Question on Utica and Bear & Son

R

RVK101

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Apr 3, 2014
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I only have a few traditional knives, not counting my Swiss Army Knives, which I bought and carried while I was in the Army. I have 4 Rough Riders, 4 Case, and 4 Utica, all Trappers and Stockmans. The 4 Utica I bought of ebay, and all have issues. The Catskill Trapper has the bone flaking off, the Catskill Stockman has the nail nick for the main clip blade below the handle. The Big Pine Trapper has a bent bolster at the top on the main clip point, and the Big Pine Stockman has very weak springs, maybe around a 2 compared to the Case and Rough Riders. The only problems I have with the others is a little blade rub on one Case and one Rough Rider Stockman, which I can live with. I would mostly like to buy American, and both Utica and Bear & Son have very affordable knives. I would have to order these knives online because no one around here sells them.
So my question is, are Utica and Bear & Son, knives that should be held and inspected before buying, or are you pretty safe buying new items sight unseen?
Thanks
 
I have no experience with Utica myself, but I have ordered a few Bear & Son knives on-line and have found the quality, fit and finish to be very inconsistent. I ended up keeping the one that was ok ( a sod buster style with a slightly proud spring and some blade wobble) and returned the other two because the quality just didn't cut it, even for an inexpensive knife. It wasn't very good (i.e. scales didn't line up, proud springs, blade wobble, etc.). Again, its not like they cost a bunch of $, but I would make sure you can return them if they don't meet expectations. I discovered a hardware store near me that sells Bear & Son and I checked out their inventory a while back and they weren't up to snuff at about twice the cost of a RR. My experience with RRs on the other hand has been pretty darn good.
 
My own purchase of Utica knives at a local sporting goods store, (when they had them), proved to me that Utica knives are best seen & handled before purchasing. I had to go through a few at the store to find "decent" specimens. They just don't seem to have great consistancy in quality control. I did order one of their fixed blade bone handed knives... and my luck on that one was very good... very nice knife, indeed :-)
 
Before this gets into a total bash of Bear & Son knives and Utica knives, I'll say that both companies make good, solid, adequate, knives. Some knives from both companies get past quality control with minor issues - maybe a gap between liner and cover; maybe a non-centered blade; etc. - just like some knives from GEC, Case, Rough Rider, Boker, Northwoods and other compaies.

This is a Klein TL29 pattern style knife that is made by Utica. Does it approach a custom made knife or even a semi-custom made knife - NO but it is a good, solid, well fitted and finished knife.





 
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Bear and Utica seem to make user quality versus collector quality.
GECs cost more for a reason.
 
I fully agree with that Charlie. My point was that GEC and others make mistakes just as Bear & Sons and Utica do and just because a company makes a user quality knife that isn't a reason to knock them on them whole.
 
Modoc ED said:
Before this gets into a total bash of Bear & Son knives and Utica knives, I'll say that both companies make good, solid, adequate, knives. Some knives from both companies get past quality control with minor issues - maybe a gap between liner and cover; maybe a non-centered blade; etc. - just like some knives from GEC, Case, Rough Rider, Boker, Northwoods and other compaies.
Click to expand...

Mmm... no.

I have criticized Utica and Bear & Son, because they delivered knives that were not good, solid, adequate, knives. My only new Utica purchase had a flaw that couldn't be fixed by sharpening the blade or flushing out buffing grit. It couldn't be ignored the way a proud spring or off center blade could. Its two replacements were no better. Believe it or not, I actually had better luck with Bear & Son. Even though I fully admit their knives can sometimes have the fit and finish of a Pakistan gas station knife, and the aesthetics most of the time. I don't know who designs their knives, but they simply don't have the elegant lines of a Case or GEC (or pretty much anyone else for that matter). And I kind of like Bear & Son's quirky sense of style. I have a couple I'm pretty satisfied with, despite the flaws (which don't happen to render the knife useless).

But I'm not going to pretend Utica and Bear&Son are like the others in any significant way. Whatever issues GEC, Case, Rough Rider, Boker, Northwoods turn out, they don't seem to turn out the complete dogs that come from Utica or Bear & Son all too often.
 
