Older German-made Knives

[upnorth]

Germany, like any other country, has produced knives with varying quality, depending on the times, and political situations.
This one must have been produced when things were good. This one has a lot of features you see on older and better knives. A lot of goodness in a small package, at a hair under 3"!
Show us your good old German knives!

[keithlong]

Hey Upnorth,
How about an older Fight'n Rooster Congress, My pics are not as good as yours.



Also here is a nice Pearl Handle Coles Whittler.

[smiling-knife]

Here are a few.

Ed Wustof mop multi-tool knife and AW jr (Anton Wingen)

[orvet]

As a kid I grew up on a ranch in the mountains of Southern Oregon. We didn't get electricity until 1968; about the time I started my senior year of high school. Growing up as I did, without "modern conveniences," my wish book was not the Sears catalog, but the Herter's catalog. Herter's was an old company that had some historical ties to the Hudson Bay Company. Their catalog was full of everything a person would need to outfit an expedition to the Yukon to pan for gold, or to build a homestead next to a wild unnamed river in the Northwest Territories. They had tents, guns, knives (fixed blades & folders), fishing gear, lanterns, tin dishes & cups, spoons, forks, food safes, sleeping bags, saws, gold pans, picks, shovels, and traps from small traps for muskrats, to big traps for grizzly bears, and anything in between.
Herter's was my idea of the company that sold anything a man might ever need or find useful.

Last year it occurred to me that I had not seen any Herter's knives on eBay, or anywhere else. So I started watching. I found this old, (appropriately enough), trapper pattern made in Germany. As you can tell it has seen some use and even some abuse, but it still snaps like one of those Herter's bear traps.

I would love to see any other Herter's knives that you have in your collections.

Dale

[smiling-knife]

Hi Dale,

Thanks for the post and showing that great old knife . The scales look very nice. Unfortunately, I don't have any Herter's knives to add. Hopefully, others will. s-k

[muskrat man]

Nice ones guys. I still want that wester Charlie

Here is one I'll contribute. My favorite German brand; German Eye. I paid a pretty penny for this one but it's the only double blade example I've seen in this condition since I started collecting german knives.

IMHO German knives have quality that matches Sheffield and surpasses most U.S.A made knives.

[philco]

IMHO German knives have quality that matches Sheffield and surpasses most U.S.A made knives.

I AGREE!

[orvet]

IMHO German knives have quality that matches Sheffield and surpasses most U.S.A made knives.

1- I think that all depends on which companies you are comparing, (upper end, mid-range or low end makers) vs. American makers of the same categories.
2- I think time (historically) also plays a part in the quality. IIRC, German companies suffered from a lack of skilled labor & quality materials toward the end & after both WWI & WWII.
3- I think it is also important to similar the same types of knifes when making this comparison.

I don't know a great deal about Sheffield knives, but I do think the above three points hold true when comparing American with German knives. I have some older Shieffemd knives that are on par with good quality American and German knives, but do not know of any major company in Sheffield making real good knives today.

Just my thoughts on the matter,
Dale

[muskrat man]

Dale, you should know I hate new knives. My comment was on older knives, higher end compared to higher end. German knives had better temper than american knives for sure. I mean, you can't compare a shell handled imperial to a guttman or an early german eye. Nor can you compare a tested case with an edgebrand. I'm talking of higher end knives such as wester bros, boker, schlieper, kaufmann ect. I consider schmidt & zeigler to be lower end, at least in the temper category. I base most of my opinions on the temper of a knife, I've said it before, fit and finish is nothing without temper. a knife is a tool first a look pretty second.

Here's another 3 eyeball. A black bone copperhead this time.

[orvet]

Kaleb,
I knew you liked older knives, even preferred them, but I was not aware that you didn't like the new knives. I guess I should have read your posts more closely.

Since I don't have many German knives, perhaps you would be so kind as to teach me a bit about them. Just don't hurt your hand typing. I know what a pain it is to type left-handed only.

Basing your primary criterion of judgment on the temper & on older high end knives; I am inclined to agree with you, or at least concede as you have far more high end German knives than I do & I know that you know your steel.

