Thought I would share some pics of Doziers just out of the shop.







Great knives but a Knife making legend.

Yea, those will work. Very nice!

I only have one at the present time and it came from AG Russell, I think it's called the straight personal? I've had a few others but they have been swapped out.

Doziers are ok, but you have to bear in mind, that there are many makers that can produce as good a knife.
We tend to go over board in spending on 'name' factor alone. Not that there is anything wrong with that,but to hold Dozier, or Ingram or May up as the only sources of quality steel is playing to the 'fan boy' in us all.

To state the obvious, there are other makers, many, that make a "good" knife. I have been in the knife business for more than a decade and know many of them.

This thread is about Doziers. When someone buys a knife made by a Maker that has been in the business more than 30 years they are buying his experience, testing, refinement, etc. These knives work.

Really like that sheep horn drop point. Got a weak spot for both.
JMHO
Tim

That sheep horn drop point is a beaut!I have half a dozen of Bob's knives and about the same of Gene's.There are lots of great knifemakers out there,too many to name.All you have to do is look at some of the blades shown on this forum,or look at the Makers Forum on Blade Forums,there is some incredible work out there.When I buy a Dozier or an Ingram though,I know exactly what I am getting and that is no knock on other makers.I just like the knives that both men make. Monashee

Good lookin knives.

Now put em to work.

Only got 1 Dozier, but it's likely all I'll ever need.

Gets the sharpest of all my knives, and holds the edge.

I like them, got a half dozen and have been very happy with them all. At one time I had fifteen of the dang things but thinned the herd a little sometime back.

I have owned a dozen Doziers over the years.. I finally honed in on what works for me.. The 3 that I ended up keeping for my own personal needs are the K19,K2,YPS..

I buy most of my Doziers from Vince at Fort Henry Knives and he is great to deal with and a wealth of knowledge. The pictures on his site really help you determine what is possible when you want to order a custom Dozier..

Great Knives, Great Dealer what more could you ask for..

BTW-- Doziers are NOT just OK

I have Dozier's in a KS-3 Pro Guide and a K-4 Straight Hunter. They are both excellent knives. Me thinks that Mannlicher lives too close to Bo Randall's shop to be objective. And that is meant as a compliment. Good luck.

Doziers real talent is his heat treatment of D2.Gene Ingram has done a great job of copying most everything Dozier does.

At a greater base price per knife...

Here is some of mine.The top 2 are Charlie May Knives.The bottom 3 are Dozier's.I called Bob Dozier and was able to get the last piece of his yellow Westinghouse micarta a few years back.It has gotten darker with age.The bottom one handle is black ebony.

Great knives guys, Thanks for sharing your pics.

They're all getting insane.Gene was in the $140 range a few years back.Look at the archives on Doziers website and the majority of his knives were in the $175 range a few years ago.

If I'm going with D2 there's no reason to look any further then Dozier.

Care to expound?

my current favorite Dozier

Here is one of mine, semi-skinner...

I like the lines on that one, very nice.

If you like Bob Dozier you will love Jerry Halfrich.I keep going back and for between the two.I have a half dozen or so of each.There are other makers like Tom Krein and Ingram that make quality stuff but for me Jerry and Bob stand at the top of the heap.I have another folding hunter coming this week from Bob and a killer Bose semi skinner coming in a couple of weeks from Jerry.

Dozier is a stud. Plain and simple. Can't say anything bad about May, Ingram, Krein, Hendrix. They ALL make great knives. Have several of each. Just depends what a guy wants.

One thing about a Dozier is the very thin grinds. You dont see that everyday on a knife.

Dozier subscribes to the theory that less is more,he personally prefers a blade of three inches or less.I've spoke with him at length and have a number of his knives.He builds his knives for use not show.Dozier is always looking for something new,which says a lot for a guy pushing 70 years old.

Doziers forgotten more about the use of D2,then the rest will ever know.

I EDC this one:

This one's the best skinner I've ever owned and 1/2 of my favorite kissing cousin "whammer" set:

Do you guys like to sharpen your knifes to a ultra sharp straight razor or a super toothy chain saw type edge?What do you think works better on game?I have always been a 12000 grit ultra sharp guy but am starting to change my ways.

