iKnife Collector
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Troublesome Discussion
So I'm trying to find out who owns Troublesome Creek -- one of those small business guys who is trying to make a honest living. Searching for the TM pulled up nothing, which happens occasionally so I do a quick Google search and find the comments made on two other Knife Forums.
On both sites the people were more interested in bad mouthing the guy in Kentucky who is busting his ass trying to make a living because his products aren't made in America. I don't get it. Here's a guy busting his hump work seven days a week, selling hundred of knives a day from his home in Kentucky on eBay. That can't be the easiest thing to do but he's doing it! And all these people can do is bitch about how crappy knives are that come in China and then they blame this entrepreneur for the downfall of America.
People really need to get a clue! It ain't easy running a business, especially a small family business! And small business have been having things made in other countries since the country was founded! They are also the backbone of our economy! Don't blame the little guy for jumping through hoops to make a living! If you got a complaint about how businesses are run and where products often have to be made.then bitch to your congressman.
And most people who buy knives and even many collectors (especially young collectors just starting out) can't afford to drop $50-$100 for a knife so there option is to buy lower priced knives and that means knives made in China! (or in previous years knives made in Japan or Germany or Italy or Ireland!)
As for the Troublesome Creek Knives. The jerks on the other sites said they were just Rough Riders with a different tang stamp! Of course they also had to make a bunch a snide asinine remarks about how all steel from China is junk steel that ain't worth buying. Adn the person selling them was a jerk who tries to pass off his stuff as American (which is bullsh*t. His stuff is clearly marked China on the Ebay listings!)
I get it if you don't want to buy a knife unless it made in America. Good for you.
But to crap all over an American who is busting his hump running a business to put food on his table is also downright Un-American. The man is living the dream and is also contributing to society REGARDLESS of where his product is made. The man made over 17,000 transactions last month and has a 99.5% positive rating. That takes a lot of hustle and a lot of determination. And then when you consider he has also taken the time to start having his own lines of knives made how can you say this guy isn't living the American Dream?
If you don't like his product then don't buy it. No one is twisting your arm But if you haven't bought and used his product then don't complain about how crappy it is simply because it isn't American.
And if you haven't tried to start up and run your own business, then don't bust his chops for trying to make a living. Quite frankly, if you all you can do is insult a person for working hard and not mooching off of others then maybe you're the one who is being un-American.
My rant is over.
Troublesome Creek is a TM owned by Garry Yokum (you can find his knives by typing ZIX on ebay.)
I had no intention of buying one but after reading all the negative rants against his company, I think I'll buy one after all and support a hard working American. The name of the brand comes from Creek in Kentucky.
Tags: Creek, Troublesome
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on
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There are lots of discount cutlery operations going and I am sure Mr. Yocum is not alone. I personaly think there is a huge market for knives and at virtually all price points. And that is new knives! There is another market for used, just check, eBay, Etsy and a host of auction houses.
Usually there is concern over jobs leaving America but what is interesting is someone from another country may look at American made knives as imports. So its on our knife industry to compete with a superior product, service and price.
I say plenty of room for Mr. Yocum and a host of competetion. My advice to knife sellers is get out there, participate in social media, push your products ,go to shows, hey its what you have to do if your a knife company or dealer or just plain reseller.
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FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on -
Tobias, I am glad you posted this discussion. After I read it I decided I would buy a knife from him. But when I started checking I found I already had bought from him. In fact that is where i got one of my Rifleman Series Rough Riders. And I was very satisfied with the whole transaction. I have bid on several of his knives that I didn't win. He is even one of the sellers that I follow.
BTW he sells as kyknives
Probably few if any of those bad mouthing him have actually bought from him. And that leads to one of the things that is great about this site, everyone is treated with respect no matter what you collect or buy or sell. Anyone that isn't respectful doesn't stay with us long.
As long as Jan and Hog are around, I'm sure it will stay that way.
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Permalink Reply by John Bamford on
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The knife I am waiting for at the moment is a Fallkniven U1 designed in Sweden made in Japan and bought through a US dealer. Only drawback is British Customs and Excise who are holding it to ransom at the moment !
Most things I buy these days are made abroad mostly in China or India, the quality is usually very good and the price is the reason that little is made in the UK these days. We only make high end products over here because no one wants to work for a dollar a day as they have to in some other countries .
