Tak Fukuta folder..

dannyv

dannyv

Joined
Jan 18, 2003
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I have folder by Tak Fukuta. Marked Benchmade by Tak Fukuta on one side and Parker Surgical Steel Japan on the other. It's an open design with what looks like aluminum handles can anyone tell me about it? Here's some,pics!. Been in storage a while and abit dirty.a few marks on the blade but no chips. Thanks.
 

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Parker made those back in the 1980's or maybe early 1990's. They promoted them as designed by Tak Fukuta and better than their regular line. Has some collector interest but it's a small market and none of their knives bring high dollar.
 
I had to edit out my link as it had some live ebay listings under the unsold knife. It was for a mint condition that was unsold at 150.00.
 
I think "Bench made" meant it was handmade by Tak Fukuta. And has no connection to the USA based company. In fact looking at the pictures of the mint one it clearly shows Bench made two words and is marked Parker Japan.
 
Parker made some really good knives. Folks that just look at the issues with JP overlook that.
 
I think they were made by Tak Fukata for Parker, that's why it has his name on it and Bench Made. I believe he was a knife designer but also either had a small manufacturing shop and/or made custom knives. Some of the Parker brands had knives made in Japan that were supposedly designed by Tak Fukata, but only have the Parker firm's mark. They also had a Japan mark, with a stamped Chattanooga TN and you can easily remove Japan with polish, making the knife appear to be made in the US. Don't take this as gospel, I just pieced it together over the years since I have a Parker fixed blade supposedly designed and possibly made by Tak Fukata. It is a horn handled dagger with three sides, the large flat side being slightly hollow ground and it came with an excellent sheath. The only place I've seen that grind is on a custom. It's my only "boot knife" I got it because it appealed to my adolescent side :)

I have a few Parker Japanese knives and they are excellent in fit, finish, durability and design. My little girl has a Parker Surgical Steel lock back knife, made in Japan, with bone handles and scrimshawed with a tropical scene and Hawaii. It's been well used, but still shows excellent fit/finish and is still in use. Knife World had an article about his Japanese connections. Supposedly some collectors go after his Japanese prototypes which are basically customs made on spec for his approval.

You might get different answers in the Bernard Levine subforum. A mod can move it if you wish, just click "Report" and ask.
 
eisman said:
Parker made some really good knives. Folks that just look at the issues with JP overlook that.
Click to expand...
I have some knives from the old Parker catalogs that are really nice. The German made Bruckmann's and Weimannsheill's in particular.
I was usually underwhelmed by his Japanese offerings when compared to Fightn' Roosters and Bulldogs in the same price range.
This was back in the late 80's-early 90's--KV
 
This is a higher end Japanese Parker.

2qs9ds3.jpg
 
qbtiq6uh.jpg

This is my Parker Bro's. And for something from the 70's its still in great condition. They seemed to make some decent budget knives.
 
Lapedog said:
Is this parker like the pen company?
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No. Jim Parker owned multiple companies buying, selling, and making knives. He did sales to distributors, to retailers, by mail, etc. One of the bigger, more controversial, people in the knife world in the 1970's and 1980's. There are threads...
 
eisman said:
No. Jim Parker owned multiple companies buying, selling, and making knives. He did sales to distributors, to retailers, by mail, etc. One of the bigger, more controversial, people in the knife world in the 1970's and 1980's. There are threads...
Click to expand...

Oh of course, parker frost!

cbrstar said:
qbtiq6uh.jpg

This is my Parker Bro's. And for something from the 70's its still in great condition. They seemed to make some decent budget knives.
Click to expand...

Looks like those Gerber mk2s exactly.
 
I recall there was some stink about these because it was actually a knockoff of a Gary Barnes designed folder that he made using some of the first seen titanium scales on a folder.
 
Indeed, Parker had multiple levels in the 80's - early 90's ranging from budget knives to small batches of real customs.

Imai, Sakai, Fukuta, Randall Gilbreath, Koji Hara, Fain Edwards, Queen Cutlery and Ontario (source of some of the Marbles and Scagel fixed blades, and all of the Case Classics line), Olbertz, Wingen, Case, Weidmannsheil, etc.... all had dealings with Parker, whether under contract or under their own name.
 
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