Time for a little initial review of a piece I got just recently, and a little history.
Picked this up off of auction about a week ago. It's a 2003 production Robeson Shuredge "Demonstrator" Large Barlow reproduction piece........
Before I get into it's particulars a little history is in order. Robeson Cutlery Company was started by Millard F. Robeson. The first knives to bare his name were made around 1880. From 1880 to around 1890 his cutlery was made in England, and from about 1891 to 1895 they were made in Germany as well. With high tariffs on imports Robeson leased a cutlery works located in New York to start building his own knives domestically in 1896 (
this cutlery works would later come to be known as Camillus Cutlery Company!). By 1898 Robeson started his own factory and they began making their own knives.
Due to big companies, foreign competition, and demand for more basic, non-premium cutlery, by 1965 Robeson was struggling. Camillus Cutlery began making the Robeson Brand of knives on contract, and in 1971 the Robeson name and trademarks were sold off to Ontario Knife Company. By 1972 the original Robeson factory closed it doors, and the Camillus built line of Robesons was discontinued in 1977. Since then any and all Robesons have been made by Queen Cutlery (
the sister company to Ontario Knife Company).
Anyway, during Robesons heyday (
before 1940) they did not use cataloges and the like to advertise their wares, instead they had a sales force of 50 people who would go out and merchandise directly with hardware stores and the like. And along with them went Sales Sample Knives. Between 1911 and 1939 Robeson used a unique tangstamp for these particular knives. It read "ROBESON DEMONSTRATOR".
The knife I got here is a Reproduction of one of these.
It is a Large single blade Barlow pattern built by Queen Cutlery. In the closed position it measures in at exactly 4 15/16"......essentially a 5" Barlow. It's a big'un! It's a short run piece with only 100 made in this variation.....
Production run was in 2003 and it does bare the "ROBESON DEMONSTRATOR" tang stamp......
The large bolsters and the Shuredge shield are made of nickle/silver, liners and pins are of brass, and the big Clip Blade is made of 420HC stainless. Handles are of Red Smooth Bone.....
Fit and finish is excellent. Backspring is quite stout, zero blade play, all exterior metal surfaces are flawlessly mirror polished, backspring sits flush with blade opened or closed, blade grinds are perfect and the edge is evenly honed and quite sharp. The blade itself has a near full length double swedge and sports a long matchstriker pull. The mark side bolster has deep engraved RCC logo, and the overall fit of the knife is virtually gap free........
The only fault I can find anywhere on this beast is on the pile side. The fit between the bolster and the bone on this side is ever so slightly off giving a very faint gap between these two pieces. Outside of that minor issue it's built about as well as slippie can be.
I've been wanting to get this one as I already have it's brother. I picked this one up back in '09. It's a 2002 production Robeson Shuredge "Demonstrator" Large Coke Bottle in Red Smooth Bone.............
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