colonial knife co.

M

M. Miller

Joined
May 14, 2001
Messages
14
I used the search feature here and didnt find much.

I am interested in peoples opinions of traditional carbon steel pocketknives made by Colonial Knife Co. in Providence, Rhode Island.

strengths - weaknesses - ect.

Thanks-
 
You needed to search the archives (there are four for the Blade Discussion Forum alone). It sounds like you don't want the Colonial. Here is a link to a thread on disapointing knives. After clicking the link below, use "edit" "search or find" "colonial" from your browser.

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum64/HTML/002070-2.html


[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 05-15-2001).]
 
Well you asked for opinions so here goes: junk, junk, junk!!! Very cheaply made, crappy steel. The kind of stuff you see in souvenior shops and on cardboard displays in the front of hardware stores. You couldn't give me one. If you want traditional patterns look at Case, Schrade and Camillus. I also heard that Cold Steel was coming out with a new series of traditional pocket knives but I haven't actually seen them and don't know much about them.

phantom4

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who dares, wins


 
I had two Colonial stockmans, a large "Anvil" and a large "Ranger". Not worth the money. The fit is very lousy, the brass liners are sticking out at the ends, the bolsters' chrome plating is coming out easily leaving the rusty surface below. Each blade has its own spring, which is not a problem by itself, but these springs are not in level with each other or the spacers. The "Anvil" has very poorly painted plastic scales, the dye was easily dissolved by a regular dishwashing detergent and leaves a sticky mess on the surface. The "Anvil" has 440A stainless steel blades, the "Ranger" 1095 carbon steel ones. The sheepfoot and the spey blades are very thin, so thin, that they easily dent. The blades came not too well sharpened,with burrs and uneven edge grindings. The tip on the main blade of the "Anvil" was blunt out of the box. The springs are very stiff and there is too much friction in the pivot area between the blades and the brass liners. so you break your nails to open them.
To be honest, these knives have some positive qualities too: the handle shapes are very comfortable, and the blades are flat ground and with pretty shape, actually nicer than what you can find on most stockmans. In closed position the sheepfoot blade doesn't stick out too much giving a slim profile to the knife. The "Ranger"'s main blade is locking by a thick brass liner.
If you want to buy a cheap but dependable carbone steel pocketknife better buy a Schrade Old Timer. Search on the net, you can find some good deals for $ 12-20. Fit and finish far more superior, sometimes better than on much more expensive Case knives. Their Delrin handles feel very good to touch and hold. They have much thicker brass liners, talk and walk very well. My only complaint is that the rounded back of the closed sheepfoot blade on the stockmans sticks out too much for my taste.
If you want a real quality product, save up, and for 50-70 $ you can find from some dealers Eye brand (Solingen made German) or Moore Maker brand (made in USA, probably by Queen) traditional carbon steel folders.
IMHO the Mooore Maker knives have the nicest blade shapes on factory produced traditional folders in the USA.
Do not be cheated by the nice looking pictures on the catalogs and by the very appealing low prices! Even these Colonial pocketknives are made in USA they are crap, worse then many made in China cheapo knives.
 
M.Miller
You from the N.E. area? The reason I ask is thats all we had as kids to choose from back in the 50's and 60's Colonials or Imperials. There were no Case or even Schrade just Colonials and Imperials.I guess being made right in R.I. gave them all free reign in my area. From smoke shops to Woolworths the cards were on every counter. Light shell bolsters and cheaply made but who knew any different as a kid. I have a soft spot for them as a link to my past.The bright yellow composition handled serpantine stockman was always my favorite back then.
Bob
Almost forgot welecome to the forums.

[This message has been edited by Strider (edited 05-15-2001).]
 
yeah, it brings back memories of the old yellow handled fish knife I had with the scaler edge and hook degorger. I was about 8 years old and my uncle sharpened it with a file for me and I nearly cut my finger half off while whitling on a plastic coat hanger! I sure do miss that knife! I wonder what mom did with it?
smile.gif
 
I have a Colonial SAK knock off that I got for my ninth birthday (coming up on thirty years ago). It's the best quality Colonial I've ever seen. Not the best knife in the world, but one of the few I could never part with. What I've seen recently isn't worth a second look.

Paul
 
The 2 Colonial stockmans are talked about are definitely recent mass products. I easily believe that in the past Colonial Co. made much better knives. So please note I have not meant any offense by my statement. I do believe that the amount I paid for these knives (nearly $ 11 each S&H included) is much much more than they are actually worth. For the same amount or a little bit more you can get an excellent Victorinox SAK.
The fault is mainly mine because I shopped on-line and the catalog pictures were much more nicer than the reality. I have learned my lessons, or at least I hope so.
By the way I have just seen the new Cold Steel stockmans. Except of the checkered synthetic handles the shape of this knife is astonishingly similar to the Colonial "Ranger"'s one. Once again I like very much the design of the Colonial stockmans. Sorrily the end product manufactured by Colonial Co. is very poor, not comparable to the elegant design.
 
Forgive me! I have been watching this thread for a while and the temtation was just too great.

<A HREF="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=107945&a=7088839&p=23965252&Sequence=0&res=high" TARGET=_blank>
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Notice that the blade has a 1/2 stop. (Sping is flat with liners in 1/2 open position).

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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis
 
Colonial and Imperial are the source of many fond memories for me. I think my first pocketknife was a yellow Imperial jack knife.
Also, in the late 1960's and 1970's Colonial and Imperial were dirt cheap. They could often be had for less than $5 which meant that kids like myself could afford them. That brings up another point, I remember when a kid could buy a pocketknife and not freak anybody out. In most stores, a kid can't even buy an SAK nowadays.
 
In the early to mid '70s we paid $1.49 for Imperial Jackmasters and Colonial barlows. These were the knives I learned with. I carried, lost, and broke many of them.
smile.gif


Paul
 
I gotta concur. Not much in the "fit & finish" category, but Oh! the memories...

Mine was a Colonial Barlow. I think I may still have it somewhere. The scales are gone, they were pressed on, not pinned. It went with me everywhere almost.

Time to start a "what was your first knife" thread.
 
I, too, have fond memories of Colonial knives, especially a yellow handle fishknife I paid $1.99 for about 1966-68 or so (and there was no sales tax then). I still have it. Slip-joint construction, 1095 steel, fit and finish are ... um ... not so bad as to make the knife unusable.... I value that one as a memento of my (ongoing) childhood, but I wouldn't buy one now as a user even if the price were still $1.99 with no tax.

Wait ... maybe I would ... if my source of income were still mowing the lawn for $1 an hour.
smile.gif
At the time it seemed like a good deal, anyway.


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-Cougar :{)
Use of Weapons
 
As a kid in the '70s I bought a few of the Colonial pocketknives at Sears that came in the little packages. The quality wasn't very good...the slipjoint knives would quickly develop blade play, the plastic, painted(!)handle scales loosened, the backsprings became too loose or were too stiff...but I used the heck out of them. Back then, my first quality pocketknives were Schrades, and at the time I felt if I "messed up" or lost a pocketknife, I'd rather it be one of the Colonials. Therefore, they got a some non-knife use, such as prying, etc. So, not great quality but fond memories...though I have definitely moved on and up.
Jim
 
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