Swiss Master by Colonial?

[IzzyJG99]

While I got my Demo Knife yesterday I saw, brand new in a package (Copyright was 1976) was a "Swiss Master" lineup knife. I looked at it and saw that it was made by Colonial. Never heard of the "Swiss Master" lineup before. It appeared to be a scout model (with variants of that on the back). Can opener, bottle opener, awl and blade. Red scales and a bail. Price was shockingly was around like 16 bucks, I think.

Worth going back and picking it up for the collection? Any background on this lineup by Colonial?

[Sazabi]

I think I know of the knife to which you're referring.  Unless NIB, $16 is a bit high; they can be found at flea markets in used condition for $10 or so, depending on if the person tries to pass it off as a real SAK.

[IzzyJG99]

I think I know of the knife to which you're referring.  Unless NIB, $16 is a bit high; they can be found at flea markets in used condition for $10 or so, depending on if the person tries to pass it off as a real SAK.

It's still in the blister pack. I just like "Scout" layouts when it comes to my antique collection.

[Sazabi]

Overall, it's not really a bad price, I don't think, NIB. 

[IzzyJG99]

The price just seemed so cheap compared to their other stuff. It's an antique mall with various sellers and the guy who does the knives marks stuff up absurdly high usually. Either he knows the values or just thinks because something is old (Taking not in account if billions of one product were made, etc, etc) it makes it valuable.

What leads me to believe he knows nothing of knives is that whenever I have asked "Do you have any Victorinox or Wenger knives?" he says "I don't buy foreign crap."

[Sazabi]

I'd rather have an old Wenger with sloppy backsprings than an old Colonial knife that's new.

With that said, US-made Schrade knives, and the US-made Camillus, those are some nice knives; while Rough Rider is nice for trying out new patterns and stocking stuffers, they don't hold a candle to the oldies, personally.  At least we still have Case, GEC, Utica, Bear & Sons, and maybe a couple of whom I'm unfamiliar to produce decent-to-excellent quality pocketknives showing the US as a whole still has some good knifemakers left.

Note:  I'm not dissing on any manufacturer of other countries, Taylor Cutlery aside.  I'm quite pleased with my Rough Riders, for instance, especially at their price point.

[IzzyJG99]

I'd rather have an old Wenger with sloppy backsprings than an old Colonial knife that's new.

With that said, US-made Schrade knives, and the US-made Camillus, those are some nice knives; while Rough Rider is nice for trying out new patterns and stocking stuffers, they don't hold a candle to the oldies, personally.  At least we still have Case, GEC, Utica, Bear & Sons, and maybe a couple of whom I'm unfamiliar to produce decent-to-excellent quality pocketknives showing the US as a whole still has some good knifemakers left.

Note:  I'm not dissing on any manufacturer of other countries, Taylor Cutlery aside.  I'm quite pleased with my Rough Riders, for instance, especially at their price point.

I agree. I'm more inclined to go with a US Made Shchrade or US Made Camillus than a Colonial. There is a "Schrade Tough Tool" there, but I'm like "....Taylor Brands made possible....No Me Gusta..."

[Grant Lamontagne]

Got to avoid the Taylor Brands Schrade.... did you read what happened to us at SHOT this year with regards to them? 

Def

[IzzyJG99]

Got to avoid the Taylor Brands Schrade.... did you read what happened to us at SHOT this year with regards to them? 

Def

I did and I was not surprised. When I first started moving over to traditional older pocket knife (Canoes, Trappers, Scouts...etc) collecting I did some reading. One of the first brands from my youth was Schrade. Had plenty at the tail end of their American Made days. So I looked into them and saw "Taylor Brand LLC" and googled. And was like  Too bad, too. Some of the best knives from my youth were "Old Timers." I had a great stockman (#108OT, I believe) and what I think looking back was a #7OT (Which a neighbor friend stole from my tackle box...-.-). I did recently inherit (An older friend passed away) a ton of tools. In the tool box were two circa 70's 885 Uncle Henrys. Snaps good. They wobble like the dickens and the blades have been sharpened to the point they're half the size they used to be. More sentimental pieces than anything.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The thing that bothers me about them isn't so much that they are made in China, it's that they are made like sh*t in China.  Chinese manufacturing is actually not all that bad- look at some of the new Spydercos, MultiTasker and heck, even the computer, tablet or phone you are reading this one.  Chinese manufacturing can be very good, and it probably wouldn't cost a whole heck of a lot more than the bottom of the line crud they are cranking out now.

