Abner Fitzwillies Blog

SOG Seal Team 2000 knife; Seki, JapanAfter one of the most extensive testing and evaluation programs in 1992 ever undertaken by the US Government that included knives from almost every major cutlery m…

Many people don’t realize the connection between Schrade knives and Imperial knives. Schrade Cut Co. was bought out by Albert Baer in 1946 and joined by his brother Henry Baer. They also owned Imperia…

1986 Bianchi Model M1400 Nighthawk II Knife; “The World Standard” From the brochure included with the knife, Much more than an exquisitely design hand-crafted cutting instrument, the Night…

1999 Marbles Sport 99 (R.W. Loveless) KnivesR.W. Loveless approved Marble Sport 99 knives were produced in the Mike Stewart Era at Marbles 1997-2001. The knives was produced in Gladstone, MI in 1999…

The Bianchi Nighthawk Story;The Bianchi Nighthawk knives were manufactured by Carl Schlieper a German hardware manufacturing business established in Remscheid, Germany in the 18th century.1793. Carl…

Kershaw 4070 Series Bowie KnivesModel 4070 a 6" Bowie #1754In 1992 – 1996 Kershaw produced a series of 3 Bowie Knives;#4070 a 6" Bowie (pictured above), #4071 a 7 1/2" Bowie and the #4072 a 9" Bo…

I attended the Oregon Knife Collectors Association show in Eugene, Oregon in 2014 and met Jim Meyers of Utility Tool and Knife. After talking with him I bought several knives to sell as well as this r…

In 1968 Browning worked with a gifted young knife designer Gil Hibben (long before Rambo fame) to design a series of knives produced in the USA, Germany and Seki Japan called the Sportsman Series. The…

In the 1980's Smith & Wesson introduced the Sportsman Series of Knives which included 2 extremely well engineered lock back, Stainless Steel folders named the Maverick. "The Maverick was not onl…

Jet Aer G 96 Boot & Belt Knife Model 7003 – Seki, Japan Jet-Aer Corp. of Patterson, NJ started selling knives in 1973 till the mid-80s taking classic knife designs manufactured by companies…

The Smith & Wesson Texas Ranger Bowie Knife designed by Blackie CollinsIn 1972 Smith & Wesson was approached by the Texas Ranger Commission to build a commemorative revolver in honor of their 150th…

While this blog shows the replacing of a leather handle on a Cattaraugus 225Q, the principles are the same in most  leather washer handled knives. First you need to search out a site that produce…

Valor Corporation of Miami Florida existed from the late 1960s until the early 1990s. In it’s time, it was a prominent seller of low cost firearms, ammunition, firearms related accessories and a large…

In the 1970’s Browning produced a series of knives considered to be among the finest knives Browning ever offered.In 1968, Browning introduced a line of cutlery in the form of 3 fixed-blade hunting…

S&W Survival series.In 1972 Smith and Wesson worked with well known and innovative knife designer Blackie Collins to introduce the company into the knife business. This program was announced in 197…

Over half a century ago the United States Air Force was America's primary nuclear deterrent. This was accomplished by its long range bomber aircraft operated by the Strategic Air Command, the B-36, th…

In the 1990's it was frustrating for knife consumers trying to determine where a knife was actually manufactured. US knife manufacturers were having knives produced overseas but the knife tang often o…

Hard to imagine you walk into Kmart back in the 1970's go back to the Sporting Goods, spend under $10 on a knife not even knowing that is manufactured in Seki, Japan by Ichiro Hattori. Later that knif…

R.W. Loveless was a gifted knife maker and designer and there are many books, articles and videos about him. He was a down to earth kind of guy with an amazing talent for making knives. Here is a pret…

I love big sheath knives, but I have found like others have they are too big to carry around all the time. Sometimes I will pack a small fixed blade knife especially when woods wandering but I also lo…