Who would have thunk it?

W

willis

Joined
Apr 14, 2002
Messages
740
I was looking at an A.G.Russell catalog from 2003 today and they were selling a few 95th anniversary Schrade premium stockman knives made in 1999 that were discovered in a warehouse at the factory and bought by A.G.The history of the company was touted and talked about the 100th ann knives coming out in 2004.I bet no one reading this catalog back then would have believed the company would be gone soon.The knife had nickel silver liners and sterling silver bolsters and shield with engine turned backsprings and 24 kt.gold and gun blued etching commemorating the 95th ann on the clip blade.The price was 89.95 and I reckon it has appreciated in value in the 11 years since.I bought a Case Seahorse whittler to give my dad on his 63rd birthday and a Bob Dozier Master Hunter from this catalog back in June of 2003 and reading it made me realize how much the knife business has changed since then.Almost all of A.G's knives were made in the USA or Seki city Japan then while the same knives are made in China now.Another company lost to history that had great knives for sale in the old catalog was Camillus and they had some great collaborative knives with custom makers and a couple of limited edition fixed blade hunters with ironwood scales and Talonite blades,they too would close the factory doors.Anyhow it just made me wonder why great companies with long histories of making quality knives die off yet businesses making shoddy knives out of cheaper components seem to thrive.I remember when I was a kid something that was poorly made was described as looking like something "made in Japan"yet today Seki City turns out some of the best made knives around and not long ago I was ragging on the knives made in China in a conversation with Ethan Becker and he said that I would be surprised by the quality of some of the stuff from China these days.Still I long for the days when American factories turned out knives that were made by American workers who took pride in their work and made in the USA was synonymous with you can't go no better.
 
Lots of great knives made in the US of A. Case, Buck, Bear and Sons, Canal Street Cutlery, Great Eastern Cutlery and Utica Cutlery for starters.
 
A Case yellow peanut with CV blades my brother in law gave me for xmas in 2005 had scales that curled out where it met the bolsters and the blades hit the backspring when closed resulting in a flattened spot on the edges.I filed the shiny spots on the backsprings where the edges hit and the pen blade was easily fixed but the backspring on the clip blade had to filed so much that the pivot pen was exposed resulting in a very weak spring and a tiny flat spot still appearing when closed.The kicks were almost non existent from an over enthusiastic or under talented and and I should have returned it to Case but I never figured I would file through the backspring hump exposing the pivot pin and still have the edge hitting the pin.I had bought a 3318 and a 3375 stockman yellow CV from 2002 manufacture and they were OK though the clip and sheepfoot blades on each made contact when closed but only the sides were affected not the edges.I have not bought a Case lately and hear the Quality Control is better these days.The Old Timer 8OT I bought in 2002 was flawless and it or the Case 6318 CV I bought in 1982 are what I have in my pocket when I dont have a Caly 3 clipped on.
 
willis said:
A Case yellow peanut with CV blades my brother in law gave me for xmas in 2005 had scales that curled out where it met the bolsters and the blades hit the backspring when closed resulting in a flattened spot on the edges.I filed the shiny spots on the backsprings where the edges hit and the pen blade was easily fixed but the backspring on the clip blade had to filed so much that the pivot pen was exposed resulting in a very weak spring and a tiny flat spot still appearing when closed.The kicks were almost non existent from an over enthusiastic or under talented and and I should have returned it to Case but I never figured I would file through the backspring hump exposing the pivot pin and still have the edge hitting the pin.I had bought a 3318 and a 3375 stockman yellow CV from 2002 manufacture and they were OK though the clip and sheepfoot blades on each made contact when closed but only the sides were affected not the edges.I have not bought a Case lately and hear the Quality Control is better these days.The Old Timer 8OT I bought in 2002 was flawless and it or the Case 6318 CV I bought in 1982 are what I have in my pocket when I dont have a Caly 3 clipped on.
Click to expand...


Apparently the quality of Case has been getting better over the last couple of years, if you get a chance to see them in person, you'll be able to buy one without worrying.
 
GEC is a great example of a company that creates quality that people will pay for. If GEC was the quality of Case, no one would pay $100 for a jackknife. It's a tough row to hoe. Create a good quality product, in the US, paying US prices for labor, while maintaining a good price point. I don't envy them, but I do appreciate & support them. Bought another GEC tonight. But you can see how the batch run limited availability premium priced philosophy doesn't work for everyone.
 
Good point polymer,it seems like for an example Remington arms,Where they once offered a identical except for lesser wood and less meticulous bluing shotgun and called it a sportsman version of the Wingmaster which was very elegant.Both guns had same parts and worked flawlessly.These days the less expensive one is an Express and in addition to less fit and finish some components are of less quality and as backed up by my experience with two I have had problems that rendered them unreliable,and the Wingmaster is nowhere near the quality of the older models but are very pricey nonetheless.Then the custom shop offers a gun with the finish and attention to detail of the old Wingmasters but you will pay dearly for it.What happened to the middle ground?Anymore it seems you settle for a Stockman say from Case that is relatively inexpensive but where the old ones had square sharp corners on the back of the blade and backsprings where they meet and slimmer liners with close tolerances that did not rub the blades,the newer ones have thicker liners to allow less labor to fit and look as if everything is put together rough and then buffed and polished.The 8 dot 6318 I have is so much slimmer in width than the newer versions that the bulk is noticeable.To get a knife of it's quality one now has to pay the 100$ for one of the GEC knives or a couple of other makes.It seems us not dirt poor but not Jed Clampett rich either folks have a hard time finding a company that remembers us,they either make hoi polloi or ne plus ultra models.Sorry to ramble but inactivity to due to surgery to repair damaged skeletal units last week and the pills they issue to mute the pain is making me grumpy and restless.Here is a 1977 Buck 110 that cost 15.99 then and is so much better in every way than the new ones with their plywood scales and protruding rivets that cost 40 some dollars and have a sheath made of nylon.

 
"Sorry to ramble but inactivity to due to surgery to repair damaged skeletal units last week and the pills they issue to mute the pain is making me grumpy and restless."

Hope you feel better soon! :thumbup::)
 
Thanks Makesharp,waited so long to that the VA let me have my surgery from a civilian surgeon in a civilian hospital.The VA is broken and corrupt.
 
From what I hear about the VA lately, you're lucky if they don't just take you out back and shoot you. Hope you feel better soon.
 
Please focus on knives. Not where they are made. It's in the forum rules in the stickies.

We understand that many knives and brands/marks that were once produced here in the USA are now produced overseas, whether that offshore manufacture resides in Europe, South America or Asia.
Be that as it may, the Traditional Forum exists to discuss the knives (pro and con) as opposed to hosting rants about overseas manufacture in general or specific countries in particular.
We feel it is safe to say that we all want to see the U.S. cutlery industry thrive. If for some reason you cannot countenance purchasing knives manufactured overseas then by all means "vote" with your dollars but do not use the forum for promoting any particular agenda.
Click to expand...


Aside from that, please focus on knives. Other topics may be discussed in the Lounge.
 
I see the forum software is playing tricks again and posting doubles.
Rats! I wanted a treat. Not a trick.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top