Sporting Shooter Australia - 01.05.2018

Bear & Son Knives

BEAR & Son Cutlery prides

itself on all its products being

American made by 91

American craftsman, who

have come from Gerber, Case,

Parker Edwards and Schrade.

The once proud American

Schrade and Marbles brands,

among other icons, now only

sell products manufactured in

China; they look the same and

cost less, but is that the type of

knife you want to rely on?

Bear &Son, however, make

workmanlike knives at very

affordable prices with blade

steels which they heat treat and

temper in house. The steels they

use, depending upon the

purpose/category of knife starts

with 440C High Carbon Stainless

Steel through 1095 Carbon

Steel, Sandvik 12C27M and

14C28N Stainless Steels and

high Definition Damascus Steel.

The ranges available in Australia,

through their new importer,

C.R. Kennedy, range in RRP

from around $55 to $320.

Kennedy's Matt Scanlan

forwarded me three knives at

the economical end of their

schedule and two surprising

multi-tools, so that I could get a

feel for their quality and edge

taking-holding. Looking at the

price points, I was pleasantly

surprised. Incidentally, all the

knives I review here are crafted

from 440C (High Carbon)

Stainless Steel, which, of the

440 designated steels, is tough

and of the highest quality, well

suited for making knives, ball

bearings, measuring

instruments etcetera. Like all

steel alloys, the quality of the

resulting instrument very

much depends upon the

exacting application of heat

treatment, tempering, grinding

and hand finishing. A word to

the wise; when sharpening

these 440C blades, start with

diamond hones and finish with

finer ceramic rods or you may

be stoning for a fair while.

THE KNIVES

A CLASSIC FOLDER –

ROSEWOOD MID-SIZED

3-BLADE STOCKMAN, RRP $79

This delightful little knife is

what I'd label small, not

mid-sized, but it is a nicely

executed classic stockman

knife sporting genuine

varnished rosewood scales,

held in by nickel-silver bolsters

and stainless steel pins. Wood

to metal fit is faultless, the

blades well polished, and the

spring back pretty strong. It is a

classy little pocket companion

that cuts well, takes little

maintenance and sharpens up

easily. A nice little fox skinner

and weightless companion, its

features include:

• Open Length : 5.6"/ 143mm


• Closed Length : 3.25"/82mm


• Blade Lengths: Clip
  2.0”/51mm – all blade
  thicknesses 19.5mm at spine/
  heel, Sheepsfoot 1.7”/43mm
  Spey/castrating 1.61”/41mm


• Weight : 47g

A HUNTER'S CHOICE – STAG

DELRIN® UPSWEPT SKINNER

• FIXED BLADE, RRP $79
  There is no mistaking the
  pedigree of this snappy little
  knife. Older readers will
  instantly recognize the
  Schrade Sharp Finger's lines.
  The beauty of the full tang
  Upswept blade design is that
  you get the length of cutting

3 8 | SPORTING SHOOTER _ MAY 2018

We get acquainted

with five

well-priced

American-made

offerings from

this Alabama-

based, family-

owned cutlery

company.

WORKING

KNIVES BY MARCUS O’DEAN

1

2

1

The range of B&S products

reviewed clockwise from left,

Bear Jaws Sportsmen, Camouflage

Aluminium Sideliner lockback

folder, Stag Delrin® Upswept

Skinner, Bear Jaws Locking

Components Multi-Tool and bottom,

Rosewood 3-Blade Stockman.

2

The B&S Upswept Skinner is a

faithful reproduction of a 44-year

old classic, but in a more durable

4 4 0C blade material. Brass pins are a

nice tough through the Delrin scales.

ON THIS PAGE