Colonial Knife Co Providence R.I.

r8shell said:
I got curious and had to check which kind of can openers are on my two Forest-Masters, and I see the carbon has the old style, but the stainless has the Victorinox style. I always assumed these two are about the same age. Did they ever make the new Vic-style in carbon? Maybe they phased out the old style when they started making the knives in stainless?
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Hi r8shell. I love the look of that carbon steel Forest Master.

I think you are right about them being close in age. I have the same Stainless Forest Master as yours but its can opener is different. It has a can opener like your carbon steel model but in stainless.

I have never seen a Victorinox style in Carbon. I have 7 Forest Masters with that style can opener and I believe them all to be stainless.

I don't think your stainless Forest Master has the Victorinox style can opener. The Victorinox style has a screw driver tip sticking up on top. Easy mistake to make, there are so many different can openers on Forest Masters.

I have 30 Forest Masters and there are 9 different can openers among them.

For a while I thought the Victorinox style can opener was the last style. But then I noticed the Forest Master in their last catalog from 1995 does not have it, it has one that looks like the older round style. It does appear they stayed with the belt punch until the end though

Here is that catalog.

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I think your can opener is like the one on the bottom left Forest Master in the picture below.

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Here are more Forest Master can openers.


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Here is a different one.

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B.Mauser said:
I don't think your stainless Forest Master has the Victorinox style can opener. The Victorinox style has a screw driver tip sticking up on top. Easy mistake to make, there are so many different can openers on Forest Masters.
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Ah, I see what you mean: no screwdriver tip. It's wild how many different styles they used. I think the old ones with the big hawkbill work the best. :D
 
Hickory n steel said:
I was taking the split ring off when it pushed in and i discovered it would come out.
I took it out learning it has to be there and finagled it back In after a bit of thinking.

It won't just pull out as it has to rock in and upwards , plus the split rong locks ot on.
Hickory n steel said:
I was taking the split ring off when it pushed in and i discovered it would come out.
I took it out learning it has to be there and finagled it back In after a bit of thinking.

It won't just pull out as it has to rock in and upwards , plus the split rong locks ot on.
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Hickory n steel said:
I'd love to find one similar to that blue one, wich is like mine with a bail and without the corkscrew.
I find it to be of the size where a bail would come in handy, plus I like all it's functions other than the corkscrew.
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I'd love to find one similar to that blue one, wich is like mine with a bail and without the corkscrew.
I find it to be of the size where a bail would come in handy, plus I like all it's functions other than the corkscrew.
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Hickory n steel said:
I was taking the split ring off when it pushed in and i discovered it would come out.
I took it out learning it has to be there and finagled it back In after a bit of thinking.

It won't just pull out as it has to rock in and upwards , plus the split rong locks ot on.



I'd love to find one similar to that blue one, wich is like mine with a bail and without the corkscrew.
I find it to be of the size where a bail would come in handy, plus I like all it's functions other than the corkscrew.
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Ah that is really interesting to see how that works. Thanks for the picture. I wish I had a solid answer why they did it this way. I'm curious too. Most the time when Colonial does something different like this its because its cheaper or faster. But I just don't get this one.

Yeah that blue Swiss Master is nice. My favorite SAK's don't have the corkscrew. I bet one of these shows up on eBay eventually. I check the Colonials there everyday, I will let you know if I see one.
 
B.Mauser said:
Ah that is really interesting to see how that works. Thanks for the picture. I wish I had a solid answer why they did it this way. I'm curious too. Most the time when Colonial does something different like this its because its cheaper or faster. But I just don't get this one.

Yeah that blue Swiss Master is nice. My favorite SAK's don't have the corkscrew. I bet one of these shows up on eBay eventually. I check the Colonials there everyday, I will let you know if I see one.
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Thanks for the gesture, but I just don't have PayPal and don't to eBay.
I'm sure I'll eventually find an old school scout at some point, it may not be this particular type but it'll fill the itch.
 
r8shell said:
Ah, I see what you mean: no screwdriver tip. It's wild how many different styles they used. I think the old ones with the big hawkbill work the best. :D
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I like those big hawkbill ones the best also. :thumbsup: I haven't used a Victorinox style can opener much though. I think I will compare them one of these days.

It really is crazy how many can openers Colonial used. I doubt I have them all yet either.

I didn't mean to post that Colonial catalog twice. Here is the picture I meant to post with the can opener like yours on the bottom left.


The knives on the top and bottom right has can openers that are similar to that one but they are a little less wide. They are also interesting because they are the same but one is bigger and one smaller like a 91mm and 84mm Victorinox.

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Here is the stainless one like yours but with different can opener.



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It occurs to me that I have tried to keep the screwdriver out of the can, for fear of metal shards, but maybe if one gave it a longer rocking it would cut faster.
 
leghog said:
I've found it to be the best can opener on any knife. That said, I'll reach for a P38 first.
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Thanks leghog. I love the P 38. I still have one my dad gave me in 1982. I can still remember taking it out of the brown wrapper with the instructions on it. I recently got one of the P 51 can openers but haven't used it yet.



deltaboy said:
Great Thread and I love these knifes!
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Hi Deltaboy. Thank you. I have a couple old ones coming soon. I'm still trying to get good pictures. :thumbsup:
 
I carried a Vic from age 10 until I got bit by the tactical bug at about 21-22. Vic can opener is really good once your used to it. I started on that style so may be a tad biased.lol Remember, you "push" a Vic style around the can,whereas you "pull" the hawkbill type. Or put it another way for a right handed person, counter clockwise with the Vic, clockwise with hawkbill type
 
edbeau said:
After everyone posting their red knives, I had to find mine. I found it in my car in the console. When I bought it, it was missing the cork screw or Philips screwdriver. Mine has the "regular" can opener. I didn't see any like mine with the hawkbill blade.

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Hi Ed. Great too see you here and thanks for the picture. Very cool mountain guide you have.

With 4 tools and 3 blades including that jumbo hawk bill the Model #4804 Swiss Master is quite an interesting knife.


This one is missing one tool which I believe was the cork screw. It has the aluminum liners and was it was made in the 80's or 90's.

Here is a picture I have of one of these with a corkscrew. Not my knife or my picture.



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Here's one you don't see every day. It's pretty well used up, but nevertheless a solid bolster, curved stamp scout knife...

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