John Ek Knives: Who Likes them and Why?

V

VorpelSword

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Messages
1,375
Who Likes John Ek knives and why do you like them?

Are your Ek knives users or lookers?
 
Allen Elishewitz started making Ek Commando folders last year.

tGpKLgd.jpg
 
I do. Most of mine are from Richmond, at least one from Effingham, and a few from Olean. Most don't get used. My most practical one is a KA-BAR EK51 drop point. There is just so much right about that knife. I'm surprised there isn't more talk about it on outdoor forums.
 
Like the older ones from about ww2 to Vietnam because of the looks. Have a few modern ones, still would like a model 5 in black micarta. First heard of them when a saw an add for the double edge chord wrapped Bowie in the first gulf war, maybe 1990. Richmond made them before Blackjack bought the name. I think it was about 140.00 then.
 
Last edited:
cbach8tw said:
Like the older ones from about ww2 to Vietnam because of the looks. Have a few modern ones, still would like a model 5 in black micarta. First heard of them when a saw an add for the double edge chord wrapped Bowie in the first gulf war, maybe 1990. Richmond made them before Blackjack bought the name. I think it was about 140.00 then.
Click to expand...
Anything made after 1982 is just a knife made by a company that owned the Ek brand name. Any Ek knife made between 1941 and 1982 was an actual Ek product, made by the Ek family business, John Ek Industries.
Robert Buerleins American Historical Foundation and its associated companies, Richmond Knives and Richmond Benchmade Knives, made a bunch of collectible and limited edition Ek knives between 1982 to 1993.
In 1993 Mike Stewart and Blackjack knives acquired partial rights to the Ek name and produced knives until the bankruptcy in 1997. Many unsold knives from AHF were sold as Blackjack knives.
When Stewart went bankrupt, full ownership of Ek Knives reverted back to Robert Buerlein in Richmond.
Mike Stewart and Bark River Knives made a handful of Ek knives in 2001 but production was stopped due to a trademark dispute.
In 2014, Kabar purchased Ek Commando Knives.
 
I had a Richmond Bowie model not a user, I still have an Effingham Bowie that has been a user which I modified a long time ago. Always liked the checkered walnut handle the most.
 
Arathol said:
Anything made after 1982 is just a knife made by a company that owned the Ek brand name. Any Ek knife made between 1941 and 1982 was an actual Ek product, made by the Ek family business, John Ek Industries.
Robert Buerleins American Historical Foundation and its associated companies, Richmond Knives and Richmond Benchmade Knives, made a bunch of collectible and limited edition Ek knives between 1982 to 1993.
In 1993 Mike Stewart and Blackjack knives acquired partial rights to the Ek name and produced knives until the bankruptcy in 1997. Many unsold knives from AHF were sold as Blackjack knives.
When Stewart went bankrupt, full ownership of Ek Knives reverted back to Robert Buerlein in Richmond.
Mike Stewart and Bark River Knives made a handful of Ek knives in 2001 but production was stopped due to a trademark dispute.
In 2014, Kabar purchased Ek Commando Knives.
Click to expand...
Good information... Thanks for sharing 👍
 
I'd like to have a model 4, haven't pulled the wallet out yet though- other knives are higher on my want list.
 
Arathol said:
Buerleins American Historical Foundation and its associated companies, Richmond Knives and Richmond Benchmade Knives
Click to expand...
Okay I found AHF and a bit about Richmond which was mostly kitchen knives? Benchmade the company came about in 1988, was there some kind of company collaboration on Richmond Benchmade Knives or was it two distinct entities?
 
I love the old WW2 EK knives. Nothing fancy about them, just well-made knives by a Patriot that wanted to help out the men serving in the military. My favorite is the EK New Guinea Brush Knife. I'd like to find someone that could make a reproduction.
 
Unconfirmed stories try at FDR kept one in his desk. I asked the FDR library if they had one in their collection, all they said was that John
Ek visited the White House to show his knives for the troops.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top