German Bull?

Will Power

Will Power

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Jan 18, 2007
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Not perhaps the most fortunate name to use in the English speaking world:D

But what are your experiences of this knife company? Are they German or is it our friends from the East masquerading as European:eek:

Anyway, just got a jr sodbuster or dirtbuster as they call it and I'm delighted:thumbup: It's the same size as a CASE but comes with some really nice thick stag scales.Build quality and snap are remarkable, blade is a bit thicker than the CASE which I think makes it a bit less wieldy and it is heavier too.I'm a fan of the sodbuster pattern.
Nice knife that's going to see use and at 25.50 dollars it represents excellent value.

Anybody else got a view on this company?
 
I also like sodbusters and picked up a German Bull dirtbuster jr. (they make a larger model) about a month ago. Fit and finish and the stag scales are nice. The only complaint I have is that the blade, when folded, rests on the center high point of the spring. This leaves a noticeably flat spot on the middle of the blade edge. I can probably lower that high point with a narrow rotary grinder, but it shouldn't have left the factory that way.

I don't know who makes them.
 
I bought a Stag Dr's knife online, the backspring broke on the small blade in about 6 weeks. The shield also was messed up when received. I sent it back to Frost and they sent me a new one but really havent carried it yet. Yes they are made in Germany. Good luck with yours.
 
OK, not so good it seems but certainly can't find any faults with the one I have. Maybe I was just lucky?
 
The box says Hand made in Germany...the blade says German stainless...no suspicious mis-spellings or words like Munich stamped there though.German govt should be able to verify this through EU laws I suppose?

Of course, this doesn't mean much. Somebody in the know must know:D

Whatever, no gaps no rough bits quality feels good.
 
The only one I've got is one of there small lockbacks, good looking knife, but the blade developed major play and has never cut anything heavier than cardboard. I may have got a bad one,not sure though.
 
a company can be registered in Germany, and have knives made in China, of imported (to China) German steel; stamp the tangs "Germany" or "Solingen" because that is the location of the company ordering the knives, and then send the knives to Germany for sale and distribution.
a box stamped "handmade in Germany", probably is, but what about the knife ? why not stamp it "handmade in Germany" ?
there are some major players in the knife business who purposely attempt to deceive.
i think many current "German" knives like Hen & Rooster, Owl Head, Kissing Crane as examples, are made in China. i base this belief on the many posts on this subject in Bladeforums; what some ebay sellers state and the "flood' of these knives on ebay and their usual low selling price.
if i am incorrect, i will honestly appreciate being informed and will gladly re-organize my collection as i have many of these knives. roland
 
rprocter said:
a company can be registered in Germany, and have knives made in China, of imported (to China) German steel; stamp the tangs "Germany" or "Solingen" because that is the location of the company ordering the knives, and then send the knives to Germany for sale and distribution.
a box stamped "handmade in Germany", probably is, but what about the knife ? why not stamp it "handmade in Germany" ?
there are some major players in the knife business who purposely attempt to deceive.
i think many current "German" knives like Hen & Rooster, Owl Head, Kissing Crane as examples, are made in China. i base this belief on the many posts on this subject in Bladeforums; what some ebay sellers state and the "flood' of these knives on ebay and their usual low selling price.
if i am incorrect, i will honestly appreciate being informed and will gladly re-organize my collection as i have many of these knives. roland
Click to expand...

I have no proof either but looking at the quality of some of the ones I've had it wouldn't suprise me at all if some of the "german" makers were having knives marked germany and made elsewhere.
 
rprocter said:
i think many current "German" knives like Hen & Rooster, Owl Head, Kissing Crane as examples, are made in China.
Click to expand...
I kind of wonder if maybe your right. I noticed some Kissing Crane's that seem too good to be true. If the price is too good to be true, there is a good chance it is made in China.....

Here is a link to a bone handle cooperhead with a "price that is too good to be true". Does anyone know anything about this knife, LIKE where it is made???

http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?A=&Brand=65&Mode=Brand&range=11&SKU=KC6214BR
 
peter78 said:
I kind of wonder if maybe your right. I noticed some Kissing Crane's that seem too good to be true. If the price is too good to be true, there is a good chance it is made in China.....

Here is a link to a bone handle cooperhead with a "price that is too good to be true". Does anyone know anything about this knife, LIKE where it is made???

http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?A=&Brand=65&Mode=Brand&range=11&SKU=KC6214BR
Click to expand...

