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David Nowlin

David Nowlin

Joined
Jan 17, 2018
Messages
2,781
Co worker said his grandfather gave him a Buck so he sent me some pictures. Pretty sure its not a Buck but any idea what it is. Said it was really old but thats the story what is the real story? upload_2019-1-16_20-53-2.jpeg
 
Yea no markings at all. Story was his 80 year old grandfather had it when he was 15 so its at least 65 yrs old? Not sure when his GF passed away but you know stories?
 
David Nowlin said:
Yea no markings at all. Story was his 80 year old grandfather had it when he was 15 so its at least 65 yrs old? Not sure when his GF passed away but you know stories?
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No way. Back in the late 1980s and 1990s you could buy those for about $10 from places like Smokey Mountain Knife Works and Atlanta Cutlery. Jim Parker also sold stuff like that in his catalogs. Almost certainly made by or for Fury. They still sell similar large bowies with that long blade perforation and angled guard.
 
I may not know the brand or age of that knife but its rainbow wood handle and tilted guard remind me of the galactic warrior knife, made by Frost Cutlery?
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I'm fairly confident that the knife was made in Pakistan.:D
The clipped blade tip with the swedge , multi-colored wood handle,
and the pointy pommel/glass breaker....It's a pretty cool looking knife in my opinion
 
In the 1980s there was a knife imported from Japan and sold under the "Saburo" label called the "Crocodile Knife" Model SKS400. Later, Frost Cutlery sold it with some design changes but still calling it the "Crocodile Knife". Both of these knives however were marked as to Brand/country of origin. The closet model would be the Saburo model SKS500.
Although the knife in question is slightly different and has no markings at all, I think there is sufficient design similarity to suggest it may have been a copy. My first guess would be a Taiwan made copy.
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Whatever the specifics of it, it's definitely a pretty recent knife, and not one of any particular note, I'm afraid. But if he's happy with it, that's what matters. :)
 
Thank you everyone for your contributions. Not sure i want to burst his buble with knock off, cheapo or Taiwanese copy when he cherishes it as his grandfathers when he was a boy. So may just tell him with out markings it will remain a mystery? Still its old as its older than he is lol :D
 
Howdy y’all. I’m a knife forum newb but I’ve been collecting fixed blades for a good while.
I actually live in the 75229 zip code here in Dallas and I consider collecting these “Saburo” knives a sort of local duty to the original oily haired importer that use to pass these knives off on unsuspecting exotic knife buyers. I’ve traced most of his variety of knives to the same makers of Frost and Maxam knives from Japan. Whether it stayed that way is unclear. The early “Saburo” knives appear to be imported from Japan in the same way early Frost/Parker knives were. The latter “Saburo” knives appeared more focused on the patriotic markets namely the (Green beret, Marine recon, and Rambo/ Gil Hibben knockoffs).
I’ve read the Folks responsible for Frost knives began importing from Taiwan and China and I strongly believe the later these Saburo knives were made through the 80s the more likely they were imported from China, Taiwan and even Pakistan.

I believe the importer of Saburo knives ended his “Saburo” line in the early 80s. No later than ‘83 and the same importer continued marketing Maxam knives. Some knives are both marketed Maxam knives but made by “Saburo”. These again seem to be focused on the the Rambo knife craze of the early 80s. Survival knives with twist open pommels and sawtooth spines.
Tracking “Saburo” knives has been like trying to hold a greased eel with both hands dipped in olive oil. One thing is certain though. Whoever owned that PO Box in Dallas Texas could definitively say who the heck “Saburo” was or is or if ever was. My bet is he was a motivated marketing guy in Dallas Texas that was looking to tap into the late 70s early 80s exotic knife fascination and make bank like a lot of unethical knife sellers today selling knives made in Pakistan and China but labeling them made in the UK or USA.
Will the real “Saburo” please stand up?!

Semper Fi
 
This still around? Lol! I’m a sucker for those Rambo Knock offs as the real thing is way out of my pay grade. Recently i saw Blade HQ ad for a Rambo Last blood knife/knives. I never bought any over the years and swore if they made one for this last movie i would buy one.
They are and i did. $5 deposit and February delivery. I know its a knock off but i’m sure it will fulfill its wall hanger duties just fine.
Opinions are welcome? Anyone see the same ad and reserve one? Am i the only fool? Lol
 
Texas Stax said:
..

I actually live in the 75229 zip code here in Dallas ..
One thing is certain though. Whoever owned that PO Box in Dallas Texas could definitively say who the heck “Saburo” was or is or if ever was. My bet is he was a motivated marketing guy in Dallas Texas that was looking to tap into the late 70s early 80s exotic knife fascination and make bank like a lot of unethical knife sellers today selling knives made in Pakistan and China but labeling them made in the UK or USA.
Will the real “Saburo” please stand up?!

Semper Fi
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saburo... now that is a name almost as
unforgetable as ginsu.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/saburo-knives-who-knows.1629590/#post-18617736

the clever use of exotic sounding names
is not to be underestimated as a genuone
marketing strategy :-)
for example the brand name of one particularly commerially successful
dairy product...
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Häagen-Dazs
 
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