All About Pocket Knives

Colonial made the knives and owned the trademark for Sharp™ USA. These knives were sold at Kmart stores across the USA from the late 1970's through the mid 1990's. Colonial did not make or own Sharp Japan.

These were stainless steel and marked as such on the package.Some were also marked Stainless on the tang. I believe them to be 420 but Colonial never advertised which stainless. Colonial used 420 for most of their stainless steel knives reserving their 440 for what they considered their higher end knives.


The Sharp knives were made on the anvil knives machines. So they were basically an Anvil knife with just a couple changes. Colonial would stamp the main blade with the Sharp tang stamp instead of Anvil.Then they used the Colonial Stagalon handles instead of the Anvil handles.


Below are some pictures of Sharp knives. Anyone with Sharp™ usa knives are welcome to post your knives here. Tsar Bomba I hope you will post yours that both have the 270 main blade.

Here is a Model 380 which Colonial called the Trapper. This one is still in the original clam pack from 1992.





Here are a couple I have. A model 380 and a little moose peanut with a blade marked 260.





There is some confusion when it comes to identifying these different models. There is a number stamped on the main blades that is the model number. The problem with relying on that number comes from something Colonial did in the 90s when things were not going very well for them.

Colonial would go through the warehouse and find knives to assemble using parts from different models or even lines. Many sharp knives used the exact same blades other than the model number stamped on the tang. They were just configured differently. So you could take the frame from a 260 or 280 and use a main blade marked 270 and it would come out the same other than the number.

So at this point the only model number I know for sure is the 380 because its the only one I have seen in original packaging.


Remember what I said about Sharp being made on Anvil machines?

There must have been quite a bit of Sharp parts sitting around because I even have a knife that is mostly Anvil other than a Sharp 380 main blade.

Here it is with a Sharp 380 for comparison.



I also have an old Colonial model #426 peanut that was made in the early 1960s. It has the solid nickle silver bolsters used before Colonial went to the pressed on bolsters. Its shape is the same as Anvil and Sharp so I though it would make an interesting picture for this thread as well.

Wow, alot of information there, thanks for posting. And just to further muddy the waters, I see that the knife in the clam pack in the first picture that is labeled as a Trapper, is actually a 3 blade stockman.

You are welcome Mike.

I have wondered about that too. Colonial obviously knew the difference between a trapper and a stockman. So why would they do that?

Maybe they assumed the average consumer of these low end knives wouldn't know the difference and would somehow be more inclined to buy it with a cool name?

I've learned something from this post. I've always liked the Anvil line of knives but didn't realize they had "Sharp" cousins.
Thanks for posting this info.

B.Mauser wrote:You are welcome Mike.

I have wondered about that too. Colonial obviously knew the difference between a trapper and a stockman. So why would they do that?

Maybe they assumed the average consumer of these low end knives wouldn't know the difference and would somehow be more inclined to buy it with a cool name?

Great info about the Sharp USA knives!! I remember the Sharp Japan knives, had forgotten about the Sharp USA.

On the naming of the pattern, especially in the days prior to knife collecting, manufacturers rarely had pattern names that make sense at least the way we collectors define patterns today. Pattern names used to be all over the map often with no sense or consistency.

Most likely for that knife, the pattern name and packaging design were done by a Kmart employee with zero knife knowledge, just plucking names that sounded good out of thin air in the rush to design the package and get the knives ordered and out to the stores.

Great threads and information.......makes me miss BonfireBob whenever I read a thread like this as I'm sure he could set us all straight

Great info!!

philco wrote:I've learned something from this post. I've always liked the Anvil line of knives but didn't realize they had "Sharp" cousins.
Thanks for posting this info.

That's great Phil. You are very welcome.

knifeaholic wrote:

B.Mauser wrote:You are welcome Mike.

I have wondered about that too. Colonial obviously knew the difference between a trapper and a stockman. So why would they do that?

Maybe they assumed the average consumer of these low end knives wouldn't know the difference and would somehow be more inclined to buy it with a cool name?

Great info about the Sharp USA knives!! I remember the Sharp Japan knives, had forgotten about the Sharp USA.

On the naming of the pattern, especially in the days prior to knife collecting, manufacturers rarely had pattern names that make sense at least the way we collectors define patterns today. Pattern names used to be all over the map often with no sense or consistency.

Most likely for that knife, the pattern name and packaging design were done by a Kmart employee with zero knife knowledge, just plucking names that sounded good out of thin air in the rush to design the package and get the knives ordered and out to the stores.

Hi Steve! Nice to see you, I always enjoy your input. I'm happy I was able to remind you of these.

