Pair 1990 MORSETH (A.G. Russell?) Fixed Blades, With Sheath

[wlwhittier]

I would like to learn whether these are from the Russell timeframe or not...an' if not, which of the Morseth folks made them.
They don't belong to me; I'm doing the research for a friend who is considering them for sale, but would like to be better informed about what he has. They appear unused. Whatever you all can offer to assist us with this will be very welcome, an' gratefully acknowledged...Thanks for lookin'! Warren

 

[John A. Larsen]

I have a very similar knife with an almost identical sheath. I was told that it was made by Bob Dozier, after Russell bought the Morseth name. Does not look like anything made by the Morseth's. Other should come along with more detailed information. John

 

[wlwhittier]

I have a very similar knife with an almost identical sheath. I was told that it was made by Bob Dozier, after Russell bought the Morseth name. Does not look like anything made by the Morseth's. Other should come along with more detailed information. John

Thank you, John! Great to have his name to add to the knife...an' sheath?

 

[John A. Larsen]

Are those two knives made with laminated Blades? John

 

[wlwhittier]

Not as far as I can see...but I'm not even sure what to look for as evidence of lamination.

 

[John A. Larsen]

If you look down on the spine of the blade, if it is laminated you will see two lines inside from the edge of the blade, that is a harder steel center, with softer steel on either side of the center section. John

 

[ncbuckeye3]

It is a laminated blade made by AG Russell in the second stint Bob Dozier had there. Pretty sure the only blades that weren't laminated made by Morseth were very, very early blades, like in the 30's and 40's. Once Harry discovered the Brusletto steel, that is what he used. AG did some commemorative runs in the 2010's that were not laminated, but everything was laminated up until they couldn't get it any more around 97 or so.

 

[dsutton24]

The knives in the OP have a date that appears on either side of the MORSETH stamp, those are AG Russel knives.

This one is a Steve Morseth from the beginning of the AG Russell era, note the tang stamp without the date:

This knife does have the laminated blade.

This one was a recent acquisition. Morseth is another of those names I've heard about all my life. I was surprised at how little detailed information is out there on Morseth knives.

Edit:

Better information follows, read on!

 

[ncbuckeye3]

Pretty sure Steve only made knives after the acquisition for 6 months or so while teaching Dozier the style. They made them in Washington for a few months then moved everything to Springdale, AR. That is an AG Era knife and most likely made by Dozier, not Steve.

 

[dsutton24]

Pretty sure Steve only made knives after the acquisition for 6 months or so while teaching Dozier the style. They made them in Washington for a few months then moved everything to Springdale, AR. That is an AG Era knife and most likely made by Dozier, not Steve.

Thanks for that. What do you base this on? I'd sure like to know... I get as much out of researching this stuff as I do actually handling knives. I can't help it, I'm a little weird.

What I gathered is that Russell acquired Morseth in the 70s. Russell cleaned up Morseth's backlog, apparently years' worth. I assumed that there had to be other cutlers involved in that effort, given Steve's reputation. I know about Bob Dozier's involvement with AG Russell, but I didn't connect him with this knife.

Part of the acquisition also required a lot of 'fence mending' in order for the Morseth name to carry forward successfully. Apparently Russell was successful at it, I've seen a fair number of the dated Morseths.

 

[ncbuckeye3]

Thanks for that. What do you base this on? I'd sure like to know... I get as much out of researching this stuff as I do actually handling knives. I can't help it, I'm a little weird.

What I gathered is that Russell acquired Morseth in the 70s. Russell cleaned up Morseth's backlog, apparently years' worth. I assumed that there had to be other cutlers involved in that effort, given Steve's reputation. I know about Bob Dozier's involvement with AG Russell, but I didn't connect him with this knife.

Part of the acquisition also required a lot of 'fence mending' in order for the Morseth name to carry forward successfully. Apparently Russell was successful at it, I've seen a fair number of the dated Morseths.

Bob is a friend of mine, I ate lunch with him Wednesday and talked to him this morning. I take him to shows and help him at his table and make knives in his shop. AG bought the company in late 1970, Bob was in Washington with him when AG made the purchase and stayed there a few months until they moved everything to Springdale. He made knives in the shop there until 1975 when he went back to Louisiana. AG owned the name and Lloyd Hale and Tom Marringer and maybe a few others made them for some time, with the stamp that is on yours and various other versions of that stamp. Bob came back to Arkansas in 1988 and started working for AG again until he opened his own shop. He made the Morseths the entire time both for AG and in his shop for AG, this time around he put the dates in the stamps. I consider it two era's for AG, the early AG era with stamps like yours and the later with the dates in the stamps. Anything done prior to AG had the Morseth stamp but on the other side of the blade.

