12 must have trads for the new collector

bdev

bdev

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Feb 8, 2013
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If you had to give a newbie collector a list of the first 12 traditionals he/she should buy to start his/her collection, which ones would you choose?
Here's are mine in no particular order.....

Buck 110
Case Peanut
Case Sodbuster
TL-29 Electrician's Knife
4 1/8" Trapper - any manufacturer
GEC Boy's Knife
Any Queen with Winterbottom Bone (not Delrin)
3 3/8" 2 Blade Barlow with sawcut handles - any manufacturer
Imperial all metal Boy's Knife
Schrade Uncle Henry with Staglon Handles - any pattern
Schrade Old Timer with Saw Cut Delrin handles - any pattern
5" Toothpick Fish Knife - any manufacturer
 
Accodingly, I have some of those and some that are close to those.
I don't have a Buck 110, but do have a Browning lock back.
Do not have a peanut, and don't want one.
No Sodbuster either.
TL-29, I do have one of these around somewhere.
I have a case trapper.
I have four Boy's Knives so far.
I have a Queen Barlow in Winterbottom Bone.
I have two 2 blade Barlows. Neither are saw cut. Both are made by Canal Street Cutlery. One being a K-Bar Dag Head.
Do not have any all metal Boy's knife.
Do not have any Schrade knives with Staglon handles.
I do have an Old Timer knife.
A smaller Queen toothpick is what I have.
 
Agreed on barlow (any, I like the old Queens and modern RRs), stockman (Schrade OT, saw cut bone), all metal boy's knife, official scout knife, Whittler, sodbuster.
Rich
 
I'd recommend this list. The asterisks are by patterns I'd recommend but don't enjoy myself; I've had examples and won't keep them.
I'd also recommend getting a variety of handle materials, a variety of blade shapes, and a variety of makers, if possible.

Canoe
Congress
Muskrat*
Opinel
Peanut or pen knife (something relatively small)
Scout (alox SAK maybe)
Sodbusterish knife (maybe locking)
Stockman ("regular")
Stockman (sowbelly)
Toothpick
Trapper*
Two-blade Jack (barlow, teardrop, whatever)

- GT
 
Buck 110 - Got it (50th Anniversary Edition)
Case Peanut - Got it (Yellow CV)
Case Sodbuster - Got 3 ( 2 Black, 1 Yellow CV. One of the Blacks was my dad's)
TL-29 Electrician's Knife - Got one (not a Camillus though)
4 1/8" Trapper - any manufacturer - Need it
GEC Boy's Knife - My 4th is in transit
Any Queen with Winterbottom Bone (not Delrin) - Not yet
3 3/8" 2 Blade Barlow with sawcut handles - any manufacturer - 9 Barlows, 1 is a Craftsman sawcut.
Imperial all metal Boy's Knife - Looking at getting a Kamp King
Schrade Uncle Henry with Staglon Handles - any pattern - 5 Stockmans of varying sizes and 1 jack
Schrade Old Timer with Saw Cut Delrin handles - any pattern - 3 Stockmans
5" Toothpick Fish Knife - any manufacturer - 1 Colonial
 
My suggestions would be (for a new collector to look at and consider, not necessarily buy):

Single blade lockback
Stockman
Trapper
Sod Buster
Peanut
Barlow
Single-spring 2-blade (Canoe, Pen, Norfolk variant)
Whittler
Scout/Camper/SAK-style multipurpose
Toothpick/Powderhorn
Medium sized jack
Congress

Within that list, at least 1 of each of the following handle materials: Jigged bone, stag, wood. Optional: synthetic or metal. If interested in current brands, at least one knife from GEC, Case, and Buck. At least one carbon steel and one stainless.
 
In no particular order - usually any maker ... except the maker is named of course

1. Buck 110
2. Stockman
3. Jackknife
4. Opinel
5. Jagdnicker
6. Scout Pattern (SAK-style)
7. TL-29
8. Lambfoot (Ankermesser, A. Wrights etc etc)
9. Barlow Pattern
10. Trapper Pattern
11. Hippekniep aka Sodbuster
12. Navaja / Toothpick / Laguiole

... several others could be added but these are the basics...
 
Buck 110 - got it
Case Peanut - got it
Case Sodbuster - got it
TL-29 Electrician's Knife - got it
4 1/8" Trapper - any manufacturer - got it
GEC Boy's Knife
Any Queen with Winterbottom Bone (not Delrin)
3 3/8" 2 Blade Barlow with sawcut handles - any manufacturer - got it
Imperial all metal Boy's Knife
Schrade Uncle Henry with Staglon Handles - any pattern - got it
Schrade Old Timer with Saw Cut Delrin handles - any pattern - got it
5" Toothpick Fish Knife - any manufacturer - got it
Click to expand...

I'd also nominate the 'traditional' folding hunter pattern, ala the Case 6265 or Schrade 25OT, etc. For whatever reason, I fixated on these a LONG time ago, and have always viewed them as definitively 'Traditional'. The large folding hunter pattern, at 5-3/8" or so, is what 'calibrated' my sense of how BIG a traditional folding knife can sometimes be, which is why I think there's some value in having it in a definitive 'must have' Traditional collection.


David
 
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