That I trust:
Rough Ryder/Rider (lets you try different patterns without bankrupting the bank.)
I have not tried one of the Rough Ryder Reserve knives.
Their stainless is 440A. Carbon Steel is T10.
From my experience, both have an excellent heat treat. Also, they are among the sharpest knives out if the box that I have bought.
Offshore Old Timer/Uncle Henry and Schrade.
(None of the current Imperial have called to me, so I cannot comment on them.)
Most of the Old Timer and Uncle Henry have 7CR16(?)MoV blade steel. Supposedly equivelent to 440A. The Old Timer "OTB" knives have 9CR18MoV, supposedly equivelent to 440C.
I have a offshore Old Timer 858OT, and Uncle Henry 855 with 7CR, which hold an edge at least as long as my pre-2004 858 (no "OT" on the tang stamp) and a 858OTB. It holds an edge longer.
Offshore Marbles. Comparable to the standard Rough Rider/Ryder
Buck (I only have a few 110's a 301, and a 885 fixed blade for domestic made, and 3 of the offshore 371's and a 389 canoe.
The offshore Buck have the same forever warranty/guarantee as the made in USA knives.
Victorinox/Wenger
Case (from what I hear, it is best to examine before buying. Sometimes QC is hit or miss.)
GEC (good luck getting one at retail, unless there is another forum knife. Al but one of the GEC's I have were gifted to me. I did win one in a GAW ... several nominated me in that give a way.)
QUEEN/QUEEN CITY (Pre Bankruptcy) made good knives. However several here have reported broken backsprings.
I have not seen any reports of their Schatt & Morgan brand knives suffering a broken spring. (not that that means anything, I may have missed it/them.) The reports in the Cooper Cutlery made Schatt & Morgans, and the other old Queen brands (Weed Knife Co., DollarKnife, and others excluding Queen. Cooper sold the Queen/Queen City rights to SMKW. Those two are made offshore now, as far as I know.) have been pretty much positive.
USED:
Any of the Imperial-Schrade brands. (Imperial, IMPCO, Frontier, Ulster, Schrade, NYKC/Hammer Brand, Schrade, Old Timer, etc.)
Camillus/Camco
Western (Colorado)
Utica
Colonial/Ranger
PRE-QUEEN Robeson (Queen made used the names, but did not have the features)
Pre-Deptession Russell (Barlows and other patterns. The Russell Barlow is the most common.)
Challenge Cutlery (closed 1928 after the death of the founder) If you find one with a stainless blade, it dates from 1916 to 1928. Challenge Cutlery was one of the first - if not the first US maker to offer stainless steel blades.
PAL
Remington and Winchester (to the 1960's or 1970's if you want USA Made)
Colt (US or offshore. Colt exited the cutlery market c.2014. SMKW had the license when Colt called it quits for knives. The knives were made offshore when they had the license. They are good knives.)
Offshore
Opinel, MAM, Old Bear, SVORD, FRICTION FOLDERS
Pretty much any Made In Sheffield brand.
Mikov (they make more than autos)
Douk Douk
Böker (made in German or otherwise)
Weidmannsheil (made in Solgien, Germany)
Pretty much any brand made in Solgien, Germany
There are also good brands made in Spain, Italy, Czech Republic (other than Mikov)
If/When you find one you like, but don't know about the brand, just ask about it here. someone here will be familiar with it.
There were a lot of cutlery companies (over 100) that shut down during the depression.
