john primble?

toaster burn

toaster burn

Joined
Apr 9, 2007
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352
I have a good friend in tn and her birthday is two days from mine so we decided to get each other gifts this year and mail them. I got her some jewelry and she being awesome decided to get me a knife, she called me today and told me she had bought a john primble fixed blade. I'll love anything she gets me of course, but I'm still curious how she did and it'll be a few weeks before it gets here and I can play around with it. so does anyone know anything about them?
 
John Primble used to be the brand name used by Belknap Hardware for their knives. They were made by Schrade and other knife companies and marked with the Belknap/Primble names.

I don't know who makes or owns the current John Primble products.

-Bob
 
As Bob w said, "John Primble" was a house name for knives sold through the old Belknap Hardware store until it went out of business decades ago.

Since then, Blue Grass Cutlery has owned the name, and has contracted knives from other companies, some good, some not.

That fixed blade is one of the newer ones in the American Legends series that is made in China.
 
...but if it is not medical or military, the manufacturing has gone offshore.
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Off Topic, but lots of medical and military supplies are imported.

-Bob
 
ok I emailed blue grass cutlery and asked, here's the details:

"It is made of high quality 400 grade stainless steel. It is hardened to a 56 - 58 hardness and it sharpens and holds an edge well. It is also all hand polished. It has a nickel silver shield as well as a nickel silver bolster. Al fitted with natural bone handles. It is a quality knife which lives up to the John Primble name.
Thanks for your interest. Blue Grass Cutlery"
 
toaster burn said:
ok I emailed blue grass cutlery and asked, here's the details:

"It is made of high quality 400 grade stainless steel. It is hardened to a 56 - 58 hardness and it sharpens and holds an edge well. It is also all hand polished. It has a nickel silver shield as well as a nickel silver bolster. Al fitted with natural bone handles. It is a quality knife which lives up to the John Primble name.
Thanks for your interest. Blue Grass Cutlery"
Click to expand...

I did the same thing a few years ago, and got pretty much the same reply. :D

"400 grade stainless steel"...when a knife maker, or in this case contractor, says that, 99.99% of the time that is "wiggle words" for 440A, which I believe is what these China Primbles are.

Some folks hate 440A, but if heat-treated right, it can be a good general use steel.
 
I think at that price what they mean by hand polished is that a guy took it and ran it over a buffer after a machine sanded it. Theres no way a 33 dollar knife was hand sanded even in China. The fact that they didnt say what 400 series the steel was makes me think it will be 440A, if it was 440C or 420HC they would have pointed that out. Still, chinese made knives have been of better quality lately. I'm shure it will be a good knife for that price, but dont expect to much out of it for edge holding.
 
...but dont expect to much out of it for edge holding.
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It's a nice-looking knife at least. And if someone gave me one as a gift I'd probably set it aside for "lookin' at" and not actually use it anyway.

Best Wishes,
-Bob
 
I don't mind sharpening, I like maintaining my tools. hey, I detail clean my sak every couple of months or so. wasn't sure what to expect when she told me she was going to pick out a pretty one, but I think she might have picked out something useable, I'll leave a review when I get a chance to play around with it.
 
I don't own many knives in 440a but the ones I do,seem to take a fine edge,fine as or finer than 420,sharpens easy and may not hold an edge forever but long enough for general use imo.

Congrats on the new knife.
 
I'm sort of a Primble collector, mostly older stuff, but the pocket knives in the American Classics Series that I have handled were well made.
 
Seems she got you a nice-looking, good quality knife that should be easy to re-sharpen.

Not great quality. But it's not an El-Cheapo piece of junk.
 
The 400 series of stainless tool steels include:
410 good for springs
416 great for bolsters, hilts, butts and caps even liners
420 good for throwers, big choppers most often used when a 400 series is mentioned
440A
440B
440C The best of the series for knife blades but cannot be run through automated tooling
 
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but there are still some of the Primble knives being made in the United States. I can't remember if the factory is in Maysville, KY or somewhere in Ohio but the pricier Primbles are still made here. The cheaper ones are indeed Chinese and I don't know anything about them.
 
elkins45 said:
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but there are still some of the Primble knives being made in the United States. I can't remember if the factory is in Maysville, KY or somewhere in Ohio but the pricier Primbles are still made here. The cheaper ones are indeed Chinese and I don't know anything about them.
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If there is, indeed, a small factory in Ohio or KY, I would really like an address.

and/or a phone number.

agr@agr3.com
479-631-0055 If I am not in please leave a message this is my office number and is open 9-5 Mon-Fri

A. G.
 
I'll see if I can turn something up. I know that I bought a new American made Primble for my father in law within the last two years, so they did still exist a couple of years ago. Who knows what has happened since last Christmas, but I'll see if I can track down some info.
 
My guess is, they were made by Queen or Camillus or maybe by one of the firms in Providence RI

But, Hope springs eternal, if you find one let me know
 
toaster burn said:
I have a good friend in tn and her birthday is two days from mine so we decided to get each other gifts this year and mail them. I got her some jewelry and she being awesome decided to get me a knife, she called me today and told me she had bought a john primble fixed blade. I'll love anything she gets me of course, but I'm still curious how she did and it'll be a few weeks before it gets here and I can play around with it. so does anyone know anything about them?
Click to expand...

You know what, It's the thought that counts. Thats a good looking little knife. I'm sure it will come in handy. Everytime you use it you will think of your friend who bought it for you. There is nothing wrong with that knife whatsoever. Keep it sharp, and it will cut well.
 
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