Anyone remember the late '80s tactical folders?

[GronK]

I'm not buying it. My First Production EZ Out says "1995".

It's not for sale anyway. In fact it's long gone. Hmph. Wouldn't be the first time my memory failed me but it does seem like I had one earlier than that. I see Gerber has offered newer versions as well and may have made first productions of them. I gave mine away but, like the Gator drop point I still have, the big deal with them was ATS-34 steel. That was around since the early 70's so who knows? Doesn't add or subtract from the subject at hand anyway.

 

[tltt]

How much did higher end knives cost back in the day? Were knife prices always this high?

It depends, they were a little cheaper, but not much when inflation is considered. Here are some discounted numbers I remember, early to mid 90's -

Spyderco Police $90 - 110 depending on model. Enduras were $35 - 50 most places. Delicas $25 - 35.

Chris Reeve Sebenzas were like $275. Most of the one piece line was $200 - 300 or so

Benchmade's top of the line folders were $70 - 110 or so. The top of the line 44 and 45 butterflies were $70 - 80.

Al Mar was also expensive, many folders were $125 - 150. The fixed blades were usually $150 - 200 or so.

Cold Steel folders were cheap, $35 - 75. They didn't enter the expensive folder market till later. Most of their fixed blades were expensive for the time, They started to add more mid price stuff toward the mid - late 90's.

Kershaw was very moderately priced back then, the most expensive folder was the Folding Field at a bit over a $100. The big titanium folder, I can't remember the name of, was around $125 or so a bit later on.


Buck 110s were $25 - 30.

Gerber was moderate on their US folders $25 - 75. The majority of the fixed blades were $70 - 150 or so.

 

[tltt]

Thanks for reminding me that Spyderco had started up during that same time period. Was the Police their first? I'm not a Spyderco fan, my girlfriend is. I'm trying to get educated, but I see on Amazon that the history of Spyderco book is like $450 and I honestly don't need that much education.

Cold Steel, it seems to me, started around that same time. What models were they producing?

Spyderco's first knife was the Worker in 81, the next one, oddly enough was the Mariner. The Police model came out in 1984. It was the the 7th knife in the Spyderco series.

Cold Steels first knife was the tanto, their first folders were called Shinobu and Clipmate folders, The Shinobu was a tanto, the clipmate was a clip point. They had thick rubber handles, then came the Ultralock series, and then the Voyager line.

 

[glock45]

I've had these since the mid to late 80's if memory serves me.

 

[Dodge]

This thread is fun. I wish we could still have these prices now!

 

[Bob W]

I'm not buying it. My First Production EZ Out says "1995".

It's not for sale anyway. In fact it's long gone. Hmph. Wouldn't be the first time my memory failed me but it does seem like I had one earlier than that. I see Gerber has offered newer versions as well and may have made first productions of them. I gave mine away but, like the Gator drop point I still have, the big deal with them was ATS-34 steel. That was around since the early 70's so who knows? Doesn't add or subtract from the subject at hand anyway.

I don't really know when the EZ Out was first released. I didn't even buy that First Production until years after 1995.

 

[Halfneck]

glock45 - That SERE is beautiful!

The Al Mar SERE was my Grail folder for a while. When I went Active Duty the Lieutenant for the Infantry Platoon I was assigned had one. Got it as a gift after graduating West Point or getting his Ranger Tab - I prefer to think he got it for the Ranger Tab . Great knife and he used the hell out of it.

 

[cbxer55]

glock45 - That SERE is beautiful!

The Al Mar SERE was my Grail folder for a while. When I went Active Duty the Lieutenant for the Infantry Platoon I was assigned had one. Got it as a gift after graduating West Point or getting his Ranger Tab - I prefer to think he got it for the Ranger Tab . Great knife and he used the hell out of it.

Judging from the knives that SERE is posted with, it is not the BIG SERE, the ATTACK III version. It appears to be the smallest SERE version available, around three inch blade length give or take. Personally, having had two of the BIG ones, one micarta the other neoprene, I never found them particularly useful and sold them. Great looking knives to be sure. But I recall using one of mine one day to cut some fiberglass cloth, and it dulled so darn fast, I was like WTH? Sold them both soon afterwards. Never particularly cared for carrying knives via a sheath either.

According to my OLD AL Mar catalog in front of me, it is a 3001WM. The smallest SERE available, 3.0 blade, and the only one available with yellow scales. Not knocking it, nice knife. Too small for my personal taste though. Due to the yellow scales I'll call it suitable as a gents knife.

Here is an ad, the knife has been sold, so please, no warning or infraction. ;-)
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-al-mar-sere-knife-yellow-253144261

 

[Tlov72]

I remember seeing the Cold Steel tantos. They were so cool to me back then. Also remember seeing the Sydercos and thinking they were ugly. I had some kind of catalog that had tactical stuff in it and I kept it for years, looking at all the cool stuff in it. Life was so simple when you were 10 years old!

 

[Daniel L]

Do the "KGB" ballistic knives count as folders?
Back in the 80s, the ads in Soldier of Fortune had a lot of Cutlery Shoppe.

I remember the Cold Steel Shinobu as well... Weren't too many tanto production folders back then!

 

[seanp]

Isn't that an Al Mar Quicksilver? I got one off the prize table at an IPSC match around '90-'91.

It was an Al Mar. I don't recall the model. I remember it was an excellent little knife and I was pretty upset when I lost it.