2018 BF Traditional Knife

[AndreLinoge]

Well, I guess what I mean about GEC choices being 'limited to what they already have planned' is more to concern frame choice than anything else. They might be able to work within that pretty easily as far as blade selection and shield/handle options, but a different frame altogether might be harder to work into the schedule. Who knows. Its always interesting to me to watch these come together. Has been so far, anyway. Have to admit I'm only in for the 'WIP' thread when it pops up. Maybe. Y'all have good taste, so its hard to say if I end up with one.

 

[Will Power]

Queen's Teardrop is a big favourite of mine too

Like I said, a Swell End Barehead would be not only new but something GEC could sell & develop later on too after the Forum Knife, or a Saddlehorn type knife in single blade. But, they won't want to face the cost of new tooling -understandably- so I suppose it HAS to be an existing pattern.

 

[AndreLinoge]

I’ve been thinking that a new teardrop pattern would be a hot seller. Something narrower than the 85. I’ve seen some in old catalogs that have a fairly thin upper frame that swells more at the bottom. Maybe it’s called a swell end?

At any rate, something similarly shaped to this Queen teardrop. Around the 3.75” - 4” range. Narrow spear main with a secondary would be ideal to me. I like the narrow spear blades better than the bulbous ones. They take a better point.

Aw man. Right when I'm at the 'night sweats' stage of my ACSB collecting..

 

[cbr1000]

Isn't that basically the same as having GEC make it?

Yes, but no? Yes Northwoods is made by GEC, but the design aesthetics are significantly different than what we would get if Charlie/Jack decide to help out again. Probably the best place to start is who is willing to manage the process this year? Is Charlie and Jack wanting to do it again, or just Jack, or someone else like CK/Mike, or KSF/Derrick? Once someone volunteers it needs final approval from Spark. All of the people above would give us a different design of knife even though the manufacture is the same. Who knows what we would end up with. I could see a TC14 clip from Charlie and Jack. I could see an 85 from Mike. I could see some interesting colored camel or giraffe from Derrick... all from GEC. Wow, that's a lot of guessing.. lol.

 

[cbr1000]

Let’s not worry about making this one as inexpensive as possible. Let’s go for broke. How about a Split-back whittler like the Northwoods Norfolk whittler?
View attachment 884268

I second this for sure. The number of comments about trying to keep cost down last year seemed weird to me.

 

[Will Power]

Okay, It's April, and I'm tired of waiting for Ted to start this thread...

Is there going to be a 2018 Forum Knife?

I talked with Charlie this weekend, and he's kind of surprised no one's brought this up in the last couple months, but acknowledged that if we're to get anything this year it needs to get started pretty quick.

Since Queen's gone, and Canal Street too, that pretty much leaves GEC or possibly Northwoods as the makers of choice. (Case apparently doesn't want to play.) I'm not sure if we'll have any chance of making major choices on what's available or could be, but I think it's time we ask if we're willing to continue this tradition or let it die.

Myself, I'd like to see a forum knife. I'd prefer it to be a way to bring back an old pattern that's fairly uncommon. I'd hope that it would be fairly unique even in a more common pattern. But still, I'd rather have a "BF Knife for 2018" than not have one.

So, to start the ball rolling, I'll offer up these:

A GEC Pattern, hard to come by, but probably more trouble than it's worth:

And this old Remington pattern, even harder to find, but man would I carry the heck out of a modern one of these:

My eternal regret is that I passed over the opportunity to get a GEC Easy Congress 62 pattern in Raisin Jig Bone. It has something of that old Rem about it...

 

[Wurrwulf]

I second this for sure. The number of comments about trying to keep cost down last year seemed weird to me.

Because not everyone has $150-200 to throw at a Northwoods yet still want to be involved and own a Forum Knife. That's weird to you?

 

[Peregrin]

Because not everyone has $150-200 to throw at a Northwoods yet still want to be involved and own a Forum Knife. That's weird to you?

I have nothing to add regarding the if, when, what questions. There have been no discussions that I'm aware of.

I will say that the number one criteria in the past has been to keep the cost close to $100.00 or less. Everyone that wants one should have the opportunity to get one.

 

[MCar]

A sowbelly would be amazing. But only someone like Charlie would be able to reliably tell us if a completely new pattern is just pushing our luck this year. On the flip side, requiring early payment to reserve one might be an appealing way for GEC to help underwrite the costs of developing a new pattern.

1. Who would not love a medium-sized GEC sowbelly?

(other ideas for existing frames include...)

2. Cattle knife on the 35 frame (meaning a clip point, a sheepfoot and a punch.....no spey! )

3. A "flat" #35 with a spear and a wharncliffe (so basically what Northwoods did with the Presidential, but on a #35)

4. I would love a #92 Eureka Jack, Northfield trim, barehead. And this has never really been made by GEC, so even though it may not "feel" like something original, it sort of would be.

