Identify Grohmann Knife?

robinpeck

robinpeck

Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
326
Is anyone familiar with this Grohmann knife? It seems to be a camp or game butchering knife. They no longer make anything like it. It is 15 inches long with a 10.5-inch blade, 2 inches. wide and 1/8 in. thick. Grohmann is in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada (https://grohmannknives.com), and is best known for making the often copied Russell Belt Knife (shown in one of the photos) in various versions.

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That little belt knife, Herters used to sell in the 50s/60s. Maybe Grohmann made them on contract.

Parker
 
catspa said:
That little belt knife, Herters used to sell in the 50s/60s. Maybe Grohmann made them on contract.

Parker
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Herter's had those made by R Murphy knives (now part of Dexter Russell). They tried to bring them back a while ago, maybe 10 years or so, under their own name with limited success. They knives weren't bad, just poorly marketed. You can see them here -

https://issuu.com/codygantz/docs/rmurphy/13 .

Murphy still sells a copy of the "Improved Bowie" and a few others, but the Grohmann copy is gone.
 
catspa said:
That little belt knife, Herters used to sell in the 50s/60s. Maybe Grohmann made them on contract.

Parker
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You've got that backward. I know the Herters knife. It is a somewhat cheaper copy of the real thing. There were many copies, most recently by Cold Steel. Go here for the real history of the Russell Belt Knife: https://www.chuckhawks.com/grohmann_1_knife.htm#:~:text=A government official named D.H. Russell got tired of seeing


"The story of the Grohmann #1 began before the Second World War with a commercial buyer from Quebec, who would travel to Czechoslovakia every year to buy pocket knives. He would often urge the plant manager, Rudolph Grohmann, to come to Canada. After the end of the war Grohmann decided to accept the invitation.

His knife making career got off to a slow start, but eventually he got his big break. A government official named D.H. Russell got tired of seeing only imported knives in stores and teamed up with Grohmann to design a unique knife that could be made in Canada.

They gave out the prototypes to trappers and guides across the north and made changes at their suggestions. In 1957, they ended up with what became the #1.

For its time the design was a revolutionary departure. The knife won many awards worldwide and there is even one on display at the Smithsonian Institution. The #1 design has been widely copied. Knives from Alaska, Cold Steel, Browning and others have borrowed this design, but the Grohmann is the original."
 
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tltt said:
https://grohmannknives.com/index.php/products/outdoor .

Looks like maybe a variation on their "moose" knives. You might need to ask them, Grohmann used to have a custom shop many, many years ago, where they'd modify patterns, and occasionally make 1 offs. It might have been from that part of the business.
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It does look like it could be a large custom version of (or a prototype for) their new "Moose Knife."

However, I've completely butchered a few moose all by myself with no assistance and this knife is about twice as big as anything I thought was necessary.

Grohmann still does make a few odd local items. For instance, I don't know of any other knife manufacturer making a Whale Flensing knife. (https://www.grohmannknives.com/index.php/products/outdoor/whalefield dressed-flensing-knife-carbon-steel-detail)
 
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This just in from Grohmann:

Good morning

Thank you for the pictures. That certainly is an old knife and was a custom piece either made by Rudolph Grohmann or Mike Babinac Sr. probably made in the 70's. I hope this helps!

Best Regards,
Angella, Amanda, Heidi or Terri
Grohmann Knives Customer Service
116 Water St, Pictou, Nova Scotia Canada B0K 1H0
1-888-756-4837 1-902-485-4224
Open Mon-Fri 9-5 Atlantic Standard Time
Superior Handcrafted Quality for over 65 Years
www.gknives.com
 
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