Assistance with Knife Recommendation for Step-Father

I've almost never liked a knife that was gifted to me. I have particular tastes and even people who know me and love me can't guess.

I've found 3 approaches to giving knives. Two really.

First, I offer to buy a a knife of their choosing. Sort of like how some couples pick engagement rings.

Second, I pick a knife that I think suits them, give it and then never ask if they carry it or use it. It's given as a token and I assume they recieve it as such and that they have their own tastes.

The third is I give away sure bets. My kids got straight forward SAKs. No brainer. Men in my family get something they can combine with a pocket knife of their choosing. I recommend carrying it in their other pocket. Here is a typical carry for me.
Untitled by Pinnah, on Flickr

For more on this, we should move to the multipurpose or general forums.

You might do both option 1) and 3) with Bob. Tell him you love him and will give him a nice knife no matter how much he protests and the only choice he has is which one. And then toss in a Micra. That's what I would do.
 
pinnah said:
I've almost never liked a knife that was gifted to me. I have particular tastes and even people who know me and love me can't guess.

I've found 3 approaches to giving knives. Two really.

First, I offer to buy a a knife of their choosing. Sort of like how some couples pick engagement rings.

Second, I pick a knife that I think suits them, give it and then never ask if they carry it or use it. It's given as a token and I assume they recieve it as such and that they have their own tastes.

The third is I give away sure bets. My kids got straight forward SAKs. No brainer. Men in my family get something they can combine with a pocket knife of their choosing. I recommend carrying it in their other pocket. Here is a typical carry for me.
Untitled by Pinnah, on Flickr

For more on this, we should move to the multipurpose or general forums.

You might do both option 1) and 3) with Bob. Tell him you love him and will give him a nice knife no matter how much he protests and the only choice he has is which one. And then toss in a Micra. That's what I would do.
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Excellent suggestions. My brother is visiting them until October 26th, so by then I should have photos of the knife Bob is currently carrying.

Regardless of which knife/multi-tool I decide to get, I think I will wait and give it to him the next time I visit - which will probably be in March or April, depending on airfares. Of course it will fall right in the middle of March Madness and they don't have cable or satellite so I can't watch any games on TBS or TNT. Sigh.

There's definitely no hurry to make the decision, but I prefer to do my research and make my purchase(s) ahead of time because I try to be organized.

Thanks for your input. And I agree about people buying a person a knife. Unless someone knows a person well, and knows something about knives, they end up buying something one would never carry. And of course, once you give someone a gift, whatever they decide to do (or not do) with it is up to them.

TJ
 
I was just looking through my knife collection and found this:

Case Cutlery 25606 Purple Bone Mini Trapper NIB. I have no idea when I bought it, but it could have been sometime last year. It's way too large for me to want to carry, so why did I buy it?

"The color purple can be found in everything from prehistoric art to garments worn by some of the most important figures in world history. The #25606 Case Mini Trapper features a Rogers Jigged Purple Bone handle, Tru-Sharp stainless steel Clip and Spey blades and a Case Arrowhead shield. The Mini Trapper measures 3-1/2" closed, and weighs 2.7 oz. Specifications Pattern: 6207 SS Handle Material: Rogers Jigged Purple Bone Blade(s): Clip and Spey Blades Blade Material: Tru-Sharp Stainless Steel Length Closed: 3 1/2" Weight: 2.7 oz About W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co."

This knife can be a possibility.

TJ
 

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Mini Trapper is a great size for pocket carry, I'm surprised you find it to be too large. Full-size Trapper, yes, that's a pretty big knife. But the Mini is just right, at least for me. Two useful blades, depending on what you need to cut of course. The purple bone turned out much nicer in person than I thought it would from the official catalog pics.

Mini Trapper in Chestnut Bone CV:


Large Stockman in Purple Haze Bone:
 
jc57 said:
Mini Trapper is a great size for pocket carry, I'm surprised you find it to be too large. Full-size Trapper, yes, that's a pretty big knife. But the Mini is just right, at least for me. Two useful blades, depending on what you need to cut of course. The purple bone turned out much nicer in person than I thought it would from the official catalog pics.

Large Stockman in Purple Haze Bone:
Click to expand...

This is the one I have. When I said it was too large, I meant too large for an EDC for me. I typically carry peanuts or texas toothpicks. I agree that the purple is much nicer in person and looks more brown in the catalog photos. I actually have a tiny trapper in violet that I love - perfect size for my carry.

Depending on what the photos show on my step-dad's knife, this purple mini-trapper might be just right for him.

What is the generous consensus on a purple bone for a 78-year old man? It's not glaringly purple like my purple knives, and the light purple is only at the ends. I think it is a nice looking knife.

The mini-trapper is close enough to a stockman, isn't it? Sure, it has one less blade, but it would get most jobs done, right?

I have numerous BFC annual knives, which are also larger than I normally carry. I suppose if I wore jeans they would work fine, but I wear dresses and the weight would really weigh down one side of my dress. Yes, I'm a girly-girl, so I prefer to carry smaller knives. I do love my BFC knives because they are fabulous.
 
After finding the purple bone Mini-Trapper in my knife collection (NIB), I have decided that I am going to send it to be step-father. The two blades are useful, and the smaller blade (clip?) is like the one he uses on his stockman.

I sincerely appreciate all of the suggestions given, and especially the fact that men DO carry purple knives!

