It all began in 1991 when Ken Griffey and two partners bought the Parker Edwards knife facility, a sister plant to W. R. Case & Sons in Jacksonville, Alabama, to create Bear MGC Cutlery. A lot has happened since then to establish Bear & Son Cutlery as a rising force in the knife industry.
After a series of twists and turns,
including a time when Swiss Army Brands actually owned the firm, Ken Griffey
still heads the operation as President. His son Matt, who began working in the
factory when he was 18, is Vice-President, as is Ken’s wife Sandy, who has
played a key role as Vice-President of purchasing and premium department. With
their supervisors and management team, they bring a combined knife experience
of more than 290 years, including positions with Gerber, Case, Parker Edwards
and Schrade. They head a skilled team of 82 knife craftsmen. As Americans
become more and more concerned about jobs lost to overseas sources, they resent
it when they see the words “Made in China” on a product. And they have less
confidence in the quality and reliability – especially if it’s a knife.
Bear & Son Cutlery meets the test
because 100% of their high-quality knives are made in their state-of-the-art
Jacksonville, Alabama plant, where they do all their own tooling, pressing,
heat- treating, grinding, hafting, finishing and assembly. “Our fundamental
position is clear and absolute: we make high-quality knives, and we make them all
right here in the U.S.A.,” said Ken Griffey. “And when we say Made in America,
we mean everything. We’re a family company, and we are dedicated to keeping it
exactly that way.”
With a wide range of knives – from
big Bowies to popular Butterflies – Bear & Son covers almost every knife
need. They’re Sideliner locking
knives include the 4-1/8" 510 D with a Damascus steel blade, Genuine India
Stag Bone TM handle and a belt clip. The MSRP is $159.99. From their wide range
of Butterfly knives, the 5-inch CB 17 is a leader, with handsome cocobola
handle and blade made of premium 440A steel. The MSRP is $86.99.
Their Bear OPS Division, launched in
2011, features a growing line of rugged tactical/survival knives, such as the new C-200-B4 Constant. It's
9-3/8" overall and has a full-tang, modified drop-point blade made of
154CM premium steel, and the unique G-10 handle has a textured grip. While
the Bear Company began in 1991, for Ken Griffey you could say it actually began
in 1976, when he went to work for Parker Cutlery. Then a Tennessee knife
distributor; or in 1986 when Parker USA started producing Damascus and stainless
steel blades in Jacksonville. Matt says he’s been around knives as long as he
can remember. From the time he was 4 until he was 10, his mother Sandy engraved
blades in their home. Matt began working in the factory while still in school.
Bear
and Son Cutlery meets the test
because 100 percent of their high-quality knives are made in their
state-of-the-art factory in Jacksonville, Alabama.
“Our fundamental position is clear and absolute: we make
high-quality knives, and we make them all right here in the U.S.A.,” said Ken
Griffey, president. “And when we say Made in America, we mean everything – the
steels, every component right down to the tiniest screws, and of course every
step of manufacturing.”
