American Traditional Slipjoints - what to look for

C

Corwyn_bv

Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
250
I have something of a dumb question...
I just received a very nice Imperial Barlow in GAW on this fine forum and it peaked my interest on American slippies. I was thinking of adding one of each type to my collection (toothpick, canoe, stockman etc.).
The problem is I don't want to spend money and flood myself in junk (like I did when I got in to saks, laguioles and multitools).
I see some vintage knives made by Case, Schrade etc. with plastic or bone handles that sell for dozens if not hundreds of dollars and are highly prized.
I also see new knives made by Case, Schrade, Rough Rider etc. with plastic or bone handles that sell for 2-3 dollars and which many belittle.

What am I missing? I know most of these cutleries moved production to China, but what does that entail? Is the quality that much worse? Are they still useable and collectable? Can they still be considered traditional folders?
If the answer is no, how can I differentiate vintage from new if in used condition... some are easy to spot, but others...
 
Hi there,welcome to traditionals. I don't believe that Case has an offshore line so if you can find them for a couple of bucks grab every one you see :D Schrade (The brand name) is owned by Taylor brands I believe and are all made offshore nowadays and get mixed reviews. Rough rider makes a very nice knife for very few dollars, always come razor sharp and offer a great many traditional patterns.
Here are a couple.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Rough rider knives > http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/582468-Rough-Rider-amp-Related-Slipjoints
Best regards

Robin
small canoe whittler lockback

They make a great barlow,here are three. One of their best patterns.
 
I have had Rough Rider slipjoint
they are excellent quality
A great way to buy and learn about slipjoints

The Rough Rider Saw Cut Bone series have wonderful fluted bolsters all for under $10
 
You can literally get a half dozen RRiders for the cost of one GEC or Canal Street to get some experience and see which patterns you prefer. Get a couple each in small, medium and large patterns, and try single, two-blade and three-blade (stockman) patterns. At least one of them should "speak to you," and you can then look for a higher quality American made knife in that style. Happy hunting!
 
I don't collected vintage case knives but my understanding is the 1920- 1940 are most sought after , 1940 - 1960 second and so on . Due to scarcity and their quantity. I believe most US cutlery companies made good knives at some point in theie history . In my opinion , the best way to protect your self ( financially) in any collectabiles is eduction.
 
I agree with Tx. Read more and buy less at first. Hard to do when the enthusiasm for them kicks in though. The more you read on here, and from other sources, the more you are going to want another and another., but also learn what you don't want.

Warning: you will find we all are enablers :D but for the most part honest in reviewing knives.

I dove head first into the deep. I don't regret it all but I do wish I had read more and taken my time to figure out my own style first. I started off in studying steel which lead me to moderns, then I moved into "collecting" (really more accumulating) traditionals, and now I only buy traditionals to use.

No matter what you do, enjoy the the ones you get and buy what you like.

Oh, and don't be surprised when your taste changes. :D

For the most part though, and back to your questions, there are some made all over the world worth buying, using, and collecting. It all depends, do you want to be a collector, user, or a hybrid of both. The result of these will depend on how much you study your hobby, imo.
 
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If you want to truly be a collector, then go with Great Eastern Cutlery or educate yourself about older, vintage knives.

If you aren't concerned about some future resale value, then Rough Rider is just as collectible as anything else. They make a lot of patterns in different handle materials and some are more in demand than others. I have a couple of RRs and they are great little knives for their cost.

W. R. Case knives are still US made. I own quite a number of them, mostly recent or current production.

Buck makes some traditional knives in the US (with model #s in the 30x series) and in China (37x and 38x series).

Queen and Canal Street Cutlery are two other smaller US knife makers. My one Canal Street is an excellent knife. They have a limited number of patterns and handle materials, but if you like what they make then I think you would be pleased. I have three Queen knives. All three are very nice looking knives. Two of them are excellent knives, the third I am a little disappointed with.

Utica Cutlery is a US company that makes traditional patterns. I don't have any personal experience with them, but some of their patterns look nice, and they are priced just a little below similar Case offerings.
 
Thank you all for the kind replies. I read a bit online and realised that there are so many more patterns then the 7 Wikipedia lists...
As such, no chance of getting the full line with reasonable money (like for Opinels or Victorinoxes).
So I decided I will get 3-4 Rough Riders, the most interesting, unusual and less-plasticky models I can find, than see what to do afterwards. Not entirely sure which, but really liked the look of their Stoneworx line so the first one will definately be one of those.
It's good to know that RR are of reasonably good quality (having mixed feelings about China stuff... from my amazing Tenacious and Tekut to the pile of junk that came prebroken or were just unuseable), can still be considered traddy folders and I won't make a fool of myself when pulling one out.
 
The brown sawcut bone line of RRs has gotten particularly good reviews about fit & finish around here, and I own quite a few of them myself.
They have all been fine knives. Here are a few of them.

Group Shot
BrSCBone.jpg~original


Large Folding Hunter
bigun.jpg~original


Jumbo Stockman
StockBling_zps5bed4dc7.jpg~original
 
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