USA made traditional

K

Kvk09

Joined
Feb 23, 2023
Messages
255
Looking for a small USA made pocket knife. Keep fining my way to Case. Is there a better option? GEC seems to be tough to get hands on. Thanks in advance.
 
There are always objectively better options, but not always at a cost or level of availability that's suitable for my needs.

While my Case knives have some flaws that are evident under close examination, they're cosmetic in nature (ex - small gap between spring and liner) and do not affect the performance of the tool. If I'd been buying them as art pieces, maybe I'd have been disappointed. I didn't and I'm not.

All my Case knives were purchased sight unseen and they all work as intended -- my recommendation is that, if possible, go and examine the knife you intend to purchase in person. Always better than photos or opinions!
 
I think the 503 is the exact same size and weight
Just whether you prefer the clip point or the drop point blade
 
I'm in the same boat, I'd like something American, Nicer. Single blade, preferably no clip point, or Wharncliffe.
 
Not sure how vital usa made IS
Still hard to beat a sak

Inexpensive, reliable, pretty darn good consistency and honestly more versatile than any pocket knife with what is almost a designed pattern for nearly any and all tool kit necessities

And while the cellidor isn't exactly full of traditional soul, I think worn alox definitely has a ton of soul
 
Plenty of GEC 49 and 94‘s have been popping up on the Blade Forum Traditional Exchange at reasonable prices lately.

In another month or two there will be lots of the new GEC 25 Beerlow‘s on the exchange at a reasonable price. Right now they may be priced a little high because these are brand new, but history shows that their price will drop for a few months or years before going back up.
 
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In addition to what abcdef said, the USA made Uncle Henry line all had stainless blades and very nice stag-like Delrin handles.
The Uncle Henry 124UH Tradesman is a nice single blade at 4 inches closed length.

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Are you looking new, used, or either?
Describe "Small". If you don't know, "traditional" knives are historically measured in the closed position, not the over-all open length like "modern" knives are. The size is determined by the pattern, not the brand. Since Traditional knives are a pattern, not a proprietary design, any and all patterns could be (and for the most part were) made by all the different brands.

I would suggest deciding what patterns you are interested in, then buy it in a Rough Rider/Marbles/offshore Queen/Queen City, to see if you like it, and it meets your needs first, rather than buy a "better" name, for a lot more money. That way if you don't like it, you are not out a lot, and don't have to go through the hassel of selling it. If you do like it, you can always "upgrade" to a made here brand. 😊 (BTW, SMKW and BTI Schrade are both US companies. The knives are contracted for offshore, rather than made here. They do have a lifetime warranty, that they stand behind, too.)

New or Used:
Christy Knife (can do search here for them. They get mentioned every so often, and are well thought of around here). I think they only sell new from their website, though.

Buck 300 series.

NOTE: 37x and 38x knives are made offshore. Current US production is limited to the 301 and 303, since 2017 or 2018, when the 302; 305; and a couple others were dropped.
From 1966 until 1999(?) when Buck brought slipjoint production in-house, were made by either Schrade (with Swendon Key construction) for the first couple years, then Camillus (pinned construction). Both have long pulls on the primary blade.
The 301 (3 blade stockman, and now discontinued 302 (single clip point blade using the same handle as the 301) are a "large" knife at just under 4 inches closed. The Schrade/Camillus made 307 stockman is an "extra large" at 4.25 inch, if memory serves. (might be 4.125 inch.)
The 303 is a "medium" at 3.5 inch. The other 30x are smaller, ranging from ~ 2 7/8 to 3.25 inch.

Case (Many suggest/recommend buying new production only if you can inspect the knife in person. Apparently their QC can be hit or miss. They will, of course, fix the misses under warranty, if you send it in.)

Moore Maker(?) (may be a distributor selling contract knives)

Bear and Sons.

(Pre 2004 manufacture) Schrade/Old Timer/Uncle Henry, and pre 1988 Imperial. (The Imperial plant burned down in 1988. Production was moved offshore to Ireland. The tang stamp on the 1988 to 2004 Imperials have "Imperial Ireland" Knives made prior to the fire have "Imperial Providence (or "Prov") R.I. USA. On the 1956 to 1988 knives, the "USA" is vertical, on the right.
NOTE: During the 1988 to 2004 period, some, but not all Schrade knives were made in Sheffield, England, at a Schrade owned plant, and have "IXL" on the bolster or a blade etch, and the tang stamp.

Used Only Imperial-Schrade Family: Hammer Brand (usually shell construction, and automatics (switch blades) post 1933. Note that after Schrade went under in 2004, the new owner of the brands, Taylor Cutlery, did a limited run of a few patterns under the Hammer Brand name. Those knives were pinned construction with real bolsters, and have stainless steel blades, to help differentiate them from the pre-2004 knives.
Post 1933 New York Knife Company (NYKC/Hammer Brand went under in 1933, and was bought by Imperial)
Frontier, IMP CO, Ulster, Ulster-Old Timer. There are several other Schrade family brands that slip my mind at this time.

