All About Pocket Knives

https://www.ebay.com/itm/113024970623?ul_noapp=true

My letter to seller: "In the summer of 2004 Imperial Schrade went bankrupt. At the sale Stewart Taylor bought all of the old trademarks. Your knife was made for him by Bear and Son of the Atlanta Georgia area some years after 2004, probably about 2007. Your knife has absolutely nothing to do with the old Schrade name or product."
And his answer, suggesting that I am now his "pal." :
"sorry pal ..i have to list the knife as it states on box and handles and tang stamp.... appreciate your interest though ........todd"

I never learn.

I wonder why he thinks it's 1980's. It seems like people just pull random dates out of the air when it comes to knives.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:I wonder why he thinks it's 1980's. It seems like people just pull random dates out of the air when it comes to knives.

He wants YOU to think it's 1980s.

Hmmm, it's not working

Well, if he omitted the 1980s part, would he be wrong? The knife came from the factory stamped SCHRADE WALDEN USA. I hate the way that some historic names are perfectly legitimately stamped on knives made by completely unrelated makers. I realize that the company name was part of the assets sold when the original maker went out of business. I cannot change the law, even if I dislike some of the outcomes.

I have noted that I am a lot more accepting of the not exactly a fake knife when it is produced by a top notch maker like A G Russell or GEC as opposed to a China factory. I am not sure how Bear fits into that spectrum.

I sent the seller a message saying an amateur reads the markings, a knowledgeable collector reads the knife. No handle pins = Bear MFG.
I suggested he should post the message so as to give full disclosure. He does not have to agree with what i said. Just post the info and let the viewers decide.
I will be surprised if he does post this info.
kj

I never had any interest in collecting "ROBESON" marked knives that were made after they went out of business in 1965, I did add two to my collection just to have examples with that tang stamp.

This is a very gray area for me. Someone legally acquires the rights to the name, but the knives are manufactured somewhere other than the original factory by workers that never worked there.

I suppose Jim Parker or Zippo buying Case were completely different situations.

Ford owns Jaguar and I've heard no complaints about the product not being a real Jaguar.

Confusing, is it not?

Charlie Noyes

This is why trademarks are considered "intellectual property" and are bought and sold at such high prices. "A rose by any other name smells as sweet", but a pile of dung named rose is still just a pile of dung...

A similar situation exists with "hybrid" Boker knives. Made with Asian parts, supposedly assembled in Germany. But Ebay seller says "Made in Solingen, Germany." What does "made" mean? (to paraphrase Bill Clinton) This is obviously trading on the idea of legendary German quality. But buyers should ask, why are these knives half the price of those marked "Solingen" on the tang?

What about knives branded "Buck" that were made by Schrade & Camillus ? Do you consider them to be a Buck ? I don't. To me the manufacturer is significant, what the markings say are less significant. Anything can be stamped into a blade tang but the manufacturer gives some idea as to quality of the knife.
kj

Contract manufacturing has been around almost as long as people have been buying and selling products. It is simply an extension of the idea that a great artists can employ assistants to work at their direction, and the artist signs the final product with their name, not the name of the assistant. It is a fuzzy gray line when the artist is willing to sign their name to inferior quality work because they know that the mere presence of their name will sell the product. (eg. when Martha Stewart had products at Kmart)

Once again, the Marketing Executives ruin all the good things in the world...

Long before the 2004 bankruptcy of Imperial Schrade, their knives were a merry-go-round of parts, assembly and workmen among Schrade, Imperial, Camillus and Ulster. Two of the best knives Schrade ever "made," were post-bankruptcy, by GEC. Several runs of excellent 'bullet' trappers and switchblades, and then, an almost unknown fixed blade as a collaboration for the Cherokee nation. I own one. Otherwise, post-bankruptcy Schrades have also been Uticas and Bear and Sons, all U.S.A. made by American Workers. There is another... uh... category of Schrades as well, as we know. With the exception of that lovely GEC fixed blade, I collect Schrades made before 1960, with a few exceptions. I certainly have no problem with a seller advertising these 'offbeat' products as long as he tells it like it is.