From doing a quick search I'm guessing that the comments were that he's embraced the Chinese made knife--as indicated by his catalogue items and has done so to compete in a level playing field with other small makers...I remember when lots of people where up in arms about them (AG Russell) having their knives made in Japan.

I have no problem with the quality of the majority of the products that come out of Communist Mainland China I just refuse to, knowingly, purchase anything that is made there due to their political stand, work force atrocities, slave & child labour, thumbing their noses at the World Court etcetera, etc., etc...I also won't buy from Vietnam or South Korea and when the U.S.S.R. was up and running I wouldn't buy any of their products either.

I know from past dealings--many dealings--with AG that the items he has made for him have to meet "HIS" standards and those are quite high so any Chi-Comm  knives you get from him will assuredly be of damn good quality but I'll still not buy one and thankfully he has other models of his designs/label that are made elsewhere available for me to choose from.

I think the knifemakers in the far east are as well deserving of our attention as any in other places in the world.

Mr. Russell has shown (as have Rough Rider knives) that excellent quality can be made there.

The companies that make these knives are not "Chi-Comm" companies. They're not government owned and are run by people who simply want to run a good buisiness. They happen to be in China. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

Anyway. I'll be sending an order towards A.G. Russells sometime next month so that my parents can bring me home the new Texas Ranger knife when they're over there on holiday (thus saving me a whole lot of €€€ on shipping and import duties).

Comment by Alexander Noot 

I think the knifemakers in the far east are as well deserving of our attention as any in other places in the world.

 

The companies that make these knives are not "Chi-Comm" companies. They're not government owned and are run by people who simply want to run a good buisiness. They happen to be in China. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

Sorry, me boyo, but if the item is made in mainland China or Hong Kong then they are "Chi-Comm" and they are run by good communists--or they wouldn't be in business...There is no "Free Enterprise" system in communist countries and everything is owned by the state and that includes McDonald's, Coca Cola and Frito Lays...All the capitalists fled before 1999 to Western Canada and the USA.

The same applies to a company making goods in the USA owned solely by a Japanese or South Korean or Italian or German or Austrian or Belgium parent company being able to add the label "Made in the USA" to their products--think Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, HK, Glock, Beretta, SIG, FN et cetera, etc.

I'll state this again, the products are not bad (for the most part) coming out of Communist China excluding the rip off companies but you have those in the USA as well.  When they change their practices I'll buy from them and they will in a few years when capitalism wins over their "hearts and minds" and especially their pocketbooks...Just as it finally did to the USSR in the 1990s.

One thing that you're all forgetting here--this only applies to SOME of his knives not ALL--there are other models available from Germany and Taiwan and Japan that can be purchased.

Comment by Robert Burris 

It must be a very lucky man that can shop in our stores today and avoid buying products from China. Everything from tooth brushes to clothes, shoes and gear of all kinds. 

Robert, with a little due diligence you can quite easily avoid buying "Chi-Comm" made products--just read the labels as by law the country of origin has to be noted somewhere.

By request:

September, 2011

    Many of my friends and customers are wondering, some out loud and some only to themselves, why A. G. Russell has given up the fight and is having knives produced in China.

    The simplest and most basic answer to that question is "to stay in business". With the bankruptcy of Schrade and Camillus, and the loss of Arrowhead, any hope I had of continuing to make any substantial volume of my designs in the United States was gone.

    I took a new trapper design to Germany and they returned a quote of $50,000 for tooling plus a cost of $75 per knife. These costs make it simply impossible to produce my designs in Germany. We have created two very special, traditional slip joint knives in Japan during the past couple of years. The quality of those knives is unbelievable for a "production" knife, well worth the $150-$175 that we must charge. But at this price level I find it hard to sell enough to cover the cost of the space in the catalog.