Pre 2007 Camillus (also a Schrade family brand, but they did not go under until 2007, three years after Imperial-Schrade.
Sub brands include, but are not limited to CAM CO and post 1989(?) 1990(?) WESTERN. Camillus bought Western in the veryblatec1980's or early 1990's. I forget what year.

WESTERN (Boulder, COL. or Colorado on the tang stamp. Western was also owned by Coleman for a few years, starting in the mid 1980's, prior to going to Camillus. I don't know if Western made folding knives during The Coleman years.
Sub Brand was WESTCO.

There were over 100 brands that went under 1930 to 1939, during the Great Depression including:
Russell, Robeson, NYKC/HAMMER BRAND, (original) Tideoute, (Original) Queen/Queen City, (Original Schatt & Morgan before becoming a Queen Brand
NOTE: Post Depression era Queen/Queen City - Schatt & Morgan went under in 2019. I forget who bought the names and tooling. The Queen and Queen City names were then sold to SMKW, to raise cash for setting up production if the Schatt & Morgan, in Ohio. I don't know if the "New" S&M have hit the market yet. (originally planned for 2000, but got delayed) They ARE producing a old Queen sub brand; WEED KNIFE (Weer Cutlery?) in Ohio. Reviews on BF for the Weed knives are mixed.

 Colonial

There are also decent no-name "MADE IN USA" knives out there.

I think SARGE may have some US made knives in their lineup.

Good Luck in your search, and Welcome to the Porch😇👍

You can also check out the OLD KNIVES and the Old Catalog sticky threads in the Traditional Forum, for additional knives.

BTW, Schrade, Imperial, and Camillus made knives for lots of different cutlery companies, and private labels, such as Sears, Beillencamp Hardware, ACE Hardware, Woolworths/Grants/Montgomery Wards.

Colonial made the SHARPS brand for Kmart (RIP), back when they had a Sporting Goods department with more than fishing gear and baseball caps.

If you want a GEC (and your budget can handle it) they occasionally show up in the marketplace here. From what I have heard, at prices more reasonable than at the big auction site. (still well out of my budget, however.)
 
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afishhunter said:
Are you looking new, used, or either?
Describe "Small". If you don't know, "traditional" knives are historically measured in the closed position, not the over-all open length like "modern" knives are. The size is determined by the pattern, not the brand. Since Traditional knives are a pattern, not a proprietary design, any and all patterns could be (and for the most part were) made by all the different brands.

I would suggest deciding what patterns you are interested in, then buy it in a Rough Rider/Marbles/offshore Queen/Queen City, to see if you like it, and it meets your needs first, rather than buy a "better" name, for a lot more money. That way if you don't like it, you are not out a lot, and don't have to go through the hassel of selling it. If you do like it, you can always "upgrade" to a made here brand. 😊 (BTW, SMKW and BTI Schrade are both US companies. The knives are contracted for offshore, rather than made here. They do have a lifetime warranty, that they stand behind, too.)

New or Used:
Christy Knife (can do search here for them. They get mentioned every so often, and are well thought of around here). I think they only sell new from their website, though.

Buck 300 series.

NOTE: 37x and 38x knives are made offshore. Current US production is limited to the 301 and 303, since 2017 or 2018, when the 302; 305; and a couple others were dropped.
From 1966 until 1999(?) when Buck brought slipjoint production in-house, were made by either Schrade (with Swendon Key construction) for the first couple years, then Camillus (pinned construction). Both have long pulls on the primary blade.
The 301 (3 blade stockman, and now discontinued 302 (single clip point blade using the same handle as the 301) are a "large" knife at just under 4 inches closed. The Schrade/Camillus made 307 stockman is an "extra large" at 4.25 inch, if memory serves. (might be 4.125 inch.)
The 303 is a "medium" at 3.5 inch. The other 30x are smaller, ranging from ~ 2 7/8 to 3.25 inch.

Case (Many suggest/recommend buying new production only if you can inspect the knife in person. Apparently their QC can be hit or miss. They will, of course, fix the misses under warranty, if you send it in.)

Moore Maker(?) (may be a distributor selling contract knives)

Bear and Sons.

(Pre 2004 manufacture) Schrade/Old Timer/Uncle Henry, and pre 1988 Imperial. (The Imperial plant burned down in 1988. Production was moved offshore to Ireland. The tang stamp on the 1988 to 2004 Imperials have "Imperial Ireland" Knives made prior to the fire have "Imperial Providence (or "Prov") R.I. USA. On the 1956 to 1988 knives, the "USA" is vertical, on the right.
NOTE: During the 1988 to 2004 period, some, but not all Schrade knives were made in Sheffield, England, at a Schrade owned plant, and have "IXL" on the bolster or a blade etch, and the tang stamp.

