Wapsi Square Forum

A friend, who is not Tech/Internet Savvy at all, wants to recoup a pocket knife he had some time back now.

Part of the trouble I'm having is everything directs to eBay stores where a lot of the same, but unwanted, stuff obscures the search results.

Here's some of the particulars he's spec'ing:


- Solingen (German) blade.

- Single, Folding, Locking blade.

- Antler/Stag handle.

- Metal (brass?) end caps on the handle.

Here is an example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-WEIDMANNSH ... 545426c931

This one, which has expired, is more on point: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-CARL-SCHLI ... true&rt=nc

Any better way to get him one would be appreciated.

A couple of suggestions.

First, reference the Wikipedia article on Solingen. It lists a bunch of knife and blade manufacturers based in Solingen. Look up their web pages and look at their catalogs. You might find a current model which would do, or you could use the manufacturers names to do a more refined eBay or web search.

Second, search for some other knife manufacturer names e.g. "Bear knives" to find online knife dealers and then search their offerings.

"Boker lockback" brings up https://www.knifecenter.com/item/BO4000 ... les-114000 which might be along the lines of what you are looking for.

This seller has a decent search engine... look under lockback knives, then use the advanced search option to select Germany as company of manufacture.

Note that saying "Solingen blade" just tells you where the steel was (probably) made, not the specific alloy or process... most will be a 440C stainless steel, I think, but there are others. If the knife is to be used around salt water, some might recommend a 440A or other steel which has better corrosion resistance but perhaps less hardness and edge holding ability. Some people might prefer a non-stainless carbon steel blade or even a pattern-welded (*Damascus" even though it isn't really) - these require more blade care but some like their sharpening and edge-holding characteristics.

A well-made knife of high-quality 440C steel by a non-Solingen maker, would probably outperform a poorer-made knife by a Solingen company. I suggest that your friend focus on the knife style and build quality and "fit and finish" first, and look at the specific point of origin only after winnowing down the candidates.

Dave wrote:A couple of suggestions.

First, reference the Wikipedia article on Solingen. It lists a bunch of knife and blade manufacturers based in Solingen. Look up their web pages and look at their catalogs. You might find a current model which would do, or you could use the manufacturers names to do a more refined eBay or web search.

Second, search for some other knife manufacturer names e.g. "Bear knives" to find online knife dealers and then search their offerings.

"Boker lockback" brings up https://www.knifecenter.com/item/BO4000 ... les-114000 which might be along the lines of what you are looking for.

This seller has a decent search engine... look under lockback knives, then use the advanced search option to select Germany as company of manufacture.

Note that saying "Solingen blade" just tells you where the steel was (probably) made, not the specific alloy or process... most will be a 440C stainless steel, I think, but there are others. If the knife is to be used around salt water, some might recommend a 440A or other steel which has better corrosion resistance but perhaps less hardness and edge holding ability. Some people might prefer a non-stainless carbon steel blade or even a pattern-welded (*Damascus" even though it isn't really) - these require more blade care but some like their sharpening and edge-holding characteristics.

A well-made knife of high-quality 440C steel by a non-Solingen maker, would probably outperform a poorer-made knife by a Solingen company. I suggest that your friend focus on the knife style and build quality and "fit and finish" first, and look at the specific point of origin only after winnowing down the candidates.

Boker-matic were the absolute best. Miss mine terribly, and cannot wait for karma to catch up with the "respected individual" that refused to return it, despite officially cataloguing it and handing me the list.

This is great corroboration/info; Ive always trusted Dave's logic process. And it's good to hear from folks with 'hands on' 'sperience. That is indeed why I'm asking...

Yeah, basing your choice off of where the knife was (maybe) forged isn't that great a way to go. Sure, you get some high-quality steel from Solingen (or Toledo or Sheffield or Seki or other famous sources of prime knife steel), but you also get plenty of mediocre steel made in the same places. And you can get great knives from places that aren't known for such things. Knowing the supposed region from which the steel came doesn't tell you anything about the quality unless you already really know a lot about the particular manufacturer.

Going with a particular brand that you've used and trust is a better option. And if you can find a knife from a brand you trust made from steel forged in a place famed for quality steel, well then, all the better. As far as folding knives go, I've had success with Boker, Gerber, and Victorinox.

Also, knives tend to be one of those things where higher price does actually often translate into significantly higher quality, not just paying more for a status symbol.

Yeah, well, I'm learn'n stuff as I go along here; I thought the 'Solingen' marker was a Brand Name, not necessarily a regional marque.

From what I can find so far there are companies that make the ala carte Blades, and then sell them to Knife Assemblers who create the finished product.

The saga continues.

You might also want to consider what tasks he'll most often be using it for. Different blade shapes and knife designs are better for different uses, and different materials work better under different conditions (e.g. high carbon blade means it keeps a good sharp edge, but is more brittle and needs to be kept oiled).

That makes sense, but it's a bit easier in this particular case as we are attempting to replace a previous pocket knife.