I recently picked up a Fight'n Rooster pen knife.
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| Fight'n Rooster Pen Knife |
When I search eBay and other sites, I often see these knives advertised as muskrats. Pen knives were an author's solution to sharpening their writing quill. A typical pen knife has two blades, a smaller one and a larger blade. Neither are especial hardy. Muskrats have two blades, about the same size, and are typically a bit more robust.
Fight'n Rooster is an interesting brand. Frank Buster founded the company
after a 1977 visit to Friedrich Olbertz's factory in Solingen, Germany. The
factory, established in 1872, is noteworthy because it made knives for many
companies, and their quality is quite good, considering the financial
limitations the buyers imposed on them. A number of other brands, such as
Bulldog, Battle Axe, and Eye, have rolled out their door.
https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2019/04/truck-driver-trapper.html
In 2019, I found a link to them on Facebook, but that link is now empty,
and my internet search came up empty. Many of the above brands still exist, as
brand names and tang stamps are valuable property and can be sold. I recognize
that quality doesn't always transfer with the brand name.
Fight'n Rooser was located in Lebanon, Tennessee, and made knives that
are highly regarded for their quality and style. They are nice sp joints.
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| Front main blade tang stamp |
The side of the main blade is stamped Fight'n Rooster with two highly stylized roosters sparing. The Rooster tang stamp is clearer. The main blade has two tang stamps. The reverse side reads "Frank Buster Celebrated Cutlery Germany." The front side reads, "Fight'n Rooster "followed by the two-rooster logo, and hidden by the knife handle, the corners of the word "Solingen" can be seen.
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| Back main blade tang stamp |
The
smaller. slender blade is a single tang stamped with "Fight'n Rooster"' with the
two-rooster logo underneath.
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| Secondary blade tang stamp |
This allows me to date the knife between 1982 to 1994 production time slot.
In 1994, "& Son" was added to Frank Buster. Having the
manufacturer date stamp knives, like Case Knives, has both quality and
production value, but it provides tremendous sales value. As a collector,
you'll never have a complete set of any line of Case knives, because next year,
it's a new year code.
Case is not the first to do this. Joseph Opinel (1897) developed 12
different numbered versions of his knives, all of which had a different style number.
Not a date stamp, but close. I got to applaud Case marketing for this strategy.
Fight'n Rooster Pen Knife
My pen knife is well-made for a slip joint. The handle sits on two brass
liners and a single back spring tensions the blades. The handle is a clear
material containing what appears to be unevenly stacked layers of gold and
black, producing an attractive, eye-catching handle. The handle sports a silver
bomb-style shield set in the clear resin.
I'm unsure of the blade stamp, I don't think it was etched, but the edges are rough
I admit that it was the handle that first drew my attention to it.
Part of Frank's marketing plan was to limit production runs of any knife.
This is similar to Spyderco's Sprint runs, limited-edition knives with a
special touch. My internet search indicated that of the nearly 2,000 knife
variations released, the vast majority were limited production. While some runs
were limited to 100-150 knives, most were capped at 200.There are a few that
run to 600.
Why? Why not produce thousands of a popular knife? To explain that, I'm
going circle around Robin Hood's barn.
Frank was introduced to the Cutlery Hall of Fame in 1987. The reason is
Frank pioneered the manufacture of regional club knives. Producing quality
knives for these clubs enabled them to prosper and grow. Frank also developed
special awards for women collectors, helping to create a new market for the
knife industry.
It just caught my eye....
Limited number, special handle material, good quality, special blade markings, and you have the potential for great sales. Frank may not be the first. That was James Parker in 1974,
https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2023/03/not-huge-fan-of-club-knives.html, but I believe he perfected the art.
Frank Buster passed away in 2007.I don't know if his son has continued
with the brand or if it has been sold. I can't find a reference to current
production.
In any case, I'm very happy to have a Fight'n Rooster!
