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I was looking through a knife catalogue the other day and it depressed me....
Even big name "American" brands were now being made overseas in the far east......
I'm really not that old, but I am old enough to remember when you went to the sporting goods or hardware store and bought a 'good' knife and came home with something that was made in the USA with steel from an American mill, by American workers and it had stag handles too, and you knew that with modest care it would last not only your lifetime but about three generations.....
Oh, you might hanker for something a bit unusual and get something made in Toledo Spain, Solingen Germany or Sheffield England, but that stuff generally was built to last too.
My how things have changed.
And not for the better in my opinion.
Its a depressing thing to be a dinosaur in the tupperware world....
It is sad, I tried making deer antler handled knives and had the worst time trying to find quality stuff to use that I could afford. I am also a woodcarver and the best tools are Stubai, which ain't American, they are made in Austria.
__________________ I try to live life, that in the morning, Satan shudders & says 'Oh crap, she's awake!"
The steel used by Queen comes from right here in w Pa. and their heat treating is done by Peters.
They make some of the finest slipjoint folders on the market and also have a line of fixed blades.
As much as their own line, also they make knives for many other companies. AGRussell, the better Winchesters and Primbles for Bluegrass, KaBar, Mooremaker, etc.
Also, they own and produce Schatt&Morgan and Robeson.
Pretty busy place for just having 37 employees.
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A gun will get you thru times of no money better than having money and no gun.
You can get American made and quality but you're going to pay for it.
I want you guys to take a look at some table-top and field reviews of knives by this guy::
Nutnfancy on youtube, he's a Lt.Col. for one of the armed forces not sure which one but he'll tell you in each of his knife videos that its not where the steel is made its the quality control behind it.
Every now and then they have some of Queen Cutlery's products in Smoky Mountain Knifeworks catalogs.
I know they make standard knives that everybody makes like trappers, barlows and stockmans knives. I didn't know they made fixed blades or that they were an OEM maker for other companies though.
Thanks for the tip.
I understand that Canal Street Cutlery also makes knives here in the US.
I recently bought two case knives and other than one thing, I was pretty pleased fit and finish wise.
The one thing is that the blades, when open are not straight to the bolsters and are angled a bit. The varous copies are all straight at the bolsters.
I don't know if the Case versions were always like that or if its something they changed to keep people from trying to stab stuff with a folding knife that has no lock.
I had a lot of Case knives from the late sixties and early seventies at one time many years ago, and I don't recall any of them being slightly angled at the bolster like these two new ones- a folding hunter and a trapper.
As posted earlier, you can get American made hunting knives. You will pay a bit more. (high quality hand made imports are about the same price as American) It simply depends on what kind of quality you want in a knife. Many folks aren't all that particular. If it will stay sharp through one deer, it is sufficient. I am more particular myself. All but one of my five hunting knives are hand made. The longest blade is 4 1/4 in. They are used exclusively for hunting and I don't mind paying more. I consider it to be an important part of my hunting "gear".
Canal Street Cutlery rose from the ashes of Schrade. Queen actually helped them get off the ground, doing several operations for their early knives.
Sure ya gotta pay for quality! You wouldn't hire no yobo off the street to build a house for ya.
I use a knife many times during my day and demand quality. That's oneof the reasons I started making knives in the first place. Just couldn't buy what I neded at wallyMart.
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A gun will get you thru times of no money better than having money and no gun.
We have several knife makers here in northwest Oregon. You are right if you have a knife made by one of them you are going to pay for it. As for the steel they use I dont know where it comes from. Alot of them use old saw blades and planner/peeler blades so I am sure it is probably good stuff. As for buying stuff that is made in Germany or Austria they make some really high quality stuff. Of course I suppose there is some junk that comes from europe also.
Travis
Beware of spending alot of money on unknown steel. Although planner blades and saw blades CAN be good quality steel, without a analysis of the steel the maker doesnt really know what kind of steel it is and is guessing at what the heat treat should be.
If the maker is using unknown steel rather then paying the 4$ for known knife steel he/she isnt likly to pay the 70$ it takes for an analysis.
