BOOK REVIEW of Third Edition
reviewed by Knife World staff

By now, most of you are probably familiar with The Big Book of Pocket Knives. First published in 2000, the initial offering has been followed by a second edition, and now a third – all with additional catalog pages added to the contents.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Big Book is essentially a collection of vintage knife catalog reprints, with current collector values added for each knife illustrated – an approach previously taken by some older books like The Old Knife Book and Knife Album. If you look up Russell or Boker or Henckels, for example, you’ll find several pages of knives they offered in their old catalogs – probably not the complete line, but a sampling of knives they made at a given point in time. When you consider that 60 different brands are included in the current book, that’s a lot of brands and a lot of knives!

Since most collectors are going to be interested in the specific knife brands included, here’s the complete list. Brands added to Big Book for the first time are marked with an asterisk (*). Adams Knife Co.*, Aerial, “American Pocket Cutlery” (Northfield), Anvil*, W. Jno. Baker* (Australia), Belknap (John Primble, Pine Knot & Bluegrass), C. Bertram, W.W. Bingham*, Boker (German and H. Boker Improved), Bruckmann, Camillus, Case (c.1970 era), Cattaraugus, Challenge, Christy, Clauss*, Cowlishaw*, Dasco*, Electric (N.Y. Knife Co. era), Joseph Elliott & Sons*, Golden Rule, Hammer Brand (N Y Knife Co. era)*, Humason & Beckley*, Henckels, Hibbard Spencer & Bartlett*, Holley, Hubbell & Randall, Imperial, Ka-Bar, Maher & Grosh, Marble’s, Miller Bros., Napanoch, Novelty Cut. Co., Pal, John Petty, Press Button Knife Co., Remington, Robeson, Joseph Rodgers, Royal Brand*, Russell, Schrade, Henry Sears & Son, Shapleigh, Stiletto, Syracuse*, Ulster, Union Knife Works, Universal (L.F.& C.), Vanco (Van Camp), Voss Cut. Co., Walden*, Western, Winchester, and Wostenholm (I*XL).

If you collect older pocketknives by any of the makers listed above, or patterns that the above companies made, you’ll likely find The Big Book of Pocket Knives, Third Edition to be an interesting and useful resource. Plus, at $19.95, it isn’t likely to break the bank.

Softcover, 400 pp.

Availability: Usually ships the next business day.

$19.95