So, I don't exactly remember when, but I bought these sets. This really shows how naive I used to be with regards to knives and MTs back then. I also thought the Gerber Pinchy was the best MT ever made then too. I had forgotten about these until I was cleaning out a cabinet this evening. I just can't make myself part with them. Even knowing that they are the lowest common denominator of knives, but what the smurf. Memories, right? Who else has ever been in that place where you thought just a "brand" name meant something decent?The cabinet booty.The wooden box set isn't "too bad". But, the fit & finish is pretty awful, and they are the good set. (Image removed from quote.)(Image removed from quote.)(Image removed from quote.)(Image removed from quote.)(Image removed from quote.)
I usually put lame blades to work as beaters so I can kill them I got a Kabar folder from ebay years ago, (I had no knowledge about good stuff, and thought it was cool) pick up years later..., what a piece of junk, horrible blade play, I took it apart a few months ago and find one washer horribly deformed, I put it back together and left in cold basement for opening salt bags
I also got suckered into one of those late night knife infomercials like 12 years ago, Frost cutlery junk, I think all 15 of them are broken and waiting to be made into spears for the apocalypseI did make a spear with one blade and a broken hockey stick, but it also broke, another blade serves as a calcium scraper for toilet, so they do have some value(very little,but some)
I actually have the "tactical" version of your wooden box set I bought it in my younger days when I wasn't as edgeucated as today Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk
Excellent uses and thoughts, Beard! Love the scraper idea and using them as chemical work tools(salt bags).I think the cheaper Winchester set is closer to Frost Co. The wood box set at least have good spring action and little blade play. I do have some Frost stuff that is dreadful. Hopefully will find it soon and have some fun.I may regrind the scales and polish them to see how it works. I just love how putting tactical on the packaging suddenly makes the knives high-quality. Part of me misses the days where junk blades made me happy. But, alas, the tide is set. They'll be fun knives to stash and what-not
I went down that same path Gman. The metallurgy on their tools and knives is horrible. I grew up shooting Winchester and it's almost criminal to put the name on those products.
They would probably work for a beater knife where you don't need a sharp edge, like a scraper like mentioned above
Thanks, RF! So, I did a paper cut tests. And the blades on the traditional and backlock are respectably sharp. The fixed blade is really dull though. 3-blade traditional. each of the blades is labeled on the paper above the cuts. Pass on all three blade edges.(Image removed from quote.)2 cuts with the lockback. Pass on the blade edge.(Image removed from quote.)Fixed blade is a fail. Jagged and rough with really bad catching from burrs.(Image removed from quote.)I am certain the edges wouldn't hold up with real use, but I'll keep them out on the desks(around the house) for miscellaneous tasks, since they are really nice looking from a few feet away.
Keep us updated if you put them through some use Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk
There was a time when I thought a "brand" name on something meant it was a quality item. Its quite unfortunate that Winchester would have their name associated with anything not up to snuff. It cannot be they make boat loads of money off stuff like this, or do they?
I agree! Remington folders sure are a different animal though!
I remember trying to hide my disappointment when I got them every year for Christmas. I prefer a quality knife, even if it's either an entry-level model (like the Zytel-scaled Case lockbacks) or a well-used old knife. Almost all of my Winchesters have been complete and utter garbage. Bad edges, and such soft steel they will not take an edge, no matter how hard you try. Of the 2008 dated set I have, I only use a sheath (being as it was the only thing that would fit an older Edge Brand 460 fixed blade knife). I recently bought some from Tractor Supply (Heel Spur and Stagecoach) that were on sale for $10, better than those earlier models, but still not what they could be. The worst of the worst are those containing a mix of small knives, keychain knives, and SAK-clones. Remington has now given the rights to produce knives to Buck--with the exception of the Bullets (which are made in-house at the Buck factory in Idaho), every single one is made in China now. I'm curious as to what those might be. Remington and Winchester used to make the knives themselves, and were considered the best of the best. Winchester even made knives marked for other companies, especially hardware stores. I guess I can consider Browning to be similar to Remington and Winchester. In the 1970s, their line of folders was considered to be the best. Now it ranges from utter garbage to some nice stuff. I have a friend that has one of the originals, and he swears by it. I bought a tiny USA-made Small Sportsman someone bent the blade on, and the steel was so hard, it snapped. Beretta also has some really cool knives as well, many of which are made in Italy and Japan. Colt's knives used to be made in the same factory as Rough Rider--and after Colt stopped making knives, many of those patterns began to be re-seen as RR.