Has S&W sold all their knife production? I seem to recall hearing that they had. I understand they had purchased all the Schrade trademarked names, including Uncle Henry and Old Timer. Do any of you august gentlemen have any insight?
A question about Smith & Wesson knife production
- Thread starter A10
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American Outdoor Brands (AOB) recently split apart separating S&W firearms from their other brands. S&W now stands alone. AOB marketed multiple brands of knives that they did not manufacture including knives branded S&W. S&W has not made a knife since the 1970s. After their Blackie Collins series was discontinued S&W licensed their brand to other knife sellers, Taylor Cutlery being the best know and most prolific. Taylor Cutlery never manufactured knives. They mostly outsourced them to the Pacific rim, primarily China. AOB acquired Taylor Cutlery, and as far as I know still owns Taylor Cutlery.
Schrade and their associated brand names Uncle Henry and Old Timer were purchased by Taylor Cutlery in 2004. AOB acquired Schrade when they bought Taylor Cutlery. I'll poke around the internet before writing that AOB still owns Schrade. As a practical matter buyers of relatively modern Schrade knives are interested in one thing, whether they are stamped USA or China.
Schrade and their associated brand names Uncle Henry and Old Timer were purchased by Taylor Cutlery in 2004. AOB acquired Schrade when they bought Taylor Cutlery. I'll poke around the internet before writing that AOB still owns Schrade. As a practical matter buyers of relatively modern Schrade knives are interested in one thing, whether they are stamped USA or China.
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OP
Thanks K22! A FB friend, Mike Stewart, is a knife manufacturer, and there was a discussion tonight about the old Schrade brands. The question came up about the availability of the Old Timer and Uncle Henry names and if they were still owned by S&W or were on the market.
THE PILGRIM
Member
Hey A10 - Does your Buddy Mike own Marble?
OP
He makes Marbles, not sure if he owns the name though. I know he makes a number of others as well, including the Blackjack Classic line.
AOB owns the trade marks SCHRADE, Old Timer, and Uncle Henry.
Despite containing the word ERROR these links do go to U.S. Patent and Trade Mark Office searches for those Trade Marks.
TESS -- Error
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Despite containing the word ERROR these links do go to U.S. Patent and Trade Mark Office searches for those Trade Marks.
TESS -- Error
TESS -- Error
TESS -- Error
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Marshwheeling
Member
A lot of current Marble’s production appears to be in China, probably in the same factory that makes Rough Ryder knives for Smoky Mountain Knife Works. Quite a few Marble’s patterns are identical to Rough Ryder, often with better materials and maybe more careful detailing.
I have no idea if Mike Stewart still has any rights in the name. His forte has been fixed blades like the very good Bark Rivers, which have nothing in common with the traditional slipjoints that now bear the Marble’s name.
There is just one Gladstone Marble’s on my shelf, a small hunter about the size of a Buck 102. I have three of the offshore slipjoints: An electrician’s knife that is sort of a TL-29 on steroids, with orange G10 scales and a relatively beefy hollow-ground spear, along with the obligatory locking screwdriver/wire stripper; a repro of the steel-handled US Army demo knife, with fit and finish at least as good as the original Camillus; and a very nice rendition of the RR swayback stockman in black micarta and D2 steel.
You can love ‘em because these very nicely made knives be had for 10 or 20 bucks, or you can hate ‘em because they are made in China. A lot of them are patterns and finishes that you can’t get from Case or anybody else.
I have no idea if Mike Stewart still has any rights in the name. His forte has been fixed blades like the very good Bark Rivers, which have nothing in common with the traditional slipjoints that now bear the Marble’s name.
There is just one Gladstone Marble’s on my shelf, a small hunter about the size of a Buck 102. I have three of the offshore slipjoints: An electrician’s knife that is sort of a TL-29 on steroids, with orange G10 scales and a relatively beefy hollow-ground spear, along with the obligatory locking screwdriver/wire stripper; a repro of the steel-handled US Army demo knife, with fit and finish at least as good as the original Camillus; and a very nice rendition of the RR swayback stockman in black micarta and D2 steel.
You can love ‘em because these very nicely made knives be had for 10 or 20 bucks, or you can hate ‘em because they are made in China. A lot of them are patterns and finishes that you can’t get from Case or anybody else.
OP
I know Mike has made versions of the Ideal and Canoe. I think you are right about Marbles being offshored though Marsh.
Marshwheeling
Member
Buck’ mainline steel is 420HC. Rough Ryder uses some flavor of 440, probably 440A, not the most modern steel, but more than good enough for EDC, and better than Case Tru-Sharp by some accounts. For their increasing numbers of carbon steel blades, they use T10.
If you don’t want to send your money to China, fair enough, but you can’t fault Rough Ryder’s traditional folders on quality..
When it comes to the modern folders, there are a few companies turning out some very good stuff, and a lot of shops turning out junk made with inferior material, counterfeits of US makers, and violations of patents and design copyrights. If you are going to buy there, you need to do your homework.
SMKW was listing the steel in most of their Schrades and Rough Ryders as 7CR17. That's read as 0.7% carbon, 17% Chromium. It is said to be on par with 440A. My guess, which I can not support, is that SMKW is in some cases advertising 7Cr17 as 440A. Shipping rolls of American 440A to China is not cost effective. Those $13 to $25 dollar knives are most likely made with Chinese stainless steel.
More recently SMKW is advertising Imperial and some of their Schrade knives as having lower carbon 3Cr13MoV stainless. They are less expensive but for half the price of a cup of coffee you can get the better steel.
The common American made stainless Buck slip joints can be 425, 420HC or 440A depending on who actually made them and when.
More recently SMKW is advertising Imperial and some of their Schrade knives as having lower carbon 3Cr13MoV stainless. They are less expensive but for half the price of a cup of coffee you can get the better steel.
The common American made stainless Buck slip joints can be 425, 420HC or 440A depending on who actually made them and when.
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Many thanks! I just ordered a current production Marbles sowbelly stockman with the black micarta scales and D2 steel blades. $23 shipped from an eBay seller. I have several of the Rough Rider T10 sowbelly stockmans with yellow scales and use them frequently for EDC on job sites. If the Marbles production knife turns out to be a step up from those, I will be thrilled with the purchase.
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