TJ
 
I'd go with the mini-trapper. Common sense stainless; a little different, but still traditional; without all the tom-foolery of a pocket toolbox, or the frippery of a knife that belongs in a jewellery box; and you've already bought it!
 
scrteened porch said:
I'd go with the mini-trapper. Common sense stainless; a little different, but still traditional; without all the tom-foolery of a pocket toolbox, or the frippery of a knife that belongs in a jewellery box; and you've already bought it!
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Well, the price is right because I don't recall when I bought it nor how much I paid for it. I'm pretty frugal about knife prices, so it would have cost me a gazillion dollars.

The purple mini-trapper is at the post office, priority mail, and he should receive it on Thursday. I'm going to call him and say that I was rummaging through a drawer last night and I found something that I think he could use in the kitchen. Well, he used his knife in the kitchen last week, so it's not a lie.

Regardless of whether or not he uses it, the thought is there. He takes wonderful care of my 86-year old mother who has short term memory loss, and she is happy being married to him.

Thanks again for the input and suggestions!

TJ
 
Good choice!.. I think trappers are great. Its almost to the point that if my knife has 3 choices, I want one of them to be a not-blade. Heavy duty cap lifters with a long nose are becoming a favorite choice.

I always wanted a smooth option in the purple. The icthys sheild keeps me away from the ultraviolet offerings they have currently. The difference in size between my smooth bone mini trapper and the jigged bone is significant when both are in hand.

Hope he likes it, and if the thrift argument comes out just ask him how much he paid for his new case (that you gifted) vs how much he paid for the one he was using...
 
Sounds like the deed is done, so I won't second guess. Let us know if he likes it or not. Hopefully by his age he will at least have learned how to politely accept a gift.
 
There's many brands to choose from, many, many! A lot of the great choices come with materials that require some fussing with. Judging from what he likes to use I would go with a stockman, barlow or trapper pattern from Case, Kabar or Canal Street Cutlery that all offer really solid versions of those models in a stainless steel.

For me though, I've just turned into a big mini trapper fan because of this one.

20150916_205020.jpg
 
AndreLinoge said:
Hope he likes it, and if the thrift argument comes out just ask him how much he paid for his new case (that you gifted) vs how much he paid for the one he was using...
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He will like the knife because of the sentiment and that it represents that I appreciate him and all that he does for my mother. It's the gesture I'm going for. I'm not certain he knows how to politely accept a gift - he just has thing thing about bragging to me how he bought whatever *I* have bought for less money.

However, I have no doubt that he will tell me that his Harbor Freight Gordon stockman works just as well as the mini-trapper I sent him.

Maybe I will counter with, "Well, if you don't want it because it is not as good at your knife, I'll be happy to take it back."

:p
 
cchu518 said:
There's many brands to choose from, many, many! A lot of the great choices come with materials that require some fussing with. Judging from what he likes to use I would go with a stockman, barlow or trapper pattern from Case, Kabar or Canal Street Cutlery that all offer really solid versions of those models in a stainless steel.

For me though, I've just turned into a big mini trapper fan because of this one.
Click to expand...

I ended up sending him the purple mini-trapper that I found in my collection of knives - I didn't even realize I had a knife that size, except for the annual BFC knives I have purchased.

TJ
 
I wouldn't down-play the gift too much. Clearly you thought enough about him to elicit multiple suggestions and even do secret research to make sure you got him something he likes. Sounds like you put a fair amount of effort into it.

I'd tell him you picked a nice knife out of your own collection in hopes that he would enjoy using it, and that maybe when he looks at the purple scales he'll think of you and how much you appreciate him. (Assuming you have a thing for purple, per your sig line).
 
jc57 said:
I wouldn't down-play the gift too much. Clearly you thought enough about him to elicit multiple suggestions and even do secret research to make sure you got him something he likes. Sounds like you put a fair amount of effort into it.

I'd tell him you picked a nice knife out of your own collection in hopes that he would enjoy using it, and that maybe when he looks at the purple scales he'll think of you and how much you appreciate him. (Assuming you have a thing for purple, per your sig line).
Click to expand...

I think he'll get the "purple" in the knife. He knows that purple (or Lilac) as he likes to call it, is one of my favorite colors. He likes to joke with me when I am kidding around and he'll say, "Now you're talking just like that color you like - Li-Lac."

I believe in the note I included with the knife I mentioned that it was a knife from my personal collection that I thought he might enjoy. He should get it on Thursday, so I'll see if I hear from him and what he has to say. I'll be sure to report back here what he says. He does know that I really like knives, and that I have bought my mother several Ladybugs to keep attached to her belt loop, especially after she lost the first one. Then I lost her second one, and how she is on her third one.

Thanks for the positive input on the gift being important and not just an after thought. ]

TJ
 
My brother was finally able to send me a photo of the Gordon knife my Step-father has and some comments from Bob (step-father):

He has only two knives. Likes this one a lot. Gordon is the brand . Has a pig blade for cutting the &$@#off. (whatever that means.)

I just have to remind myself that it is the thought that counts, and my intent to show him how much I appreciate him. Once you give someone a gift, what they choose to do with it is none of your concern. So if he never uses it because the Gordon is so fabulous.... well, his loss, in my opinion.

 
That Gordon isn't a bad looking knife at that. Looks to be similar to the Case '032 version of Medium Stockman. I can see why he likes it.

My Case 63032 CVs:



 
jc57 said:
That Gordon isn't a bad looking knife at that. Looks to be similar to the Case '032 version of Medium Stockman. I can see why he likes it.

My Case 63032 CVs:



Click to expand...


How do you think the mini-trapper will compare with the Gordon?
 
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