Purdy Damascus Folding Knife

TAH

TAH

Joined
Jul 3, 2001
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Not sure if this is a "custom or handmade" knife, but I figured I'd get a better response here than if I posted in the General Forum.

What are your thoughts on this knife?

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Detailed Description
This medium full Damascus steel folding pocket knife measures 5" long when open and has a 2" blade. Damascus steel is known for its sharpness and strength, which make it ideal for use in knife making, it is especially noted for the beautiful patterning which is evident on the surface of the blade. In the process to create this unique steel the craftsman takes layers of different metals - alternately hard and soft - and through repeated hammering forges a single billet of metal. This metal is then repeatedly twisted and manipulated according to the desired design before being given to the knife maker who will then forge the knife. Only after the knife has been treated and polished does the metal truly reveal the characteristic patterns which recall the lost art of the original makers of Damascus steel.
Made in London by famous knife manufacturer commissioned by Purdey & Sons.
Blade measures 2 1/4". Total length is 5 1/8"
 
Mods please delete other duplicate thread regarding this Purdy knife.
 
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I have a knife possibly identical to the one you are showing. I bought mine at the Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Co. I bought it as a souvenir but I don't consider it the finest sample of knifemaking in any respect.
 
Looks OK.
Does seem to me that a company of the stature of Purdey & Sons would have put a little more thought/effort into commissioning a knife which represents or is associated with them. Perhaps a little more substantial piece, more of a "tie-in" to their company or guns? Is the knife marked/identified as a Purdey commission?

The old saying "if you are going to do something, do it right" comes to mind.
 
Kevin Jones said:
Looks OK.
Does seem to me that a company of the stature of Purdey & Sons would have put a little more thought/effort into commissioning a knife which represents or is associated with them. Perhaps a little more substantial piece, more of a "tie-in" to their company or guns? Is the knife marked/identified as a Purdey commission?

The old saying "if you are going to do something, do it right" comes to mind.
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Could not agree more Kevin
 
It would be interesting to know who made it. I believe (I might be wrong here) that Stu Mitchell was commissioned to make some knives for Purdy.
Saying that, he's a Sheffield maker, rather than a London Maker.
He makes some very fine fixed blades, but I don't believe I've seen a folder from him.
I'm pretty sure he's a member on here, so let's hope he can shed some light on it.

Ian
 
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Here is the rest of my post that was in the other thread...

Asking price is $399, but you can get the same knife at J. Powell Clothing (online) for $178, with the exception that the blade has the J. Powell logo on it and does not say Purdy.

I like this knife, but not sure about the quality and if the price is still too high at $178. It doesn't say what steel was used in the Damascus. Any thoughts?
 
I saw knives at Purdey's shop in Mayfair. The looked supiciously like house branded Bokers and they were more. The guy at the Asprey gun room wasa knife guy and he said the bosses also bought branded Bokers and refused to stock custom knives.
 
A number of well known makers have made knives for Purdey's.
One of which I spoke to recently told me that Purdeys are looking for a maker that can increase their margin.
In other words they can pay less and sell for the same or more.........

Looks like they found it.......
 
Alfaholic said:
A number of well known makers have made knives for Purdey's.
One of which I spoke to recently told me that Purdeys are looking for a maker that can increase their margin.
In other words they can pay less and sell for the same or more.........

Looks like they found it.......
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Right next to the 100 pound argyle socks. :D
 
jdm61 said:
Right next to the 100 pound argyle socks. :D
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Indeed........:o

I will never forget the first time I went into Purdey's as a boy.
It must have been the late 70's and my Dad took me in to look at the famous Royal Appointment Gunmaker.

They had a small corner shop which if memory serves was on South Audley street in the West End of London.
The customers section had two massive tables pushed together in the middle of the room with various guns, cases and paperwork on it.
Various stock samples and fitting guides were everywhere and the store had the smell of leather and cigars The elderly gentleman (he seemed old at the time but he was probably the age I am now:foot:) who served us was only too happy to discuss and explain the guns and the ordering process.

He was most interested when he heard that we were from South Africa and he recounted several tales of hunting trips and Purdey guns in Africa.

Around the edges of the room were various display cases with handmade hunting accessories and bags in them. There was no trace of a corporate logo, or merchandising. It was old fashioned and timeless........and not a trace of an Argyle sock!