All my Bear and Son knives have been fine with no issues, I probably have had 6 or 7. I agree about their funky style though.
 
shecky said:
Mmm... no.

I have criticized Utica and Bear & Son, because they delivered knives that were not good, solid, adequate, knives. My only new Utica purchase had a flaw that couldn't be fixed by sharpening the blade or flushing out buffing grit. It couldn't be ignored the way a proud spring or off center blade could. Its two replacements were no better. Believe it or not, I actually had better luck with Bear & Son. Even though I fully admit their knives can sometimes have the fit and finish of a Pakistan gas station knife, and the aesthetics most of the time. I don't know who designs their knives, but they simply don't have the elegant lines of a Case or GEC (or pretty much anyone else for that matter). And I kind of like Bear & Son's quirky sense of style. I have a couple I'm pretty satisfied with, despite the flaws (which don't happen to render the knife useless).

But I'm not going to pretend Utica and Bear&Son are like the others in any significant way. Whatever issues GEC, Case, Rough Rider, Boker, Northwoods turn out, they don't seem to turn out the complete dogs that come from Utica or Bear & Son all too often.
Click to expand...

Your .02¢ .

There is a thread running right now on page 1 of this sub-forum about blade play on a GEC manufactured knife. Do a search about blade play or maybe vertical blade play and you'll find over a dozen or more threads with many more complaints about blade play in GEC knives in those threads along with complaints of liner/cover gaps, proud blade tips, sunken pins, etc. in GEC knives too. Oh, also Queen, Schatt & Morgan, Moore Maker, etc. too.

The difference between a GEC clunker, a Bear & Sons clunker, and a Utica clunker, is that the GEC clunker is generally a prettier clunker.

And just what's wrong with a Pakistan gas station knife?:)
 
Thanks for the replies. Modoc ED, that is a really nice looking knife. I really like the spear point blade. I do not mind a few fit and finish issues in my knives, because all my knives are users. With the cost of groceries raising what seems almost daily, I find myself hunting rabbits more often. There are no shortage of rabbits in Southern Arizona, and a bag limit of 10 cotton tails a day, and unlimited on jack rabbits. So my knives do get a work out. It takes 13 cuts to completely process a rabbit for the freezer. 11 of those cuts are through bone. So yes, the knives I have get used, and then taken to the sink to be washed in warm soapy water, with a coat of mineral oil soon after they dry. I really do not own any expensive knives. I have two trappers and two stockmans from case, one of each from the Rough Black Jigged Synthetic and Amber Bone CV, all on the lower end of the price scale for Case. I feel the 6318 Black Synthetic is too small for the rabbits task, but the 4 1/4 Trappers and Large Stockman works perfectly. All three have passed my 50 rabbit test with no problems. So looks are not as important as functionality. A blade that opens and closes smoothly and does not chip when being driven through bone. Anyway, enough with the long winded ramble. As soon as I get a basic membership (next week), I will post pictures of the knives, and me and the dogs enjoying some rabbit.
 
That's great!!!!! Skinning rabbits is the perfect use for a knife. People kind of shun jack rabbits but put a little red pepper with salt & black pepper and they're pretty tasty. Maybe a little stringier than cotton tails but doable none the less.
 
Yeah I know what most people are thinking. "Are you serious, Jack Rabbit? You may as well go outside and graze on sage and bailing twine!" I have found there are a couple of secret to Jack Rabbits. One is a white vinegar soak for about five minutes. This gets most of the gamey taste removed. The second is mainly use it for flavoring. Some backstrap in a pot of pinto bean works wonders. Or, using the main clip point, de-bone the meat from the rabbit and cut in chunks. Use this in either a chili or stew. I will try out your receipt with the peppers and salt. A terriyake stir fry is also good. The really great thing about the CV blades is that they can easily be sharpened on ceramic rods. After the first go of about a hundred strokes at 20 degrees on both sides, they sharpen easily with just a few strokes afterwards.
 
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