Any patterns you avoided like the plague, but they just grew on you?

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

Slipjoint Addict
Joined
Feb 2, 2005
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I've always had a soft spot for stockman/cattleman patterns, trappers, most single and two blade jacks. Some pen knives, some equal end patterns. I never really liked small patterns, whittlers or congress patterns. However, I met our illustrious Jackknife, and he showed me his damascus peanut. I was hooked. Went out a month later and ordered a chestnut bone cv peanut. Jackknife sent me a Remington peanut a few months ago which sees a lot of use. It might not be cleaning fish on the Yukon, but it cleans my fingernails and opens knife packages just fine :foot: :D. I have had a few whittler patterns over the years. One, a seahorse whittler, was given to my little sister, it's her purse knife. I also had a GEC half whittler, which I really liked but couldn't quite get used to it.

What patterns have you avoided, or just plain turned your nose up at, and wish you hadn't brushed off so quickly?
 
The toothpick. I've never really like them, but an ebony one came up at a really good price and I couldn't pass it up. It's one of the most pocket friendly knives I own.
 
The Toothpick here as well, though I can't honestly say I wish I hadn't brushed it off so quickly...otherwise I might not have been tempted to get this one when I did ;)



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I discovered my admiration for this knife quite by accident...upon seeing a pic hereabouts of the Abalone Looking Glass, I got one for my wife, and when checking it out couldn't get over how great it felt in hand...It was not long before I aquired the Ebony version, and it has been in my pocket many a day since...so much liked, that I am going to have a custom built toothpick down the road a piece :) so perhaps it was better that I waited for the right Toothpick :)
 
Scout/soldier patterns......I hated the looks of them for a long while; they just didn't seem as elegant and beautiful as all of the other patterns. Heck, I just didn't see them as useful either.

Now, as seen in my most recent thread, they are my favorite pattern ATM.
 
The regular Muskrat. Since I don't usually use my pocket knives to do much other than office/round the house tasks, I never saw the typical need for two identical clip blades. I started to come around with a Case Tiny Muskrat, just because I like small patterns and figured I'd give it a try. That led to some "improved" or Hawbaker muskrats, and then back to the standard, most recently a GEC NF #66.
 
First to me was the toothpick which I didn´t really like. It seemed to be a strange piece in the pocket, but after getting a Powderhorn Jack - I really like it now. Feels just great in pocket AND in hand.

Second was the Barlow: The idea of the long bolsters with that handleshape made them look ugly to me. After getting the first into my paws - I realized the useability of this traditional knife pattern. Great knives in general!

Third: The Peanut :eek: I didn´t like it because of its small size and after getting one, I didn´t like it at all. After resting some months in the drawer I pulled it out and found a very very useful knife at small packingsize and great shape and traditional blade configuration.

Now all the three patterns have their place in my daily rotation of use and carry...
 
Moose.

I have always preferred blades pivoting on the same end.

I bought one of the Northfield 66s that Charlie had done in an old Schrade style jigging because I thought the bone was beautiful. I have not yet used it for cutting tasks, but I am beginning to realize that two full size blades of different shapes could be quite useful.

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When Charlie told me the 66 Moose was a two spring knife, I initially decided not to get it, thinking it would be two wide. It is not.

The bone handles are a bit thinner on the Moose than on the Jack, so even though the second spring on the Jack is thinner, the two knives have identical widths. I still prefer a jack knife configuration, but I may end up keeping this one after all.

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I never really cared for the Barlow pattern. I know, sacrilige.:D But, after seeing the Bladeforums Traditional version (2008?) in stag, I have begun changing my mind. Haven't bought one, yet, but I'm on the lookout for a good one.
 
Hi,

The one pattern I thought I would never care for is the Congress. I picked up an inexpensive Rough Rider and toyed with it on occasion. But it wasn't until I got my hands on a Boker USA Congress that I finally "got it".

It's a beefier knife with a spear and one sheep's foot, rather than 2 sheep's foot main blades. And the curve of the frame is a bit different than the RR version. It has really shocked me on how comfortable a knife it is to carry and use.

A poor photo.
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Dale
 
I guess for me the Congress has been the one I just couldn't and can't seem to warm up to. Muskrats are visually appealing to me, but I don't really fall for the two identical blades. I have wanted a toothpick for a loooongggg time, but just have not pulled the trigger on one. I think I can't make up my mind which size to get. Years ago, I just wasn't interested in a peanut; what could such a small knife be good for. Then I had the fortune to win Vince's peanut give away back in 2010 and I find the little knife very competent for ordinary cutting tasks. And it is so unobtrusive even people that have an aversion to sway back jacks or gents seem tolerant of peanuts.

Now back to the toothpick... Still struggling with size. The small one is very much like a single blade peanut. The big one is too big for routine carry around the public and the office. The mid sized ones are not that plentiful in my area. So, my angst goes on... That blued ebony powderhorn up there would have been just about irresistible.

Ed J
 
I had always despised the congress...the blade redundancy and just the overall shape in general. Until i picked up a GEC easy pocket half congress in stag and its my baby. Great wharncliffe blade for whittling too!
 
One slipjoint and one traditional fixed blade pattern that I changed my mind on:
First, I always thought muskrats were thin and strange. Something old guys carried. Now I know them as one the most useful patterns I own. Absolutely love 'em.
Second, the puukko. Weird looking knife with a weird sounding name. Came to the realization that instead of passing quick judgement on a knife trusted by generations of
woodsmen, I should try one and see what everyone already knew. For me and my times fishing, woodswalking, camping, etc., the puukko is the best all around fixed blade.
 
As I said above, I prefer a jack knife, with blades pivoting on the same end. The canoe has always intrigued me, but I have never jumped in and purchased one. This Northfield 16 may be the one to change that:

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Good post. I used to really dislike the gunstock pattern and now have a barnboard olive green Case gunstock with a spear and pen. Now I might have to find one with a clip. Pretty funny how it takes the eye time to get used to things.
 
The peanut: Owned for years and not carried till late, now if the watch pocket is small, a peanut is in it these days. The peanut EDC was a gateway knife to carrying medium Jack's and Trapper's for in larger watch pockets.

The 4 1/4 Trapper: Favored a large stockman and folding hunters for decades over the trapper, today the trapper is part of my EDC and found it not only a great work knife, it's a great food/table knife when on the road too. I blame Queen and GEC for the 4 1/2 jumbo trapper EDC. A great back pocket carry and work knife.
 
Any smaller knives under 4". Now my choice of carry is any thing under 4". If I had to pick a pattern it prolly would be the whittler pattern. Never did like the blade setup with the coping blades. Really likening the ones with a Spey and a pen blade instead of the small clip and coping.
 
Equal end, straight frame, Cattle Knife. I've always liked the serpentine, premium, Stockman knives but for some reason the straight frame of the Cattle Knife didn't appeal to me. Now I own several. I like them all the way up to the 4 1/2" models but I'm looking forward to the new GEC Buckaroo knife at 3 1/2".

My latest Cattle Knife.

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