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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on
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For all my friends and for all those on the list who are America only buyers for political, economical, or for any other deeply held belief: please don't misconstrue this post as an attack against your reasoning. It isn't I've heard the arguments, I can respect your opinion.
My point was a person asked a simple question as to who owns a knife company. Instead of the people on the other lists saying "oh that is owned by so-n-so" they attacked the maker through the names of his Ebay company and start editorializing about how he's a sells junk is dishonest and is ruining America. They also stated he only sells via Ebay yet some of his knives are sold at SMKW! Plus, the whole reason I was looking into the brand because I saw in on Cutlery Corner and wanted to know if was a new Frost brand! So apparently he isn't just an Ebay seller!
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Charles, you're not the only one. When I first started buying knives on Ebay I came across this KY Knives (Zix) and decided to place a bid on some of his so-called "Chinese Junk" on a late night whim! Ended up with a couple Rough Riders, and a U.S. Classic was absolutley stunned at the quality and started kicking myself for not bidding more on a few other knives that got away! Later I bought a knife from him that wasn't so hot, emailed the Guy and before I even received his reply, the money was refunded and he sent a message apologizing for the quality and telling me not to bother sending the defective knife back. I still check his site and still buy the occasional knife or two from him. My favorites were his Raging Bull Guardian Angel Toothpicks. Their buy it now price was around $12 when Yokum was first selling them. I see them going on eBay for (and people are paying ) $25-$35. for them now, That's a big jump in price considering they were made about 6 years ago! (1,250 of each color was made) The one thing the critics got right is the knives are every bit as good as Rough Rider or even the Chinese made Marble's knives.
Charles Sample said:Tobias, I am glad you posted this discussion. After I read it I decided I would buy a knife from him. But when I started checking I found I already had bought from him. In fact that is where i got one of my Rifleman Series Rough Riders. And I was very satisfied with the whole transaction. I have bid on several of his knives that I didn't win. He is even one of the sellers that I follow.
BTW he sells as kyknives
Probably few if any of those bad mouthing him have actually bought from him. And that leads to one of the things that is great about this site, everyone is treated with respect no matter what you collect or buy or sell. Anyone that isn't respectful doesn't stay with us long.
As long as Jan and Hog are around, I'm sure it will stay that way.
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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on
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Charles is right. This is one of the parts of iKC that sets us apart. Face it, controversy sells. That is why it is encouraged on some sites. It is why we will never be the biggest community out there.
Tobias, I buy, for my collection, mostly USA made and you know that is economics for me. It is in no way quality bashing. I am a big SMKW and AG Russell fan. I believe they both do a good deal for the US economy, even though they are outsourced. This gentleman does in his own way also. Think about it, he buys his gas, groceries...ect all locally. The money he makes goes right back into his community. If he is selling a quality product at a price that makes it possible for more to collect he is helping collecting move forward also.
No one should bash someone for trying to make a living as long as that living is not harming anyone else. It is not harming collectors that dont want to collect these knives. They just need to not buy them
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And I just bought my first Troublesome Creek Knife. I was tempted to get one of the ones at SMKW but I saw one with really cool acrylic scales that looked fantastic. It was described as Green and Gold Chipped. Despite the knife being a Muskrat if picked it up. Did I ever mention I'm not a fan of the standard Muskrat? This is also the first Muskrat with the two standard clip blades that I have ever bought!* I'll let you know if it was worth the $11.50 with Free Shipping!
* Full Disclosure: I do have a Rough Rider "Hawbaker Special" Muskrat with a California Clip and Sheepfoot blade and an older Schrade USA Improved Muskrat from the 1950's or 60s that was given to me but this is the first standard two clip muskrat I've bought!
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Well my first Troublesome Creek Knife arrived today. Now to answer the question - Was it worth $11.50? Below are some pictures and my thoughts:
Troublesome Creek Muskrat with Gold Chip Green Celluloid Scales
- Brand: Troublesome Creek
- Pattern: Muskrat
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Closed Length: 3.5 inches
- Blades: Two California Clip Blades
- Steel: 440A Stainless Steel
- Scales: Celluloid (Acrylic)
- Pins: Brass
- Liners: Brass
- Backspring: Stainless Steel
- Bolsters: Ringed Nickel-Silver
The first thing I did was test to see how sharp the blades came. They were as sharp as what you find on your typical Rough Rider or Case knife.