And thank you for explaining that to me. You hit the nail on the head, Kmart was behind the name, not Colonial! That makes so much sense now that I look at the package.

bestgear wrote:Great threads and information.......makes me miss BonfireBob whenever I read a thread like this as I'm sure he could set us all straight

Hi bestgear. Yes I sure wish he was still here as well. I'm happy you enjoyed this post.

TripleF wrote:Great info!!

Thanks Scott! I am on a mission to document everything I can about Colonial.

I was in the auto dept. at Kmart and then mechanic back in late 70s-early 80s. They turned me down for sporting dept manager. wish I grabbed some knives, I guess. Great times and I made em a fortune. actually mounted more new tires than anyone on the East coast.Pretty good but I only did tires half the day.

I found a couple on Ebay fairly cheap. Would have never looked at them twice without reading this thread. Surprised they were made by Colonial. But the blades are exactly like my Anvil and Old Cutler. Mine say 270 on the tang. 3 3/8 in long closed.

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:55 pm I found a couple on Ebay fairly cheap. Would have never looked at them twice without reading this thread. Surprised they were made by Colonial. But the blades are exactly like my Anvil and Old Cutler. Mine say 270 on the tang. 3 3/8 in long closed.

Nice pieces Nick
Thanks for brining this old thread back to life, very interesting read, learned a few new things

Ripster wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:09 pm

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:55 pm I found a couple on Ebay fairly cheap. Would have never looked at them twice without reading this thread. Surprised they were made by Colonial. But the blades are exactly like my Anvil and Old Cutler. Mine say 270 on the tang. 3 3/8 in long closed.

Nice pieces Nick
Thanks for brining this old thread back to life, very interesting read, learned a few new things

It's kinda lonely in the Colonial forum

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:34 am

Ripster wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:09 pm

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:55 pm I found a couple on Ebay fairly cheap. Would have never looked at them twice without reading this thread. Surprised they were made by Colonial. But the blades are exactly like my Anvil and Old Cutler. Mine say 270 on the tang. 3 3/8 in long closed.

Nice pieces Nick
Thanks for brining this old thread back to life, very interesting read, learned a few new things

It's kinda lonely in the Colonial forum

Here’s a couple that dug out while down in the shop , there all Colonials, , a Anvil in the mix . Might have a few more ,will look . If your interested in seeing any of them , will shoot a few pics out in the next few days

Ripster wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:38 am

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:34 am

Ripster wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:09 pm

Nice pieces Nick
Thanks for brining this old thread back to life, very interesting read, learned a few new things

It's kinda lonely in the Colonial forum

Here’s a couple that dug out while down in the shop , there all Colonials, , a Anvil in the mix . Might have a few more ,will look . If your interested in seeing any of them , will shoot a few pics out in the next few days

I don't know that durn madmarco has got me lookin at Moki knives now---gotta get off this forum

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:45 am

Ripster wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:38 am

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:34 am

It's kinda lonely in the Colonial forum

Here’s a couple that dug out while down in the shop , there all Colonials, , a Anvil in the mix . Might have a few more ,will look . If your interested in seeing any of them , will shoot a few pics out in the next few days

I don't know that durn madmarco has got me lookin at Moki knives now---gotta get off this forum

Yep, bad influences we are around here , there’s just a lot of nice stuff ,for everyone . Moki,They are a nice piece of Cutlery and you only live once. And ,yes ,we can Blame Mark ,

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:55 pm I found a couple on Ebay fairly cheap. Would have never looked at them twice without reading this thread. Surprised they were made by Colonial. But the blades are exactly like my Anvil and Old Cutler. Mine say 270 on the tang. 3 3/8 in long closed.

Good looking Sharps Nick. Colonial was around so long, that they have a wide variety to choose from. I also have several, and really like the Anvils.

Ripster wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:38 am

Here’s a couple that dug out while down in the shop ,
[/quote]

Nice group JP. Gotta love those Anvils.

Papa Bones wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 2:02 am

CluelessNick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:55 pm I found a couple on Ebay fairly cheap. Would have never looked at them twice without reading this thread. Surprised they were made by Colonial. But the blades are exactly like my Anvil and Old Cutler. Mine say 270 on the tang. 3 3/8 in long closed.

Good looking Sharps Nick. Colonial was around so long, that they have a wide variety to choose from. I also have several, and really like the Anvils.

Thanks Smitty, I like the anvils a little better too.

That’s my Sharp USA 900, third from the right, tucked in between a Schrade 127UH and a Camillus-made Craftsman 95416. It’s in good company.

I was out of town on a project site when I posted that picture that I happened to have on my phone. When I got back today I took the Sharp USA 900 out of the nest and took some individual pics for posterity.