Bear made Schrade-Waldens?

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rev_jch

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Jul 29, 2002
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Has anyone bought, or looked over the bear made Schrade-Waldens in amber bone? I was wondering as to the quality of these, F & F, etc.? Ive seen the yellow delrin camillus mades ones (very dissappointing) over a year ago, but I was wondering as to the quality of the bear made ones (and in case in anyone wonders Im well aware these are not "real" Schrade knives)?
 
I've not held them and examined them personally, but the reviews I've seen by buyers were favorable for most all of the Bear and Son knives. The quality of their products seems to be quite a bit better after Ken Griffey, one of the original owners of Bear MGC, and his son Matt bought the company in 2004.

Codger
 
I was in a hardware store last week that carried some Bear & Son knives. I asked to see one as I hadn't handled one in years. I was not very impressed as the fit and finish was not very good. It was a bone handles stockman, and I was really disappointed. :( I don't know if that knife was typical of their line or not.

Dale
 
There was a time (in the "middle" of their short history) that the knives were not as nicely finished. I have seen soeme of the ones you are talking about.
 
rev_jch
I thought this may have been an older knife. It was an old True Value in a small town along the Columbia River, far from the big city. They had a bit of everything in there. I love those old hardware stores! :D

The Bear & Son stuff I saw in the 1980s were better made than this knife. I hope their new stuff is much better.

Dale
 
A little history, if anyone cares.

Bear MGC was formed when the 3 supervisors (McIntosh [formerly of Gerber], Griffey, and I forget the other fellow with the C...:o ) bought the business (late '80s or '90?) from Jim Parker...who had recently bought out his partner Fain Edwards (Parker-Edwards). The purchase included a steel making facility that made Damascus (or at least folded steel) among other knife steels. They had even sold some Damacus to Schrade for a series of LB5s for Cutlery World.

Anyway, sometime in the middle '90s, Victorinox bought the business, purportedly because they wanted the multitool plier patent to compete in that market.

As Codger mentioned, it was bought back by Ken Griffey and his son, (maybe others, as well???), in 2004.

Speculation...maybe Victorinox needed the money to complete the Wenger deal??

I have a few knives made at various points in the timeline. IMHO, they are decently made knives, nothing special, but good users, for $30-$40 knives. I don't have any made since the Griffey's took it back, however.

Sure looks like they are in line to scoop up some contract business from Camillus. JMO.

If anybody can add or correct, please do so.

Bill
 
I happend to be given (present) a Stag handled stockman made by Bear MGC a few weeks ago, I totally agree with Orvet, the fit is not very good and not long after I noticed that it is cracked under the center pin on both sides, not to mention that I got a splinter from the rough Stag scales, this one is going back.

Rusty 1
 
I'll bash the old Bear's again. I am not sure I have ever gotten my hands on a post-2004 model to see if the new stories of improvements are true, but the knives made during the Dark Years really were lame. Fit was random, and their stainless blades were definitely softer than Schrade used to make.
 
Well, from what I gather so far, the people I have spoke with who own these (schrade walden stamped bears), have had very good things to say about these. I also spoke with bear and sons and the blades are 440. I also spoke with someone who owns a store and has sold many of them and have had no complaints.

Of course nothing is perfect, but it sounds like these particular ones are decent.
 
Okay, just got some more info. The scales are glued on.

Also, the amber bone, and the walnut used in these knives, are from the old schrade factory. So in a "sense" you end up buying a bit of history.

As much as I dislike the fact that schrade is no more, at least a few of the knives out there right now, are made completely in the USA (save the yellow delrin camillus ones, which the blades, parts are made in china and assembled here, and "ironically" are labeled "made in USA").
 
Here is a Bear MGC Trapper made in 1991, utilizing only the backspring pin...

14cy0l1.jpg


I would agree with you rev jch, that it's probably a cost saving measure, as well as less chance to damage the handle scales material.

Bill
 
Very much so! Ive been making knives for over 24 years (slipjoints, fixed, tacticals and all) and bone is a hard, smelly and unforgiving job!

it is very easy to crack a bone handle, especially when you are talking abiut thin scales! Its doesnt take much pressure, from either drilling, or setting a pin to cause a hariline, or any kind of a crack!! And bone can be an expensive venture to get into!
 
It seems as though Bear is picking up some of the market share for slipjoints in the wake of Schrade's demise. I had never seen Bear MGC or Bear & Son knives for sale in this area until recently....several local ACE hardware stores have "combo" knife dispalys - these are large floor displays that do not represent one manufacturer but are put together by ACE corporate so they have a variety of brands in one display.

Until recently, Schrade was well represented in these displays, along with Case, Buck, Gerber, and others. Now the displays have had new panels installed and Bear slipjoints (and a few lockbacks) have taken the place of the former Schrade offerings. I noticed that they still use the BEAR MGC USA tang stamp despite the company name change to Bear & Son.
 
Could it be that the blades were just old stock being used up?

Since the factory was bought back, perhaps they are now going to market them a little better now?
 
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