The tang stamp reads “Troublesome Creek” over an outline of the state of Kentucky on main blade. The backside of that blade has the number 09 in a circle. Aroudn the circle it clearly reads “Troublesome Creek China” The Secondary blade is stamped 440 Stainless.
Fit & Finish: Surprisingly good. On par or better than a Rough Rider. Pins and bolsters are flush with the scales as is the shield. Back-springs and liners also line up well with barely any noticeable peaks and ridges. Full brass liners between the two blades. No light gaps visible when you hold the open knife up to a light source. Everything is nice and tight! Both blade have the so-called match-striker pulls. The scales are really deep and beautiful and securely pinned and glued. No gaps anywhere.
Walk & Talk. There is no half stop on the blades however the blades open and close smoothly with a moderate amount of back spring tension. Blades are held tightly in place when the fully open or closed. Both blades have a good sounding closing snap. The blades do not hit the back spring when closing shut.
Stay & Play: What can I say, the blades are absolutely tight and snug. There is zero wobble when open or closed. Spring tension is tight and provides excellent hold. The blades stay where they are supposed to.
Overall Opinion: Being a fine Appalachian American, I would be quick to throw a Chinese made knife sporting a Kentucky shield into the Troublesome Creek if it were poor quality. But it is hard to complain about a quality made knife such as this especially when I only paid $11.50 for it. I think the knife could easily sell for $20-$30 and still be a good buy!
I only wish my camera did justice to the Gold Chip Green Scales. They really have some deep rich color to them that dances beautifully in the light. I plan on picking up a few more.
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Permalink Reply by Lars Ray on
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Interesting...not sure how I missed this thread earlier in the week...but I'm glad I found it now. I'm even happier that Charles correctly identified this shop as kyknives - been buying from him since 2011. This thread is extremely timely for me for another reason - I have been drafting up a blog article on why I buy inexpensive knives from shops like...you guessed it...kyknives on ebay. My article is more aimed at owning why I choose to buy such knives as opposed to arguing with those who you identified in the other forums. While I feel your passion in this thread, my reasoning's can be found in my photo album, "From the Wood Forge". These are the knives I can afford to upgrade (or throw away if I mess up!)
Wisdom comes in two parts; knowing what questions to ask, then knowing who to believe the answers from. It is my desire to post my article as a counter part to all the negative Asia-basing comments found elsewhere. Hopefully someone will see this thread and mine and think twice about buying into the comments without first testing the waters for themselves. And, in a way, I want to give other collectors "permission" to go ahead and buy what appeals to them regardless of peer pressure from a forum.
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All good points, Lars. The hobby isn't fun unless you're doing it to have fun. If the only way you can have fun enjoying knife collecting is by being critical of what other people choose to collect then maybe you need to rethink why you started collecting in the first place.
The point of joining a forum is to add to the conversation not to try and shut it down with negativity It's a big tent with plenty of corners. Everyone should be able to find some place ot discuss what they love.
Still. Don't get me wrong. We need to have a little bit of thick skin so that we can take a friendly jab now and then. But that's not the same as Joining the "Trapper Club" just to say they suck! Nor is it the same as going on a flaming rant because someone asked a simple question on a topic you despise.
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These discussions always make me smile. It is the type of discussion that is needed in the knife communities. Everyone, regardless of what they collect desire to be able to discuss their hobby. Being able to discuss it without feeling shamed by what you collect is where the members here shine. Respecting someone elses choice and giving them more choices by reviewing these types of more affordable knives is how we bring more folks into collecting and enjoying their hobby more.
I always use my son as the perfect example. He grew up in a household that collected the Case/GEC knives. He appreciates a well made knife. he collects and uses Rough Riders. They are his knife of choice because he can afford to add to his collection, which is not easy when your raising 4 children and he can use them without fear of accidentally leaving one on a jobsite because it may be disheartening to lose his favorite work knife but he can replace it without making the choice of skimping someplace else in his family budget.
I think I will be looking at KYKnives to provide him with a new user and maybe a knife company he would enjoy
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Jan you make some good points. One trap that people who collect fall into is buying items that are meant to be collected! True collectables were never made to be collected. They became collectable because they were used, abused and highly respected and then became scarce. It was at this point they became highly sought after!
And I'm happy to be in a place where any knife can be appreciated!
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