    Like so many of my customers, I have railed against the movement of the Cutlery Industry to China, BUT it because obvious that if I wanted to stay in business I would have to produce more and more of my own designs and find a way to offer those knifes at prices my customers would pay. The only answer was to find one or more makers in Taiwan and China that I could teach to make the quality I require. I was fortunate - I had a customer in China who loves American handmade knives. He also owns a small knife factory in Taiwan and another in China with access to others. He chose a factory to produce our first Chinese-made knife, the Beak. After three or four samples and a lot of work back and fourth, we had a fantastic knife at a reasonable price.

    In the 1980s, when I moved production of my designs to Japan, after I lost Hen & Rooster in Germany, I got hundreds of letters, some of them really nasty, even threatening. We continued, and the resistance faded as people began to recognize the quality and value of those knives. Once again I am getting that resistance from people who do not like the way their would has changed. All I can say is that no matter how much I resisted, the world has changed. I cannot change it back. Some people cannot bear to own a knife made in China, some cannot bear to own a knife made outside of the U.S. I understand this. Unfortunately, I cannot solve the problem. The choices are high prices or "Made in China". The quality we are offering is fantastic; as good as, or better than, can be found anywhere today, U.S.A. or not.

    all the best,

    A.G. Russel

Comment by Don 

as I see it and remember it, the SAME arguments were present in the early 50's against JAPAN.

Sorry, but the hatred to Japan had to do with a certain incident called Pearl Harbour on the 7th of December, 1941, the Bataan Death March and the POW camps and a little thing called World War II.

Same as lots of people wouldn't buy anything from Germany, Austria or Bavaria (and Italy by association) due to the atrocities performed by the Gestapo, SS and Wehrmacht in places like Poland, Finland, Norway, Russia, bombing London, England, the POW camps and of course the "Death Camps" that murdered some ten+ million people all told, six million of whom where Jews and over one million Germans.

Sorry, me boyo, but if the item is made in mainland China or Hong Kong then they are "Chi-Comm" and they are run by good communists--or they wouldn't be in business...There is no "Free Enterprise" system in communist countries and everything is owned by the state and that includes McDonald's, Coca Cola and Frito Lays...All the capitalists fled before 1999 to Western Canada and the USA.

Schlomo, do you have a source for this? Or is this all assumptions. Because from speaking to  people who actually do buisiness with the chinese they claim that this is not true.

Just because you live in the US doesn't make you a democrat, just because I live in the Netherlands doesn't make me a socialist, just because someone lives in China doesn't make them a communist. It only makes them compliant with local laws.

Comment by Alexander Noot 

Shlomo, do you have a source for this? Or is this all assumptions. Because from speaking to  people who actually do buisiness with the Chinese they claim that this is not true.

Just because you live in the US doesn't make you a democrat, just because I live in the Netherlands doesn't make me a socialist, just because someone lives in China doesn't make them a communist. It only makes them compliant with local laws.

The only sources that I have are my doctor, my oncologist, two neighbours, a niece's husband, a couple dozen friends, about half of my wife's university class that she teaches all who have fled China (mainly Hong Kong) and for the most part still have relatives remaining.

There is private ownership, per se, in China--they had to grant some to the Hong Kong and Macau citizens who had been dealing with the occidentals for over a hundred years, B U T, and it's a huge but, any business can be taken away from a "subversive element(s)" (their words not mine) and "given or allocated" to someone else at any time.

You're a Low Lander, a Netherlander because you're in Holland, I'm a Canuck since I live in Canada and a citizen living in the USA is a Yankee...In Holland you have the right to choose whether you wish to be PvdA (Social Democrat), D66, CDA, VVD or anything else...In Canada I can be a Liberal, a Conservative or a New Democrat (Social Democrat), which I am, or another party if I so choose just as in the USA you're either a Democrat or a Republican or something else and in all of them you have the choice of being a Communist as well, not so in China though, where there is but one party (of different factions [mostly degree of hard line/right wing] but all still Communist)...Same as what was in the former Soviet Union and still remains in North Korea and Vietnam for the most part.

