Best quality traditional slipjoint?

Q

Quy4n8

Joined
Nov 27, 2002
Messages
659
I have done a couple of searches and come up with some suggestions, but would like some more input. I am looking for either a stockman, whittler or trapper pattern with preferably carbon steel blades and excellent fit and finish. This will most likely be a production knife as I need to limit the cost to $175 or less. I am open as to the handle material, but would really like the best quality available within my price range. What suggestions or thoughts do you have? Thanks.

Richard
 
Any Schatt and Morgan in ATS34 that tickles your fancy. It's carbon steel, but also stainless. If not that, then Queen stag bone in D2.
 
 
175$ opens alot of doors. If I had that much to spend, I would look on ebay or some other place in the secondary market, and find a nice old CV Case in stag or redbone. A good site to find some nice vintage stuff is BVB Ranch, very reputable dealer with fair prices. Heck, I'd checking out lots of nice old stuff from all the old time makers. 175$ should get you a nice minty classic from just about any secondary source. If that isn't your thing, check out some knives from Canal Street Cutlery(ran and staffed with ex-Schrade workers) or Mooremaker. Lots of nice stuff out there for your pricepoint.
 
I'm a fan of the 80's & early 90's Winchesters, which were produced by Queen for Bluegrass.

I just picked up a collection of 87-88 Winchesters with a store display case and I would rate most of them (95%) as being top notch, a couple have some very minor problems (like a backspring that doesn't lay completely flat when the knife is open).

You can get 2-3 of them for the price you're looking at and on 90+% of them the fit and finish is top notch.

I now have a lot of duplicates that I was going to sell on eBay, drop me a note offline if you are interested and I can go through them for you.

By and large in carbon steel/non-custom anything over about $100 and you are paying a premium for collector value, which makes even the hardest of us "user only" people think twice about carrying a knife.

The word "worth" has a different meaning to a user vs. a collector.
 
You can get a dandy Case from the 70's or even earlier in mint condition too. I love my Case 3347 (3-7/8" yello 3 blade stckman) as they have great carbon, and they age with use beautifully and you can get nos versions for under $40 on ebay. I also have a mint 10 dot 6375 (1970 vint 4.125" red bone 3 blade stckman) that I bought to carry for $100.
A great find in a whittler is the kissing crane stag-you can glom onto them also @ ebay once in awhile. Many, many variables as to what you can get for your $175-enjoy and buy what you like!
Best-MC

others I like...
Svoboda, Boker, Bulldog, Schrade, Buck, etc.
 
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