1984 NKCA

             I recently bought another club knife from the National Knife Collectors Association. It's the 1984 knife made by Hen and Rooster. As some of you may remember, I'm not a big fan of club knives. https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2023/03/not-huge-fan-of-club-knives.html.

There are exceptions, based on looks and style. The 1984 NKCA is one of them. The knife is very nice and in excellent condition, and I like the non-symmetric bolsters that sandwich the jigged brown bone. The NCKA medallion is very striking. All of which made me want to reach for my wallet.

Hen and Rooster 1984 NKCA knife of the year

According to the 12th edition of  'Collector Knives' by Price, the 1984 NKCA club knife was made by Bertram, USA. The sequentially numbered knives, limited to 7000, came with jigged bone handles and cost $38. In 2025 dollars that’s about $119. In 1998, Price claimed it had a collector value of around $125.

I think the medallion is a classy addition

However, the true value is only what someone will pay for it. eBay shows two sold for an average of $65. Buyer beware. Other similar knives with a different medallion embedded on the handle were also seen. They weren't selling.

The interesting part is the history of the manufacturer.

Sometime in 1845, Carl Bertram started the Hen & Rooster brand. Carl was already an established and well-known owner of a poultry business in Solingen, Germany. Being nobody's fool, Carl capitalized on his reputation by creating the Hen & Rooster logo to mark his brand in about 1865. They were considered well-made, high-quality knives. The firm was handed down within the family and maintained the quality.

The tag line almost falls off the blade

The original firm also manufactured contract knives with Hen & Rooster on one side of the blade tang, and numerous other names on the reverse side. During the late 1960s and early 1970s Bertram made knives for Carter Cutlery, Carter, Jeffrey, Kane, Voss, John-I-Son, Ky-Col, Gutmann Cutlery, Fife Cutlery, Mar-cal, A.G. Russell, L & N Loan Co., and Field & Co.

In 1975, A.G. Russell purchased the firm. A.G.’s company operated the Bertram Hen & Rooster manufacturing facility and brand for five years. During this time, he produced Hen & Rooster knives as well as other knives bearing his own trademark. At some point, A.G. made knives for other companies with one side of the tang stamped with the Hen & Rooster logo and the contract’s firm name on the reverse side.

In 1980, the factory in Solingen, Germany, closed.

The Hen and Rooster Logo with Bertram Cutlery

This is curious. The 1983 NKCA knife bears the Hen & Rooster tang stamp, and the reverse tang stamp reads Rostfrie Solingen Germany. But if the plant was closed….?

Reverse tang reads Rostfrie Solingen Germany

There are several possibilities. My information could be wrong. It has been collected from several internet sources, and errors may occur. The blade could be new old stock, purposed for the NKCA knife. And while the factory was closed, it may have continued to operate to meet legal obligations.

In 1983, the Hen & Rooster trademark and the Bertram name were acquired by three individuals: James Frost of Frost Cutlery, Howard Rabin of Star Sales, and Hugo Schiesen of Robert Klaas, from Solingen, Germany. Robert Klaas may have been the creator of my Hen and Rooster. My original assumption was that the knife was made at the Bertram plant in Solingen, but it could have been made at another plant in the area.

After a short period of time, James Frost bought the sole rights to the trademark and distribution of all Hen & Rooster knives in the United States. In general, the Hen and Roosters manufactured before 1980 are thought to be of the best quality.

My knife is numbered 4092 of the 7000 made. The pivot is a bit tight, I suspect a drop of oil is overdue. The handle is lined with brass, and the lock mechanism is simply known as a back lock, made famous by the Buck 110 Hunter. The interesting thing, like some Italian autos, the spring is composed of two leafs. I suspect they are not replaceable. The bolsters are nickel silver, a cunning alloy which doesn't contain any silver. The brown bone grips are nicely jigged.

Double leaf spring

The blade steel is a little more problematic. It's listed simply as stainless steel. What stainless steels were available in 1980? There were a few, including 440C, the best of the 440 series, which was common, as were AUS-8, 425M, and S60V. I suspect 440C was utilized. It's still a good, inexpensive steel used today. But I suspect the NKCA year knives were never intended for use.

Collectors always want to know, "Did I get a good deal?" Of course, you can't really believe any of us about price. I'm happy with the knife, so, yes, I got a good deal.