Kutmaster Pigman?

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mrszeontestpilot

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Mar 28, 2012
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Within the past couple months, a local supermarket chain has started carrying this series of knives called 'pigman' made by Kutmaster, which I believe is a child of Utica. There's a lockback sodbuster-style knife, and a large fixed blade. I'm curious if anyone else has seen or, more importantly, tried one. My first assumption is that they might not be all that great, though they claim to have 420 steel (not saying they don't, just unsure if that's a steel that translates perfectly to a chinese version). Just wondering if anyone knows anything about them. The kutmaster website isn't very detailed.
 
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I apologize for my snooty tone. I failed to restrain my Utica-born hackles from rising.
 
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Sorry, maybe I deleted my snooty tone before you read it.

What raised my hackles was your assumption that the knife was garbage, despite Utica/Kutmaster's 100 years plus in business, and your disbelief of the "claim" that they use 420 high carbon steel. You might download the Utica/Kutmaster catalog, which has perhaps more info than the website, but why believe that either?

All I knew about Pigman is he's some kid of salesman for a Utica line. Googling him, I find he has a couple of TV shows about killing and perhaps eating feral hogs.

I can't speak for the pigman blades, but many of my best old knives are Uticas/Kutmasters, and I just received a new Adirondack Barlow in 420 high carbon, with which I am much pleased. It doesn't have the light pull that has been complained of by some.
There is a persistent tradition that their 1095 knives sometimes have one carbon and one stainless blade. I ordered the stainless so that's irrelevant to me. I wish they would establish a presence on the forums and speak for themselves, but they don't.

If you get a pigman knife, I hope you'll tell us about it, good and bad. Apologies again for the hackles.
 
The reason I said I assumed they weren't any good is because I'm thinking along the lines of companies like Schrade and Bear and Son, where they were good and now aren't (schrade, at least according to most reviews I've heard) and though being made in the US (Bear, again, haven't heard much about them except 'stay away') they're still junk (a simpler way of saying 'not worth the money'). I know a lot of knife companies just aren't what they used to be, and I figured the same was probably true about Utica (namely Kutmaster), since they don't seem to be talked about too much here, and the things I have heard about them aren't necessarily excellent. The main reason being that I thought it was one of the brands that was great back in the day, but not so much now (again, I don't know. I'm going by what I've read about them via this forum). I haven't done a ton of research into the brand, and sometimes when companies move production to china, that lowers the quality and respect (ok so, rough riders are excellent. Buck seems to have taken a lot of flack over being an american company moving some products to china, etc.) . My question of whether it's actually 420 steel was since it's made there, and I wasn't sure if that was one of the steels I've read about that doesn't actually have an exact chinese equivalent. I was more 'assuming it's garbage' (again, garbage meaning it's not worth the money) because in some cases, people will assume something's really great, and then find out it actually isn't.
 
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Wow!!! That's a pretty negative post. You've just called everyone's Bear & Son, newer Schrade, and Utica knives garbage and junk.

Here's a relatively newer Utica manufactured knife for Klein Tools - fine fit and finish and a rather robust knife.







Check into Utica and their sub-branded knives and you'll discover a good, utilitarian, line of knives.

If you have a problem with Chinese manufactured knives, keep it to yourself. There are many guys/gals here that are buying Chinese manufactured knives (i.e., Rough Rider) that match many of the currently made U.S. knives in fit, finish, and choice of blade steel.

I will say that the Pigman series of knives is on the lower rung of Kutmaster's line but that doesn't make them garbage or junk.
 
I wasn't calling them junk, just saying that they may be seen that way (again, because of what I've read about them here, on this forum). I own multiple chinese bucks, and a few rough riders as well. I don't have a problem with chinese knives in general, just the ones that are made poorly. I was just looking for info on those two specific knives. Apparently my tone and intentions came off wayy different than I intended, in both posts. Good grief.
 
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I understand the doubt. There have been several threads in which Utica has been accused of outsourcing their knives, while claiming them to be US made. However, it has been mere speculation. No proof was ever offered that the factory building is empty. It can be seen on Google street view, and looks to be fully large enough to be a functioning knife factory.

But to get back to the original question, I fear I am unfamiliar with the "Pigman" line.
 
