A.G. Russell Knives

Made in 1980 and Before – with recently added Wooly Mammoth.

Bertram, the maker of the original Hen & Rooster knives, was founded in 1865. Their knives quickly became the finest knives made in Solingen, Germany. In fact, the knives made between 1865 and 1980 in the tiny factory with 14 employees when I purchased the company, remain the finest traditional, production pocketknives that I know of. I bought this company, on the verge of bankruptcy in 1975 and managed to keep it alive for five years, turning out some of the finest knives of the past 100 years.

I insisted on thicker liners, always nickel silver, the finest handle materials, and the finest possible workmanship. The blades are better ground, better finished, and the insides of the knives are so clean they appear to have been mirror polished inside as well as the outside. You cannot compare this 30-35 year old work with that done after the courts dissolved the little company and took the trademark away from us.

For all these years, these little jewels have set on our shelves with Coral Rucarta™ handle scales, a material that turned out to not be very popular on these elegant little knives. With our knifemaking shop in full swing, we are replacing the scales on some of those knives with beautiful interior Mammoth Ivory. This is a much more appropriate material for these knives. The blades are German Stainless and the bolsters and liners are nickel silver. All blades are marked with the Hen & Rooster mark on the front side and Bertram, Germany on the reverse side.

Hen & Rooster Gentleman's Congress with Mammoth Ivory

Measures 3-3/8" closed with a 1-7/8" sheepfoot blade and a 1-1/2" pen blade. Weighs 1.1 oz.

Hen & Rooster Baby Barlow with Mammoth Ivory

Measures 2-7/8" closed with a 1-7/8" clip point blade. Weighs 0.8 oz.