Steve taught Bob their style and then Bob changed some things to make production easier and faster, but still used a lot of the same machines. I still use some of the machines that Harry used to make knives in the shop today. Steve kept making knives even though he was not supposed to and put a stamp on them that said "S Morseth" until he was told to stop. He started making again in the 90's, and I don't believe they had laminated blades but I could be wrong.

There is also a book called "The Keen Edge of Perfection" about Morseth knives that has most of this in it, I believe you can get one on Amazon. Yours is an early AG Russell era knife and with that stamp with the larger letters, it would have been made by Dozier.

 

[dsutton24]

Bob is a friend of mine, I ate lunch with him Wednesday and talked to him this morning. I take him to shows and help him at his table and make knives in his shop. AG bought the company in late 1970, Bob was in Washington with him when AG made the purchase and stayed there a few months until they moved everything to Springdale. He made knives in the shop there until 1975 when he went back to Louisiana. AG owned the name and Lloyd Hale and Tom Marringer and maybe a few others made them for some time, with the stamp that is on yours and various other versions of that stamp. Bob came back to Arkansas in 1988 and started working for AG again until he opened his own shop. He made the Morseths the entire time both for AG and in his shop for AG, this time around he put the dates in the stamps. I consider it two era's for AG, the early AG era with stamps like yours and the later with the dates in the stamps. Anything done prior to AG had the Morseth stamp but on the other side of the blade.

Steve taught Bob their style and then Bob changed some things to make production easier and faster, but still used a lot of the same machines. I still use some of the machines that Harry used to make knives in the shop today. Steve kept making knives even though he was not supposed to and put a stamp on them that said "S Morseth" until he was told to stop. He started making again in the 90's, and I don't believe they had laminated blades but I could be wrong.

There is also a book called "The Keen Edge of Perfection" about Morseth knives that has most of this in it, I believe you can get one on Amazon. Yours is an early AG Russell era knife and with that stamp with the larger letters, it would have been made by Dozier.

Oh, that's cool. You don't know how much I appreciate the information. You're right about the book, I have one coming.

 

[ncbuckeye3]

Thanks for that. What do you base this on? I'd sure like to know... I get as much out of researching this stuff as I do actually handling knives. I can't help it, I'm a little weird.

What I gathered is that Russell acquired Morseth in the 70s. Russell cleaned up Morseth's backlog, apparently years' worth. I assumed that there had to be other cutlers involved in that effort, given Steve's reputation. I know about Bob Dozier's involvement with AG Russell, but I didn't connect him with this knife.

Part of the acquisition also required a lot of 'fence mending' in order for the Morseth name to carry forward successfully. Apparently Russell was successful at it, I've seen a fair number of the dated Morseths.

I am also not sure if Steve made any knives here in Arkansas or not, I need to ask Bob that, but I know Bob told me a story about being at Old Washington Forge with Steve and his first wife in the early 70's and I can't think of any other reason that Steve was in Arkansas unless he was helping with the transition. Steve and Harry ground on a stone wheel, Bob changed to a belt grinder. Bob soldered the guards on, Harry and Steve did not. Sheaths also switched from the Safe-Lok to leather sheaths made by a guy that was a saddle maker up near Beaver Lake, Don something, can't remember his last name.

Pretty sure the handle that is on yours is one that Bob designed, later on AG had some pre-made by another company so they could be produced faster. Russell was still selling these at knife shows as recently as August, I bought a bunch. Below is a knife I made with one of the handles.

 

[dsutton24]

Wow, it keeps on getting better.

My knife does have a soldered guard, and also came with the simplified sheath like the OP and you pictured.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Massive information, Thank you everyone so far, and to ncbuckeye3 thank you for such fantastic insight.

I have a Morseth I bought locally here in New Zealand some time ago, the guy "softened" the shoulders a little when stoning the blade by the looks, I could get them back- but right now this is an honest Knife - what do you think I should do, I can bring back or "sharpen back up" the lines with careful work with wet & dry papers - which will end up taking away patina of which I am not a fan of - but I would like to hear your thoughts on this with this Knife.

What I am mainly asking about is, this knife was new when the last owner purchased it, it has the "broken "R" which I believe designates a certain time period- I have seem others online about this - but cannot remember the details, so my question is Sir, what period do you think this knife is from, and whom do you think made it? - one last thing, those other stampings on the Tang- they look after manufacture - anything ring a bell with them?
The Sheath is correct I believe?

MANY thanks in advance for your time

 

[ncbuckeye3]

That’s a nice one. It is the original sheath. I’d leave it alone. The other stamps on it didn’t come from the shop, it was done later. It was made by Bob.

