Eye Brand vs. Bulldog

M

marcinek

Joined
Jan 9, 2007
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Hi. Maybe you folks can help me out on this one

Had been considering getting a Case CV as my first slippie.

Now you've got me looking at Eye Brand and Bulldog. From what I can figure out from Searching around here, they are both well liked.

I do see that one website cautions potential buyers on the fit and finish of Eye Brand. Everybody here seems to say they are built like tanks. Whats up?

Also, I see a lot of hubbub about Bulldogs being first generation, second generation, ...., different color boxes, importers....

Any preferences between the two brands among you?

Anything I should watch out for (Like "Don't buy a third generation Bulldog in a blue box!").

The Eye Brand stuff looks very nice to me....

Thanks!
 
I only have one from each company, so others can probably give you more info', but here are my impressions from the two I have.

Fit and finish are great on both, walk and talk on both are solid, both knives are well made.

Eye-Brand-425DS-1.jpg


My Eye Brand 425DS was sold to me as high carbon, but turned out to be stainless steel, and to be honest it somewhat hard to get a good edge on it and it does not hold it long. I would like to try one in high carbon, so make sure your getting it if that's what you want.

Bulldog-Copperhead.jpg


My Bulldog Stag Copperhead is high carbon and sharpens easily and hold the edge very well. It also has some of the nicest Stag I have ever had! (PS, my Bulldog is dated 1998)
 
I have one Eye Brand, a "Carl Schlieper" Copperhead. The stag is very nice. The pins are proud and have a decidedly unfinished look/feel about them. If I carried it regularly I'd probably have to file/tap one pin in particular, lest it snag. They don't have the rounded tops you might be used to, either; They are more like posts with a slight flare at the top. It's not a "bad" knife, it just is what it is. It's a nice stag knife for under $50.

I also own one Bulldog, a 25th Anniversary (2004? not sure) sowbelly. It's very nice in all respects, and I think I paid less for this one than the Eye Brand. The stag isn't quite as dramatic, but it's nice nonetheless. I do carry this one occasionally.

One of the guys on here has the full scoop on the Bulldog knives, what years to avoid, and all that. Hopefully he'll be able to give you the detail info.

-- Sam
 
Thanks TLC....is there any identification on the Eye Brand Stockman showing that it is stainless?

I've poked around a bit, and the Eye Brand knives I've seen in stainless are marked with the dreaded "Surgical Stainless" on the blade.

Awesome stag on both!!

Would you consider either (or both?) EDC-for-years-to-come knives?
 
I've had bad luck with Bulldog knives. Knives never took nor held a good edge imho.
 
Thanks Blues and ParaGlock...I had been leaning towards Eye Brand.

Something about the look of them (both the stag and the bone) just jumped out at me. I'm not sure what. Maybe it is exactly that "unfinished look/feel" Sam mentioned.

They seem to have character.

However, there does not seem to be a lot of them available. So, nobody buy one from ebay or soonerstate until I do!

I call dibs on all Eye Brand knives. Can I do that?:)

Oh, and I'll re-throw out the question I posed to TLC, Are all the Stainless Steel Eyes marked "Surgical Stainless" on the blade, or are some other stainless ones out there without that on the blade?
 
If you purchase from a reputable dealer (such as this) they'll tell you up front what the blade steel is.

Note that these brands are all made in the Solingen region of Germany, and the stainless used in that area is generally highly regarded.

-- Sam
 
Thanks Sam..."this" is who I was thinking of buying from (or ebay if something great comes up). So, like I said, I call dibs on all of their Eye Brand.

It certainly does appear the Solingen, Germany (did I see something somewhere about Solingen, China???) stainless is highly regarded. However, a couple weeks ago you people sold me on carbon steel.

It seems especially appropriate on one of those nice rustic-looking Eye Brands.
 
I have used a few eye brands and have had good luck with both carbon and stainless.The stainless was a stag stockman and a carbon sodbuster. the sodbuster was easy to sharpen and held a great edge. Also, had a stag congress that was carbon. I agree that it looks like they forgot to finish the knife when it comes to the pins.
RKH
 
I've had some Eye-brand knives, still have two sodbusters, and they are not real high finish knives. The large and small sodbusters I have are almost the same size as the large and small Case yellow CV sodbusters, but are rougher finish. The Eye-brand soddies came with stamped steel or iron liners that had to have some 600 paper run over them to take off the sharp spots. They were sharp enough to cut you if you clamped down hard on the knife for heavier cutting. But thier carbon steel does cut well though. The stag stockman I had I gave to my oldest son, and I peened down the pins and de-burred the knife before I gave it to him. It was a tad rougher than I thought it should be, but it also cut great and held an edge good.

You say you were looking to get a Case CV. I would persue that course before I bought another kind of slippy. I can't speak for Bulldog knives as I've never had one, but I have used the heck out of both Eye-brand and Case, and preffer Case.

Case has one advantage over the other two- There's a very nice lady named Shirley in Bradford Pa. who you can talk to at Case if there's a problem or repair needed. Case is very good at fixing knives returned to them, where the others under discussion are kind of "out of the loop". The shop people at Case became my hero's when they did such a good job reconditioning my dad's old peanut from the 1930's or 40's.
 
I myself went with Eye Brand. But then again that's because I wanted stag and carbon steel. If stag is not important, you should consider going with Case. You should have an easier time finding one, and should a problem arise (which is very possible with slipjoints) it'll probably be easier getting Case to fix it.
 
This may be a bit off the point, but I've just got hold of a WEIDMANNSHEIL stag lockback in carbon Solingen steel with etched blade.The company is defunct and this is unsold stock. The finish is very good, decent thick stag scales that match, it's about 9.25cms/3.75" and being lockback it's safer to use.Not too bulky or heavy for pocket use and the pins are nicely rounded.Once a bit pocket worn it will be a very attractive and workable knife. I could do with some basic advice on the care of carbon blades, should I rub them over with abrasive paper sometimes or just wipe with an oiled rag?
 
willgoy said:
I could do with some basic advice on the care of carbon blades, should I rub them over with abrasive paper sometimes or just wipe with an oiled rag?
Click to expand...

No, don't do anything to it but put a nice deep patina on it. Theres a zillion ways to do this, but a patina will protect your blade. You can use vinigar, a potato, and apple, mustard. The choice is yours. A nice medium grey will go well with that stag!:D
 
Early Bulldogs are very nice, well made, fit and finish as good as any. That would be mostly Gen 1-3 bulldogs. I've heard later ones aren't as good. But, as for the first 3 generations, whats not to like?

_IGP1416.jpg


BulldogMuskratH.jpg


IGP1591.jpg


_IGP1744.jpg


_IGP1753.jpg


_IGP1772a.jpg
 
Thanks for the pix Arathol...there is nothing not to like about those...especially the Tennessee Walking Horse...what would that be called, a Wharncliff Whittler or a Seahorse Whittler? I haven't gotten all these pattern names down yet.

That may have the nicest stag I've seen.

Another guess: Sheepsfoot Whittler?
 
i have an Eyebrand sodbuster, 2 blade, second being a saw blade. it's a solid and attractive knife. i can't find a thing wrong with it, which is more than i can say for some of my Queen's. so, i like this knife, a great outdoor user, but it is more suitable for belt than pocket carry. get one, you'll like it. roland
 
I'm still with the idea of getting one of each!! :p :p

Bulldog & Eye Brand :D

BulldogStagToenail1.jpg


EyeBrandSodbusterFront.jpg


Either way you have narrowed down to two great knives..Good Luck
 
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