Poll: Your Top Five Brands

R Mac

R Mac

Joined
Jan 21, 2014
Messages
106
Maybe this has been done before, and if it was, sorry, but I missed it.
Please share your Top 5 Brands, User or Collectable, and why. My observation is this forum is a very GEC and Case centric group, at least when it comes to Modern Era traditionals.

For myself:
1. Tie between Bulldog (Solingen made) & GEC (Northfield). Collectables. I like the blade etchings of the Bulldogs and the variety of patterns and quality of the Northfields.
3. Boker (Tree Brand). User. Quality knife at good price point.
4. Schatt & Morgan, File & Wire Series. Collectable. Many patterns that I like and usually good quality.
5. Carl Schlieper German Eye brand. Collectable. I like the blade etchings and the 'Eye' crest. Typically good quality.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This poll in part is some market research . I plan on going GOLD soon and will have some knives for sale. Just wondering what people like or don't.
 
In no particular order....

1. Schrade USA -Classic and affordable American quality.
2. Victorinox - Quality/versatility/value.
3. GEC - Superior quality and timeless designs.
4. Case - Affordable quality. Vintage knives are some of the best.
5. Boker - Great quality/European craftsmanship and design.
 
Case Tested XX (1920-1940)
Case XX (1940-1965)
Hen & Rooster (C.Bertram or Guttman stamped)
Puma before the family sold the biz
Old Robeson, Cattaraugus, Queen
 
1. Western (Boulder era)
2. Schrade (US made, Old Timer in particular)
3. Buck
4. Camillus (US made)
5. Case
 
Being a Stainless and modern steel fan my choices are more limited. I put GEC on the list even though I'll never have one. Because they have some of the best looking knives and I like looking at all the pics posted here.

In no particular order.
1. Queen Cutlery
2. Northwoods
3. Canal Street
4. GEC
 
No particular order:

Bark River
GEC
Schrade USA
Puma (vintage, 60s, 70s, 80s)
Buck
 
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In order of raw collection numbers:

1) Schrade USA (specifically Old Timers)
2) Victorinox / Wenger
3) Case
4) ? probably Boker or Great Eastern

This doesn't mean that Victorinox is 'better' than Great Eastern, or even that these brands are higher quality than some brands not listed (they absolutely aren't). It means that these brands are more affordable, more common, they offer more desirable models, and/or I've been collecting them longer.
 
My choices:

1. GEC - Highest quality production knife today in my opinion.
2. Victorinox - Highest quality do it all knife ever.
3. Queen - In particular, the knives produced in the 1980's and 1990's, under Bill Howard
4. Schrade - I am not crazy about the Swinden Key knives, but the old classics are great, and any of the steel used in the USA made knives is second to none.
5. Camillus - Extremely solid knives (especially the TL-29's, which are awesome for modding) that were built to last.

Case would be number 6, but the quality has been very hit or miss post 1980, and there are so many old knives made by Schrade and Camillus out there (as well as many other old USA knife makers) that make much more sense to own. I do love the older Case knives, but they do not always represent good value when compared to other knife makers. They are often equally as good, but at 4 times the price of another maker's knife of that era.

Remington is also a great knife (the older ones), but the ones that are worth owning are super expensive due to collectibility. In my opinion, the old Remingtons are the most solid knives ever built.
 
GEC (no one puts a swedge on a spear point and polishes a blade like these guys, beautiful craftsmanship)
A.G. Russell (best Doctor's Knife I've ever owned)
Case (older is often better, but some newer models and handle materials are awesome, like the black G10 line-up)
Silver Stag (any of them, one of the few companies that still makes them one by one)
Winchester (Black Box Variety, I've got an '89 Moose I wouldn't part with no matter what the trade was...well almost :D)
 
In order of number of knives I own, not in order of quality per se.

1. Case - About 1/4th of them are in the user pool, maybe fewer.
2. GEC - About three users so far, most haven't been used or carried.
3. Victorinox - Most users, three I have not yet used but are candidates.
4. Buck - all users
5. Queen - One user, couple of candidates for users.
 
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Joseph Rodgers - great history, excellent patterns and craftsmanship
Schrade - peach seed bone, the older the better but love anything up until the closing
New York Knife - great history and just a plethora of cool patterns
Remington - no particular reason other than I just like them?
GEC - I find them the most exciting of the current manufacturers as you never know what pattern to expect next, top notch build quality and while pricey they still offer very good value, plus I can't afford to own many mint examples of the above mentioned brands even if I could track them down
 
Any pre 1980 Case
Schrade Cut Co. 1940s
GEC
Bulldog Brand 1980s only
Imperial and Hammer Brand knives pre 1960
 
Schrade Walden USA
Ulster USA
Camillus USA
Western Boulder USA
Great Eastern Cutlery Northfield USA

Lots of excellent old knives out there not in my collection list... :)
 
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