 

[cbr1000]

Because not everyone has $150-200 to throw at a Northwoods yet still want to be involved and own a Forum Knife. That's weird to you?

It did seem a bit weird to me. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it just weird - it's actually quite nice of them to worry about keeping the cost down. I will try to clarify a bit more. I didn't know there is a goal to keep the cost around $100. Last year the number of posts related to keeping costs down seemed higher than normal. I think the number might of been a bit higher because the comments were related to using Micarta. It seemed "weird" to me because it seemed like a lost opportunity to use a cover material that was nicer for not that much more money.

Hopefully this doesn't offend anyone. If I offend anyone I apologize, but $100 dollars is not a lot of money - related to this forum. Ten years ago $100 was worth more, but times have changed and costs of knives have changed since the start of the blade forum knife. I might be completely off base, but I'm just basing this off what I see people posting, many people on BF have many thousands of dollars in knives. I have always enjoyed when you share your collections on the forum. It seems to me that the vast majority - probably 90% of the forum members would not hesitate to spend $150 on a knife. Again, just my interpretation. I might be off base. Am I - tell me if I am? I'm open to criticism.

 

[skyhorse]

The 2018 BF knife has surely been on my mind also. Would love something like the Beagle in blue or oily creek smooth camel bone and I blame it all on Sarah.

 

[JTB_5]

It did seem a bit weird to me. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it just weird - it's actually quite nice of them to worry about keeping the cost down. I will try to clarify a bit more. I didn't know there is a goal to keep the cost around $100. Last year the number of posts related to keeping costs down seemed higher than normal. I think the number might of been a bit higher because the comments were related to using Micarta. It seemed "weird" to me because it seemed like a lost opportunity to use a cover material that was nicer for not that much more money.

Hopefully this doesn't offend anyone. If I offend anyone I apologize, but $100 dollars is not a lot of money - related to this forum. Ten years ago $100 was worth more, but times have changed and costs of knives have changed since the start of the blade forum knife. I might be completely off base, but I'm just basing this off what I see people posting, many people on BF have many thousands of dollars in knives. I have always enjoyed when you share your collections on the forum. It seems to me that the vast majority - probably 90% of the forum members would not hesitate to spend $150 on a knife. Again, just my interpretation. I might be off base. Am I - tell me if I am? I'm open to criticism.

I think it is hard to generalize about wealth in a forum where a good number of the members aren't as frequent at posting. You cannot judge from the buying forum either, since the prices dictate who will be buying and therefore posting. I can only speak for myself, and say that $150 is something I have to budget for, or otherwise cut something else out for in order to get, so a sub-$100 knife is a kindness to folks like me. All the same, I won't gripe if it goes higher because I know that at least some folks have more to spend on knives.

 

[traumkommode]

How about an acorn GEC in 440c stainless? Open for pattern.

I'll throw in a minority vote -- I think -- for a 2018 Porch knife in stainless, rather than 1095.

My stainless Canal Street 2015 Double-Ended Serpentine Jack remains a personal favorite -- not solely because it's stainless (it also packs my two favorite blade shapes into a handle that's large enough for my hands, among other features), but it's a factor!

My second preference would be for non-bone or -horn cover options, such as wood and micarta, to be available.

And while I'm wishing, I would love to see a cattle knife with a clip/spear main, sheepsfoot, and punch. Put that in stainless with micarta covers and . . . well, I don't know what I'd do! Wait, no, I do know -- I'd order one!

I'd love to see LionSteel take a crack at a sodbuster.

#44 Caplifter in a unique blue shade micarta but not denim (to match bladeforums?)
Spear main in 440C or, hell, even CPM-154 with a 420HC caplifter.

Large Pemberton (#07 pattern?) in a natural material, elk stag?
Clip main in 440C like the Tidioute versions with a single blade.

Regardless of the pattern, a stainless steel knife needs to be made in 2018. It will open the door for more in late 2018 or early 2019. Kind of in a stainless drought, especially with Queen out of the game.

I'm kind of getting burned out on JUST carbon steel, namely 1095. I would be OK with other grades of carbon steel like 52100 or A2 or W2. Why would GEC even bother making the tang stamp with "GEC CAR" if they weren't planning on introducing more blade steels? We're not asking for CPM-S90V or S110V, 440C would suffice. I'd be OK with a good 420HC or a Sandvik stainless steel, 14C28N, at the very least? Bohler N690? Anyways, I digress.

I hope there is a 2018 BF knife and I hope it is unique.

A very pocket friendly fixed blade that looks like an open traditional with a sheath. The handle can be swayback, equal end, gunstock, coke bottle, or I don't care what. Don't care about the steel or handle material or shield.