Oh how times have changed.........
 
Not half the man he used to be... Purdey was for many years owned by an Arab sheik and now is owned by Richemont, owners of Cartier, Panerai, Chloé (women's clothing), Montblanc, Dunhill, IWC, and many other luxury brands. Richemont is a Swiss company owned mostly by the Rupert family from South Africa. If I'm not mistaken, Rupert made his fortune, originally, in the tobacco business (British American Tobacco, second only to Philip Morris.)

I'm sure Purdey guns remain very fine guns but marketing and furious bottom lines have a way of tarnishing the luster that pride in the product you make provides to that product.

By the way, I paid $200 for the unbranded Damascus knife I bought from Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Co. It seems to be the same knife making the marketing rounds.
 
Here is the JL Powell version for $178 and the reply I received from customer service...

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"Thank you for contacting J.L. Powell-the Sporting Life, regarding the Damascus Folding Knife, style # 14677.

The Knife is made in India, with a 3 inch folding blade, a locking mechanism on the opposite side of the Knife. The Knife is made of Damascus steel, comes slightly oiled, it is recommended that you clean the knife upon arrival to prevent any rusting."

Purdy says their knife is made in England. Looks like this one might be a copy made in India. :rolleyes:
 
mendezj said:
Not half the man he used to be... Purdey was for many years owned by an Arab sheik and now is owned by Richemont, owners of Cartier, Panerai, Chloé (women's clothing), Montblanc, Dunhill, IWC, and many other luxury brands. Richemont is a Swiss company owned mostly by the Rupert family from South Africa. If I'm not mistaken, Rupert made his fortune, originally, in the tobacco business (British American Tobacco, second only to Philip Morris.)
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This is correct. They also own Holland and Holland.

Now they brand Indian made knives as some "exclusive" item.........disgraceful.
 
mendezj said:
Not half the man he used to be... Purdey was for many years owned by an Arab sheik
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This is wrong.

Purdey has never been owned by an Arab Sheik. It became a limited company in 1925 and later majority shares were owned by the English Cobbold family then after the end of WW2 by Lord Hugh Seely whose family retained ownership of the firm until 1994 when the Vendôme group bought it just to be fully absorbed by the Swiss headquartered Richemont group owned by the Rupert family. None of these entities ever had a connection with Arab Sheiks.

Alfaholic said:
This is correct. They also own Holland and Holland.
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Nope. H&H is owned by French group Channel.

Alfaholic said:
Around the edges of the room were various display cases with handmade hunting accessories and bags in them. There was no trace of a corporate logo, or merchandising. It was old fashioned and timeless........and not a trace of an Argyle sock!

Oh how times have changed.........
Click to expand...

Times have changed indeed. But it was needed for survival in a new world where an artisan workshop making only the most expensive sporting firearms in the world would not have survived. Many of the UK's historical gunmakers disappeared under heavy inflation and stricter laws on gun ownership severely cutting orders in the 1970s and a few side items provided a needed life line. Not only gunmakers. Many watchmakers in Switzerland went down too with the flood of quartz watches coming from Japan and luxury fountain pen makers met a similar fate. This is why makers such as Patek and AP had to introduce quartz watches and basic low priced watches alongside their famous mechanical gems in order to survive.

Not perfect but pretty pragmatic.
 
Saw 3 or 4 of those on a knifeshow last weekend. They were for sale on a knifemaking suppliers table who offers a lot of damascus stuff from India and Pakistan.
 
For a 6 figure gun company it is too bad they can't find someone to make damascus without flaws like I see in the handle.
Gary
 
Before I looked deeper in this thread, I'd already made up MY mind it was a Pakistan or Indian knife. It has that 'look'. (Rough damascus, minimalist pins.)

It's probably a decent folder, but hardly worthy of big-name branding. They are selling to the uneducated buyer of fine knives.

Coop
 
SharpByCoop said:
Before I looked deeper in this thread, I'd already made up MY mind it was a Pakistan or Indian knife. It has that 'look'. (Rough damascus, minimalist pins.)
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The Purdey knife is indeed made in England. The Indian copy isn't theirs. I stop by Audley House every time I'm in London to look at the knives and chat. Their Damascus knife collection is made in Sheffield and London.

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