A.G. Russell Sting w/Nylon Sheath

JordonC2

JordonC2

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
740
Good morning!
I came across this knife in an old box of knives.
At first I thought the nylon sheath was just an old sheath and didn't match the knife. I did a little research and found that its an original and came with the knife.
What I can't seem to figure out is the logo on the knife. It does have the 1977 as most do.
Can anyone help?
F145350A-A60D-43B5-A88B-035A1801F699_1_201_a by J JUH, on Flickr
 
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A few red flags for me-

1. The "AG Russell Solingen Germany" blade marking is very unusual. It's nothing like the various markings on the vast majority of Stings I've seen from over the decades.

2. That sheath seems very cheap and chinsy for an AG Russell Sting. All the AG Russell Stings I've seen come/came with leather sheaths. The only exception is the CRKT Sting that comes with a much different cordura sheath than the one you have. The sheath you have just screams "CHINA" to me.

3. There is a Youtube video where a representative from AG Russell goes through the various generations and varieties of Stings from over the years, and none of the blade markings match yours.

I'm no expert on AG Russell Stings, and I could be wrong, but taking all that into consideration I would have to consider the possibility of a counterfeit.

Perhaps you can contact AG Russell knives themselves, they have an email contact on their website.
 
I just watched the aforementioned YouTube videos and there was no sheath like that. Further, if you Google the various Sting models none of the logos are like that, it's always a oval shaped logo saying AG Russell and some other text. It seems highly suspect.
 
Guys I agree about the logo. The sheath I believe is original and a very early example as I have seen a photo or two of the same sheath with knives with one of the usual logos.
The knife from feel seems like an original. But the logo does raise a rather big question. Why can't I find any with the same marking?
Here's hoping that someone will have a definitive answer.
 
could the sheath be aftermarket
or been replaced from say a gerber mk1?
i m thinking like,
cordura sheaths from the late 80's/90's??!
M1.2-600x600.jpg

M1.1-600x600.jpg
 
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I saw a few Stings via Google that have the same marking and sheath as the one pictured here, but nothing accompanying them to decisively say when they were made, or if they are genuine. You certainly can't count on anonymous "for sale" listings like on Ebay or elsewhere to provide reliable provenance for a knife.

Also, I remember knives in the 70's and early 80's, and I don't remember any fixed blades back then coming with cordura sheaths. Even the cheapest of fixed blades came with (cheap) leather sheaths.

Unless there is an expert on the subject of AG Russell Stings here at Bladeforums I think AG Russell themselves can provide the only definitive answer.

The Sting has been around a long time, so I assume it's a popular knife. That increases the likelihood that someone would counterfeit them.

Again, I could be wrong, and I hope I am. I'd hate to see anyone get stuck with a counterfeit.
 
I'd get some high quality pics and make contact with A.G. Russell.... they seem to be good folk.
 
Well I don’t know squat - deleted :)
 
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AG was using that etch in the late 80's - early 90's.

Sheath is correct too, it's a Gerber Guardian model. He used them in both leather and cordura for a while, I'm not sure if he had them specially made or he just bought Gerber's surplus, but it's right.
 
killgar said:
Also, I remember knives in the 70's and early 80's, and I don't remember any fixed blades back then coming with cordura sheaths. Even the cheapest of fixed blades came with (cheap) leather sheaths.
Click to expand...

I don't remember any from the 70s but I remember quite a few from the mid 80s onwards.The SOG S2 Trident originally came with a cordura sheath, A Parker Custom Series drop point hunter made by Hattori came with a cordura sheath. The Blackie Collins Combat Master (later bought out by AG Russell) shipped with a cordura sheath around 1984. The Gerber LMF came with a cordura sheath, as did the Mark II from 1985 on. The Cold Steel SRK came with a cordura sheath. Hoffman's Condor line made at the Kinryu factory in Seki might be one of, if not the first, fixed blades to use cordura sheaths.
Has anyone placed a year on that Sting?
 
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I found an AG Russell catalog from 1990 on ebay, and as luck would have it the page featuring the Sting is shown. The description accompanying the two Stings with handle scales (rosewood, Rucarta) says the knives come with Cordura sheaths. The description of the sheaths reads as follows-

"the Sting comes with an American made sheath of Cordura with hard rubber welts that lock the knife in place with belt/boot clip."

However, of the two Stings shown, the blade marking is visible on only one knife, and it's the football shaped "AG Russel- Solingen Germany" logo.
 
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That long line type stamp is kinda rare. Russell had trouble getting certain things from Germany on consistent basis. Anton Wingen (subcontractor for the Sting), and a few other German firms were winding down production, and he'd only get a batch here and batch there. He was having the most with Wingen, who would close by the mid 90's.

I remember the long stamp being used on the late Wingen contracts, specifically the Sting, Crocodile Hunter Bowies, and the forged bolstered kitchen knives.
 
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