It takes a certain amount of effort to crank out something that bad.  They purchased a name like Schrade and they are trying to make a few bucks off it while it's still worth something, but every day more and more people are learning that it's the lowest form of crap, which means the name they paid so much for will end up as worthless as the knives they are producing under that umbrella.

They are idiots with no long term interest in their products, business or customers.

Def

[IzzyJG99]

I agree. I've got quite a few Chinese and Tainwanese knives (Kershaw mostly) that're decent. I am glad to hear positive things about Bear & Sons, though. I spotted them in the Smokey Mt. catalog last year and wondered if they were any good. They've got a few models I'd like to try.

I'm moving more towards...old school materials for the outdoors in recent months, so I might end up getting a nice canoe or stockman from a USA maker.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I got a set of slippies at the show last month- they were giveaways, and while I haven't looked too closely at them, from what I've seen they are quite decent quality.  Maybe not the same level as Case, but for China made knives meant to be given away they seem pretty darned nice.  I'll try to get some photos up soon.

Def

[IzzyJG99]

I got a set of slippies at the show last month- they were giveaways, and while I haven't looked too closely at them, from what I've seen they are quite decent quality.  Maybe not the same level as Case, but for China made knives meant to be given away they seem pretty darned nice.  I'll try to get some photos up soon.

Def

I've had back luck with Case knives. Every time I've bought one the blades all wobbled and I took them back or sent them back. Ideally I want to go with what I call the "Buck Trifecta." Fixed blade, folding hunter and a stockman.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I can't comment on Case knives really- I don't understand them, and I've had very few.  I wrote some Case knife VS SAK articles, but that's really about as far as I've ever gone with them.

Case in Point

Case in Point, Part II

And, just to round things out with the traditional folders, and since you mentioned Bear:

Bear Cutlery and Why They Matter

Def

[IzzyJG99]

Interesting articles. When you get down to brass tacks....if I am out in the woods and I had to pick between a "Scout" made knife (by any number of good companies) and the Pioneer or Farmer? I'll go with the Pioneer or Farmer.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Farmer being the obvious choice because it's the only one you've mentioned that includes a saw! 

Def

[IzzyJG99]

The Farmer being the obvious choice because it's the only one you've mentioned that includes a saw! 

Def

Or the Pioneer Harvester, of course. The pruning blade is helpful for the more skilled bush crafters who make spoons every time they go for a hike.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Spoon ninja brings his own.





Def

[IzzyJG99]

CKRT Spoon? I keep seeing that at Wally World along with a LilGuppie in a pack together for $30. Never can justify buying one.

[Grant Lamontagne]

For that price I'd get them.  As comical as it appears, I actually like the Eat'n Tool.  I also like the Lil Guppie, so the pair for $30 would appeal to me- assuming I didn't already have a few of each.

Def

[Sazabi]

Izzy, some Walmarts marked it down to $20, I think; much better than the $30. 

I have a soft spot for Case knives; I love the black G10 Peanut I have from them, in addition to my other Case knives; I've been lucky, though, in getting models without blade play, but that's the normal - yours shouldn't have had significant play whatsoever. :/

The thing to bear in mind for Bear & Sons knives, though, is to inspect them in person prior to purchase.  They make good knives - and Gander Mtn. carries their Remington line in 1095 carbon, very groovy - but their QC can be hit or miss; some have blade play, others don't.  Between that and getting rid of their non-locking Bear Jaws (and their "locks" on their locking Bear Jaws), those are the only complaints they have from me.  I'm just happy they're still making some of the Remington line to keep the US-side production around, as I believe Taylor Craplery makes the Chinese-made Remingtons. :/

With that said, I want to pick up one of their 1095 models at some point, now that I think about it; I was extremely pleased with the display model Gander Mtn. had for customers to try.

[Edit:  The US-made Schrade Tough Tool is a neat piece of kit; the Taylor Craplery one is smurf.  I know there's a hardware store near me with a Gen 4 Tough Tool (last generation they made prior to the shift to China) that's NIB for an absolutely insane price, but you can still find them once in a while.  I found my like new Gen 2 (or 3, I can't quite remember) at a pawn store for a... well, let's just say that no one would have left the shop without getting it. ]

[Edit 2:  Oh, and do you have a TL-29 or civilian electrician's knife to pair up with the DEMO?  I find myself more a fan of the older model than the DEMO which replaced it. ]

[IzzyJG99]

[Edit 2:  Oh, and do you have a TL-29 or civilian electrician's knife to pair up with the DEMO?  I find myself more a fan of the older model than the DEMO which replaced it. ]

I don't, but it is on the list.