Recommendation? Who is left?

Camillus said:
Sorry, I should have stated Schrade and perhaps a couple others.

Whether we like it or not.
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No, no It just took me a minute. Using the moniker Taylor Brands, makes who they are a little less painful to recall. Sorry I'm a little dubious about Schrade et. al., these days. I normally don't include Schrade (UH, OT, Imperial) Frost et. al., Gerber, *only Chinese* made Bucks as viable makers to be considered when buying traditionals so they normally slip my mind when making a mental list... Don't mean to be condescending (although I am being such) about these makers, I've just really written them off, with the exception on U. S. manufacturered Bucks. The winds of change are hard to reverse with where they have been going...
 
Bartleby said:
Otter makes several very nice traditionals indeed!

Beware the current knockoff version of the Mercator, which is not marked Solingen Germany on the blade nor on the back of the handle. When imported in the USA it is etched (not stamped) on the blade "Mercator" on one side, "400252" on the other side. The same knife has appeared etched with just the word "Sheffield" on the blade in Australia.
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My Mercator is probably my most used knife. Use it for cutting food (hate the term "food prep," don't know why) and just in general around the house. Easy to grab and with a good edge makes a wonderful utility knife. I had no idea about the copies. That's great info to know. THANK YOU for the heads-up Bartleby!
 
Dean51 said:
Case - Case should try some new interesting patterns, instead of the same old poop in a new color.
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Actually one of my favorites is the Tribal Lock. I've been carrying one of these in a Case soft belt pouch as a secondary since they came out. To me it's one of their newer models but yeah I guess it has been out for a while. I like the easy-opening blade, much like I use my Mercator. I tried carrying almost all of their other patterns daily but the nail nick without much blade exposed is just too inconvenient (with the exception of the Back Pocket models which, though easy to open, are Ginormous and not too inconspicuous where onlookers are concerned). Nobody bats an eye when you go for a 3" Case or similar.
 
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If we're talking about Traditionals, I just got a new Fallkniven U2, had some issues with the F&F, but they're nice and fairly Traditional-ish, minus the Zytel Handle of course. More of a Nordic-Scandinavian traditional as opposed to an Anglo-American traditional...
 
ShelterMe said:
I had no idea about the copies. That's great info to know. THANK YOU for the heads-up Bartleby!
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Always welcome!

Rather than going off the OP's original topic, I started a different thread on Mercator copies.
 
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It's interesting that in these fora it ends up not being about made in the U.S. so much as it is about NOT MADE in China. SanRenMu is a Chinese company that's actually making some VERY highly regarded knives using a "decent" steel, but none in traditional patterns that I know of. And, lots of people here at BF swear by Rough Rider which is, of course Chinese.

I'm thinking in terms of good makers of traditional knives by nation, or region.

U.S, we have:
  1. Case
  2. Great Eastern
  3. Buck still makes some (most?) in the U.S.
  4. Benchmade??? Some U.S. Made Slipjoints
France -
  1. Opinel - Their carbon steel comes from Germany and is worked in France. Their Inox is the Swedish 12C27MOD Sandvik.
  2. Laguiole ( http://www.laguiole.com/index.php?language=en ) Apparently this refers to an area (a city?) in France and there are multiple knife makers there that can use the name. There are also lots of knockoffs that use this name to refer to the style of knife. But, some of the ones from France, from that specific region, are fantastic.
Germany -
  1. Boker
  2. Loewen Messer
  3. Otter Messer
Japan -
I don't know much about Japanese knives. I know that some of their high end ancient folder pattern knives are made with basically Samurai steel - folded, and with a bevel on only one side. Their high end kiridashi woodworking knives with a chisel grind are wickedly sharp. Their cooking knives are legendary. I don't think any Japanese company is making traditional folders using Japanese steel.

China -
  1. Rough Rider
  2. Kissing Crane??? Are they any good?
  3. Is SanRenMu the company that's actually making Chinese knives for American companies, or would that be RR? I know that SanRenMu is making some tacticool knives for some of the American companies and then selling the "knockoffs" under their own brand. It's hard to claim that it's a knockoff if they're the ones actually manufacturing them and they own the machines and the tooling.
Portugal -
  1. MAM - An Opinel clone? But with some improvements? I don't know what kind of steel they use, or how it compares to the excellent steel that Opinel uses. I don't know how they grind their knives.
England - All single blade lambsfoot (or sheepsfoot) folders as far as I can tell.
  1. A. Write - Makes a lambsfoot
  2. Taylors
  3. Joseph Rodgers
  4. George Wostenholm
Switzerland
  1. Victorinox (and Wenger) - Swedish steel from Sandvic. Assembled in Switzerland.
So what other countries have a traditional knife manufacturer still making knives in their home country.
 
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Löwen Messer und Otter Messer are German not English! And it's Wright's of Sheffield.

