IMPOSSIBLE QUESTIONS ... or are they??

Mark W Douglas

Mark W Douglas

Joined
Nov 16, 1998
Messages
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For curiousity reasons only:

How many actual knife manufactures are there through out the world?

What knife manufacture has the most models and types of knives to pick from?

What knife manufacture is the oldest that is still producing knives?

Who is presently the largest knife distributor in the U.S.A. & the World?
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"GOOD LUCK and don't ask me, because I don't know!
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"

Mark


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" Knife Collectors Are Sharp People - Most of the time that is! "
 
Victorinox started supplying the Swiss defence forces with knives in 1891, I'm not sure if the company existed before that.

Opinel has existed since 1890 if I'm not misremembering, with very similar models still being built.

<a href="http://www.eka-knivar.se/">EKA-knivar</a> has has existed and been making knives since 1882.

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Urban Fredriksson
www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
Latest updates Al Mar Falcon Ultralight, Moki Hana, Fällkniven WM1 neck sheath

"Smooth and serrated blades cut in two entirely different fashions."
- The Teeth of the Tyrannosaurs, Scientific American, Sep 1999
 
Ahhh what the hay, I'll give it a shot on what I know of actual production knife manufactures: (many brands not listed may be made by one of these manufactures -- as contract knives)

A.G. Russell / One Hand Knife,
Al Mar,
Bear MGC,
Benchmade,
Boker,
Buck,
Camillus / Western,
Case,
Cold Steel,
Columbia River K&T,
Chris Reeve Knives,
Emerson Knives,
EyeBrand / German Eye / Carl S.,
Fight n Rooster,
Gerber,
Henckles,
Hiro,
Ka-Bar,
Kershaw,
Mad Dog,
MicroTech,
Mission Knives,
Ontario,
Opinel,
Outdoor Edge,
Puma,
Queen Cutlery,
Robert Kruass / KissingCrane, Hen & Rooster,
Roundeye K&T,
Schrade / Uncle Henry / Old Timer,
Spyderco,
SOG,
Tinives,
Victorinox,
Wenger
(35)

I know I've got to be missing some!
I would also venture to say that Victorinox has the most models followed by Wenger. Schrade, Spyderco, & Buck have to be close, too (may be wrong though)!

Have no idea who the largest distributor is?

Mark


[This message has been edited by Mark W Douglas (edited 04-13-2000).]
 
I'd bet Sheffield's of England goes alot farther back than Victorinox or Opinel. Might even go back to the 1700's. The world's largest maker and distributor is undoubtedly China!!!! I know, thats not really a company, but ya gotta admit, they make an awful lot of awful knives!!!!
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http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
 
The world's largest maker and distributor is undoubtedly China!!!! I know, thats not really a company, but ya gotta admit, they make an awful lot of awful knives!!!!
Click to expand...

LOLOLOLLOL! That's good L6STEEL!
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Mark

P.S. Where does Mike Turber's Fit in?
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[This message has been edited by Mark W Douglas (edited 04-13-2000).]
 
In Dublin, Ireland is the oldest store in the western world - it's a knife shop and they have been in business since 1600 and something. This is not only the oldest knife store - it is in fact THE oldest known shop!

I've been there - and they have a small selection of production knives, some POS and lots of barber supplies - but the place is amazing and looks like it hasn't changed in centuries.

Actually they did renovate it some 60 years ago
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I don't know an exact date but I remember Puma advertising that they shipped their first knives to the US by clipper ship.
 
Case has been around in one form or the other since the 1880's and I think it would press anyone to find a knife company that had manufactured and sold more different models than they have.

Have to disqualify Sheffield and Solengin, they are areas of countries not companies.

Now as far as who is the biggest distributor in the USA and world wide. That is a tough question.

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Rs
Don
Medicine Man of the Extinct Fogowee Tribe

[This message has been edited by stab1 (edited 04-13-2000).]
 
The Beretta family got their start making arms for the Roman legions. I'm not sure if they're currently making knives or outsourcing them, though.

-Cougar :{)
 
I would guess that Camillus is the largest knife maker as far as total production is concerned. Especially when you include the massive amount of knives that they make for the other companies.

With that in mind, Camillus could also have the most models. If only items with the producer's name on them is considered, then I would nonminate Russell Harrington.

How many knife makers are there throughout the world? As far as I can tell, all of them.
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Dave
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Attention: Some assembly may be required. Batteries not included.
 
Originally posted by Cougar Allen:
The Beretta family got their start making arms for the Roman legions.
Click to expand...
Not quite, the company was actually founded in 1530, but I'm not sure they have been knife manufacturers all the time.
(The claim that they're "the world's oldest industrial enterprise" isn't correct however, as Stora Kopparberg in Sweden which has been a shareholders' industrial company, the oldest such, since the 13:th century is still around.)

Originally posted by TomW:
I don't know an exact date but I remember Puma advertising that they shipped their first knives to the US by clipper ship.
Click to expand...
Founded in 1769.
 
Columbo, you may be right about Camillus having the most models if you add up all of the contract knives they produce for others too! I know some of the Buck Knives 300 series are or were made by Camillus and Sears Craftsman Knives used to be also, I wonder if Camillus still makes the knives for Sears?

PhilL, is Toledo Spain still producing knives? I forgot about them.

TomW, doesn't Puma now have their knives made by another manufacture for them? I thought I heard some years ago that they no longer actually make their knives and the steel used for their blades have now gone from a higher grade steel to 440A because of the change of manufactures? Maybe I heard wrong?

Mark

 
Camillus is the second oldest US based manufacturer (began in 1876). I think D.H. Russell is the oldest (1818).

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Dexter Ewing
AKTI Member # A000005

Living life "on the edge"
 
This might be splitting hairs, but I think Ames was making swords in the 1840s and still manufactures USMC NCO swords.
If that's correct, it would bump Camillus down to third place.
 
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