Or, an awesome friction folder.

Lot of people asking after stainless, and I'm with them, but if GEC have anything to do with it, that cat won't jump...

If you want stainless, then get Lionsteel involved. They could do very nice Sodbuster in say two colour micarta or some other fancy micarta and all stainless no brass Or another Traditional single blade they might like to try their hand at, Slimline Trapper for instance. Other positives here, the bulk of orders would be for the US but those member in Europe can get theirs sent without tax or prohibitive postal costs, could be a big order all round.

Thanks, Will

My priority is for stainless steel, too. If that means we get a knife that GEC doesn't make, then that's just fine. I'm sure 1095 is easier for GEC to work with, but it can't be by terribly much. In my experience their 440C performs leaps and bounds above the 1095. I think it's true, too, that whatever knife it is will have to already have a pattern in existence and probably be one on the production schedule. That's how all the club knives work. Getting a new pattern that GEC hasn't done before like a coffin or a large coke bottle would require someone to pay for the tooling and yadda yadda, so unless that happens, or Bill Howard has it in the works, I would rather use my energy to try and get stainless to happen.

 

[Buzzbait]

My priority is for stainless steel, too. If that means we get a knife that GEC doesn't make, then that's just fine. I'm sure 1095 is easier for GEC to work with, but it can't be by terribly much. In my experience their 440C performs leaps and bounds above the 1095. I think it's true, too, that whatever knife it is will have to already have a pattern in existence and probably be one on the production schedule. That's how all the club knives work. Getting a new pattern that GEC hasn't done before like a coffin or a large coke bottle would require someone to pay for the tooling and yadda yadda, so unless that happens, or Bill Howard has it in the works, I would rather use my energy to try and get stainless to happen.

I agree with everything single thing you said.

I will admit that I was a bit bummed by last year's knife. It was a great knife and all, but the process was so different. The forum knife has had so much forum input in the past. You could see the progression from start to finish, and gain the full experience and history behind it. But last year it was just like, "Here's the forum knife. It will be this and this and this." It totally robbed the knife of everything that made past ones so special. Maybe things have changed, and this is the only way to do it now.

 

[Railsplitter]

It is cool when a new pattern is introduced with a BF knife. In 2014 the 77 pattern was introduced with the stag forum knife. Also, in 2016 the 35 pattern was introduced with the BF Harness jack forum knife.

Good point, Travman. If I'm not mistaken, the #85 forum knife (2011?) was a premier pattern for GEC as well.

 

[flylock]

I liked the above post about a whittler or a sow belly. They both sound great how about a sow belly whittler. Split back a big clip a Spey and a punch 3-3/4” closed length

 

[Jack Black]

While $100 is certainly worth less than it was 10 years ago, the number of forum knives ordered has grown steadily each year. Considering the number of knives being purchased, and the fact they're paid for in advance, I've sometimes been surprised by the price of the forum knife compared to other GEC patterns, it's rarely been a bargain, and has sometimes cost more than the 'standard' versions of the same pattern. Cost aside, the forum knife hasn't meant much to me the past couple of years, particularly last year's. I think we should ask Cognet to make us all a BF Douk-Douk

 

[WValtakis]

I liked the above post about a whittler or a sow belly. They both sound great how about a sow belly whittler. Split back a big clip a Spey and a punch 3-3/4” closed length

This would get my money for sure but I would go for a wharnie/sheepsfoot instead of a Spey.

~Chip

 

[draggat]

Since there only seems to be GEC in this game, they pretty much get to call the shots and it will probably be like last years knife.

Personally, I’d like to see something fresh. Caplifters and Barlow’s are great, but the knife market is really saturated with them already. Want a Gunstock with a caplifter? There’s some Trestle Pines versions sitting on a dealers shef right now.

The Lion Steel option would be awesome, but I guarantee that will break the $100 mark.

Here’s a question for Jack Black.... what would the possibility be of A. Wright & Sons doing a Bladeforums version of one of their lambs foot knives? That would be certainly new. Might even help those of you on the other side of the pond.

Or what about a maker like Renaud Aubry? He could crank out a bunch of really nice knives at the $100 mark.

This Navette retails for around the price of the forum knife.



Just a thought.

 

[Pàdruig]

I believe Ted had started a thread quite some time ago about exploring the possibilities of a Forum Fixed Blade. I think it was before 2017 had even ended but it still drummed up some interesting conversation.

I will admit, last year's forum knife was the first one that I had taken part in as I am still rather new to the forums here. With that said, I have no way of comparing the process to years past but I did enjoy being a part of the conversation even though my role was rather limited as it would appear everyone's was.

I do not know that I really have a preference for what I would like to see in a forum knife. I will likely buy one regardless. I would just like to be a part of the conversation and process, I feel that is more rewarding than the knife itself.