Fight'n rooster knives

Joined
Nov 17, 2018
Messages
4
Hey, been collecting some fight'n rooster knives recently and wondering the ages of the knives I've gotten. One has Frank Buster Cutlery CO. GERMANY stamp. The other gas Frank Buster Celebrated Cutlery Germany stamp on it. I guess I'm wondering if these stamps can definitively determine age? Also one has some oxidation discoloring on the part of the blade protruding from the body when closed. Essentially the top of blade is oxidized whereas the bottom is totally clean, curious if this is a sign of celluloid rot.
 
Welcome to Blade Forums, E Emac323 ! :):thumbsup::thumbsup: I'm an admirer of Fight'n Rooster knives, and have a 4-blade canoe, but I really don't know very much about them. However, I did try googling "fight'n rooster tang stamps" and happened to come across this: http://knifetalkin.blogspot.com/2014/01/fightn-rooster.html
Don't know how accurate it is, but it certainly SEEMS authoritative. ;):rolleyes:
That blog post suggests that the first knife you mention was probably made somewhere between 1976 and 1982, while the second was made between 1982 and 1995, if I'm interpreting the info correctly.

Also, FWIW, the oxidation you describe sure sounds like it's consistent with outgassing celluloid (and I think I remember someone once claiming that Fight'n Rooster knives seem quite susceptible to that). But photos of your knives would probably help members here be more confident about giving you advice and suggestions. :thumbsup::cool::)

(Just gonna take this opportunity to show off my only Fight'n Rooster :rolleyes::thumbsup::D:
gunboat.mark.4open.jpg

- GT
 
Not to interrupt a thread but I've been around since 2014 I give up what does FWIW mean? I know pretty much all of the terms here but..... I'm sure I'll feel stupid once I know.
 
The Frank Buster knives were 1st generation. The Celebrated were 2nd and whatever is around now (too late on a Saturday night) is 3rd.
Yes, the F. B. celluloid is very prone to outgassing. I,ve had a couple of mine re-scaled. The Fightn' Roosters and the Charlie Dorton Bulldogs are some of my favorite traditionals.--KV
 
The discoloration/corrosion you describe is from outgassing. :oops: :(
The only fix is to replace the covers. :(

Keep that knife or knives separate from the others until it is fixed or you remove the covers.
They can (and will) damage other knives stored or displayed near them. :(
 
I love my fighting rooster stockman. Perfect size, well made. I regeound the Spey to a more of a pen shape. Mine is jigged bone so no out gassing issues. I have thought about picking up more, but the ones I like generally go for more than id rather pay for them (not saying they aren't worth it). Very well made knives.
 
I think FR knives are a steal today. They were very well made, had a lot of small runs, did patterns not often seen, and are comparatively inexpensive. They do however seem to have some of the worst problems with outgassing, and this is whittling down their numbers faster than we can wear them out. The celluloid used on "roosters" was, i'm sure, used because it's some of the most attractive stuff available at the time. If you put a pristine FR next to a GEC with the new acrylics you can see the difference. A good example is tortoise shell; I love the way it looks when done well, but the original (organic) material is no longer an option and plastics just don't have the same look. Unfortunately this pattern celluloid breaks down badly:

A7fz1gK.jpg


So, my advise is this, if you find a FR you like, buy it. There are no problems with wood, bone, stage, or mother of pearl (and they used the real stuff) on these knives. Even cell can/should be considered if you are willing to take the chance. Here's one of my favorites, an Irish Congress in MOP.

MfYYD1u.jpg
 
Hey, thanks for the info. The oxidation on my knife looks the same as the blade on eisman's tortoise shell. What's strange though, is the handles are in perfect condition and are a dark smoke gray. No shrinking or cracking whatsoever. Guess I will look into getting it re-scaled.
 
Here's some info on Fightin-Rooster knives that some may find helpful.

"Fight'n Rooster knives was started in 1977 by Frank Buster, Lebanon Tennessee , who after attempting to have American companies fill his special order knives was left no option but to design his own knives. He arranged to have them made in Solingen, Germany. He brought back many celluloid patterns from the 1940's. Frank visited the Olbertz Factory in 1975. After screening the old tooling for old patterns and the way the master cutlers made their knives, Frank Buster contracted with them to manufacture Fight'n Rooster Knives. The association continues today. Due to the abundance of old tooling, the wide assortment and variety of handle material and Frank Buster's designing process, no other knife company comes close to the variety of Fight'n Rooster. This factory also manufactures Bulldog Brand knives.

Dating A Fight'n Rooster Knife - Tang Stamping
The original first stamp on Fight'n Rooster knives (rear tang) was Frank Buster Cutlery Company Germany. The front of the blade was stamped with the two Rooster Trademark and the word Solingen underneath the roosters.

In 1982 the rear tang stamp was changed to Frank Buster Celebrated Cutlery Germany. The front stamp had the words Fight'n Rooster added above the two roosters.
The 1994 the rear stamp was changed to Frank Buster & Son Celebrated Cutlery Germany.
Mr. Frank passed away in July of 2007. He will be missed."
 
If the price is right on the celluloid, the quality is worth re-scaling. One of my favorite EDC's is a rescaled F.R. that Glennbad did for me. It had Xmas tree cell on it.--KV
 
Great thread and thanks for sharing this information. Out of curiosity, when did Frank Buster Cutlery go out of business? My father gave me a brand new 1989 FightNRooster "Like Father Like Son" folder as an Army Basic Training graduation present in 1989. Never knew much about the knife but kept it unused in a cedar box for the last 32 years. My father sadly passed away 8 years later at relatively young age due to Agent Orange exposure at the Korean DMZ in 1970. So it is very special to me for that reason.

Thanks,

CW
 
Back
Top