Does Frost make anything worth buying?

C

Call_to_Arms

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Apr 13, 2011
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I go to the flea market and I see these terrible knock-off $3 knifes with FROST stamped in a banner on the base of the blade, are these actual frost knives or knock-off? Didint Frost make some really nice stuff back in the day? I ask because I noticed Ace hardware's website has a ton of Frost slipjoints that look alright, but they are mighty small pics. Are any of these worth buying? does anyone have any experience with them?
 
maybe back in the day they could have been quality but now, they are terrible. i wouldnt buy one.
 
They make a decent hoof knife for shoeing horses but I have not seen a good Frost pocket knife in years.
Gene
 
A knock-off of a current production Frost? Those are probably real Frost knives, even at $3.

If a knock-off was made by one of the usual suspects, my guess is it would be of noticeably better quality than the "original". Probably cost a little more too.
 
Any good?No, not really.Some of the Japanese made Frost knives i thought were pretty good back in the 80's and into the 90's.But you dont see them around much anymore.Frost imports the Steel Warrior branded knives which are similar to Rough Rider quality.Generally though if it says Frost on it,you're better off turning away.If you really get the fever you can stay up late one night and order 300 of them for $129.99 from ole Tom Odell on TV.(:
 
I just received a "box of knives" from a friend. One of the knives in it was a little "Chipaway Cutlery" mid-lock by Frost. It's not perfect but it's still a nice little knife. It's sharp and locks up perfectly.

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I bought a box of frost knives when I was a teenager, about 8 years ago. I think I got 10 of them for $25.00, I thought "heck even if they break I'm still getting 10 usable knives" I figured that I'd have a year or two's worth of knives for 25 bucks. Nope, each one lasted about a week. The pivot screws would fall out in my pocket and then I'd be left with a blade and a knife in two pieces. lock up was terrible, blade play like crazy. I'd stay away from them because even at such low prices they just aren't worth it.
After that experimenter I went and bought a CRKT for too much and I still have it 8 years later.
 
The general answer is NO on quality. But, since I am a gluttant for punishment, I just bought one in the large Sunfish pattern. I looked at 5 or 6 and picked what I hoped was the best one overall. It has nice fit and finish. Have not cut anything with it yet and will give it a try in the near future. Frost Cutlery (of Chattanooga TN) imports all their knives from China. They box them up and ship them out to places like Ace Hardware and Smoky Mt. Knife Works (SMKW). I was told they sell about $3 million worth of blades to SMKW a year. That is a lot of $8 to $20 knives....

Five years ago, I bought a couple as presents for teenaged boys as their first knives. They weren't great, but I thought acceptable for the application.

Folks report that the Rough Rider knives are some of the best of the cheap Chinese pocket knives. If the same factory makes both, I suspect the Frost Cutlery stuff may be a little better than terrible. They are made with 440-something stainless steel.

My personal opinion is that you should keep an open mind. These knives are not up to Case, Queen, Bear & Sons, or GEC standards. But for the price, you might take a good look at a number of them and give one a try. I would handle 5 or 6 of them in the pattern you like and decide. They're inexpensive. What is the worst that can happen? Form your own opinion. I can't imagine this large Sunfish falling apart in a week. Frankly, on the surface, it looks like a heck of a good knife. But the truth lies in the using and the sharpening.
 
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Let's put a stop to the bloodletting...The jury has spoken.


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Reopening at request of forum member...
 
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to keep the hating to a minimum. i do have an old frost that my uncle gave me and its made in japan. its really not that bad of a knife, way nicer than the ones they make these days.......
 
Blues kindly unlocked this thread as i want to post a different view from most of those expressed so far.
Steel Warrior is one of the Frost brandings. I have a bunch of these. They are good knives. Period. factor in the low price and they are an extremely good deal, similar to Rough Rider.
For the past ~ 4 years I have been carrying and using a 3 3/8" Copperhead; Master blade is a clip and locks open, depressing the Wharncliffe secondary releases the Clip blade. It's a really nice little pocket knife. Still works just fine. Arrived really sharp and is still sharp enough that it doesn't bother me enough to take the time to sharpen it. All for about $12-$15.
Frost also puts out a traditional line under the name "Wrangler". I have a few of these. Haven't used one, but the fit and finish and blade action is all good.
I think Frost owns many different brandings. I probably have a few of these too but don't know that they are a Frost product. For example, is "Beaver Creek" a Frost branding ? Ebay is full of off-shore made Traditional style folders with folksy American sounding names (like "U.S. Classic" !) They are all so inexpensive i buy a couple of each branding to check them out. Most are decent enough to carry and use without problems. I bet many of these are actually Frost knives.
I have some older "Frost" branded knives from the turn of the century (1990's ?) and they are of poorer quality which might explain the assumption that all of Frost's offerings are the same as these. But times have changed. A number of U.S. businesses have been able to find high quality, reliable, 'off-shore' knife manufacturers in recent times. In just the last 5 years that i have been all consumed by knives, i have seen a continual improvement in off-shore made folding knives, to the point now where it is more likely to be a quality product than a crappy one.
roland
 
My Dad carried a Frost knife that I always admired. It was called a sidelock and supposedly was a knockoff of a Cargill design. The bolster
slid sideways and the blade locked. It looked a little like a Buck 110, but slimmer. I don't know what the steel was (some kind of stainless) but it was very hard. It held a good edge after you finally got it sharp.
Dale
 
Frost doesn't make knives, they import them. The Japanese imports during the early to mid 1980s were of good quality. Nothing good under that brand since.
 
rafterp said:
My Dad carried a Frost knife that I always admired. It was called a sidelock and supposedly was a knockoff of a Cargill design. The bolster
slid sideways and the blade locked. It looked a little like a Buck 110, but slimmer. I don't know what the steel was (some kind of stainless) but it was very hard. It held a good edge after you finally got it sharp.
Dale
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That WAS a Cargill design knife for Frost.I had a couple of them and they were very cool knives and excellent quality.I went to the Frost warehouse in Chattanooga a few years ago.I bought a bunch of the Japan made folders and several Case knives.They sell good stuff AND very low end junk.Check them out if you're ever down that way.I got some great deals and it was fun to see the operation.
 
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