Used Only Imperial-Schrade Family: Hammer Brand (usually shell construction, and automatics (switch blades) post 1933. Note that after Schrade went under in 2004, the new owner of the brands, Taylor Cutlery, did a limited run of a few patterns under the Hammer Brand name. Those knives were pinned construction with real bolsters, and have stainless steel blades, to help differentiate them from the pre-2004 knives.
Post 1933 New York Knife Company (NYKC/Hammer Brand went under in 1933, and was bought by Imperial)
Frontier, IMP CO, Ulster, Ulster-Old Timer. There are several other Schrade family brands that slip my mind at this time.

Pre 2007 Camillus (also a Schrade family brand, but they did not go under until 2007, three years after Imperial-Schrade.
Sub brands include, but are not limited to CAM CO and post 1989(?) 1990(?) WESTERN. Camillus bought Western in the veryblatec1980's or early 1990's. I forget what year.

WESTERN (Boulder, COL. or Colorado on the tang stamp. Western was also owned by Coleman for a few years, starting in the mid 1980's, prior to going to Camillus. I don't know if Western made folding knives during The Coleman years.
Sub Brand was WESTCO.

There were over 100 brands that went under 1930 to 1939, during the Great Depression including:
Russell, Robeson, NYKC/HAMMER BRAND, (original) Tideoute, (Original) Queen/Queen City, (Original Schatt & Morgan before becoming a Queen Brand
NOTE: Post Depression era Queen/Queen City - Schatt & Morgan went under in 2019. I forget who bought the names and tooling. The Queen and Queen City names were then sold to SMKW, to raise cash for setting up production if the Schatt & Morgan, in Ohio. I don't know if the "New" S&M have hit the market yet. (originally planned for 2000, but got delayed) They ARE producing a old Queen sub brand; WEED KNIFE (Weer Cutlery?) in Ohio. Reviews on BF for the Weed knives are mixed.

 Colonial

There are also decent no-name "MADE IN USA" knives out there.

I think SARGE may have some US made knives in their lineup.

Good Luck in your search, and Welcome to the Porch😇👍

You can also check out the OLD KNIVES and the Old Catalog sticky threads in the Traditional Forum, for additional knives.

BTW, Schrade, Imperial, and Camillus made knives for lots of different cutlery companies, and private labels, such as Sears, Beillencamp Hardware, ACE Hardware, Woolworths/Grants/Montgomery Wards.

Colonial made the SHARPS brand for Kmart, back when they had a Sporting Goods department with more than fishing gear and baseball caps.

If you want a GEC (and your budget can handle it) they occasionally show up in the marketplace here. From what I have heard, at prices more reasonable than at the big auction site. (still well out of my budget, however.)
Click to expand...
Wow this is a lot. Was just looking for a small peanut or jack swell from case but I have no way to see them in person around Manhattan. How do you feel about the buck 503. Seems small enough to not interfere with the pocket, made on shore and assuming Buck is a good name. Thanks again
 
Thank you. Would love to find a tiny 505 but they seem to be discontinued and hard to locate
 
Kvk09 said:
Wow this is a lot. Was just looking for a small peanut or jack swell from case but I have no way to see them in person around Manhattan. How do you feel about the buck 503. Seems small enough to not interfere with the pocket, made on shore and assuming Buck is a good name. Thanks again
Click to expand...
The 503 is a great little lockback. 👍
Buck is an excellent brand. Their "Forever" warrantee is top class, and it does not matter if you bought the knife new or used, or even if you found it after it sat for decades in the woods, or on the bottom of a pond, lake, stream, river, or the ocean. It IS under warranty.
They also offer a SPA service to make the knife look new, for around $8.⁰⁰, I think it is. That does not include a new blade to replace one that has been over sharpened over the years, suffered a broken tip, or other non-warrantee cause. I believe a new blade (new production, standard 420HC blade steel, current tang stamp and date code) is an additional $10.⁰⁰.
If a custom shop knife with an S30V blade, they will replace it with an S30V blades, same for dealer SFO's with CPM154 or 5160, or other upgraded steel blade steel, such as D2 that was used on one SFO 112, a few years back, IF they have any on hand. If not, the replacement will be a current production 420HC. Production knives made with 440C, 425M, BG42, they don't have those blades available anymore, so they get 420HC. (if memory serves, they went from 440C to 420M in 1983, so it is not surprising they ran out of 440C blades decades ago. Same for the 425M, which was only used for 6 or 7 years.
 
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