mine is stamped SP6-94,is that a mfg date?

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 2:29 pm
Although they were never closed and then "reborn", other long time USA manufacturers like Buck have also moved some of their production overseas such as Gerber, Kershaw and Spyderco.

Kershaw is a bit different, they started out overseas. The first ones were made in Japan. Kai Cutlery made them for Pete Kershaw. Then Kai bought Kershaw and built a factory in Tualatin Oregon. That is where their best knives come from these days, IMO, though the ones made in Japan are excellent.
Several years ago they built a factory in China which produces their lower end products. They are actually now producing some slip joints in China that look pretty good. I have one ordered, I am curious about the quality.

Gerber? There are some autos made in the US (as that term applies ) and MK Is & MK IIs. I think what they sell to the US military has to be US made. The multi-tools the military buys also have to be "US Made" . I have collected, bought, traded and sold Gerber for years and I could see that as they made more and more "China knives" and lowered the quality of their product accordingly the demand for Gerber items droped off. In the 1990s they had a great reputation; I think that they have gone down several notches when buyers think of their quality, in general, on most of their products...

Im betting Bluegrass are US made in Ohio. Ive seen Tim talking about the knives, how he inspects them and sends some back for further treatment before going on the shelf. He has talked about working with the stag and pearl handles. How they dye the bone and so on. I own a couple early production Tulip Primbles and the quality is #1. Close your eyes and handle them with a schatt and you cant tell the difference. Much better than any baer kinife Ive ever seen.