Opened in 1991 by Ken Griffey, Bear & Son specializes in traditionally-styled pocket knives, such as classic folders with stag bone handles and Bowie blades—although their tactical-style and balisong knives are some of the most popular offerings in their lineup. Griffey and his team consider knifemaking a dying art, and are determined to keep the legacy of quality, homegrown craftsmanship alive. Almost all of their knives are made in the USA, assembled and finished by hand.
Bear & Son has been through a lot of twists and turns, and was owned by Swiss Army Brands at one point. Ken Griffey has remained as President of the company and works with his son, Matt, and wife, Sandy.
The division of Bear OPS was launched in 2011 and features a line of higher-end knives over more budget-conscious Bear & Son knives. Bear & Son currently operates out of Alabama.
Bear & Son reigns in the affordable butterfly knife market, but they have some awesome folding knives as well. Check out our video above from Shot Show 2019 to see the newest knives from Bear & Son.
Our three best-selling Bear & Son knives are the 114 balisong, 115 balisong, and the Bold Action III.