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do you guys think that bear and sons is up with the quialty as the other top brands such as case ;great eastern;queen;and others'what is you alls take on that??

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Permalink Reply by stephen tungate on May 12, 2011 at 10:14

does anybody else have some bear&sons knives ?please post them here so we can see the quality.thanks stephen...

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Permalink Reply by Billy Oneale on May 12, 2011 at 11:51

Here you go. Green stag mini trapper with damascus blades

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Permalink Reply by Billy Oneale on May 12, 2011 at 11:55

Here's another one. This one is a fat stag. The rest are posted in my photos.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 12, 2011 at 17:14

They are good looking knives. I think the advise to hold them before you but them may be the best since fit and finish is apparently a variable

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on May 12, 2011 at 17:27

Manufacturer: Bear & Son (Bear MGC) (USA)

Date of manufacture: 2007

Length: 5 inches, closed. (9 open)

Blade: Clip point, 3 7/8 inches, 440 high carbon stainless steel

Handle: Solid ash laminate

Bolsters: nickel-silver.

Lining: brass.

Shield : BSA Eagle Scout emblem, nickel-silver.

The Boy Scouts of America call this a 5 inch lock back Scout Knife. It is patterned after Bear & Son’s 5 inch Professional Lockback, which is very similar to the famous Buck 110. It is basically a small folding hunter.

The lock on this knife is really tight until you break it in. The blade is screen printed “Official Knife of the Boy Scouts of American along with the eagle scout emblem. The handle is made with laminated ash wood dyed different colors.

Toby

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on May 12, 2011 at 17:31

Manufacturer: Bear & Son (Bear MGC) (USA)

Date of manufacture: 2007

Length: 3 ½ inches closed, 6 ¼ inches opened

Blades: 3 blades -- 440 high carbon stainless steel

1) clip point, 2 ¾ inches

2) coping (1 5/8 inch)

3) clip (1 5/8 inch)

Handle: imitation jigged brown bone (plastic)

Bolsters: stainless.

Lining: either nickel-silver or stainless

Shield: BSA Eagle Scout emblem, nickel-silver.

Main clip blade is screen-printed with the BSA emblem and the words Official Knife Boy Scouts of America. This is a classic pattern of BSA knives and dates back at least 50 years. It is marketed as the Boy Scout Whittler.

The blades are arranged in stockman fashion but are typical whittler blades. (See photos of Stockman and Whittler if you don’t know what I mean) The BSA whittler has always had a main clip and coping blade at the top and smaller clip at the butt. The coping and small clip are the same length.

(this is the one where the handle popped off when I dropped three feet to a hard wood floor)

Toby

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on May 12, 2011 at 17:50

I'm pretty sure it is Bear & Sons. I base my opinion from talking to a guy at the Scout store and this one post on a web site, however.

http://www.mcbroom.org/scoutknives/index.php/archived-articles/75-b...

The page begins:

After Camillus closed its doors for the last time in 2007, the BSA sent most of their their official knife production to Asia, a move that proved unpopular with many Scouts and Scouters who felt strongly that the Boy Scouts of America should produce their knives at home, in America.

While the BSA still has Asian made knives in the inventories, no more are being ordered from the overseas factories.

Today, we can report that the production of all official BSA knives has returned home. "Home" now includes Jacksonville, Alabama, and the new official BSA knife producer is Bear and Sons. The new official BSA knives will bear the stamp of "Bear MGC", a division of Bear and Sons, an American knife producer founded in 1991.

Ken Griffey of Bear MGC tells us that the new official scout blades cover a wide range of models. They will be producing two and three blade Cub Scout knives, with both jigged and smooth handles, three blade Boy Scout whittlers, four and five blade Boy Scout camp knives, and lockback models.

Toby

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 12, 2011 at 17:59

Good question Don. A friend of our went to a Boyscout meeting the other day and the knife they had on hand for sale just said made in china and cost was 15.00 but they had the BSA emblem. If you look online at the store, they do not say the manufacturer. Some say made in USA others do not. I did find this reference

"If one can trust the BSA catalogs and the two reference books out there that specialize in BSA knives (Kerr, Holbrook), the first sheath knife was a Remington issued in late 1932 or early 1933."

I know Kutmaster was the official cutler for girlscout knives but I beleive they are also being made by multiple entities now.

Anyone have an answer to the "official" BSA cutler?

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on May 12, 2011 at 18:10

The ones made in China, I believe were contracted through Taylor Brands. There is a rumor they were made from old stock Camillus but I doubt that seriously. In any case, there was a general up-roar among the Scout community when the China made knives started showing up in inventory and BSA started shopping for a contractor to bring manufacturing back to the USA.

In some ways it is kind of strange considering how much of the equipment sold in the scout stores is from "global" sources, including the uniforms which have long been made overseas. It is also strange that Scouts were thrilled when Victorinox got an official BSA contract many years ago. Anyway, as I mentioned I'm pretty sure it is Bear MGC, unless things have changed in the last year or so.

Toby

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 12, 2011 at 18:31

Toby,

I did see the one you have pictured above in the online store. I know that Case has been a contibuter in BSA, at least in the Eagle Scout realm.

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Permalink Reply by Billy Oneale on May 12, 2011 at 20:29

Remington has issued 4 reproductions of their early Boy Scout knives. I think 2 have already been issued.I believe that Bear & Son are making most of Remington USA made knives. Some of the recent bullet knives were made by them since Camillus closed the doors. Here's one of the 1924 Boy Scout camp knife.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on May 12, 2011 at 20:33

Not sure, but isn't Remington one of the latest trademarks owned by SMKW?

Toby

Billy Oneale said:

Remington has issued 4 reproductions of their early Boy Scout knives. I think 2 have already been issued.I believe that Bear & Son are making most of Remington USA made knives. Some of the recent bullet knives were made by them since Camillus closed the doors. Here's one of the 1924 Boy Scout camp knife.