Are the Soligen made Hen and Rooster knives good?

S

Squashfan

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Jun 6, 2012
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I see no reason for them not to be. I am looking for a carbon splitback whittler and their name popped up. It just occurred to me that I should also ask if Hen and Rooster does a good heat treat on their carbon blades.

What ever your opinion, let me hear!
 
The genuine German made hen and roosters are quite good from what I have handled, I have been told the older ones were much better so they may be worth searching out. I only own one, a Bertram stockman, it has stainless blades and funky colored handle covers so it doesn't get carried, but is has excellent fit and finish, the snap and pull strength is both just right and very smooth, the blades are thin and evenly ground with a very nice taper.
Overall just a really well made knife.
I would own more, but I find they are priced a little higher than what I like to spend, and I never see them available in brick and mortar stores so I don't get to coon finger them before buying unless I am at the worlds largest knife showplace with the blue roof.
 
I too have a Bertram H&R stockman, similar in price and quality to a Case.

BertramH-R_zpsfff4ff66.jpg~original


I like the shape of the clip blade, it has nice even grinds, good pulls and swedges. The bone covers are a little on the thick side.
 
I have two H&R Bertram Whittlers and they are good knives. The only negative are liner gaps on both. They're not that bad but they're there. It's just cosmetic and doesn't hurt the function. Although it's a negative, it's not a big deal for a less than 40 dollar knife.
 
I looked up the Blue Roof Website and a lot of the Hen and Roosters are listed as being made in Spain. Though I will peruse their selection next time I am there. I don't live very far away.

Back to my question: Good to know that the Soligen knives are solid. I suspected as much but it never hurts to be sure.
 
A group of Hen & Rooster knives came up for sale on "Knives Live TV" the other night and they mentioned that the parts were made in the Orient and assembled in Germany. I thought that kind of odd but there have been questions lately about some of the newer Hen & Rooster knives. Mike has a blurb about it at collectorknives in the Hen and Rooster section.

I have a couple of older Hen & Rooster knives and they are first rate.
 
I used to EDC a Hen and Rooster Congress with green jigged bone. Nice knife. I just bought a H&R whittler in deer antler. Haven't had a chance to do anything with it yet, but it looks really nice.
 
Jim Frost now owns the Hen&Rooster Brand. The last I heard (a couple years ago) he was having the last of the German Made parts assembled in China. The fixed blade knives are assembled in Spain or Argentina from German blade blanks. The new made slip joints who knows.
 
Way back when A.G. Russell owned the company, they were great knives. Today they are just OK.
In A.G. 's words:

Made in 1980 and Before
Bertram, the maker of the original Hen & Rooster knives, was founded in 1865 and quickly became the finest knife made in Solingen, Germany. In fact, the knives made between 1865 and 1980 in the tiny factory with 14 employees when I purchased the company, remain the finest traditional, production, pocketknives that I know of. The blades are better ground, better finished, and the insides of the knives are so clean they appear to have been mirror finished inside as well as outside.

You can read more here:
http://www.agrussell.com/knives-by-maker-hen-and-rooster-knives/c/8362/
 
rma100 said:
Jim Frost now owns the Hen&Rooster Brand. The last I heard (a couple years ago) he was having the last of the German Made parts assembled in China. The fixed blade knives are assembled in Spain or Argentina from German blade blanks. The new made slip joints who knows.
Click to expand...

Interesting. If this is so, they really ought to be considerably cheaper!

Got a Mini Canoe of theirs, good fit, not bad otherwise, but very garish handles. Would not bother with them when you can get Böker -Germany- carbon knives for the same or less. These can be really decent finds.
 
Interesting coincidence, I just got a Hen & Rooster in the mail today, a mini trapper. It says made in Solingen, Germany on the box. The walk is very smooth and the talk is moderate. The fit and finish is comparable with Case (in my limited experience), maybe a touch better. I like it! :thumbup:
 
DavidZ said:
Way back when A.G. Russell owned the company, they were great knives. Today they are just OK.
In A.G. 's words:

Made in 1980 and Before
Bertram, the maker of the original Hen & Rooster knives, was founded in 1865 and quickly became the finest knife made in Solingen, Germany. In fact, the knives made between 1865 and 1980 in the tiny factory with 14 employees when I purchased the company, remain the finest traditional, production, pocketknives that I know of. The blades are better ground, better finished, and the insides of the knives are so clean they appear to have been mirror finished inside as well as outside.
Click to expand...

here's an illustrated example of what he was talking about, this is a thread featuring a split-back whittler from the agr era:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1101483-bertram-large-whittler-(pic-heavy)
 
Germany has very liberal laws regarding the use od "Made IN" as opposed to some other countries, including the US of A. For Germany, if they box it up in Germany, they can mark it "made in Germany".
 
RMA, I was told by a friend in Germany that if it specifically says its made in Solingen, there isn't the wiggle room - similar to "port" and "champagne". I will send him and my uncle an email (all but my immediate family live there) and see if they can shed some light.
 
Is it the same with German Bull ? "Germany Stainless Handmade" on the tang. "Handmade" and "Germany" on the box.
 
Frost has owned H&R for many years and they were originally made for him in both the German Olbertz and Boker factories. Starting a few years ago some of the line had a noticeable change to the quality, the marking, and the boxes. The boxes went to a very shiny green and the tangs look etched instead of stamped. Holding these knives in hand, you could tell their days of being positively talked about were over. The tangs usually read something like "Solingen Germany" on the front and "Germany, Carbon Steel, Handmade" on the back. The key is no mention of Bertram.

There are still some patterns lingering that were made wholly in Germany. The darker green boxes, I believe, were made in the Olbertz factory and the lighter green (dull / flat) were made at Boker. I am not sure if either of these factories are still making slipjoints in Germany and question whether Olbertz is making anything at all. But, in the least, they are not made like they were 15 years ago. But many patterns are still a nice value in today's market. I do not carry them unless I am near certain they are made entirely in Germany, but every time I get some in stock it seems as if I am sending more and more patterns back for a refund due to doubt.
 
Mike,
I don't believe Olbertz made any Hen and Roosters. They are either made by Klaas or with contract to Boker.
As stated before, there are ones marked Solingen Germany, and new ones marked German Stainless.
I think i would stick with the ones marked Germany.

Tim
 
basser5 said:
Mike,
I don't believe Olbertz made any Hen and Roosters. They are either made by Klaas or with contract to Boker.
As stated before, there are ones marked Solingen Germany, and new ones marked German Stainless.
I think i would stick with the ones marked Germany.

Tim
Click to expand...

We are going to have to believe different truths ;) Although Klaas was one time part owner in the HR brand and did make some; those days are long gone.
I don't believe Klaas even made the Kissing Crane brand for some years before it went overseas. :eek:
There are not so many factories in Germany that you can't quickly get a "feel" for where they are made. But it seems today that if people will "insinuate" a knife is made in one place or the other without flat-out lying; it is alright. My chore is to judge the knife, not the tang stamp.

BTW, there are many HR's marked "Solingen Germany" right on the front of tang that I would be VERY skeptical about.... But, maybe all these factories have a line where they make the good stuff then another line where they make the "lesser".
 
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