I'll admit I haven't been proof reading my posts as I normally do, as I've just moved and have a ton of stuff going on. When I said I assumed they were garbage, I didn't mean I thought they were necessarily, but that I wouldn't be surprised if they were. I also wasn't saying all new schrades or bear and son are bad, but that the vast majority of what I've heard about them hasn't been that great. I was stating opinions rather than fact.
 
They are a rather obscure brand, and I have sentimental reasons for defending them.
Their catalog will tell you which knives are made in America, which is an issue for me, though not the only issue.
I've had mixed results e-mailing them for further details.
I'm going to relax and move on now.
 
I bought one last week for a shirt-tail demi-relative who didn't show up, so I still have it. There is nothing surprising there. That's about all i have to say about it.
 
I saw the Pigman Sidekick in a store last week and almost bought it. I liked the look of the sheath particularly. Too long to edc, though.
I apologize again for foaming at the mouth earlier, as a Utican.
I think their e-mail is good if you have a question for which they have a stock answer on tap. When I ask specific stuff, they ignore me.
 
scrteened porch said:
I saw the Pigman Sidekick in a store last week and almost bought it. I liked the look of the sheath particularly. Too long to edc, though.
I apologize again for foaming at the mouth earlier, as a Utican.
I think their e-mail is good if you have a question for which they have a stock answer on tap. When I ask specific stuff, they ignore me.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the tip on the Adirondack barlow, it's been on my short list for a while with the green pine one. I have a coffin trapper which is a good user though the spey has a slight movement when open, but not an issue to me. The patina looks good on it.
I've been watching the pigman too because it is attractive, but too large for me, I prefer junior sodbusters.
 
scrteened porch said:
I saw the Pigman Sidekick in a store last week and almost bought it. I liked the look of the sheath particularly. Too long to edc, though.
I apologize again for foaming at the mouth earlier, as a Utican.
I think their e-mail is good if you have a question for which they have a stock answer on tap. When I ask specific stuff, they ignore me.
Click to expand...

That sheath also fits my full-sized sodbusters quite well, not that I am likely ever to carry one that way. If I take a bigger knife with me, I'll drop it in a pocket if I can; otherwise it goes in a satchel or motorcycle tank bag.
 
shirt-tail demi-relative who didn't show up

Well that's it for me! I want a pigman.
 
Jolipapa said:
Thank you for the tip on the Adirondack barlow, it's been on my short list for a while with the green pine one. I have a coffin trapper which is a good user though the spey has a slight movement when open, but not an issue to me. The patina looks good on it.
I've been watching the pigman too because it is attractive, but too large for me, I prefer junior sodbusters.
Click to expand...
Looks like as of my last post my stainless main blade on the Adirondack Barlow had not yet proved to be carbon. It now has. I e-mailed them with a couple of suggestions. I might be on their ignore list.
 
scrteened porch said:
I saw the Pigman Sidekick in a store last week and almost bought it. I liked the look of the sheath particularly. Too long to edc, though.
I apologize again for foaming at the mouth earlier, as a Utican.
I think their e-mail is good if you have a question for which they have a stock answer on tap. When I ask specific stuff, they ignore me.
Click to expand...

I can appreciate your foaming. I have a soft spot for blades from my home state of Arkansas. Very little of what has A.G. Russell's brand is made here, and McCoy knives are easy to find in tourist towns but are priced 3-4 times more than a much better made Rough Rider. I hate my state doesn't represent better now when we've had such a rich history with blades.

I've been looking at Utica both old and new for several months now and just haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I will. I admire their history and perseverance in an industry where so many iconic companies have closed. I'd hate to see the same thing happen to Utica. I will say Last time I held a new Utica in my hand, I ended up buying a Taylor branded Schrade that was right next to it. I preferred the fit and finish and the grind over the Utica. Plus the Utica was priced higher. The last time I was in that shop the dealer was no longer carrying Utica. He said he just couldn't move them very well. I hated hearing that. By no means would I have called them junk, but the attention to detail did seem to be missing that i had seen in older Uticas. I really don't want to see another company fall on hard times.
 
Really, though, I just think their customer service energy goes into the big companies they do knives for.
 
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