Old Hickory | So Much More Than a Kitchen Knife 

I am such a fanboy of these knives. I have all lengths of butcher knives, all the pairing knives, a pig sticker, cotton sampler. slicer, regular and large kitchen knife, hunting knife, small game and trout knife, and a big ol' Shapleigh's large, curved butcher's boning knife, as well as cleaver. Just bought a Shapleigh's Old Hickory hunting knife as well. Put an edge on 'em, oil them up (with food grade oil if using for food), and you won't get much better than those high cost/low performance name brand stainless steel knives out there. Own a piece of history, truly American!

My great grandparents had a set. When my grandparents married they were given a set. When my mom married one of her husbands she was given a set. My granny used hers till she died. The handle was destroyed from being left in a sink full of water and the handle was taped together with electric tape. All i know about the older old hickory knives my okc is that they are durable and 1095 steel, have hickory handles brass riveted together. I think they are heavily underrated. I'm willing to bet if you take their 20 dollar chef's knife, sand the whole thing smooth, pop the scales off, reshape the tang, put an octagon handle on it, season the blade, sharpen it at 12° up to an 8k or 10k stone you could hand it to someone who uses 200 dollar chef's knives and they'd buy one slick as snot for 150 dollars and think they're getting a great deal.

Yes them and the green river hunting knife are about the best all around knives there ever was

Great video on these American classics. I just bought some myself. Its so sad they just went under on July 27 2023. The designs and Ontario Knife Co name, and factory was sold to a knife wholesaler called Blue Ridge knives. They are moving most of the machinery to their location in Marion Virgina by the Tenn Border. They are right next to Blade HQ there. They are going to try to produce Ontario's best knives from what I have heard. They have a ton of great knives in the RAT line and also their military knives, bowies etc. I don't know if that will include Old Hickory line however. We will have to wait and see.

Have owned a variety of Old Hickory knives for many years and they never fail to please. Treat them as I would any other valued tool. My latest is the OH 5 1/2 inch hunting knife which comes with a thin but serviceable leather sheath . It is exactly like the seven inch butcher knife in a very handy size. I wear it EDC for over a year under long shirt tails worn out to cover other items of belt gear . Very good review, many thanks.

Excellent review mate. I need to get myself an Old Hickory. I want the butchers knife and the paring knife like yours.

I have a couple of my grandfathers. My Old Hickory were given to me by my Mother before she passed. I have bought two 7" butcher knives, they are great for the kitchen and camping IMHO.

You did a great job with this.

I don't know much about the history of thee knives. That said I have had one, a butcher I believe, for about ten years. My own opinion, as a tool user, is the knives are very, very good. A new one, on delivery, is blunt and poor. I sharpened mine using Japanese water stones to a razor edge. I use it daily for food preparation, meat, fish and vegetables. Since first sharpening I have just honed regularly with ceramic rods. After many years it is still razor sharp. After every use I clean with a damp cloth and weak solution of bleach before drying with a cloth and storing in a knife block. No rust, just a patina.This knife will see me out and I have willed it to my nephew. An inexpensive knife and I'm sure he will not be overwhelmed with this part of his inheritance. But, as he is a tool user like me he will enjoy the quality of this knife and may, from time to time, think kindly about his uncle whose knife makes day to day living easier.

Dude that wall hanger is sick,love me some old hickory knives

Thanks for background info that takes us back beyond the canned speeches! I love the Old Hickories & I have one of the 1843 knives likes you demonstrated. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

Thanx!

I remember my mom had all these knives back in the 70s, l still have a couple left that l still use for outside chores lol.

Hopefully, everybody that wanted any Old Hickory products bought them before the Ontario factory was shut down. Crying shame IMO 😢 Great affordable reliable knives and an American tradition

I worked for a thrift store and they had a box of knives that they'd sell to the local Hutterites. I asked if i could look through them, and found one of these Old Hickory Slicers! They let me keep it for free!!! Still have to find a good sheath for it. Glad to see somebody finally doing a review on the Slicer rather than the Butcher. That tip is SHARP! I wrapped the handle in a thick layer of black duct tape which made a good palm swell and (in theory) helps keep the scales from separating.

Most knife manufacturers would stamp your brand on their knives if your order was large enough and also knife companies would have some of their knives contracted through other companies personally I found a buck 2 blade hunter but the blade was stamped kabar after hrs of research I found that in 1972 kabar and buck was being made at camillus

Love these bad boys. You can not go wrong with these.....hunting fishing camping etc etc etc.....take a beating and they are not hard to sharpen to a razor sharp edge....I have the same set you have everyone asks where u get it.? And I have many more the 14" long machete stlye one is my favorite. But the butcher one I use at times when i camping and fishing etc

Old hickory fingerguards start with a tab of wood 1 3/4 in long 1/2 in wide 1/4in thick cut a slot 2.5mm wide 1 in long in the center of one side then sand the top of the scales smooth makins sure your tab fits tight then use some wood glue and glue your fingerguards in place and let setup wood glue bonds wood to wood really really well and tight and POW you got fingerguards!!

If anyone wishes to replace the handles, they are very easy to take off the knife. On the side, opposite of the brand, use a thin chisel or flat head screwdriver and pry the handle off. Then, cut the rivets and take the brand side off. Replace with handles of your choice. The original handles are just riveted on with no glue, so that helps.

They now make a hunting mod I worded one an love it. I have a slicing knife like your granny had I've had at least 40yrs. I make my own sheath for them. The hunting mod comes with one. I am like you love old hickory. I will rehandle them if I need to. Enjoyed the video.