I have a few better German knives and I am most impressed by the old Schlieper’s. I like them better than the Boker’s that I have. I don't have any Wester's or Kaufmann’s so I will take your word on their quality.

I do have a few questions for you:
Which American knifes do you rate highest and why?
Also how do the better German knives differ from the best American knives?

Perhaps the finest American knives I own (based on the temper which effects their ability to cut & hold an edge) are the old Western knives made in CO, before Coleman got their corporate hands on them. I would rate the old Westerns as equal to the old Schlieper’s I have. Both are superb. I think the old Schrade Cut Co.’s are right up there too, a close second.
Some of the Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett’s were quite good, but you can’t know for sure who made the good ones unless you recognize the pattern.

I am curious how you rate the old Westerns?

Take care my friend and heal up fast.
Dale

[muskrat man]

Hi Dale, My opinions on new knives (post 1980) don't rate very high, the newer queen/schatt, case, chineese buck, boker, german eye, ect do not excite me. When schrade went under I felt the last real knife company had bit the dust.

Old westerns, schrade cuts, kabar/olcut, pre 1960 case xx, and vinatge john primble belknap are top on my american list. The only new knife I will own is a GEC I have close to 30 of them. They have temper, grinds and edge quality that far exceeds every other knife company on the market and if that wasn't enough thier fit and finish in near impeccable. If you have any specific questions on german eyes just let me know and I'll do my best to help.

Let's see some of your eyeballs

Kinda ventured off topic here so here is another german eye to keep things in line. I pick up old "3 eye" and "straightline" german eyes whenever I see them in reasonable condition at a reasonable price.


This one is a straightline hawbaker muskrat

[orvet]

THAT is one SWEET knife!
My favorite pattern.

Dale

[hot tempered steel]

Hi Dale, My opinions on new knives (post 1980) don't rate very high, the newer queen/schatt, case, chineese buck, boker, german eye, ect do not excite me. When schrade went under I felt the last real knife company had bit the dust.

I couldn't have said it better and I couldn't agree more! I mean don't get me wrong, I like a pretty knife too but if it doesn't have the steel to do the work it's not a complete knife to me. It's like having the best looking Corvette or Mustang body with a 4 cylinder engine in it and the tranny slipping with that! I guess I'm just old school. I'm not into today's, what's the word kids use now days, bling...yea, that's it bling. It's got to do more than have nice handles and shiny blades (bling) to please me. Those older German knifes are hard to beat as far as the steel (temper) in the blades goes. The best working knife I've ever owned or seen used was an old Boker knife (as far as temper goes). On a side note, I have found that the majority of the Case Classics I've used (for real work, not just to look pretty) have held up. There were a couple dud spoilers in the bunch that I've used. I like GEC and Queen knifes in today's productions. Case production knifes (and most others) of today rank right down there with China made Rough Riders to me. The next knife I buy is going to be a GEC.

[smiling-knife]

One of my favourite knives... made by J S Holler for Adolph Blaich the San Francisco-based sporting goods retailer in the 1890s. It has both makers and retailer marks.

[muskrat man]

I have always liked that stockman S-K I like old pressed bone.
Here is an old utility kni marked only FRANK appears handmade, construction leads me to believe it is german

[muskrat man]

aww comeon guys I know I aint the only one out there with german knives.

[orvet]

Here is one I got a couple weeks ago.
Has anyone ever heard of Aerial being made in Germany?

Nice knife though.
Dale

[jonet143]

eye brand stag. etch is faded but still readable. i have had this one since it was new. it's still in my edc rotation. sabre grind.

[todda]

My favorite user large stockman...

[todda]

One more Boker

[muskrat man]

nice ones guys

german simmons hornet

[smiling-knife]

Nice knives guys. MM I really like the whittler. This one is not so old... from 1974 it has both the Boker and J Wiss shields. J Wiss & Son of NJ owned Boker USA at the time.

[muskrat man]

nice one S-K

Here is a real old buck creek, first year.

[justold52]

GEE them YELLOWs you are getting sure look lemeney good MM.

[smiling-knife]

This is a minty little Sterling penknife circa late 1800s early 1900s. V.C. & Co was a mark used by Vom Cleff & Co of New York City which had its main office right next door to Boker on Duane street.