I also used to like that super smooth silky sharp edge but have turned from it to favoring a bit of a "toothy" edge with some bite to it. The toothy edge is still hair popping sharp but it has that little grainy bite to it that really seems to cut better on fibrous material and also seems to last longer overall.

In a knife, geometry cuts. The blade material and its properties determine how long. D2 at an included angle less than 32* or so will lose the larger carbides from its matrix and become coarse and saw-like no matter how much one uses a finer grit to polish those same carbides. 600-800 grit silicon carbide at 16*-18* per side, with a secondary bevel at 20* will come off as scary sharp, and yield that famous "takes a lousy edge and holds it forever" property that makes D2 such a great steel for skinning and cutting flesh...

Fort Henry - beautiful Doziers.

Like them? Very much, and I own a few too.

elim - Halfrich knives do look great, especially the folders. About the sharpening, I like from the tip to the belly a slightly coarse edge, then from the belly to choil a fine edge (like a steak knife)

harleyguy02 - yes, you do like Doziers.

One, nobody said that Dozier, Ingram and May are the only sources of quality steel, your "fan boy" comment is really out of place.

Two, while there are many makers that can and do produce excellent knives there are also a lot of knives that cost a lot more and don't work near as well. Personally I prefer talking positively about stuff that does work reliably so people can not have to waste their money on stuff that costs more and does less. You hear a lot of talk about Doziers because they are reasonably priced for the quality and have worked superbly for a lot of people.

Here's some of my Doziers with an Ingram thrown in for good measure :-) .....




The middle Dozier is my favorite of the bunch, it's done several deer for me.........................................DJ

Excellent post DJ.

Thanks for the comparison shot! I think you hav eall the sizes covered.

DJ,

What's the middle Dozier? I really like the looks of the Yukon Pro Skinner.

- It's an older Yukon Pro Skinner. It's blade shape might be slightly different from a brand new one after years of use. It's my favorite Dozier, most used and the first one I bought - second hand at that. It's just about the right size and shape for general cutting chores.

For heavier use I like a convexed edge Fallkniven F-1 or maybe a Barkie Bravo or Gunny but for pure cutting use the Dozier's hollow grind is hard to beat..........................DJ

What model is the Dozier in the left of this picture?

Looks very similar to Doziers K4 Straight Hunter with a bit more belly on it.

http://www.dozierknives.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81

The K4 seems to trail up and the one pictured is almost a slight drop point. I looked on the Dozier web site and didn't see what I thought was an exact match. Needless to say I like it.

Sure looks like a Yukon Pro Skinner just like mine................DJ

It does look like a Yukon Pro Skinner but it has a finger groove.

A finger groove and two pins in the handle which isn't the norm for the YPS. I'd say it is a hybred custom combination from Dozier. It isn't unusual to order a certain handle style with a different blade than normally comes on the knife. I happen to strongly prefer the handle of the K4/K2 and order all my knives with that rounded back, single finger groove, and two pin handle style. Combining a Yukon Pro Skinner blade with that handle is a natural combination - nice knife!

I just spoke to someone at Doziers shop and that knife is a K2/K4 handle with a K16 blade.

Sorry, I've been hunting. That knife is indeed a YPS with a Straight Hunter handle. It's also 1/4 inch shorter than the standard, and is 1/8 D2 vs the standard .135. I have had 2 and still have 1 regular YPS, and the above tweaks make a difference that need be experienced on an elk or moose to appreciate.

You hear a lot of talk about Doziers because they are reasonably priced for the quality and have worked superbly for a lot of people.
- djpaintless

Amen to that. Doziers are great bang for the buck.

I just might, do 60-70 critters a year, and just might, have a couple or more knives to choose from...and i agree...

Let me take a guess...

Marbles axe, Dozier Slim Outdoorsman, and Dozier Pro Guides Knife. How'd I do?

Congrats, You win!!!! Problem is, there's no prize......

Dang it, just my luck...

FYI!

Per Dan Crotts on the Dozier website discussion forum, Bob Dozier has obtained a selection of Westinghouse Micarta from a stash. This stash includes some rare sample colors!

If you have been craving something special, now just might be the time to contact them and see what they have!

WTM is right, some of the pieces were samples of Colors that were never even made by White Westinghouse, so to say the knife made with one of those would be a "one of a kinds" would not be a stretch at all.

Thanks to all who have posted pics or comments. Keep em coming!!