A.G. Russell Knives

Over the years, A. G. Russell™ has made many knives, some handmade, some high-end production, some made in this country and many in Germany and Japan. In 2001, we created a new mark for the knives we are making in our shop here in Rogers, Arkansas - A. G. Russell Shopmade® During 2001, we created a little upswept Skinner with a Damascus blade and a leather handle with a whitetail crown butt. We also created a 1917 Camp Knife which we limited to 150 pieces. Unfortunately, we lost our knifemaker before the 150 knives were completed. We are just now finishing up the parts we made back in 2001.

To design this knife, I sat down and tried to put myself in Bill Scagel's place in 1917. America had just entered the European War, the War to End All Wars, the World War, which was 25 years later called World War I. The young man standing in Bill's shop could afford the best that Bill could make and he knew that he would be shipping out to France in just a few weeks as a newly commissioned Lieutenant. He had bought a fancy Model 1873 .45 Colt just like his friend and fellow Lieutenant from California, George Patton. But he wanted a knife, a real knife, something big enough to make the difference, yet something that was just his. Bill stood sketching on a smooth board with a piece of charcoal from the forge.

The knife you see here is what I imagined Bill might have drawn that day. The knife is big enough to "make the difference", big enough to get the job done, yet not so big as to be silly. I don't think Bill Scagel had A-2 to work with, but if he had, he might well have chosen this great steel for just such a knife.

Mine are laser cut, mechanically surface ground to a precise thickness and professionally heat treated, but hand fitted and finished to perfection here in our shop. The 8" blade is 3/16" thick A-2 hardened to 59-61 Rc. and measures 1-3/4" wide, with a stacked sole leather handle and Bill Scagel's signature white tail crown pinned to the tang for a pommel. Includes a high quality leather sheath. Both knife and sheath are handmade in the USA.

A.G. Russell™ Shopmade® 1917 Camp Knife