All About Pocket Knives

I can find almost nothing to help me date this Rigid knife on line. Is it a cheap import? Were the older ones USA made? Is this one of them? Any idea of value? Thanks for any info. you can give me. ___Dave

Dave:

The only thing I could say with any amount of certainty is that your knife was made in the 70's. Here's some more info that might help...
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13490
____________
Mike

djknife13 wrote:I can find almost nothing to help me date this Rigid knife on line. Is it a cheap import? Were the older ones USA made? Is this one of them? Any idea of value? Thanks for any info. you can give me. ___Dave

Dave: I have one identical to that one and although I had never seen them advertised with the stainless steel handles I believe they were among the originals offered when Rigid was in Santee California. I have an Apache folder and a Bowie from that era and they both have rosewood handles. I also have a couple marked "Rigid Japan" that are good quality but not up to the original USA made knives.

That's a good one Dave.
When I see them on eBay I am always surprised at how much the older American made ones bring.

Thanks guys. That's what I suspected and hoped for but I was surprised how little information I could find on line. I usually haven't cared much for the Rigid knives I've seen because they always seemed so square in profile, and the older ones were so much money, but I liked this one and it feels great in my hand. It feels like a quality knife. I'm only into it for $10. ___Dave

Here is my small accumulation of Rigid knives.

I bought my first Rigid knife in a store in Colorado about 1975. Friend liked it so much he went and bought same model. About $37 as I recall. They are super heavy duty knives, 440C blades. I thought the originals had pinned handle scales, and came in black sheaths. Later slightly cheaper models had no pins in handles and natural color leather sheaths. But I have seen various combinations of handle and sheath so this may not be strictly correct. My old Guns and Ammo knife book has a chapter on Rigids (no relation to Ridgid pipe tools.)

I used mine at work today and love it. This one is getting some serious carry time. ___Dave

They might be heavy duty, but they sure are ugly.
No offense to anyone.

I have always kind of over looked them because many of them looked heavy and squared off on the edges instead of nice graceful shapes, but this one really caught me by surprise. It feels amazing in my hand and makes me want to get a hold of some other models to see what I've been not seeing. Sometimes what looks ugly to us from a distance really needs to be brought into focus in our own heads and looked at closer. This is true for knives, tools and neighbors.___Dave

djknife13 wrote:I have always kind of over looked them because many of them looked heavy and squared off on the edges instead of nice graceful shapes, but this one really caught me by surprise. It feels amazing in my hand and makes me want to get a hold of some other models to see what I've been not seeing.

Strangely enough the biggest complaint I have with knives such as the Buck 110 and it's many clones is the fact that they all feel very handle heavy and for some reason the Rigid Apache;which is considerably larger than them feels very comfortable.Even the Bowie does not feel uncomfortable to hold and use. On the Apache I tried some file work on the bolsters(had just received a new set of pattern files)but the blade resisted all attempts at decoration.Says something of the heat treating.

This one not only feels good, it cuts like a dream and even fine work.____Dave

I had one of these that I bought in Hot Springs, AR in the late 70s. Rigid opened a factory here in Hot Springs in the late 70s. I went out there one day thinking I might be able to buy some steel, when I was interested in making a knife. They didn't sell me any but they did give me some pieces suitable for making a couple of sheath knives. I made one from a piece they gave me and to date, it's the only knife I've ever made. It's been a pretty good knife that I was quite proud of, though I would have made some changes in the design after using it some. Stll a great knife. They told me it was 440c, which was the standard for premium grade cutlery steel at the time. They closed the plant after a few years, but by that time I wasn't paying attention to Rigid. I had one like the original poster's, though it was the micarta handled version. I enjoyed the knife as it was quite light, but it was very difficult to sharpen. I hadn't thought about that in a long time. Thanks for the post--it sparked great memories. Hartley