Old Timer tells its origin in one line, and carries it written inside the logo: EST. 1958. It was born — it says — to make a folding knife durable and at the same time comfortable to use day after day, 'knives for the working class, for those who depend on no one else to finish the job'; over the years it added the hunting and field ones. Today the brand belongs to American Outdoor Brands, its catalogues are signed by AOB Products Company and the warranty service is handled from Columbia, Missouri.

What makes an Old Timer recognisable is not a fashionable steel or a patent: it is a recipe repeated model after model throughout the catalogue. Scales with the saw cut engraving, nickel silver bolsters, a stainless-steel blade and a back spring — no lock on the multi-blade ones, a lock on almost all the single-blade ones. The blade cuts are those of the trade: clip point, sheepsfoot, pen, spey, hook and saw. The Senior mounts three blades; the Minuteman, two; the Pal, one.

The 2024 catalogue divides the house into five lines. The Traditional are the classics: stainless steel, saw cut and nickel silver. The Generational Series remakes four of those models in 1095 carbon steel with natural bone scales, and is the only line in the catalogue carrying the Made in U.S.A. stamp; of the Sharpfinger the manufacturer says it is 'our most iconic knife' and that the reissue returns it 'to its original glory'. The Heritage Series swaps the steel for D2 and the scales for laminated wood; the Frontier Series puts bearings, assisted opening and a pocket clip into an old-looking body; and the Trail Boss is the one with the non-slip rubber handle for field dressing. Of all this, the first line and the field gear are what cross customs to here.

The warranty is called generational and is written to last as long as the knife does: it covers defects in material and workmanship 'for the life of the product', and clarifies that this life 'is measured by the use it receives and how well it is cared for, not by its age'. Hence its knives are ordered by number and not by a commercial name: 8OT, 12OT, 94OTW. That number is the one the manufacturer prints on each model's small box, and the same one that appears as the reference in the shop.