See: Wiki--List of political parties in the People's Republic of China

The dominance over the political system is such that China is effectively a single party state.  This means that only one political party, the CPC, holds effective power at the national level. Eight minor parties also participate in the political system under the leadership of the major party. The PRC political system allows for the participation of some non-party members and minor parties in the National People's Congress (NPC) but they are vetted by the CPC.

The same thing will happen there as did in the USSR when capitalism finally wins out and it will...I give it at best five more years and at worst ten more years until the "Maphia" takes over, starts selling off all their military equipment since they will need foreign hard currency to prosper and business brokers, will enough bribe connections will take over the business world...I'll bet you five gilder on it or a kilo of Douwe Egberts ground coffee!

A.G. Russell™ Texas Ranger® 2011

Limited to 1,000 Pieces.

For the 2011 Texas Ranger Commemorative, I chose to combine elements from several traditional folders, creating a Sub-Hilt Toothpick with a Barong blade. Locking knives were almost entirely unknown in Texas during the 1840s. Remaining true to that fact, this model is a slipjoint. The unusual 4-1/8" blade is leaf shaped and almost a full inch wide of 8Cr13MoV at 57-59 Rc. and is etched with "188 yrs. of service" in a furled banner. The Toothpick style handle has stainless steel liners, bolsters and caps, and a nickel silver inlay of a Texas Ranger Badge with the words Texas Rangers - 1823-2011. The handle scales are Ebony Rucarta™. Measures 5" closed and weighs 5.5 oz. Includes a black leather belt pouch. Made in China.

This is an outstanding knife, every bit as fine as the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Texas Ranger Knives. Limited to a total quantity of 1,000, each of the previous three models have completely sold out. We expect this one to sell quickly as well.

http://www.agrussell.com/ag-russell-2011-texas-ranger/p/RUShhhCTR6ER/

Comment by Alexander Noot 

Just because someone doesn't have a coice doesn't mean they're automatically a communist. Under your reasoning everyone living in German occupied territory during the secind wirkd war was a nazi.

Sorry man, but that flag doesn't fly with me.

You of all people should know your own history during the German occupation of WW2…What did you do to the collaborators after the Canadians liberated you?  Being in a captured country is a lot different then being in one that has gone a certain direction.

There is a huge difference in Nazi Fascism to Communism even though a lot of the practices are the same—mass murders, mass interments, abolition of rights and freedoms, etc.

Remember, that if you wanted to get ahead in Germany proper then you had to be a good little Nazi, a card carrying member of the National Socialist Party, had your children in the Hitler Youth and be spouting all the propaganda that Joseph Goebbels put out or you suddenly found yourself out of a job, out of a home, maybe arrested and maybe even sent to a work camp.

Same thing with Communist China, you may not believe in the doctrine and many—make that most—from Macao and Hong Kong don’t BUT you had better be in the good graces of the “commissars” and party officials or the same thing happens to you as did to the German.

When there is but ONE party in the race it’s hard not to be labelled being that now isn’t it, especially if you voted (or were told for whom to vote). 

A little political? I'd say a lot. I'll pass on it for now. I've plenty of opinion on the subject and plenty of reasoning to share if asked. But I'll not do it here and now.

Regardless, the "China is the devil" thing is getting a bit old to me. Bottom line here is I'm excited about the knives mr Russell has produced in China. And I'll probably continue to buy them 

No hard feelings personally to anyone who thinks otherwise. Thei're all entitled to their own opinions.

Hello all just joined the ag russell forum and i also just purchased my first ag russell knife the large folding hunter with brown rucarta handles. i am blown away by the quality of this knife for the money

Hello Robert, they're great aren't they. Every time I tell myself I shouldn't buy any more knives....and every time it's the A.G. Russell ones that I end up getting anyway.