Moki Japan, make really excellent traditional lockbacks using Japanese steel, great quality.

Laguioles come in many forms and manufacturers, most located in Theirs France.

Italy has a good knife base, just look at some of the Neo Traditionals that Lionsteel do.

Spain too, see Joker, Muela, knives.
 
Gabriel Velasco said:
France -
  1. Opinel - Swedish Steel. Same used in Victorinox

Switzerland
  1. Victorinox (and Wenger) - Swedish steel from Sandvic. Assembled in Switzerland.
So what other countries have a traditional knife manufacturer still making knives in their home country.
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Opinel carbon steel comes from Germany as a rough and is worked in France, then treated by Opinel.
Inox is the Swedish 12C27MOD Sandvik. ( https://www.opinel.com/en/the-brand/know-how/blade )

Victorinox steel comes from Acieries Bonpertuis, Grenoble, France. ( https://www.bonpertuis-steel.com/ )

There is an old cutlery tradition in Hungary and Bulgary.
 
A couple of other German brands with traditional offerings are Friedrich Hartkopf and Hubertus and another good French one is Artisan Coutelier. Artisan Coutelier has an awesome feature on their website, the "configurator". You can design your knife online and order it directly...
 
Jolipapa said:
Opinel carbon steel comes from Germany as a rough and is worked in France, then treated by Opinel.
Inox is the Swedish 12C27MOD Sandvik. ( https://www.opinel.com/en/the-brand/know-how/blade )
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Thank you. I've added that.
Victorinox steel comes from Acieries Bonpertuis, Grenoble, France. ( https://www.bonpertuis-steel.com/ )
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I've read in multiple places that the Victorinox steel comes from Sandvik - Swiss knife, Swedish Steel. Could it be that this has changed? Does the metal originally come from France and is processed in Sandvik? Are these other sources wrong?
 
Dean51 said:
Vic uses x55CrMo14, German I think.
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Gabriel Velasco said:
Thank you. I've added that.

I've read in multiple places that the Victorinox steel comes from Sandvik - Swiss knife, Swedish Steel. Could it be that this has changed? Does the metal originally come from France and is processed in Sandvik? Are these other sources wrong?
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No , gentlemen, the Victorinox steel comes from Bonpertuis (they are specialised in knife steels among others) and shares the same French mountain accent as in Swiss Jura.
Sandvik is widely used in France but come from Sandvik mills.

(Edit) The Damas used by Victorinox for limited editions is from Sweden.
 
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Nitrobe 77 (Damasteel)= Sweden
Their blades are definitely x55CrMo14 aka 1.4116




Steel Used for HRC

x55CrMo14 blades 56HRC

x39Cr13 parts 52-56HRC

x20Cr13 springs 49HRC
 
CAS Iberia has some premium Chinese made knives. They did a Ron Lake designed lock back that is very nice, also a Chinese leaf shaped blade traditional folder.
 
brownshoe said:
CAS Iberia has some premium Chinese made knives. They did a Ron Lake designed lock back that is very nice, also a Chinese leaf shaped blade traditional folder.
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I wish I had picked up one of the Lake inspired interframe tail locks they produced. Is that the one you're referring to?
 
Peregrin said:
I wish I had picked up one of the Lake inspired interframe tail locks they produced. Is that the one you're referring to?
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Absolutely. I've run into them a few times. When they first came out a local gun show guy had one and I coon fingered it a number of times, but it was just out of range. As good in fit, finish and design as any Case Bose. Now I have the money, but they are gone.
 
ShelterMe said:
I was looking at a Grohmann Knives (Canada) D.H. Russell Mini-lockback folder. Unique blade shape almost like a Case Tribal Lock but more pronounced. They come in Rosewood and Stag. Ray Mears uses one of their Slimline folders (another design) for fine cutting in some of his crafting videos. I've seen the same one in a YouTube review where the fit and finish seems to match GEC in close-up. I don't know if D.H. Russell is any relation to A.G. Russell... The steel is described as high carbon and similar to AUS6. They are within the $50-60 range. Anyone have any of their folders?
340s-mini-russell-lock-blade-detail
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Has anyone got any of these Grohmann Knives folders? Really interesting blade design. I'd like to know more about them...
 
I've seen the their small lockback, slipjoint and DH Russell lockblade. The DH Russell is an interesting design and a big knife. I like the fixed blade version better. It's too big for my taste and I like my knives in my pocket. The lockback and slipjoint were decent products but nothing tripped my trigger. Fit and finish are decent. Wood was very nice. Per their website, "european steels somewhat comparable to AUS6 are used in the pocket and lock knives. Rockwell hardness 56-58 degrees". I have two SOGs in AUS6 and it's a fine steel. I'd say their knives are comparable to Case but a little more expensive. However they are a smaller shop.
 
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