American made traditional folders

ron55 · Nov 3, 2022

Just started to collect knives. Trying to concentrate on getting traditional folders made in the USA, preferably by small companies. Not finding too many options.

Any suggestions for small companies making quality folders in the US?

mrknife · Nov 3, 2022

How small are we talking? my buddy

ea42 is a mostly one man operation, he does albers knives, formerly of canal street cutlery.

Heathenhymnal · Nov 3, 2022

Great Eastern Cutlery

Case

Albers (these are basically customs though right?)

the Daniels Family Knife Brands ( Tuna Valley, Napanoch, Excelsior, Titusville Cutlery)

is that really all that is left these days?

jmgruber · Nov 3, 2022

Mike Moran is also making traditional folders. If you aren’t on Instagram, there a whole bunch of makers there. Also check out Arizona Custom knives to browse many makers in one place.

ron55 · Nov 3, 2022

mrknife said:
How small are we talking? my buddy ea42 is a mostly one man operation, he does albers knives, formerly of canal street cutlery.

I'm not really looking for custom knives (yet). I want to start out buying knives that are in stock. Then when I get more experience and fine tune my ideal knife, I could see getting a custom made knife.

So a one man operation is an option, but companies a little bigger would more likely stock knives I would want now.

ron55 · Nov 3, 2022

Heathenhymnal said:
Great Eastern Cutlery

Case

Albers (these are basically customs though right?)

the Daniels Family Knife Brands ( Tuna Valley, Napanoch, Excelsior, Titusville Cutlery)

is that really all that is left these days?

I would like to get some GEC knives, but haven't found any in stock at online dealers.

Case - I have a few and probably will get more.

Albers & Daniels Family - Thanks for the tip - I'll check them out.

ron55 · Nov 3, 2022

jmgruber said:
Mike Moran is also making traditional folders. If you aren’t on Instagram, there a whole bunch of makers there. Also check out Arizona Custom knives to browse many makers in one place.

Thanks - I'll check IG and Arizona Custom Knives

Heathenhymnal · Nov 3, 2022

ron55 said:
I would like to get some GEC knives, but haven't found any in stock at online dealers.

Case - I have a few and probably will get more.

Albers & Daniels Family - Thanks for the tip - I'll check them out.

Yeah GEC these days sell out basically instantly so you gotta stay up to date on releases and try to get in on a drop. There is always the secondary market but the secondary market prices are a little rough to say the least lol.

JohnDF · Nov 3, 2022

"U.S. Made" and "In Stock" and "Not Custom"... your choices are super limited.
Case knives, Some Buck knives, Moore Maker knives (?), Cosplay Axe knives, and Marijuana knives are about your only options.

mrknife · Nov 3, 2022

Heathenhymnal said:
Great Eastern Cutlery

Case

Albers (these are basically customs though right?)

the Daniels Family Knife Brands ( Tuna Valley, Napanoch, Excelsior, Titusville Cutlery)

is that really all that is left these days?

customs is debatable, he makes small batches, with a certain number of each

JD Bear · Nov 3, 2022

Get some Old Timers and Uncle Henrys from the auction site...

afishhunter · Nov 3, 2022

Heathenhymnal said:
Great Eastern Cutlery

Case

Albers (these are basically customs though right?)

the Daniels Family Knife Brands ( Tuna Valley, Napanoch, Excelsior, Titusville Cutlery)

is that really all that is left these days?

Case isn't exactly "small" though.

Relatively speaking, compared to Case, for example, Buck is a "small" company. However, their current domestic slipjoint production is limited to the 301 "large" stockman, and 303 "medium" stockman.
However, you can still find the 302, 305, and other discontinued slipjoints on the secondary market, along with other patterns that Schrade and Camillus were contracted to make before Buck brought the 300 series inhouse in 2005, when they moved from Cali to Idaho.

Are you looking for current/recent (say inside 10 years) production, or will you consider vintage knives?
I think Schatt & Morgan and Queen/Queen City was a smaller cutlery firm. Note they went belly up a couple years ago, though.
The person who bought the brand names, intellectual properties, and apparently the tooling/machinety sold off the Queen and Queen City brand to SMKW. Those two are currently made offshore now.
Schatt & Morgan are supposed to come back, made in Ohio. I don't know if they have released any S&M branded knives yet. I know they've released some "Weed Cutlery" knives. (complete with pot leaf shield). There's a discussion about them (and the reborn S&M) somewhere in the traditional forum. The Weed shield isn't very popular.

BrotherJim · Nov 3, 2022

Bear & Son Cutlery, Jacksonville Alabama have a few traditional patterns
I can't recommend them because I don't own one of their knives ... and I live here in Alabama D'OH

EDIT: And now I want a Bear & Son Red Stag Bone Medium Stockman in 1095 steel ... shoot

Tyson A Wright · Nov 3, 2022

We had thread on US made production traditionals not too long ago; that link is a list of production makers.

helobite · Nov 3, 2022

The Queen of Titusville PA is gone, sigh, Prices on this period of Queen knives have rocketed

The blades are D2

Case is as good as ever:

Per a discussion with a Case distributor, Case is having problems sourcing materials from the supply chain. I was surprised to hear Case has difficulty getting steel and the nickel silver for the bolsters. It will be some time before we see some models again, as Case is struggling to make what they can with the supplies they can get.

Case has continued to maintain a high level of quality and consistency, and they are still an American knife.