Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 21, 2014 at 6:51

Duke I think these may be a set of the Blue Grass Winchesters

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 21, 2014 at 6:52

I have one stag wharncliff winchesterster that was made by Blue grass.  It is a beauty.  That set above is part of an autio dgoing on right now from Voyles

Permalink Reply by Duke Biscotti on November 21, 2014 at 6:57

Yes i think you are correct, but i think these are probably later 90's.  do the tangs have a year of production on them?  those i collect have the pattern number and year of production (abbreviated like '89) under the pattern number.

Jan Carter said:

Duke I think these may be a set of the Blue Grass Winchesters

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 21, 2014 at 7:22

Blades guide to knives and thier values on page 104 states
Winchester authorized new issues made by Queen Utica and Camillus for Blue Gras Cutlery Corp begini
It appears this began in 1986

One set I am sure of is called the black box set made in the late 80's (maybe 88 or 87) Marked blue Grass Cutlery, they were produced at Queen Cutlery. Named the black box becuase they really did come in a black box with red writing and stated on them Licenced and approved by Wichester. There were other black boxes but the coloring of the lettering was different to indicate different years and materials
I know at one time these knives came with the old Utica Bone and also that there was a set that came with slanted bolsters and if memopry serves me right that was a black bone series.

I apologize that alot of this is from memory, the knife books are packed up. I do remember there being a stag series and also a series done in peachseed jigging, the peachseed box had yellow writing I think. There was a blue box with red writing that held the delrin series and possibly the celluloids also. In the late 90's there was a pearl series but I do not know who the producer was for Blue Grass.
I will pass this discussion on to John McCain as well. I know one of the Sargent books has some significant info on these.

Permalink Reply by Duke Biscotti on November 21, 2014 at 9:20

Hi Jan:  thanks for this info very much.   i have about 15 of these from 1987 to 1991.  all have black boxes some with red writing and some with yellow.  almost all of the boxes have in the lower left hand corner the pattern number (the only two that don't,  i think is the very first one in the series, a pattern number 1964 which has white writing on the box and a 3964 which has red writing on the box).

i'm 99% sure these dark colored handles are bone.  someone told me that when bluegrass started production they had access to some of the original bone ladles from Winchester and they used these up.

thanks for you help

Duke Biscotti

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 21, 2014 at 10:04

Duke,

If I remember right, you are correct.  They are bone.  Some of the original Winchester and also the Original Utica Bones were black

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on November 21, 2014 at 16:49

 Not sure exactly what you want me to find out??

 1-Did Queen make the lion's share of Blue Grass Cutlery/Winchester USA knives from 1987-1997--Yes

 2- Were Camillus and Utica also making them--probably

 3- Is there a definitive list of Blue Grass/ Winchester knives anywhere?? No
 4--Sargent's lists a lot of Winchester knives but does not indicate the Mfg. or date  in their prices
 5- A few German-made Winchesters appeared on the market in the late 70's and early 80's, but most during this period were licensed to Blue Grass.
 6-Blue Grass Cutlery produced a few early catalogues if they can be found, that may have more info.
 7- The other suggested source I have seen is C. Houston Price's-- The Official Price Guide to  Collector Knives, which unfortunately I do not own-- It's on my Christmas list to myself !!-LOL
 John-
 P.S. - There are a couple of commercial knife resellers that list a lot  of Blue Grass/ Winchesters-- But a complete listing--No way

Permalink Reply by Duke Biscotti on November 22, 2014 at 4:28

Thanks John for this.  a question however;  several "black box" winchesters (for lack of a better name) i have in my collection that are tang stamped in the late 80's, have paper work from Blue Grass Cutlery.  are you saying that these were actually made by Queen, and that queen just put in paperwork stating it was blue grass?  That would sure seem odd to me.

Or is Queen and Blue Grass the same company?

i record every winchester knife i see on the internet in a spreadsheet that shows date, pattern number, etc.  i think have a pretty complete list for 1987 - 1991, which is the time period i am starting with.  if anyone would like it i can email it.

Duke Biscotti

John McCain said:

 Not sure exactly what you want me to find out??

 1-Did Queen make the lion's share of Blue Grass Cutlery/Winchester USA knives from 1987-1997--Yes

 2- Were Camillus and Utica also making them--probably

 3- Is there a definitive list of Blue Grass/ Winchester knives anywhere?? No
 4--Sargent's lists a lot of Winchester knives but does not indicate the Mfg. or date  in their prices
 5- A few German-made Winchesters appeared on the market in the late 70's and early 80's, but most during this period were licensed to Blue Grass.
 6-Blue Grass Cutlery produced a few early catalogues if they can be found, that may have more info.
 7- The other suggested source I have seen is C. Houston Price's-- The Official Price Guide to  Collector Knives, which unfortunately I do not own-- It's on my Christmas list to myself !!-LOL
 John-
 P.S. - There are a couple of commercial knife resellers that list a lot  of Blue Grass/ Winchesters-- But a complete listing--No way

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 22, 2014 at 7:40

Queen was the contractor for those Blue Grass knives, the same as they were the contractor (or jobber) for many of the Case Classic knives

Permalink Reply by Duke Biscotti on November 22, 2014 at 8:09

Hi:

i just spoke with a man names Chris Tenney of Geneva Ohio who was a supplier to Queen in the eighties.  Apparently Blue Grass was a marketing company and only had the original dies and some supplies from the old winchester factory, but they owned the marketing rights for Winchester knives.  They did not have manufacturing facility.

Duke Biscotti

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 22, 2014 at 11:47

Right they only hired Jobber for the acyual manufacturing

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on February 14, 2016 at 0:14

I have two US made Winchesters.  One is a knife and one is a gun.  The knife commemorates the gun.  The gun is a Model 1873 rifle made in 1891.

 

Could this knife have been made by Queen?

"One set I am sure of is called the black box set made in the late 80's (maybe 88 or 87) Marked blue Grass Cutlery, they were produced at Queen Cutlery. Named the black box becuase they really did come in a black box with red writing and stated on them Licenced and approved by Wichester."

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next ›
• Page