Taylor Brands

[Culpeper]

Just out of curiosity I sent a general question to Taylor Brands and received a response this evening from Morgan Taylor. He seemed very pleasant and answered additional inquiries very well. I ordered a Woodsman and a fixed blade Uncle Henry so I can see for myself what they are like. I plan to use my cardboard wheels to get them razor sharp. Seems the steel is now 440 variety. They used to be 420. I sort of wish they were still 420. I can get 420 scary sharp with the cardboard wheels. I realize they are made in China but I just discovered that even Buck is now making models off-shore as well. They all seem to be moving in that direction. There can be only one reason for this and that is to compete in a very competitive market. I'm curious to see if the quality is rising with this trend. I'm hoping that I'm guilty of contempt prior to investigation. Just seems like something that is going to be the norm from now on.

In the meantime, I'm also curious if the $189.00 on Ebay for NOS Old-Timer Woodsman is the going market price. They keep getting higher and higher. How much were they when they were on the shelf at the hardware store?

 

[thawk]

$189.00 is high, but over $100.00 is normal. In 1991 the last retail price was $51.95.

I think you will find the quality of the new Schrades will be less than what you pay for them.

 

[Culpeper]

I thought the 189.00 was a little steep. Still, it is my favorite model. In fact, its my favorite model of any manufactured fixed blade. The two new Schrades (Old Timer and Uncle Henry) together cost about as much as an Old-Timer in 1991.

 

[Culpeper]

I've received the following for evaluation.

SS1GCP 3" Green Leaf Pattern - CHINA

SWMP1B S&W M&P1 - TAIWAN

SCST3 Sch stag handle fixed blade - CHINA

SPECLS S&W spec op mag tanto - TAIWAN

SHD2ELST Sch elk stag - CHINA

153UH 9.25" Golden spike w/leather - CHINA

160OT Sch Mountain Lion - CHINA

and

Giant 940T Trapper - CHINA

Giant 340T Stockman - CHINA

At first glance even the CHINA 440 steel looks no different than the Schrade USA knives. Overall construction looks no different as well.

 

[brady806]

hey culpeper to each his own but i think your evaluation of all those "knee's " knifes is irrelevant to the die hard, loyal, american made, pre-04 model collector, schradeaholics like me. which we are proud to collect and hold with reverance, nearly holyness----i shiver to think of the fakes mixed in a drawer or collection with the real ones in the decades to come laying there with a smirk on their face pretending...............ok ok ok i'll shut up ----PLEASE,PLEASE forgive me ---by the way love to camp at bottomless lakes----brady

 

[Culpeper]

That is why I posted this as "off topic", Texan. Because this is a Schrade Collectors forum. But we can't ignore the elephant in the room. Schrade still exists today and operated by a small family business out of Kingsport, TN. They take plenty of hits from us. At least we can do is give them the time of day if they ask or are we satisfied believing the Mountain Lion made today is somehow not going to survive the weekend camping trip. I'm not forgetting that Schrade USA customer base is no different today. The hardware store and the catalog. I also don't have my head in the sand and ignoring that the name is more successful today than it has ever been. They must be doing something right or otherwise I wouldn't have noticed something was going on.

Don't worry. I'm not going to pollute this forum with actual evaluations. We have a forum for that over at knifetest.com and the topic of Taylor Cutlery is no stranger to this forum as well. Most of which is subjective. Like i stated above, I don't know about you, but I prefer to admit when I'm wrong about something and I may have been wrong about the current owners of Schrade.