Steel Warrior?

[JJHollowman]

I have twin nephews with a birthday coming up and thought maybe a pocketknife each would be a good gift as they'll be 12 and they do camp a bit and are scouts. I don't see them a lot and cash is a bit tight right now but I want to send them something decent without breaking my bank. Is Steel Warrior any good? It's supposedly made by Frost which isn't comforting but is also listed as 440 steel. I was think stockman style. Any advice appreciated.

 

[black mamba]

Of the popular import brands, I've found Rough Rider and Marbles to be slightly better than Steel Warrior.

 

[Prester John]

Never heard of Steel Warrior, but there are many fans of Rough Rider here. My daughter has a Rough Rider trapper and likes it. It looks pretty sturdy, and is not expensive. A stockman would be okay, but I bet they'd love a scout knife, complete with can opener, cap lifter/screwdriver, etc.

 

[Fire Beard]

I’ll second Rough Rider. For the price they’re great. 440 Steel, real bone handles, nickel bolsters, brass pins/liners, etc. The fit and finish are surprisingly good. They also offer some pretty unique patterns.

 

[Eli Chaps]

From what I see, their stockman is $15-25.

For that, you can get a Victorinox Bantam, Recruit, Spartan, Tinkerer, Sportsman and more. That's what I'd do.

 

[JJHollowman]

Thanks so much, Rough Rider is a bit cheaper too! Gonna go with those in a scout knife if i can find them.

 

[Rich S]

I have the Rough Rider utility scout knife (no scout emblem) and the can opener is next to impossible to open. I like RRs and have about a dozen, but I'd recommend a Victorinox (SAK) scout knife. All available through Knifecenter. Here's their link.

https://www.knifecenter.com/series/victorinox-swiss-army/swiss-army-boy-scouts-of-america

I'd go with the red or black Tinker; it will do 99% of things you'd expect of such a knife. I've carried a Tinker for about 30 years. Vic makes great knives that last and are easy to sharpen. As a former scout (60+ years ag0). I'd rather have an knife with the scout emblem. (I still have my old (ancient) Imperial official scout knife). Are there even official scout stores/websites now that carry official scout knives?
Just my thoughts.
Rich

 

[Prester John]

I have the Rough Rider utility scout knife (no scout emblem) and the can opener is next to impossible to open. I like RRs and have about a dozen, but I'd recommend a Victorinox (SAK) scout knife. All available through Knifecenter. Here's their link.

https://www.knifecenter.com/series/victorinox-swiss-army/swiss-army-boy-scouts-of-america

I've carried a Tinker for about 30 years. Vic makes great knives that last and are easy to sharpen.
Just my thoughts.
Rich

Victorinox does make great knives at reasonable cost. The Tinker is one of my favorite.

 

[Rich S]

Just answered my own question. There are official scout stores.
Rich

 

[Prester John]

Just answered my own question. There are official scout stores.
Here's the knife I'd get for the guys if you don't want to go with a Vic:

https://www.scoutshop.org/bsa-deluxe-pocket-knife-2-1-2-knife-615782.html

Rich

I would opt for the Swiss-made Victorinox. Consistent quality. The Tinker has everything a scout knife has and more.

 

[abcdef]

Looks like the Tinker is the pick of the lot.

 

[Rich S]

I would agree with Vic Tinker as the best choice.
Rich

 

[Just Tom.]

I believe Steel Warrior is indeed made by Frost. I purchased 3 from their carbon steel series - a stockman with buffalo horn I believe, which I gave to my Dad, a small model they call the Range Rider with natural bone, and the Copperhead with red bone, which I purchased to use the smaller Wharncliffe(ish) blade for whittling. That one blade has a little wobble in it, none of the others do. They are not too bad, really.

 

[Ernie1980]

Another vote for the SAK! I was thinking that as I read your post and then quickly saw that I was not the first

 

[Frailer]

The Tinker would be an excellent choice.

Other models you might consider are the Recruit or the Bantam. Both these knives can be had from a variety of sources for less than $20.

Edited to add: I now see Eli had already mentioned both of these, so I’ll add the “Walker” as another viable option; it’s the least expensive model that incorporates the excellent Victorinox saw.

 

[Railsplitter]

Thanks so much, Rough Rider is a bit cheaper too! Gonna go with those in a scout knife if i can find them.

I agree with R Rich S about the can opener being next to impossible to open on the Rough Rider Scout. Aside from that, it's a very stout knife.

If you must go with a new low priced Scout knife, you might consider trying to find one of these Colt Utility Scout knives. I'm pretty sure they are made by the makers of Rough Rider but I cannot confirm it. I like this one better than my Rough Rider Scout. If you require a bail then this one won't do.




It's a thick knife but the build quality is impressive and the bone is nice.

 

[Railsplitter]

I just realized that the Colt I posted above is the same knife as the one in Rich's link.

 

[LastRodeo]

I vote Vic also. I prefer the Recruit over the Tinker.

 

[5K Qs]

I just realized that the Colt I posted above is the same knife as the one in Rich's link. View attachment 1171080

When I saw the knife in Rich's link, I thought it looked like the Colt scout. But Rich's link claims their BSA knife is 2.5", which is smaller than the Colt scout, isn't it, Rick?

- GT

 

[Railsplitter]

When I saw the knife in Rich's link, I thought it looked like the Colt scout. But Rich's link claims their BSA knife is 2.5", which is smaller than the Colt scout, isn't it, Rick?

- GT

The closed length on the BSA knife is listed at 3.24". Without digging out the Colt, I'd have to say that it's about the same size.