Experiences on Carl Schlieper knives...

People talk about "one eye", "two eyes" and "three eyes" as being helpful in determining age and quality of the Eye Brand/Schlieper knives. ("three eyes" supposedly being the best).
But i don't think this is correct. Better is to examine the Stag and Jigged Bone on newer ones and on older ones. Finding well used examples often means these are the older ones.
The newer Bone knives have a different jigging, more precise but more boring, lifeless.
The older Stag was not excessively thick and usually fits into the bolsters without being trimmed down to the deeper white layer. Plus i have some old ones in which the Stag is worn smooth. This takes many years, so they are not new.
Eye Brand also made knives with an attractive yellow hard plastic (Delrin ?) and made high end Gent's style knives (Manicure blade, maybe scissors). Likely any Gent's style knives you see are older or vintage.
I'm away from my knives so i can't measure exactly, but there are some JUMBO sized Stockman and Moose patterns. Huge Sodbuster too. These are older and just amazing knives. They are so big that when you see one you will know it.
roland
 
Well, Mad_Maxx had already told it´s not easy to find older knives here. Maybe a relative could have an older one in drawer or a tool box somewhere. But they were not very often sold on fleamarkets. In a small village like I live in, there are no pawnshops or anything like that...

But so far, I got two Carl Schlieper Knives a couple of days ago, they were:

Carl Schlieper Canueknive (Carbonsteel, Staghandle from deer)
Carl Schlieper Barlow (Carbonsteel, red jigged bone handle)

Especially the Canue seems to be a very tough knife. Broad stag handles to fit the hand in during work and the Barlow seems to be more a gentleman´s knife than enything else... The Canue is already to my EDC rotation. The Barlow is more for urban using.

I like them, had to resharpen the knives already, yesterday we had a BBQ by a friend, a lot of grilled meat and so on... The canue got the job well done. With the Lansky there is a fastly a razorsharp edge to the knife.

Kind regards....
Andi
 
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I believe they're now one of the brands actually made in the Friedrich Olbertz factory in Solingen as opposed to the older ones which I assume Carl Schlieper made themselves. Olbertz has become a bit like Queen your side of the pond. They make their own brand, but also make for several others. I have 3 Eye Brand folders and two of them would never have passed QC at Case. The fault is small, but Case wouldn't have let them out the door IMO. Having said that the third is flamin' gorgeous.

David
 
i have the good fortune to live 3 miles from mark cruse. his granddad was the man to 1st bring eye [schliper] into america & somewhere i have a copy of the catalog from 1931 or 1933 that showed many razors, sissors,& other cutlery items . eye was a huge tool company making farming tools & many items including padlocks.the 1st cruse got a exclusive on the stock patterns to be sold only to the american market,as mentioned they made stocks & trappers in very small to huge patterns. i've owned & used many eyes from 1975 to fairly recently. any questions i have about patterns & samples never marketed are answered by mark whom is a good buddy. eyes were also big in south africa, australia, & i've owned some that were marketed to turkey . the pre 1980 models in carbon steel were the best available in the world to my knowledge. only one brand that i tested on cardboard was superior [ Schmidt & Ziegler]. anyway i sold off my collection about 8 yrs. back but still look for the older goodies..--dennis
 
Blues said:
They are nice knives. Good carbon steel. (I have no experience with the stainless.)

Fit and finish is reasonably good but it's luck of the draw unless you get to handle the knives in advance.

For a working, carry knife I have few reservations in recommending them.

The older ones are outstanding.
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Just curious, what do you have against them? Or do you just mean the newer ones?
 
Thanks for the view in your part of the world Maxx and Humppa. ( post #20and #22 ) Always good to hear what's gong on. Humppa, I like the Lansky too.
Thanks Guys,
Greg
 
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DennisStrickland said:
i have the good fortune to live 3 miles from mark cruse. his granddad was the man to 1st bring eye [schliper] into america & somewhere i have a copy of the catalog from 1931 or 1933 that showed many razors, sissors,& other cutlery items . eye was a huge tool company making farming tools & many items including padlocks.the 1st cruse got a exclusive on the stock patterns to be sold only to the american market,as mentioned they made stocks & trappers in very small to huge patterns. i've owned & used many eyes from 1975 to fairly recently. any questions i have about patterns & samples never marketed are answered by mark whom is a good buddy. eyes were also big in south africa, australia, & i've owned some that were marketed to turkey . the pre 1980 models in carbon steel were the best available in the world to my knowledge. only one brand that i tested on cardboard was superior [ Schmidt & Ziegler]. anyway i sold off my collection about 8 yrs. back but still look for the older goodies..--dennis
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That's really interesting, Dennis. I don't suppose you have pictures of your collection? I've known a few old cowboys in this area who swore by Eye Brand, which is pretty interesting since the original importer was near here. Did he market them anywhere locally? The only place I ever saw them for sale locally was at the Austin gun and knife show, back when it was next door to the old municipal auditorium.

