iKnife Collector

Hosted by Gus Marsh

Topic: Bear & Son Cutlery

October 8, 2014

Bear & Son Cutler

It all began in 1991 when Ken Griffey and two partners bought the Parker

Edwards knife facility, a sister plant to W. R. Case & Sons in Jacksonville,

Alabama, to create Bear MGC Cutlery. A lot has happened since then to

establish Bear & Son Cutlery as a rising force in the knife industry.

After a series of twists and turns, including a time when Swiss Army Brands

actually owned the firm, Ken Griffey still heads the operation as President. His

son Matt, who began working in the factory when he was 18, is Vice-President,

as is Ken’s wife Sandy, who has played a key role as Vice-President of

purchasing and premium department. With their supervisors and management

team, they bring a combined knife experience of more than 301 years, including

positions with Gerber, Case, Parker Edwards and Schrade. They head a skilled

team of 82 knife craftsmen. As Americans become more and more concerned

about jobs lost to overseas sources, they resent it when they see the words

“Made in China” on a product. And they have less confidence in the quality and

reliability – especially if it’s a knife.  Bear & Son Cutlery meets the test because 100% of their high-quality knives are  made in their state-of-the-art Jacksonville, Alabama plant, where they do all their

own tooling, pressing, heat- treating, grinding, hafting, finishing and assembly.

“Our fundamental position is clear and absolute: we make high-quality knives,

and we make them all right here in the U.S.A.,” said Ken Griffey. “And when we

say Made in America, we mean everything. We’re a family company, and we are

dedicated to keeping it exactly that way.”  With a wide range of knives – from big Bowies to popular Butterflies – Bear & Son covers almost every knife need. They’re Sideliner locking knives  include  the       

4-1/8" 510 D with a Damascus steel blade, Genuine India Stag Bone TM handle and a belt clip. The MSRP is $159.99. From their wide range of Butterfly knives, the 5-inch CB 17 is a leader, with handsome cocobola handle and blade made of premium 440A steel. The MSRP is $86.99.

Their Bear OPS Division, launched in 2011, features a growing line of rugged

tactical/survival knives, such as the new C-200-B4 Constant. It's 9-3/8" overall and has a full-tang, modified drop-point blade made of 154CM premium steel, and the unique G-10 handle has a textured grip.  While the Bear Company began in 1991, for Ken Griffey you could say it actually began in 1976, when he went to work for Parker Cutlery, then a Tennessee knife distributor; or in 1986 when Parker USA started producing Damascus and stainless steel blades in Jacksonville. Matt says he’s been around knives as long as he can remember. From the time he was 4 until he was 10, his mother Sandy

engraved blades in their home. Matt began working in the factory while still in school. As Americans become more and more concerned about jobs lost to overseas sources, they resent it when they see the words “Made in China” on a product. And they have less confidence in the quality and reliability – especially if it's a knife. Bear & Son Cutlery meets the test because 100 percent of their high-quality

knives are made in their state-of-the-art factory in Jacksonville, Alabama. “Our fundamental position is clear and absolute: we make high-quality knives, and we make them all right here in the U.S.A.,” said Ken Griffey, president. “And when we say Made in America, we mean everything – the steels, every

component right down to the tiniest screws, and of course every step of manufacturing.” Joining Griffey on the Bear & Son management team is his wife Sandy and son Matt, making it what he calls “a family company, and we are dedicated to keeping it exactly that way.” With a wide range of knives – from big Bowies to popular Butterflies – Bear & Son covers almost every knife need. Their Bear OPS Division features a growing line of rugged tactical/survival knives, such as the new C-200-B4 Constant. It's 9-

3/8-inch overall, with a full-tang, modified drop-point blade made of 154CM premium steel.

Steel Bear & Son products contain only quality USA blade steels (except Sandvik made in Sweden). The following is a reference of the steel that they use. 440 High Carbon Stainless Steel - This formula is very rust-resistant and holds an edge well. Diamond or ceramic sharpener recommended due to the metal hardness.  1095 Carbon Steel - Longtime favorite for knife blades. Holds a keen edge and is

very easy to re-sharpen. A stone sharpener is recommended. Requires a light coat of oil to prevent rusting.  CPM-S30V Stainless Steel - A premium grade American-made steel, created especially for knife blades. With uniform carbide distribution and clean steel properties, it provides superior edge quality, and is rust and corrosion resistant. 154CM Stainless Steel - Another premium grade American-made steel offering great corrosion resistance, with toughness and a really good edge.  Sandvik 12C27M Stainless Steel - Swedish steel created for knife blades. It has great edge retention and toughness and was selected for its rust and corrosion resistance. Diamond or ceramic sharpener recommended due to the metal hardness. Used only for Bear's stainless Bowies this year. Sandvik 14C28N Stainless Steel - Another Sandvik steel for knife blades. This new grade has the highest achievable hardness and edge stability, with rust and corrosion resistant. Diamond or ceramic sharpener recommended due to the

metal hardness. Used for Bear's new line of Butterflies, two new Bear Swipes and Letter Openers.

High Definition Damascus steel - 416 layers of medium and high carbon steel, with added nickel to magnify definition. Flexibility is superb and every Damascus blade is as distinct as a fingerprint. Damascus blades also have "secret" sharpness - never feels as sharp to the touch as it really is!

A family cutlery business, that insists on top quality knives for its customers all over the world.

Water jet technology helps sharpen operations On a mission to create 100-percent USA-made knives of the highest quality, the craftsmen at family owned Bear & Son Cutlery take a series of nearly 100 steps

to make many of the company’s masterpieces. The magic happens in Bear & Son’s self contained, 41,000-square-foot factory in Jacksonville, Ala.“While some companies only assemble the knives and put their names on the product, we do everything in-house—from building our own blanking dies to heat

treating, grinding, assembly and hand finishing,” says Ken Griffey, President of Bear & Son Cutlery