Lesser known quality brands?

jaredrg said:
Bear and Son - Bear Ops. Made in Jacksonville, AL.
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I wonder if that is the same operation Jim Parker started there. I have an older lock back marked "Parker", Jacksonville, AL. A very well made knife. Looks much like a Buck 110, but more slender.
 
I do like the design of many Bear OPS models, still have yet the pleasure of owning one though... They are on the list however... Maybe a December birthday present?
 
Mtech. No seriously. Not every knife they make. Definitely none of their folders. But a few of their fixed blades. I bought a drop point style hunter for about $16 shipped. It said "440 stainless" on the blade and the packaging. I'm assuming 440 a. The handles were that layered paper micarta that used to be called "Spanish micarta", upon inspection, full flat grind perfectly done. The edge perfectly centered. The bevels ground to the same depth both sides. (Something Gerber was dstill having trouble with on my 1999 vintage mk1). No stray tool marks. Nice sharp redge out of the box. So I put it to work for a couple weeks at the door shop. Cutting packaging open cutting up my lunch. It got dull as you'd expect but no edge rolling. It kept an edge as well ads other 440 a knives I've used 1000% superior to a bucklite I have made with 420 that goes dull if you think about cutting something with it. So after this I decided it deserved a face lift for being a high quality performer. I stripped the black coating off and found a near mirror polished blade under the coating. (I guess the black was to make it " Tacti-Cool"), I put some brown micarta scales on it with brass pins. Its a fave of mine now and it looks like a far more expensive knife.
 
I got a small moki folder years ago. It was my first zytel handled folder. I love that knife. I always wished they had scaled it up to like a 3.5 inch blade.
 
I've got a non catalog entrek I bought from a forum member. I don't like bead blast so I polished it out. It's like Ray's combat dagger but with a clip point. About a 7 inch blade. I thought the seller under priced it and gladly paid his asking price. Ray Ennis has a few videos from his shop on YouTube. I don't think her gets the accolades he deserves because he uses lowly 440c l personally think its a great steel.
 
Sonnydaze said:
CRK fixed blades are mainly A2; forged from one piece of steel, hollow handle with cap on the butt; Idaho. Interesting.
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VERY interesting.

Both brands make knives that are pure sex though, so I dont mind very much.

I wonder if they know eachother?
 
Here are some I didn't see as I quickly browsed the lists. I own representative samples of each, and recommend:

Maserin
Marttiini
AG Russell
RosArms
Northwoods (the old fixed blades, different company than the new traditional folders of the same name)
Paragon
 
claude dozorme (very nice alternative to opinel and laguiole)
sacha thiel (though he is kind of a mid tech maker)
TRC knives (despite my recent experience, they have a very good rep over here)
viper tecnocut (collabs with Jesper Voxnæs for example)
extrema ratio (italian tactical stuff, also alledgedly supplies some military units)
pohlforce

already mentioned:
enzo
fällkniven
maserin
muela
 
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