Other than Case and Queen

timsclips

timsclips

Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
610
I am just starting out collecting traditional folding knives and from what I have seen posted Case and Queen are considered the two top dogs left making traditional pocket knives in the USA. I was looking for some guidance on the other quality manufacturers, Canal Street and Bear and Sons among the others (Keen Kutter? Boker Tree?) Just looking for some general information on what is considered among the best between the USA makers.
 
Make sure you add Northwoods Knives to your list. They normally have carbon blades on their models with terrific handle quality. The blades are usually made by Queen. There is the new comer Great Eastern Cutlery as well.

Fight N Rooster & Bulldog are great traditional knives as well but are made in Germany not the USA.

Good luck,

Sunburst
 
You can find a lot of great made in USA slipjoints on eBay - vintage (from now-extinct manufacturers) but NIB. I've gotten beautiful carbon (and stainless) Barlows, peanuts, and stockmen, among other patterns, by Schrade (NY state), Schrade Imperial (made in Ireland), and Colonial (Rhode Island) for excellent prices.
 
Moore Maker, Boker, Eye Brand aka Carl Schlieper, Schatt & Morgan.

You might want to note that Case makes their knives in their standard Tru-Sharp stainless, which is decent --
and also in 154CM, which is excellent; as well as Chrome Vanadium aka CV which is very, very good non stainless steel.
 
Queen makes Schatt & Morgan. Queen also made my Northwoods Sambar Stag Senator, though I don't know if they make all Northwoods slipjoints. I think Queen also makes Moore Maker knives now that Camillus is gone.

If you look at the German brands like Boker, Eye, Puma, etc., make sure they are "made in Germany" and not just "made of German steel". The latter group are made in China of German steel and not up to the standards of the real made in Germany knives.

I've read great things about Great Eastern, but have yet to try them since I like smaller knives and so far Great Easterns are a bit big for my pockets.
 
I own a couple Great Easterns and I like them a lot. Really solid snap and they come with a good edge out of the box. I've heard Queens are known for not having the greatest edges to start. Since Queen makes Schatt & Morgan as well as Moore Maker I'd assume this would apply to them also. YMMV

The current Great Easterns are a bit big for pocket carry. The top one pictured is one of the Pioneer #23 series. The smaller is a Scout #73.

f6dc1950.jpg
 
Buck 300 series with the black plastic handles are made in the US. The wood handled knives are made in China. I've no experience with the US made 300's but the two Chinese made knives I bought are very nice.
 
RobbW said:
Queen makes Schatt & Morgan. Queen also made my Northwoods Sabmar Stag Senator, though I don't know if they make all Northwoods slipjoints. I think Queen also makes Moore Maker knives now that Camillus is gone.
Click to expand...

Ontario Knives owns/makes Queen and Schatt & Morgan.

_______________________________________________

FWIW, the last couple of Queen knives I've bought - a toothpick and a canoe in Birds Eye Maple - were very sharp out of the box.
No need for touching up the edges on either; a very pleasant surprise.
 
I must rise up and stand shoulder to shoulder with Stevekt, and throw into the fire, to even dare to compare, the comparison of American made Buck slipjoints to the ones most often mentioned here. Bucks are not always Black scaled. Stag and jigged bone are not unused materials. Considered them along with the others.
300$s

 
Thing is, CASE and Queen Cutlery produce a VAST array of knives, enough to devote a lifetime to...

Moore Maker is worth looking at certainly, some Parker lockbacks are worth using too but you have to beware of some of them. Old Schrade or Camillus. Weidmannsheil have pleased me. Great Eastern are good (early models allegedly poor though)but too big for my EDC trousers but their new fixed blade is a small outer type well considering.
 
On further pursuit, Remington knives, speaking of modern era, seem to be held in little regard, I believe most were made by Camillus. Ka-Bar also had slippies, again Camillus? Parker seems to be offered in many different levels but I am not sure of what to be aware of in that brand. My very first pocket knife was a birthday present when I was ten or eleven. It was a colonial scout pattern and I am trying to find a good example of that knife as well as a Craftsman single bladed liner locked knife that I had bought for myself about thirty years ago, Schrade made. It seems strange that now that I am in my fifties I am trying to locate my lost treasures.
 
I'll have to go with Steve and 300Bucks. The 300 line of the Buck pocket knives are some of the toughest working knives made. But they also have been made in some very interesting variants, like pearlized polyester scales, red micarta, stag, jigged bone, nice woods. You may have to haunt the 'bay or knife shows to find some of them, but you'll end up with a nice collection of real good using knives.

They've even had different limited run versions for the 301, 303, and the 309's. I think they even had the little lancer in some versions with different scales and sissors of all things.

From 1967 to 1980 something I carried a 301 stockman and could'nt kill it. That inclued 10 years service in the army engineers and another 10 in a machine shop.
 
you can find out a lot on the Schrade forum. the pre 2004 ones are great knives with much variety and interest. you can find lots of older mint Schrade and Schrade Walden's (beware of new repros) on ebay, sometimes quite cheaply. beware also, Schrade is addictive. roland
 
Jackknife, I have your back.....

I can do a photo of the crazy colors 305 clippers, if you like, but I will move it to the Buck forum as it is the correct thing to do. Let me know.

Willgoy, just a FYI, I estimate there are about 87ish variations of American made Buck slipjoints from the late sixties. Yes, some were actually made by Schrade and Cami.. I have collected hard for 10 years and have 59 versions. Some are so rare I expect to kick the bucket in 30 or 40 more years and never own them.

Case does outclass that count for sure, are excellent knives and I have coveted some greatly. But there IS enough variety to the Buck world to keep folks interested for a goodly number of years also.

It is also hard for me to say, but some of the china Bucks have as a good fit and finish as many factory American made. I just am a buy American first sort of guy when possible.
Good knives to everyone and good holidays.
:thumbup: 300$s
 
after case i've gotta go with schrade, either old timer or uncle henry. I really loved these two lines of knives cause you got exc value for the money. I really liked the old timers, even though they would literally rust while you watched, i just liked the steel. shame the line had to die.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top