SMKW

[just bob]

This ad from the back cover of the SMKW Christmas catalog really jumps out at me. Notice anything funny? We all know bear is a wooly, unwelcome visitor at a campsite and bare means unclad for the most part then what is a bearhead knife? According to what I see on Google there is no such word as "bearhead" (one word) However when you make it bear head (two words) then the meaning becomes obvious. When referring to knives and searching on Ebay you will see by searching for bear + knife that many knives come up with reference to Bear Bryant, Bear & Son, or Bear Grylls and other fixed blade knives with a bear head pommel. The only listings I see for "bearhead" knife is this new crop of Schrade knives from SMKW. If you come back to AAPK where knowledgeable knife people have been known to congregate and search in the Q and A forum you will find one reference to "bearhead" among the search results and that looks as if a pun was being made. There are several references to bear head (two Words) I also found this one reference to bear end knife (two words) knife by Big Monk in 2012.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=31781&p=295631&hili ... nd#p295631

Seems the proper terminology is bare head, barehead or bare end when referring to knives that don't have a bolster on one end. Has anyone ever seen other published advertisements for "bearhead" or "bearheaded" knives? Kind of makes me think this slipped past the proofreaders or else SMKW is blazing a new trail.

[FRJ]

That, and I'm wondering what xmas is.

[herbva]

Bob, now those poor people are going to have to reprint the "hole durn catlog" !

[knife7knut]

Too many people relying on the evil,"Spel-Chek" As a good friend of mine was wont to say,"Ignorance is NOT bliss anymore;it is a NECESSITY"

[cody6268]

Actually, "Bearhead" was the name for the 3OT and "Bearhead Trapper" for the 96OT in the Schrade USA lineup before Taylor ruined the name; so technically correct. I learned here that Schrade like to use "Bear" and related terms a lot because it was a play on the owner name of "Baer".

https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/co ... er-knives/

I used to avoid Chinese Schrades by principle. I bought my first, a 5OT late last year; and basically, that made me avoid them by principle. It's a horrible knife! Cheap steel, so stiff you can't unlock it, and there's a pin that is more than 1/16 too long. I need spare picks and tweezers to keep on hand; as I do with SAKs, but there's an Elk Ridge copy of the 96OT (which I suspect is made in the same factory) for $10.

[bighomer]

I know that spellchecker gets me a bunch, but my ole wore out brain and fingers get me a bunch too.

[Ridgegrass]

Are they made and printed in China? J.O'.

[carrmillus]

....I don't even open the catalog anymore....nothing but c-----e crap!!!....probably contains corolla virus!!!...... .........

[Mumbleypeg]

SMKW sold out to China years ago, just like Walmart and others have done. My aversion to Made-in-China is no secret, but unfortunately for some things it’s darn near impossible to avoid it. Still, I try. I haven’t bought a thing from SMKW in years, but somehow they still send me their catalogs filled with Made-in-China crap.

Ken

[cudgee]

SMKW sold out to China years ago, just like Walmart and others have done. My aversion to Made-in-China is no secret, but unfortunately for some things it’s darn near impossible to avoid it. Still, I try. I haven’t bought a thing from SMKW in years, but somehow they still send me their catalogs filled with Made-in-China crap.

Ken

You should move over here mate, they won't even deal with us evil creatures from down under, won't even return any emails.

[just bob]

Actually, "Bearhead" was the name for the 3OT and "Bearhead Trapper" for the 96OT in the Schrade USA lineup before Taylor ruined the name; so technically correct. I learned here that Schrade like to use "Bear" and related terms a lot because it was a play on the owner name of "Baer".

https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/co ... er-knives/

I used to avoid Chinese Schrades by principle. I bought my first, a 5OT late last year; and basically, that made me avoid them by principle. It's a horrible knife! Cheap steel, so stiff you can't unlock it, and there's a pin that is more than 1/16 too long. I need spare picks and tweezers to keep on hand; as I do with SAKs, but there's an Elk Ridge copy of the 96OT (which I suspect is made in the same factory) for $10.

Thank you for posting that information. I was unaware of that and spent time on the Internet making sure I was correct before posting. After you provided this information I went back and searched and added "made in USA" + bearhead knife and this came up on Ebay.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/SCHRADE-KNIFE- ... 7675.l2557

Can't tell if the word bearhead is actually on the literature or is just being used by the seller?

As for as the comments on SMKW and China. I agree with the general theme and don't purchase knives made in China. SMKW is a business and has to turn a profit to stay in operation and must do what is best for the bottom line. I understand that they sell made in China products what upsets me to no end is that they are very deceptive in their sales practices and oftentimes the knives are not labeled "made in China" and the buyer has not been made aware of what they are actually purchasing Seems if they are bound to sell them then they would label the products prominently and correctly so there would be no confusion on them. They get the rights to a brand name and have the knives made in China, sell a blue million of them and then customers find out what they have actually bought. On the bright side they also sell Case knives and others that are made in the USA.