Anyone have any experience with AG Russell brand knives?

C

clip point

Joined
Nov 14, 1998
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By brand I mean his line of knives, not the mail order company.

I'm looking at his Walker lock with blue anodized Ti bolsters and Chinese Quince scales, ATS-34 blade. Wondering if anyone has purchased a Russell knife and can comment on quality, fit, finish- whatever. I realize the construction of these is farmed out, so I'm wondering about QC and the like. It's sort of pricey at $195.00, but I really like the looks of it. I would it expect it to be pretty high quality.

Any input you might have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-

clip
 
I don't know about the quality of the peice, but it looks great!
http://www.agrussell.com/agrussell/ag-cj1.html

If you get one, be sure to let us know about it!
smile.gif


~Mitch
 
I bought one for my father, and fit and finish was superb. I have the convenience of living very close to the store, so I can handpick one anytime. With this one, the first two had a blade play however. The third came perfect, and I had the luxury to choose the most beautiful burl handle. Don't be afraid to buy it, as AG Russell's warranty is one of the best in the business. If you're not satisfied at any time, return it for a replacement/refund.
 
I have owned a few AG R knives and find them of decent value for money. Not exceptionally good value, but fair.
I don't think you would regret buying.

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BrianWE

I don't want to be right all the time......I just want US to be right more often.
 
I've had the A.G. Russell Walker Lock for a couple of months now and I've been pretty pleased with it. The one I have is well constructed; the action is very smooth and the lock up is quite solid (better than on most factory liner locks that I've owned). The ergonomics of the knife are good and it's a very nice size for daily carry. It has no pocket clip (a plus from my perspective) and has a decidedly non-tactical appearance. The quince scales are nicely figured and the rather long titanium bolsters are anodized in a very vivid blue color. The contrasts between the wood and the anodized titanium bolsters struck me as a little odd at first, but since I've become accustomed to it I find it very attractive. The knife was delivered very sharp and has held an edge quite well, though I should qualify this by saying that I haven't done any really strenuous cutting with it.

That being said, it is not a "perfect" knife. While I find its finish and appearance much more appealing than the "black tactical" folders that dominate the market, it lacks the attention to detail that most customs made with similar materials exhibit. Rather than being dovetailed, the scales are simply set flush with the bolsters; there are very miniscule gaps between the bolsters and scales in some places. One thing that wasn't apparent from the catalog illustrations is the fact that the knife is not symmetrical about the long axis; the locking liner is comprised of an additional sheet of metal on one side of the blade (rather than being machined out of the existing liners). This makes one side of the knife approximately one-sixteenth of an inch thicker than the other. It's certainly not a major design problem (and I'm sure it's cheaper to produce), but I've never seen a liner lock in this price range constructed in this manner. Also, I've noticed that the titanium bolsters seem to be very prone to scratching; this tendency is made more apparent by the vivid blue anodization.

Don't get me wrong...I'm actually quite fond of this knife. It's a well-constructed piece with a lot of nice features. It just has a few little design idiosyncrasies that I wouldn't have expected to see in a knife that costs nearly $200. I was able to get mine at a reduced price when A.G. Russell had a sale last year and I think I got a pretty good value. I just think that if I was going to spend that much money on another knife of type, I'd probably think about spending a little bit more and looking at something from the William Henry line (or maybe even an inexpensive custom). However, the earlier posters are absolutely right about A.G. Russell's warranty policy...you really can't go wrong doing business with them.

Jim
 
Brian, I'm very surprised to hear you say that. I do value you opinion and what or who would you say gives "exceptional" value? Compared to AG Russell.
 
Geez, Phill, you make it hard .
Maybe I should post more carefully......as I demand of others .
I think that what I was saying was that AG's knives are, generally, fairly expensive but of good quality.
There are knives that are a bit better but cost a LOT more (I will NOT mention the Sebenza, here) and there are knives that are not quite as good but cost a LOT less (not mentioning Schrade or Camillus, here)
Of course, this is complicated by the fact that AG offers knives across a price/quality range.
So, I suppose, what I am saying is "decent value for money". Or : "blah, blah, blah" as usual
wink.gif



Oh, I missed the "who offers exceptional value" bit.........Companies like Camillus, Schrade, Buck and Case and the others who make honest working knives that will last a lifetime and only charge a few dollars.
Of course, not ALL of the knives by these charitable knifemakers are of "exceptional value"......this is TOO Hard.
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BrianWE

I don't want to be right all the time......I just want US to be right more often.

[This message has been edited by brian w edginton (edited 02-13-2000).]
 
Brian, I'm sorry I put you on the spot, but you brought it up.
I know there's a lot of very good knives out there, I think the Custom Buck 110's are amazing. When you start looking at knives in the style of that AG Russell knife, I think WH comes the closest, but you are moving up in price. So, if that's what you like at under $200, that's a pretty good deal IMHO.
 
PhilL
Think nothing of it
smile.gif

I think my main difficulty was that I was answering a query re AG R's knives in general.(see the thread title)
Hard to do when he offers so many....I, personally have four different models and each has it's own strengths and weaknesses.
Your comments are in regard to a specific model. Frankly, I have had no experience with the particular knife and did not expect that anyone else who had would reply soon. So I tried to help by generalizing about the quality of the brand as per the thread header.

As for your comments re custom 110s, there is a BG42 with stag and nickel silver in my future.....just a matter of time.




------------------
BrianWE

I don't want to be right all the time......I just want US to be right more often.
 
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