We live in an amazing time to be a knife enthusiast. There are dozens of quality knife makers who create knives for any purpose. Most are tactical models where we see features like G-10 grips, blackened finish, state of the art this or state of the art that. Now, don’t get wrong, this is great. I like seeing forward movement in these industries. It’s also nice to see companies that still produce the classics. Under the umbrella of Schrade, Uncle Henry knives have made a nice comeback with all the classic style we remember.
The Uncle Henry Approach
Schrade’s Uncle Henry line are a series of simple and rugged knives priced affordably. The lack of next generation technology certainly helps keeps the price down and gives us the classic look we rarely see. We are looking at three Uncle Henry Knives today. All three utilize a handle made from Staglon. This artificial material gives the resemblance of antler and even feels like antler. This is Schrade’s name for Derlin which older Uncle Henry fans are familiar with. The knives also all feature real brass pommels and hand guards.
Let’s Introduce our Three Friends
The Uncle Henry Golden Spike
The Golden Spike features a 5 inch upswept stainless steel blade with an overall length of 9.4 inches. The Golden Spike is designed to be a hunting knife and features a thin blade. It’s easy to control and the upswept blade helps separate an animal’s hide from its meat. The thick, round handle fills the handle and makes long and hard work comfortable. The small brass hand guard does its job well and will keep your finger from slipping and sliding into the blade as you work.
It comes with a leather sheath that includes a small pouch to house the included sharpening stone.
The Elk Hunter
The Uncle Henry Elk Hunter is a much different knife than the Golden Spike. The blade is shorter, wider and thicker. It’s designed for heavy cutting and chopping where it’s extra weight is an advantage. The Elk Hunter has a 3.8 inch drop point blade that’s an inch wide from blade to back. The handle is more rectangular and the blade it a full tang. The brass hand guard keeps your fingers in place and lets you create leverage with pressure on the rear of the blade. The knife comes with a simple, and good looking leather sheath. This is probably my favorite of the three.
The Elk Hunter is a utility knife made for more than just skinning game. It’s an overall effective knife for all knifely duties. It’s a jack of all trade if you will.
The Premium Stockman
The Stockman is the finale and our token folding blade. This classic design is reminiscence of my old EDC Case knife. It features a clip, sheepfoot, and spey blade giving you three options for cutting, carving and slicing. The knife comes complete with brass liners and nickel silver bolsters. It’s a fine looking knife and it quite lithe and light. The Stockman is a simple, but effective knife for an old school, gentleman’s EDC.
A few Uncles
All the Uncle Henry knives came extremely sharp. The sheaths are well made and look like rich and strong. The brass is one of my favorite touches and really hearkens back to the old days. The nice Staglon handles makes them almost display worthy, but their construction makes them field worthy.
*Originally published on the Crate Club Knowledgebase