S&W buys Knife maker

[357-RevolverGuy]

This sounds like great news for S&W. I have a very different opinion than most of you. I love USA made knives and will always gear toward buying something stamped USA over anything made in China. But honestly Schrade was never a top dollar brand to begin with. Back when they were made here they were considered budget knives compared to the Buck and Puma hunting knifes they competed with. I really do think that the modern day Schrade's are much better quality and have better fit/finish than ones I have seen from 20-30 years ago. They are also made of better steels and scale materials.

I understand some are still upset about how they make them but in order for Taylor to have kept those brands alive (Henry, Schrade, Old Timer) they had to make that transition. A lot of other manufacturers have done the same to stay in business and even some of the older guys like A.G. Russell have had to contract work overseas.

These knives are still designed here though–and to me that's partly important because some of my favorite Schrade knives have all been from their current lineup (which didn't even exist 20-30 years ago). I personally have enjoyed using and owning the Schrade SCHF51, and the SCHF42. They are excellent bushcraft knives. I'm still wanting to get my hands on an SCHF43 (Jessica-X) at some point. Check out their offerings if you haven't seen what they've been up to the last couple of years. Might surprise some of ya'll.

 

[Narragansett]

Well it can be good news if the quality comes up. I have had a couple S&W Chinese made knives and I am not too impressed. Taylor makes cheap stuff IMO. if you want Schrade, go look for USA made stuff. I have 4 small lockbacks with their 100 year mark on them just before they went out of business, I also have a couple Schrade Scrimshaw fixed blades.. I stay away from Chinese stuff, but i do like the Boker Kalashnikov(sp) autos from Blade HQ. Dollar for dollar, they are a sound everyday auto. Beyond that I buy USA made Piranah(sp), Microtech and Benchmade, all available at blade HQ, and all automatic. Just my opinion

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Not everything that comes from China is cheaply made, even if the price is inexpensive, or cheap. I have a Boker Automat Kalashnikov 74 in my pocket every day - it's a 2.5" switchblade of very high quality as far as I can tell. Made in Taiwan - okay, that's not China, yet.

 

[Bullet Bob]

In Ken Warner's great 1976 book, "The Practical Book of Knives"
he points out that although we love to discuss (argue?) steels, shapes, etc., the knives made today, even the cheap ones, are of far better quality than the ones the mountain men used to roam the West.

In the middle of this picture is a Schrade Uncle Henry that served as my work desk knife for about a quarter-century before I retired. It's flanked by a Case that I keep in the pen/ruler/junk box on my computer desk, and the world's best pocket knife for me, a Swiss Army knife with scissors.

 

[Gamecock]

I have seen in more than one buyout the infusion of capital. Companies/divisions that the corporation doesn't much like get starved of capital. New owners frequently put capital into new acquisitions. Therefore, this may be very good news for the companies bought, and their future customers.

 

[JSR III]

Slightly off topic but they just bought Crimson Trace for like 95 million. That's almost 200 million in purchases this month. Gun sales must be good.

 

[mauser9]

Maybe should have bought Buck.

 

[Derosa]

I think the marketing guys have assumed control at the mother ship of self defense delight. Buy a packaged M&P with a logo marked knife and matching serial number in a limited edition WITH a Crimson Trace, and from a company or two that you control in any color you want and POOF...instant market share & profits. But, what do I know? I still like blue guns that go round.

 

[Narragansett]

Not everything that comes from China is cheaply made, even if the price is inexpensive, or cheap. I have a Boker Automat Kalashnikov 74 in my pocket every day - it's a 2.5" switchblade of very high quality as far as I can tell. Made in Taiwan - okay, that's not China, yet.

I use one of these every day myself and have for years. I consider them to be great for a modest price

 

[H Richard]

I think what we may be missing is S&W spent $95 million on this company, and then yesterday announced they are buying Crimson Trace laser's. I don't know how much that one was but I'd bet quite a few millions also. The reports stated S&W bought from "cash on hand". This is also not long after having bought Battenfield Technologies (Midway manufacturing arm). SWHC is getting to be pretty diverse, but within the shooting/sporting goods arena. Keep an eye on the stock values.

 

[reddog81]

Slightly off topic but they just bought Crimson Trace for like 95 million. That's almost 200 million in purchases this month. Gun sales must be good.

I'm guessing gun sales have been really good. They probably realized they were going to be targeted for a takeover/buyout. They needed to spend some cash and/or rack up some debt to make themselves a less attractive target for some large conglomerate to gobble up.

 

[Evil Texan]

Yes, all of those brands are sadly made in communist China who has bought a share of influence over our government. The knives made under these various and sundry are rapidly improving in quality. Think Japan in the 1960s.

 

[Hoov]

I did not read all the comments, but the one good thing is that maybe these fly by night companies that keep trying to sell me cheap S&W knives will quit calling. I can now get crappy knives straight from Smith!

 

[retiredbadge8091]

I packed an old Schrade Golden Spike for years. It cleaned deer, upland game and fish. All without a hitch. Of course this knife was purchased in the 1970's and I still have it, and the leather case with auxiliary sharpening stone that originally came with it. I guess nobody told it that it was an unserviceable piece of junk.

All I can hope is Smith & Wesson will take the newly purchased knife lines and build a respectable line of knives worthy of the blue badge and our loyalty.

 

[chud333]

Wonder if they'll start putting locks on the knives?



Chuck

 

[gregintenn]

For those of you who say Schrade was always of sub par quality, I urge you to find an old Shrade Walden pocket knife and look it over. I have a few, and they are of top quality in my opinion.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

For those of you who say Schrade was always of sub par quality, I urge you to find an old Shrade Walden pocket knife and look it over. I have a few, and they are of top quality in my opinion.

The pre-chinese Schrades/Old Timers were good quality working knives...Who knows what the blades are made of now??......recycled car bumpers & soup cans?.......

 

[e63]

The Taylor made S&W branded/packaged knives I have experienced in the past year are way below par in my opinion, with the most serious flaw being the often reported(see utube) linerlock locking and freezing past the mid butt of the blade, rendering the knife inoperable. Until you use a tool to fix this, you have a fixed blade! It is curious to me how the Taylor made Schrade branded/packaged knives do not share this flaw? I stopped buying S&W knives as a result. I am not saying they all are bad, but every linerlock I tried had the same issue. YMMV
The knives I tried were all on the low end of the price scale. No excuse for that type of poor performance though, and many other brands I have tried , including the above mentioned Schrades , are nice knives. Hopefully, as the parent company, S&W can bring some of their QA process to their lower end knife lineup.

 

[chaparrito]

I carry a big old Schrade 3 bladed stockman most days. Wonderfully patinaed blades. We were in Tractor Supply when my son said "hey look, Schrade knives". I pulled mine out of my pocket and had him compare it to a new stockman. Even through the blister pack you could see the fit and finish on the new one didn't compare. Pins sticking out instead of polished flush with the handle, big gaps where the Delrin meets metal, etc. Very sad.

 

[Lee's Landing Billy]

Regarding post 22's remark. What is a "tat"? Where do you go to exchange it for that other thing?