Moore Maker

A.P.F.

A.P.F.

Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
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I am just looking for a general consensus on Moore Maker. They look like good 'users', but are they worth collecting from a fit 'n finish perspective?

Thanks in advance.
 
I have three of their stockmen, a 3-1/4" yellow bone, a 3-7/8" stag, and a 4-3/8" natural bone.
Fit, finish and materials are above average in all three. I like 'em a lot.
 
A.P.F. said:
They look like good 'users', but are they worth collecting from a fit 'n finish perspective?
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IMO no. They are good users, but you pay a premium for the Moore Maker name. The problem is that these knives do not exhibit a level of fit and finish commensurate with their price tag. I'm talking about the line with bone covers (i.e., rebranded Queens), I have no experience with the Camillus and Bear & Sons knives.

- Christian
 
I am a huge fan of Moore Maker tools, Matador is just right down the road from me. I really like supporting a local Texas company, and yes I know the knives aren't made in Texas. I have tried and tried to like Moore Maker knives and I just can't do it. I have handled a lot of them and have yet to see one that was up to snuff. The problems I see most is scales that are too small and terribly uneven grinds. In my experience it's also pretty common to find gaps along the back springs. One other personal problem I have with them is their trappers. I just don't like the shape of the spey blade, there's not enough belly and it needs to be more round on the stabby end. Moore Maker makes awesome fencing tools, like their pliers and wire grabber, their dehorning spoons are top notch but their knives leave a lot to be desired. This is all my opinion and is to be taken with a grain of salt.

Ben
 
kamagong said:
IMO no. They are good users, but you pay a premium for the Moore Maker name. The problem is that these knives do not exhibit a level of fit and finish commensurate with their price tag. I'm talking about the line with bone covers (i.e., rebranded Queens), I have no experience with the Camillus and Bear & Sons knives.

- Christian
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On that note, as 'users', the older Camillus-made versions (usually with yellow synthetic handles) are pretty good. Fit is pretty tight & solid. The Bear & Sons versions (after Camillus went away), not so. Lots of blade play up/down and sideways, and even blade edges that actually rest against the backspring/spacer when closed (on both of two identical models I bought). That last detail made me swear off of the B & S versions forever. No excuse for a knife like that ever leaving the factory.
 
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The Mooremaker













Queen made knives are supeior to the regular Queens in my opinion. I have a couple of Camillus made MM's that are smooth walk and talk and no blade play. From the site, it looks like they still have Queen made, for a premium, and my MM Queen made knives are better made than my
Queen made knives.Well k have a small 5301that is the balls.
 
I have a 2007 dated Queen made 5301, and the fit and finish is on par with my Great Eastern knives. It is noticeably better than my Queen branded knives. The blade grinds are spot on, too.
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Thanks very much for your input everyone. They sound a bit hit 'n miss, so I will just have to roll the dice and try one. I know that it isn't in the same league as my GEC, but on the plus side, I won't be afraid to use it for rougher tasks.
 
I believe that having 2-3 quality levels on their knives has caused confusion for 15+ years. Nobody made a better slipjoint than Queen between the mid 1990's until 2005 or so in my opinion. Queen made Moore Maker's still seem on par with the ACSB line, which is still a good value. But the older models are superior. Problem is that many people buy the very low end and use them to form an opinion for the entire line. The low end are on par with any other camillus or bear knife - which is generally a good tool that has an entirely different value curve.

The older colored versions (serialized and just made once per color) have had very good stability in their collector value. But, to be fair, in the 1990's the collector market was not so particular as it is today and even those were not watertight. They were always made to be used, so a surface scratch on the blade here or a small gap there offered no functional disability. They are more expensive than other branded counterparts (except maybe Case Classics and Winchesters), but Moore Maker has greatly enhanced the warranty.
 
I too am a fan of Moor Maker knives. I have three of their stockman knives made by Queen. All excellent f&f.

Jay
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Moore Maker had a "golden period" when their knives were really nice, in the late 90s/early 2000s. Both the Camillus-made and Queen-made knives were pretty consistently well-made. Once Camillus went under and Bear & Sons took over the lower-end models, the quality dropped off. Also, I've heard lots of people say that the Queen-made knives suffered a dip in quality as well.
My personal experience with Moore Maker is limited to the Queen-made knives (I never got around to picking up a Camillus, and for that I'm kicking myself). I found that the quality, at least in around 2004 or 5, was about the same as Queen's regular production. I didn't see anything that would justify the extra cost... especially when there's a chance you may receive one with some F&F issues (gaps, play, whatever).

Unless you can get one of the really nice ones from 6 or 7 years ago, you're better off just buying a Queen in my opinion.
 
FYI, newer lower end MMs will have a B or U at the end of the model number (made by Bear and Utica, respectively). Older ones won't, and these will have been made by Camillus. I have a couple 3300s made by Camillus myself, and they're nice knives. No experience with the higher end ones (made by Queen, and now Canal Street as well).
 
Thanks Planterz, I just called Moore Maker this morning for a catalog. I thought only Queen made their knives, Canal Street isn't bad, but I have not liked what I've seen from Bear and Utica these days. Moore Makers ads in Knife World always use some great looking knives (well duh).
 
I just received a used Moore Maker yellow Delrin sodbuster on the bay. It's a marked 3102-2007, its 3 1/2 long closed with 1095 steel. I thought it would have been a Bear and Sons made MM sodbuster but I'm not so sure once it arrived. It looks identical to the yellow bone moore maker sodbuster I have with the exception to the handle material, and that one is made by Queen. It seems better finished than the moore makers I have by Bear as well but the strange thing is that is has no walk or talk. There is no spring action on the blade, it just opens and closes smoothly but you must get the blade to its destination. The knife stays opened and closed but I just find it strange. Anyway, if anyone has any info on the 2007 yellow delrin sodbusters by Moore Maker and who made them I would love to here it! Trevor~
 
Wow! That is what I love about the Traditional Forum, great information from kind and helpful people. Thanks for those excellent pictures, Jay.
 
I have a couple Moore Makers, a punch and regular stockman. My opinion is that they are not worth the price. The fit and finish is nothing special. You can get better knives from other manufacturers at the same or lower price point.

I would pass.
 
bonusmarple said:
I have a couple Moore Makers, a punch and regular stockman. My opinion is that they are not worth the price. The fit and finish is nothing special. You can get better knives from other manufacturers at the same or lower price point.

I would pass.
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Pretty much my opinion, too. If you are looking at the cheaper, working knives, you can just buy the Bear and Son or Utica knives and get the same thing as a Mooremaker at a cheaper price. Many of their fixed blades are also a Utica product.
 
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