All Morseths are great knives. I know there are only collectors that want the earlier stuff, nothing after AG bought them because they think they were mass produced. They weren't, my buddy owns a gun shop that used to be AG Russell's place, the little building out front was where they were made. Bob had guys that worked for him over the years, Keith Murr, Tom Krien, Dan Crotts, and I'm sure there were others, but they were all handmade. From what I have read about Harry Morseth, he was a genius with making machines and tools to make the knife making process easier and quicker, Bob is exactly the same. He is as good a knife maker as there has ever been, but he is a better machine and tool maker. I am partial since he is my friend, but I love the handle shapes and the blade shapes and finish from the last era of the company (88-97). There are some beautiful knives and handles that came out of that period.

As for the period your knife was made, see my pic below. Here’s what I have determined:

The top stamp is early, possibly made in Washington after the acquisition. The stamp is on the “show” side and they used the old Morseth stamp. By the way, I think this stamp is in Bob’s leather room right now.

The second one is the stamp AG had made when they came to Arkansas, spring of 71. I think it’s the same stamp as yours but with the damage to the “R”. I have one of those pictured next.

The book says the next stamp was made in 1975, which is when Bob left Arkansas for 13 years (the book says that is when Bob started making them but it is incorrect). This is when Lloyd Hale started making them.

The last stamp is hard to see, but it is from when Bob came back in 1988, they all had the years on them after his return so you’ll find 1988-1997 stamps.

Somethjng interesting if you are a Tom Krein collector, the ones from 1993-1995 were likely made by Tom or Bob or Dan Crotts, those were the guys working in the shop then.

Hope this helps.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

That’s a nice one. It is the original sheath. I’d leave it alone. The other stamps on it didn’t come from the shop, it was done later. It was made by Bob.

All Morseths are great knives. I know there are only collectors that want the earlier stuff, nothing after AG bought them because they think they were mass produced. They weren't, my buddy owns a gun shop that used to be AG Russell's place, the little building out front was where they were made. Bob had guys that worked for him over the years, Keith Murr, Tom Krien, Dan Crotts, and I'm sure there were others, but they were all handmade. From what I have read about Harry Morseth, he was a genius with making machines and tools to make the knife making process easier and quicker, Bob is exactly the same. He is as good a knife maker as there has ever been, but he is a better machine and tool maker. I am partial since he is my friend, but I love the handle shapes and the blade shapes and finish from the last era of the company (88-97). There are some beautiful knives and handles that came out of that period.

As for the period your knife was made, see my pic below. Here’s what I have determined:

The top stamp is early, possibly made in Washington after the acquisition. The stamp is on the “show” side and they used the old Morseth stamp. By the way, I think this stamp is in Bob’s leather room right now.

The second one is the stamp AG had made when they came to Arkansas, spring of 71. I think it’s the same stamp as yours but with the damage to the “R”. I have one of those pictured next.

The book says the next stamp was made in 1975, which is when Bob left Arkansas for 13 years (the book says that is when Bob started making them but it is incorrect). This is when Lloyd Hale started making them.

The last stamp is hard to see, but it is from when Bob came back in 1988, they all had the years on them after his return so you’ll find 1988-1997 stamps.

Somethjng interesting if you are a Tom Krein collector, the ones from 1993-1995 were likely made by Tom or Bob or Dan Crotts, those were the guys working in the shop then.

Hope this helps.

View attachment 2723098

All so Gorgeous.....but that third one is Super Pretty!

 

[ncbuckeye3]

All so Gorgeous.....but that third one is Super Pretty!

It will be up for sale here soon. I am helping someone sell a collection of Morseth's and this is one of them. In fact, every one in that pic is going to be posted here. They were all laying on a guest bed in the house and easier to get to than my collection!

 

[Crag the Brewer]

It will be up for sale here soon. I am helping someone sell a collection of Morseth's and this is one of them. In fact, every one in that pic is going to be posted here. They were all laying on a guest bed in the house and easier to get to than my collection!

Ugh.....I Don't wanna here that....lol

*what I'd really like/Not is to find one of Bob's "Bare Bones" line....

It looks like that model fits with My design style. If like to make some guarded knives, and is love to see them from one of the Best

 

[Campbellclanman]

ncbuckeye3 Thank you SO much for your time in educating me more about this Knife, I am pleased to hear Bob made it, and thank you for the guidance in the keeping of the Knife, as I really hate to have any of the originality lost, I too think the Knife is extremely nice and very happy to be its caretaker for some years yet I hope.

Thank you once again, and all the best.
Duncan.