This came as a surprise.

Plumberdv

Plumberdv

Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
8,160
This is a surprise and is a little puzzling to me. While I'm not a huge fan of them, I do find some of the "Whittaker" Bucks interesting. I bought a couple and I'm impressed with the workmanship and materials they are made from, although I could do with out the serrations.

To get to my point though, what surprised me was that although the 452 and 460 were both made in Taiwan in 2003, the 437 was made in 2004 in the U.S.A.. Just seems a little strange to me.

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The blue 437 has a swing out carabiner! Is that an opener I see when the biner is open? Does it work with a button lock? Is that a button lock on the blade of the 437? Attractive colors. Thank you for the great photos. Cool knives.

Sidebar: Whittaker pioneered Rainier Mountaineering Inc. Asmatic from childhood he (I think there are two brothers) was prescribed altitude so he took that to heart. They work out of a big hut on Mt. Rainier, over 14k ft (one of very few that tall in the lower 48). You go to Rainier visit RMI and listen in on the chat. They lead climbs all over the world and are held in high regard in this neck of the woods. I've been high on Rainier but never attempted the summit.
 
Sidebar continued: Whittaker's neck of the woods, Mt. Rainier, high above Paradise (location of RMI hut), my family (lovely wife, two sons and myself (note in 2nd pic I'm falling backwards as I've just run around the camera poised on the business end of an ice axe = action shot sort of):

Rainiericecaves003.jpg


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Note that Mt. Rainier is a national park, lots of wildlife, still heavily glaciated despite global warming, lots of rules, ancient trees and my favorite place to be over here on the left coast. You would love it.
 
Peter Whittaker, consultant for the knife design, is the son of Lou Whittaker and nephew of Jim Whittaker. Both were excellent mountaineers. In 1963, Jim Whittaker was the first American to ever reach the summit of Everest. That was back in the days when reaching the summit of Everest meant something.
 
oregon said:
The blue 437 has a swing out carabiner! Is that an opener I see when the biner is open? Does it work with a button lock? Is that a button lock on the blade of the 437? Attractive colors. Thank you for the great photos. Cool knives.

Sidebar: Whittaker pioneered Rainier Mountaineering Inc. Asmatic from childhood he (I think there are two brothers) was prescribed altitude so he took that to heart. They work out of a big hut on Mt. Rainier, over 14k ft (one of very few that tall in the lower 48). You go to Rainier visit RMI and listen in on the chat. They lead climbs all over the world and are held in high regard in this neck of the woods. I've been high on Rainier but never attempted the summit.
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Thanks Steve. Yes, it appears to be a bottle opener and later when it gets to be beerthirty, I'll give it a try. It is a button lock as you asked.

Beautiful family! You're a lucky man.
 
bertl said:
Peter Whittaker, consultant for the knife design, is the son of Lou Whittaker and nephew of Jim Whittaker. Both were excellent mountaineers. In 1963, Jim Whittaker was the first American to ever reach the summit of Everest. That was back in the days when reaching the summit of Everest meant something.
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Thanks Bert. When I was about 14 I went on vacation with my best friend and his parents. One place we went to and stayed for a few days was a cabin in what I remember as "Whittaker Forest". It's here in Cal somewhere and I wonder if it was named for them?
 
imafritz said:
The serrations have always kept me from even browsing at them.
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What you said.

I see serrations as wretched confirmation of my abject indolence. I don't want to work that hard. I might just be able to sharpen serrations but I don't want to. It is enough trouble and mess to sharpen plain edges to my liking.
 
I'll need that blue one when your finished Dave as I'm pretty sure I have beer I haven't even drank yet and I'm certain that I will become thirsty. Every man woman and child should have something that opens beer bottles for hydration purposes alone.
 
oregon said:
I'll need that blue one when your finished Dave as I'm pretty sure I have beer I haven't even drank yet and I'm certain that I will become thirsty. Every man woman and child should have something that opens beer bottles for hydration purposes alone.
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Well said! I drink it to keep myself hydrated only. :rolleyes:

I wonder if the Whittakers insisted or asked for the serrations? They seem to be on nearly everyone of the Whittaker line. Perhaps they saw them as something desirable or essential to a mountanier. :confused:
 
Some of those ice caves where large enough to house a train station with multiple tracks. The boys and I stepped thru a rain curtain into one and followed it to the far end where an exit was found. They, as well as I, talk about that experience with real fear in their voices. We had instep crampons, spikes for your tennies, and climbing gear. Wife kept out of the caves entirely. I married up. And, yes, I am a very lucky man. Thank you.
 
Serrations to saw thru that climbing rope when your climbing partner needs to be cut loose. What is the name of that book? Two climbers, South American climb, very bad weather and one goes over edge and other can't hold so cuts rope. Cut partner falls, breaks leg(s) and crawls back to base camp as rope cutting partner and non-climbing helper are burning injured climber's stuff... Quite a story. Also true.
 
I have only one Whittaker model, the Short Revolution (USA).

bu436DPLT.jpg


It lives in my truck console and gets used all the time. Excellent ergos and geometry. It's one folding knife that simply cannot close on your hand, due to the tang-integrated clip/carabiner/bottle opener.

I only wish they'd made the larger Revolution in a plain edge blade.

For that matter, I really wish they'd do a run of the Redpoint and Flashpoint knives in plain edge.

I like Whittaker's basic designs, but I have this religious thing about serrations. Thou shalt use no knife having teeth where the cutting edge should be.

 
Plumberdv said:
I wonder if the Whittakers insisted or asked for the serrations? They seem to be on nearly everyone of the Whittaker line. Perhaps they saw them as something desirable or essential to a mountanier. :confused:
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Serrations help with cutting nylon cord and rope that are essential to modern mountaineering. At least that's my guess.
 
I'm not a fan of serrations, but if you are in an environment where everything is frozen, even in summer, sawing with the serrations can work better than a smooth edge.
 
I guess that we've established that few like the serrations. Now, I'd like to get back to my original reason for the thread. Other than the Metro whose manufacture was brought to the US from China, does anyone know if any other of the Whittaker line were made here?
 
Plumberdv said:
I guess that we've established that few like the serrations. Now, I'd like to get back to my original reason for the thread. Other than the Metro whose manufacture was brought to the US from China, does anyone know if any other of the Whittaker line were made here?
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My Short Revolution is made in USA.

I would get excited about a longer version of that exact design.

 
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