Welcome to A.G. Russell Knives

“A.G. Russell Vest Pocket Semi-Skinner - This knife is a jewel!  It is flawless in both its design and execution. While this is a small knife at a closed length of 3 1/8 inches and a weight of only 2 1/2 ounces, it is a LOT of knife in a little package. The blade is quite stout and locks up very solidly. The semi-skinner blade shape is one of my favorites. This blade is deep enough that it provide a belly for skinning across its entire cutting edge, yet it has a point fine enough for digging splinters out of your hand.  There are not many tasks that you could reasonably expect a pocket knife to perform that this knife cannot do, and it can do them with aplomb. The knife opens and closes with silky smoothness.  This is my first knife with a carbon fiber handle and my first with CPM S35VN blade steel, and neither material disappoints.  It is rare that any knife as received does not require some sharpening or at least stropping to achieve its best edge, but this knife took the hair off my arm in one pass right out of the box. The carbon fiber handles are visually fascinating and provide an optical illusion of depth that changes with changes in ambient light. This knife is yet another example of an A.G. Russell knife made in China that I do not believe could have been made better anywhere in the world. Russell's catalog says that Mr. Russell completed the design of this knife shortly befor he passed. He could hardly have left the followers of his knife designs a better parting gift than this knife. It is a suitable tribute to his memory. Having known Mr. Russell only through his knives, had I been asked to write a one sentence epitaph for him, it would have been "He had a great eye for knife design and he will be sorely missed." Rating 10/10. ”

“The A.G. Russell Medium Barlow Lockback is yet another example of A.G. Russell taking a classic knife design and improving upon it. This is my first Barlow knife because Barlows are traditionally slipjoints, and I have brittle fingernails with which slipjoints do not generally agree. Because it is a lockback that does not require a stiff spring to keep the knife open, this knife opens easily with no broken fingernails. The mechanism is extremely smooth and locks up very solidly. The Zulu Spearpoint blade is a very useful shape suited to a wide range of tasks, and is visually more interesting than traditional blade shapes on Barlow knives. When open it flows into the traditional Barlow handle complimenting it. When closed, the elongated nail pull and downward swooping swedge of the forward part of the blade give the impression of the head of a bird of prey peering over the knife handle. The addition of the deep pocket clip which Russell has perfectly integrated into the traditional Barlow design further increases the utility of this knife. There is no gainsaying the usefulness of a good pocket clip, so long as it does not detract from the appearance and handling of the knife, which this one does not. If fact, the clip actually compliments the appearance of the knife when viewed from the Reverise side when closed because the clip is visually balanced by the long bolster at the opposite end of the handle. This clip presents a further benefit to me in that I like to carry my clip pocket knives clipped between the buttons on my shirt over the breastbone. I do this for several reasons: I have lost a least a couple of clip knives that popped out of my pants pocket while climbing in and out of my truck; the knife is readily accessible while sitting; it avoids having the knives marred by car keys or detritus in the pockets; and, the knife is much less obtrusive when carried this way, as most people know that a clip showing on a pants pocket means a knife inside the pocket. This is not so with this knife when carried clipped to a shirt, as the deep pocket clip is designed such that the knife itself is not visible when inserted into clothing, and the clip is so stylish and well finished that it can pass for the clip on a pen. Further the clip has a lip open enough to slide over thick chamois shirts and yet it holds firmly to the thinnest dress shirt. Perhaps I should explain that one of the purposes of my knives is to partially fulfill the need for art in my life. For this reason, I am a believer in “the knife du jour.” I have many different knives that I like to carry so that they each get the opportunity to be admired and the virtues of their designs, choice of materials and Craftsmanship pondered over a cup of coffee with buddies at Starbucks (back in the pre-Covid era). Knives are a quintessential tool and, as such, a good knife should be a Work of Art that Works. That certainly describes this knife and A.G. Russell designs, generally. It is simultaneously utilitarian and elegant: utilitarian in its functionality yet elegant in its design. It is a remarkable value at this price and I believe it is destined to become one of my most often carried knives. Rating: 10/10 ”