James
 
eyes were sold to u.s. dist. all over. around austin the old mannys hatters & some feed stores carried them i always bought directly from the cruses at jobber since i had championed the brand from the 70s. used to drive from ft.worth to austin to buy at the old store [cruse guns]. no pics of collection but i had some greats, tried to get as many straight line markings as possible but the 3 eyes were real good also. mcbrides guns carried them up to early 90s.--dennis
 
Dennis, many of the current production now have "3 eyes", so one can't use that to determine age. Thanks to this thread, i just became re-interested in the Schliepers and bought a bunch on ebay. One is a 4 7/8" jigged bone Moose that is an older knife. I don't think they make this size any more. I already have this pattern in yellow plastic and in Stag. Very impressive knife !
I am away from my collection for about another week but i will post some pics soon after i get back home.
roland
 
DennisStrickland said:
eyes were sold to u.s. dist. all over. around austin the old mannys hatters & some feed stores carried them i always bought directly from the cruses at jobber since i had championed the brand from the 70s. used to drive from ft.worth to austin to buy at the old store [cruse guns]. no pics of collection but i had some greats, tried to get as many straight line markings as possible but the 3 eyes were real good also. mcbrides guns carried them up to early 90s.--dennis
Click to expand...

McBride's has always been a little out of my price range, so I didn't go in there much. I bet Callahan's also sold the Eye Brand knives, now that I think on it. I know the old cowboys used to sit outside the feed store and shoot the breeze, so it would make sense that they got their knives there, too.

James
 
rprocter is correct on eye dating info. really the best way is to have handled several thousand oldies & SOME NEWBIES TO MAKE AN OPINION
 
Well, I carry the Carl Schlieper Canue already for serveral weeks as my EDC. Used it cut everything that has to be been cut. Had to be resharpened already for three times. Got always razorsharp again. A real cool knife and a tough tool. I love that one.

The Barlow Dark Red jigged bone had to follow me to a sad event, there was a funeral which I had to go to. Hasn´t been used just for two or three times...

Kind regards...
Andi
 
The 4 1/4" stockman is a genuinely great knife, I think

I am also currently much enamoured by a bone handled 3 1/2" clippoint barlow they do :)
 
I had pretty bad luck with mine. came so dull out of the box that I could run that edge of each blade back and forth on my forearm without breaking skin. the only one of my whittlers I haven't been able to get sharp, too. attractive knife, but disappointing.
 
I have only owned one Eye Brand and it was the large Sod-Buster from the Mid 80's, great steel on the blade but the backspring broke on it. I dont hold this against Eye Brand as I have had other brands that the back spring broke on. Just a bad heat treat on it. But, I would not buy one without handling it first.
 
These pictures don't capture the differences very well. It's more noticeable when you pick up and hold the knife.
Current production 3 1/2" Half Congress

customs001-41.jpg


Half Congress & 3" Toothpick

customs002-37.jpg


These are not "bad" knives. Similar quality to Rough Riders but they do not arrive with shaving sharp blades and cost about 3 times as much.
I'll show some older ones in the next post.
roland
 
Here is a 3 1/2" Stockman (350) with hardwood handles. Holding it gives a sense of smooth quality.

customs003-37.jpg


Here is a 3" Stockman (Rustless). Although worn, you can see the jigging is different.

customs004-35.jpg


Here is a very nice 3 1/2" Congress(56P) with Cracked Ice handles. The similarity to Buck Creek knives and other brandings is quite apparent.

customs005-25.jpg


I'll post some BIG ones next.
roland
 
If you see any of these big knives, they are most likely older production. I don't think Schlieper makes these anymore. One i didn't take a pic of is a 5 1/2" Sodbuster with a finger lopping snap. A REAL work knife.
4 7/8" Stockman (with 3" Toothpick for comparison):

customs006-28.jpg


Two 5 1/2" Moose knives with the above Stockman:

customs007-24.jpg


Schlieper Moose & 3" Toothpick:

customs008-19.jpg


A.G.Russell 1991 version of Schlieper Moose:

customs009-15.jpg


It's not only the blades that are different, the AGR has thinner stock for the blades and springs. i.e. the "Schlieper" is the Bull Moose !

customs010-18.jpg


Hope you enjoyed seeing a few of my older Schlieper Eye Brand knives.
roland
 
Thanks Roland!
This gives us a visual of how the eye brand has changed over time.
I noticed the Barlow that I recently purchased has a round shield on the handle,must be an import or?
 
roland those older large eyes were what i carried in my pack when hunting elk & deer . i had these as a back up if my straight knife went dull. sure came in handy in idaho.--dennis
 
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