The folding Hunter is the one that's been tempting me for a while now. How are you liking it? I'd love it if you could write a review for the "a sharper review" group here on IKC. You can find it in the forum I believe. There's already at least 1 A.G. Russell knife in there.

Robert, glad you like it, does it have a lockback? Post a picture if you can. I have always been pleased with the knives and merchandise from AG Russell.

Hello all, Robert yes it is a lockback,a very large lockback i am sorry i am unable to post a picture but i will tell you that it is everything that AG says it is on their website the fit and finish is very close to custom quality.the knife is well worth the price,It came razor sharp with no blade play at all a couple of freinds of mine thought it was a custom. From what i understand Mr. Russell is a perfectionist when it comes to the the knives he has made for his company and it shows in this one. Alexander it was the same for me the folding hunter tempted me for almost a year before i ordered it go ahead and order one you will not be dissapointed.Thinking about the AG sowbelly trapper next

You should get that trapper. I own the one in Cocobolo, it's excellent. If you prefer them with a single blade, if you hold out a little bit longer A.G. is bringing out the single bladed versions!

Alex, what's the size of that single blade version?

when the funds allow it i will go ahead and order the sowbelly trapper.

I don't know if it's Mr. AG or one of his employees that designed those new knives of theirs but they are really neat.

Anyone have a pic?

Thank you Robert,  The design is about all that remains for me to do now that Goldie runs the company

Bless your heart, you're still hanging in there and I really like your designs. Miss Goldie is your boss know?

Bless your heart, you're still hanging in there and I really like your designs. Miss Goldie is your boss know?

Has been for 18-20 yearss

That's great Mr. AG, I have said for a long time know that " this is a mans world, run by women",...lol. I really appreciate all you have done for the cutlery world.

Mr. A.G., I just bought a little barlow Hen and Rooster from Betram Germany. I'll post a picture when it arrives. I'm all excited, I might have to get another one after this one.

Robert, at the moment there are only two brands that I seem to care about as far as production knives go.

As of a couple of weeks 1 is GEC. I really like what they're doing.

The other is A.G. Russell. His knives (I think) seem to be the perfect blend of traditional styling and modern materials and innovation. In fact....it's the only brand that I have multiple knives of....5 pieces at the moment to be exact. (And I have a very small collection of knives)

Finally did another A.G. Russell review:

http://www.iknifecollector.com/forum/topics/a-g-russell-curved-regu...

Alex, I'm an old fan of A.G. Russell and have bought numerous knives from him. You will not be disapointed spending your knife money with him. He has drifted over toward selling alot more tactical knives lately and that's not my favorite but he has done what it takes to stay in buisiness.

My little Bertram Hen and Rooster is a small barlow 1970-80's 241ds in stag and stainless. It's in mint condition and I think I'm gonna like it when I get my hands on it. I'll post a picture at that time. If anyone knows anything about it please let me know. Thanks.

I picked up this Hen & Rooster CM-6 from A.G. a couple weeks ago.  Made around 1976 when A.G. owned H&R.

That's great! I have seen a CM-6 before but not with that sheild.

Robert,

The CM6 never had any other shield.

Yeah the shield thing kind of threw me off at first but I think I understand it now.  As far as I can tell, Hen & Rooster knives that were made prior to 1980 were made without shields.  The exception to that rule is the knives that A.G. Russell made during  for The Knife Collectors Club during his ownership.  Most of those had some type of bullet shield but A.G. opted for the arrowhead on this one.

I am still in the learning stage with H&R knives so if I am incorrect, someone please feel free to set me straight.  I am willing to learn as much as I can about them.

There were a few for importers like Voss that were ordered with shields. before WWII

Thanks A. G.

I see now the knife I was talking about was a CM-8 with a bullet or .219 Zipper cartridge. Yep Railsplitter I have alot to learn also. Thanks guys.

Here's a picture of my Bertram Hen & Rooster baby Barlow. Sweet!

Robert,

That is a fine looking knife indeed!