Taylor's Eye Witness Disappointment

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belljs3

belljs3

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After lurking around here for the past couple months and learning about traditional knives I've accumulated quite a little collection. It's odds and ends really, just whatever catches my eye at the time. I decided to branch out from USA and China made so I ordered a Taylor's eye witness lambsfoot off of the Bay.

The knife arrived today and it was nothing but a disappointment from the beginning. The bolsters are rusted, the blade is bent, the sides of the knife aren't even with the spine of the blade, the back spring isn't flush when closed, and the list goes on.

I guess my streak of mostly flawless knives has come to an end, I just hoped for more from a historical name like Taylor's.
 
You have to be careful not to confuse the later manufactured ( and in this case of your knife - abused ) Taylors Eye Witness with the earlier supreme knives.

Taylors Eye Witness knives were one of the Supreme Cutlers of Sheffield, and they produced fantastic knives - your first Eye Witness disappointment reminds me of many ( and the odd one now and then to be honest ) times I have been disappointed - my disappointment wasn't the fault of one of the best Cutlers that existed, but more my own lack of knowledge in buying a piece of junk - that had/or has no connection to the real manufacturer.

Eye Witness brand continues, and what you must understand is that the NAMING RIGHTS continue after being bought from a collapsed company - yes you have a knife stamped Eye Witness - theres a huge chance it is of late manufacture - if not and its a earlier Eye Witness -then the poor knife has been abused ( how else can you bend a pocket knife blade ?) - and if it has been abused -which in this case it most certainly has been, how on earth can you blame the manufacturer? really?
 
I apologize, I guess I forgot to mention that the knife was new in package, a sealed clamshell one so there's no possibility that the knife was abused. It's just shotty workmanship I guess
 
belljs3 said:
I apologize, I guess I forgot to mention that the knife was new in package, a sealed clamshell one so there's no possibility that the knife was abused. It's just shotty workmanship I guess
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That's outrageous. Can you post pictures please?

What Duncan says is quite correct. Almost all the big old Sheffield cutlery names were sold off, as names, years ago, and have little if any relationship to their historic counterparts.

I was in the only two shops in Sheffield which still sell a range of pocketknives today. One doesn't sell Taylor's knives at all, the other only stocks a couple of knives from their high-end range, which are made by a Sheffield cutler called Russell White.
 
Ok - then that IS not on, and poor handling by the Vendor, mind you on behalf of the seller - it would be hard to inspect a knife sealed in a pack!
Yep...my friend, you have modern Taylor Eye Witness, not even a shadow on the REAL Taylor Eye Witness knives.
Don't give up, look on the big auction site - they do come up, but beware because others like me ( hehe ) are always looking as well!
When you get a Taylor - you'll know...problem is they are so hard to come by now.
Ask Jack about these - he is a wealth of knowledge on Sheffields Cutlers.
 
I'll try and get some pics up tonight, I have contacted the seller and no response as of yet.
 
^^^^^^^ oooooooh yeah, now that's a Knife!!! and Jack Sir - not kind, just telling it like it is my friend.
 
And yet I have some new Taylor's eyewitness lambsfoots that are better than acceptable. Sharp and centered blades, strong springs, no bladeplay. Out of clampacks. So I was lucky or O.P. was unlucky.
 
scrteened porch said:
And yet I have some new Taylor's eyewitness lambsfoots that are better than acceptable. Sharp and centered blades, strong springs, no bladeplay. Out of clampacks. So I was lucky or O.P. was unlucky.
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I also think the vendor has to take some responsibility for sending out a knife in that condition.
 
I feel your pain... I recently ordered an A. Wright knife, and though it had an absolutely beautifully finished buffalo horn scaled handle, the blade was terribly canted upon opening. I noticed the it had shefield stamped on it's blade, but nothing about the company maker (no A. Wright marking). I sent it back and got something made in Germany instead. Will hopefully add something from England to my knife collection some day, but seems that the currently made stuff may be big time hit or miss. America is down to just a few traditional pocket knife makers, and it seems that in Britain the same, or maybe even more-so, holds true :-(
 
Jack Black said:
That's outrageous. Can you post pictures please?

What Duncan says is quite correct. Almost all the big old Sheffield cutlery names were sold off, as names, years ago, and have little if any relationship to their historic counterparts.

I was in the only two shops in Sheffield which still sell a range of pocketknives today. One doesn't sell Taylor's knives at all, the other only stocks a couple of knives from their high-end range, which are made by a Sheffield cutler called Russell White.
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As far as I know Russell White, who is a great cutler and very nice person, does not work for Taylor's any more and he acts as an independent knife maker.
Here is one of his knives

D6i27OxCfzXsFvjBwEDE_UTBv_U8o1EeGgr2nCZGFh8=w398-h203-p-no


Mike
 
mike Berkovitch said:
As far as I know Russell White, who is a great cutler and very nice person, does not work for Taylor's any more and he acts as an independent knife maker.
Here is one of his knives

D6i27OxCfzXsFvjBwEDE_UTBv_U8o1EeGgr2nCZGFh8=w398-h203-p-no


Mike
Click to expand...

Hi Mike, I like Russel's work, but his site doesn't seem to have been updated in a while. I knew he was doing the Taylor's 'posh' range when he worked for them, and I figured he was still at least one of the cutlers making knives for Taylor's still, which they sell as this range. Yesterday I was told by the only Sheffield cutlery shop that still sells Taylor's pocket knives that the few high-end Taylor's they still had in stock were made by Russell for Taylor's. The style is certainly similar or the same, the prices too.

Jack
 
Sadly if you want a good knife with 'Made in Sheffield' stamped on it, you will likely have to go for handmade. As has been said the names of the old greats have since been flogged off and hold next to no relation in regards to quality as they once did.

So, if you'd like to enquire about English made knives you could start here: http://www.britishblades.com/forums/content.php
 
Am I the only one that thinks this is possibley a really bad fake?.. (cuz I bloody hope it is lol!)

I've had a cheap unbranded lambfoot wharny that was far far far superior to that and it cost about £5! I think Jack knows the ones I'm talking about.

Never had a knife by this brand before as I typically avoid mass produced English knives as I know they just aren't true to their name like they were.
 
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