Vintage made in Japan slipjoints?

S

SirJames

Joined
May 17, 2002
Messages
448
Not much talking about made in Japan slipjoints and a search didn't bring up any specific threads. I understand in a way, Japan was the China of the knife world back in the 60s and 70s but the quality seems a bit better. They also tended to be made for Western companies and market, so I'd certainly call them made in Japan knives as opposed to Japanese knives.

I picked up a MIJ two black jackknife yesterday and the small blade says Japan while the other blade says 75-6094 and Stainless Steel but no brand name anywhere. Quality of fit is right up there with a Case knife and it interestingly (for a Japanese knife) has half stops on both blades.

Are there any resources/web sites for ino of made in Japan knives? Company histories, brands, etc.
 
Jack Black said:
I have a few by Solar, made prior to 1971. See post 142 in this thread (I'd post the picture code, but I can't because the thread is locked :grumpy: ) : http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ase-Read-the-rules!!/page8?highlight=alphabet :thumbup:
Click to expand...

actually, you can.
right click the image in the original post. Select "copy image location". Paste it in your current post.

1970sJapaneseLockingBarlow1_zpsc6aa8df4.jpg
 
Hey, thanks for the tip Frank :) :thumbup:
 
I have a number of Parker's "Eagle Brand" knives. These were made in Seki City, Japan in the 1980's I believe. They are really some very nice pocket knives.
 
I have a few Sabers from Japan. Never saw the Solars, though. I had a Japanese Monarch folder once, and just picked up a charming little Monarch fixed blade. All of them good and well made knives.
 
I got the Solars off a guy who bought a big consignment of them in 1971. He still seems to have a lot of them. I was pretty impressed with the quality, and would definitely buy some more the next time I bump into the guy :thumbup:
 
Thanks Jer, they were all under $10. That Saber looks real nice, do you know what the steel is?
 
Some of you may have seen this one before. I carried this little Sabre penknife all through high school, so it's a sentimental favorite. I wouldn't call it a high quality knife, but it's held up well enough.

 
Nice r8shell, that must have a lot of sentimental value :)
 
The Solar are very hard to Google with a name like "solar". Mine has the nail indent like the first knife but only on the first blade, I kinda like it. I think I have seen Sabre in the past and have a Monarch fixrd blade with no sheath, it was just a flea market find for a buck or two.

Thanks for showing your collection.

PS: A search on the Sabre name shows that the name was also used on made is USA and Ireland knives.
 
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Jack Black said:
Thanks Jer, they were all under $10. That Saber looks real nice, do you know what the steel is?
Click to expand...
Wow.
I don't really know what the Saber Barlow's steel is. Something rustable that sharpens and cuts. I would guess 1095, just because it doesn't feel any different from knives I know to be 1095.
I've got a small Saber stockman with a strangely shiny stainless steel that I carried it mostly before I was much good at sharpening. I should have another look at that.
 
K-Mart had their own line of knives, plenty of patterns, which were made in Japan. They sold them under the Sharp brand name. Sears also contracted with Parker for some Craftsman knives that were made in Japan. OH

Sharp_swell-end_Jackknife.JPG


Sears-Craftsman_Trapper_95155_-_Japan.JPG
 
This little pen knife came in a tiny silver box - marked as Explorer on the shield and Cavalier-II on the box (knife made in Japan). A buddy gave this knife to me a few years ago, he said he bought it in a hardware store in High Point NC and never used it - sat in a drawer for a number of years. It is very similar in style to the Buck 305. OH

Ps It looks an awful lot like the SHARP (style of construction, steel, and jigging in the Delrin).

Explorer_Cavalier-II.JPG
 
I have a Sabre grandaddy barlow that I received from the guy in the the next office at work, who found it while cleaning out his late father-in-law's garage. I still haven't made time to clean it up and see if I can tighten up the pivot and get a decent edge on it. Here's a couple of photos of the knife still in need of TLC.
8F8JMpPl.jpg


Pictured with my other two barlows for a size comparison:
2c9cS79l.jpg


- GT
 
I've just remembered I had a big Japanese-made Grandaddy Barlow as a kid, sadly I can't remember if there was a maker on the tang or not. From what I recall, Japanese-made knives were fairly common here in the 1970's, but not held in high esteem.
 
There are a lot of good 60-80s knives made in Japan imported into the US. I am always surprised by the variety and relatively good quality of many.
 
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