parker knives ID and company info?

Kitten Party

Kitten Party

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Jun 9, 2014
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So I have done a bit of research on this company and this pattern. I came across mixed things when it came to the integrity of the brand and james parker. I just won a bid on this lockback whittler but noticed the laser etch "Japan". So my concern is that in ALL the pictures I could find of this pattern, I never saw this laser etch on the blade coupled with people saying that some of these knives are fakes made in china.

Is anyone able to illuminate this a little bit? I did a fair amount of internet sleuthing on my own but the time has come to turn to the wisdom of the masses on the porch!


 
I'm not an expert, but have handled a few of his knives, and this one looks authentic to me. Parker did some things a lot of people don't agree with, but he usually made (or had made) a pretty solid knife.
 
I would say that it is original. Probably made in Seki, Japan in the 70's or 80's. In my opinion, Parker Eagle Brand Cutlery was never collectible enough or valuable enough for counterfeiters to bother with. Decent knives for the money though. Popular folklore says that Parker had these made and would trade them by the handful or more for the old Case Knives.
 
Well thanks for the info...I want sure whether there was a current production run in China or something like they do with the bulldog knives...
 
I believe that the Parker knives were made in Japan not China unless it is a recent copy/counterfit. In the 80's, Japan was the China of knives. But what many have discovered is that they really weren't bad knives and I suspect the Chinese knives will eventually shake out the same way. I am no expert on his knives and own a few. Jim Parker was a lot of things, and he did a lot for the knife community. I have read that he started the limited edition knives that Case makes when he owned it. Now these limited edition "special" knives are common place and fairly ho hum unless the subject matter is important to you. The problem with Jim Parker (as I understand it) was that he would produce knives with a certain branding since he purchased the rights to the old brand and sell them as if they were the old knives. It is kind of like Taylor Brands and Schrade versus Schrade USA. People would purchase the name and discover they are recent manufacture.
 
There looks like there may be a pin crack on the pile side.

There's a good thread in Bernard Levine's forum about Parker and his knives.
 
rma100 said:
I would say that it is original. Probably made in Seki, Japan in the 70's or 80's. In my opinion, Parker Eagle Brand Cutlery was never collectible enough or valuable enough for counterfeiters to bother with. Decent knives for the money though. Popular folklore says that Parker had these made and would trade them by the handful or more for the old Case Knives.
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The above is my understanding, as well.
 
yes, Buzz Parker is Jim Parker's boy. Buzz was or is part of the knives live crew of SMKW.
Jim owned Case at one time, contracted with Bluegrass to make Case Collector Knives.
you could prolly contact Buzz aka"Silverladdy" and gather up info on Parker knives. Parker also was once affiliated with Frost. they made Parker Frost brand knives.
i have a few Parkers made of Japan origin. Burnt second cut jigged stag. A rather frugal way of using already used stag for handles.
Imai is another Parker brand

buzz, the other buzz
 
I believe Jim Parker financed SMKW for his brother. I suspect this is in part why many of the knives from the National Knife Museum are now at SMKW. Jim Parker and Jim Frost used to frequent the gun shows selling knives years ago.
 
markv said:
yes, Buzz Parker is Jim Parker's boy. Buzz was or is part of the knives live crew of SMKW.
Jim owned Case at one time, contracted with Bluegrass to make Case Collector Knives.
you could prolly contact Buzz aka"Silverladdy" and gather up info on Parker knives. Parker also was once affiliated with Frost. they made Parker Frost brand knives.
i have a few Parkers made of Japan origin. Burnt second cut jigged stag. A rather frugal way of using already used stag for handles.
Imai is another Parker brand

buzz, the other buzz
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I believe that Jay Parker, from Knives Live TV , is the nephew of either Jim Parker Sr. or "Buzz" Parker. SMKW is/was owned by Kevin Pipes
 
If I may add to this thread, I had a couple of older ladies ask if I would give them $3. for bus fare in exchange for this knife. I gave them the money and took this poor looking knife that needed help. I made it my project for the day, cleaned it up, worked a bend out of the tip on the razor style blade, then sharpened it.
Here are the results.
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I'm hoping maybe you guys can tell me a little more about this particular knife. The scales appear to be real bone, while the second blade appears to be a straight razor style blade?
 
During some period of time, Jim Parker, was co-author, I think with Houston Price or Bruce Voyles, of the Collectible Pocketknives" series of annually published price guides.

He thought fit to include his own brand name in the guide, as he was banking on and promoting their collectability. Why not? He had more than anybody else.

I forget the years, but I have one around here somewhere, probably from the mid-80's.

The Parker section in the books was pretty extensive and might supply some useful information, but read it with a jaundiced eye, as there was probably a bit of P. T. Barnham's philosophy involved.
 
Parker made solid knives, as stated before the blades were from Seki City and high quality 440C. silverladdy is a great ebay seller who I've dealt with before. That looks like a good knife.
 
CNoyes said:
The Parker section in the books was pretty extensive and might supply some useful information, but read it with a jaundiced eye, as there was probably a bit of P. T. Barnham's philosophy involved.
Click to expand...
W.C. Fields was quoted for saying; There is a sucker born every minute. ;)

tyr_shadowblade said:
Parker made solid knives, as stated before the blades were from Seki City and high quality 440C. silverladdy is a great ebay seller who I've dealt with before. That looks like a good knife.
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Thank you. :) This one has stamped "M-1500, Surgical Steel, made in Japan." on one side of the main blade, and "Parker & Son, Chattanooga, TN." on the other.
It also has a very good walk & talk. The part that I question is the "Surgical Steel" bit. You say it might be 440C? That would be nice. As I already said, the scales appear to be real bone too.
 
Ballenxj said:
W.C. Fields was quoted for saying; There is a sucker born every minute. ;)
Click to expand...
Actually, no he wasn't. It wasn't Barnum either.
Parker and Barnum did share the same philosophy of filling their pockets at the expense of gullible folk though.
 
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