One of the last smkw catologs I got had the yellow handle and bone or stag,for cheap and were labeled as imported,so more than likely you know where their from:( If I recall correctly some of the kc models resemble ruff ryders,so maybe made by the same company.
 
peter78 said:
I kind of wonder if maybe your right. I noticed some Kissing Crane's that seem too good to be true. If the price is too good to be true, there is a good chance it is made in China.....

Here is a link to a bone handle cooperhead with a "price that is too good to be true". Does anyone know anything about this knife, LIKE where it is made???

http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/product.jsp?A=&Brand=65&Mode=Brand&range=11&SKU=KC6214BR
Click to expand...

Kissing Crane does have a line made in China ( and that copperhead is one of them).

The last two Hen and Rooster knives I bought are stamped "Germany" on the tang and actually look a little sloppier than some I own made in China.

Jim Frost imports H&R and German Bull so anything is possible.....
 
Roland,
Sorry for the late reply, but I was out of town Deer hunting. I was going by the SMKW Christmas catalog with the red front cover. On page T in the Stag handled German Bull knives it says they are "Handmade in Germany". I hope they are anyway.
 
i have seen some new kissing cranes that had a sticker on the back side of the blade hand crafted in china not etched but a sticker easy to peel off
 
this thread has sparked an interest in these "Bull" knives, so i will get a couple on ebay and see for myself. i have quite a few German and Chinese knives and the made in China ones are almost all very well made and attractive. i would say very comparable to my recent Case knives.
however "handmade in Germany" is hype. the best you could hope for would be hand assembled, and i doubt it's even that. but they still may be really good knives. roland
p.s. about that little transparant "China" sticker, i have seen that on many items. most recently an expensive pair of shoes for my daughter from a U.S. shoe manufacturer, a little sticker, less than 1/2 inch long "China", hidden deep inside the shoe, found about a week later.
 
dalksters said:
i have seen some new kissing cranes that had a sticker on the back side of the blade hand crafted in china not etched but a sticker easy to peel off
Click to expand...
I have seen those stickers, but to me, I was buying a bunch of knives, made mainly in USA and Germany. Everytime I see a neat knife at a good price, I bought it. Camillus, Buck, and Boker were my favorite. But, now they are harder to find and it is even harder to find these things made in USA or Germany. It seems everything is being made in China. Remington was made by Camillus here in the USA, now they are made in China. Now I have a few knives made in China. I have tried a few Marbles, Buck, etc., but I have decided to stick with knives made in USA and Germany. It is just harder and harder to find, plus they seem to be tricking you. Having the China sticker, were you can peel it off is just one way. Having Kissing Cranes, Marbles, Winchesters, Smith and Wesson, Buck, Sharade, Gerber made in China and the list goes on. I have a Buck Creek, another Frost knife, that ways "German stainless Handmade" and I am wondering were that is made? Why not say "Germany", my guess is that it is made of Geman stainless and hand made in China???? I hope I am wrong, but it sure seems like the knife industry is going in one direction.:thumbdn:
 
The mystery deepens, and I admit this has taken the shine off my knife as it seems like blatant deception! Having said that, the sodbuster IS of very good quality indeed,no rough edges,gaps at all,pins sticking out proud or blade wobble etc. (unlike an expensive Schatt&Morgan I have that is basically very poorly assembled).

I don't mind buying a cheap Chinese knife for beater purposes BUT I want to KNOW that it's Chinese and I dislike intensely, the idea of pretending to come from another country-if this is the case.That is total dishonesty. I think I'll get in touch with some people I know in Germany as I'm in the EU too.
 
willgoy, i agree totally. part of how i organize my collection is by country of origin, and i have quite a few that might be living in the wrong country.
i like "really good user knives" more than "real pretty knives" and the China ones i have are really good users. i put a Steel Warrior warnie copperlock in my pocket as small EDC about 4 months ago, use it daily, and it's never let me down and every day i put off changing to another !
the belief that knives "made in China" are "crap" is no longer accurate.
i too would like to see all knives marked as to country of manufacture. and, maybe the German Bull knives are manufactured in Germany. anyone living in Germany willing to track down and visit the "German Bull Factory" ?, then we'll know how much of the "German" is really bull. roland
 
I agree that "made in China are crap is no longer accurate". I also agree it is dishonest to pretend your manufactured in another country.

I know Scharde has a few items still made in the USA. They basically get the parts made in China, shipped the parts over here and they are put together. It is just getting harder to go to the hardware store and buy a knife and know what you are getting.
 
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