Right on. Appreciate the history. God bless

Hey HBD, great post. I have a few Old Hickory knives- the 7" butcher and 8 " slicer. I was drawn to the slicer as it resembles the true Bowie knife design. Probably more true to form for an Indian trade or frontiersman's knife. Back in the day I imagine most carried knives were like these, employed out of necessity. The one knife they had became their edc. Thanks for the comprehensive review !! Best wishes

This is a fun video, thank you

👍 Excellent video demonstrating this knife performing many outdoor tasks. Based upon what you demonstrated I am confused on how a “survival” knife would be a better choice. IMHO, the term “survival knife” is a marketing ploy to sell product. Let’s remember that many 19th Century Mountain Men “survived” for years in the wilderness using Green River Knives that were/are very similar to Old Hickory knives. Pity that since your video was made this excellent company has ceased operations. Luckily I have 4 very nice Old Hickory knives. My experience matches yours - not at all disappointed.

Man after my own heart here. You bought the same type I did. You know how valuable that aggressive point is for gutting stubborn fish. That's why you went for the slicer isn't it? Bushcraft knife needs to baton AND gut fish that's my rule for bushcraft knives. Blunt round, spear point knives are downright dangerous to gut some fish with. Great video, really down to Earth definitely subscribed.

the old hickory line started as clones of Russel the ones you got were the original name of the Ontario knife company but the Dexter Russel green river knives were first they made a another clone out of japan that were just as good called frontier forge with a little anvil on the handle great video sir hello from a wv hillbilly Shapleigh Hardware Company opened for business in St. Louis in 1843. This was done to take advantage of the westward migration. It was a highly successful enterprise that went through several name changes over the years. I do not know when they started marketing the Old Hickory line. The way I understand it, it is much like the hardware store brand axes. They were made by someone else. You will find the knives marked with just the 1843 date or the two dates like yours. You will also find two or three rivet versions. The Old Hickory name has gone through several hands. John Primble made Old Hickory knives as well. I do not know who was first. The 1843 date is not when the manufacture of these knives began. It is when Shapleigh opened in St Louis. I have heard that the Old Hickory name began in the 1890's, but for the Ontario Knife Company it began in 1923.

The handles on all of my Old HICKORY knives are made from walnut. I think most of them use walnut(at least most that I have seen.) Also it used to be common for medium to large hardware companies to contract with houseware companies to make products with custom names and logo markings for sale in specific stores, perhaps that is the origin of the Shapleigh markings.

Cool thanks 🙏 😎👍👍

I'm no expert in old hickory knives but as far as I'm aware in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, in the US, it was quite normal that items you bought at a retailer where stamped with this company's name and logo instead of the manufacturers. Quite often retailers also ordered there series with small alterations witch would explain the differences you found. When it comes to the pattern stamped into the blade I once read that the early ones where made from used saw blades from sawmills. These had this pattern to reduce friction when sawing fresh wood. Made a whole lot of sense to me but I can not guarantee that any of that is 100% correct

I enjoy Old Hickorys quite a bit, inside the kitchen and out. It's funny, but I had an eye on the Ek knives 'pig sticker' back in the 90s'... long discontinued, as a substitute I got the OH version and sanded Ek-style scallops into the handle slabs. Even have their ice pick, which is a lot handier than I initially thought.

I found an old Forgecraft Hi-Carbon butcher knife at a yard sale in like new condition that's basically an Old Hickory clone, the company went out of business in the late 50's or sometime thereabouts, so I know it's at least that old.

I wish I could find a sheath for mine.

Hey bub, just happened to find your channel and realized you spend a lot of time in my neck of the woods!

I have one more bit of info to complicate your quest for the history of these knives. My step dad, who would be over 100 years old now, if he was still alive, gave me a 7 inch butcher's knife, after owning it for about 20 years, that looks exactly like the 7 inch Ontario Old Hickory knives that I reshape for bushcraft knives, with the exceptions of, NOT having "Old Hickory" anywhere on it and the blade is stamped "Forgecraft" in the same place that the Ontario name is found. I'd estimate that he bought the knife in the very early 60s. I think the "company" that makes these knives has been bought, sold, traded and rebranded several times over, but they are all the same knives. If you are going to reshape your handles and use them for bushcraft, I suggest you remove them and apply some epoxy to them and the rivets before reattaching. Water will get under the wood and warp it and rust the steel. It also will keep the rivets from getting loose when you baton the blade. One other thing I recommend is putting the blade into some boiling vinegar. It will force a deep patina on the steel that will help prevent rust. I never do anything but wash and dry the blades on my Old Hickory knives and they don't rust under kitchen duty. The handles do stay nicer with a little oil. (I just rub them once in a while with the corn oil dampened rag that I wipe my cast iron with) This may not work with your carver, but a cheap Ka-Bar sheath is perfect for a 7 inch Butcher's knife and leaves about 1/4 inch of the blade near the handle exposed on a 8 inch butcher, If that helps. These knives can be reshaped into great bush knives.

Ask Tobias he might know more about some of the older old hickory knifes? nice knife.

They do make a hunting knife and other styles that I have been tempted to buy but haven’t

I personally like the patina carbon steel gets. I suspend the blade in vinegar overnight and allow it to air dry. The patina will prevent further rusting with normal washing and drying and food prep.

Well correction bout 1/8in thick bout the thickness of a popsicle stick

Really neat video, I’m a huge fan of old hickory, is the spine thickness the same on the old and modern?

Petroleum Vaseline helps for the rust and lasts a long time....

I have a colombian clone of old hickory knife, it cuts nice but gets dull very soon

👍👍👍🇦🇷

You should put some fingerguards on your old hickory knives like I did you you'd like to know how I did it let me know

Simple fix to rust, just force a patina. Gives it some character too 😎

Too long the one with curve shorter one

good job mr hillbilly. sweet knife, that is sure a nice knife set your girlfriend got you. wow.