best Stockman for a farmer?

J

JkArctic

Joined
Feb 20, 2015
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I have read and read through the YEARS of posts on this forum and have gained more information than I'd every really need about knifes. The one thing that seems to be left out is the blade's thickness. The thickness of a blade seems to just be an after thought to most on this forum, but to someone like myself that works on a farm, it is really a necessity. Although, we all agree that a knife is meant for cutting and that any other use is labeled as "abuse," in my current profession, it is just another day on the job to abuse a knife.

Now that we have a little foundation to base my topic on, let me ask everyone the questions: Is the blade's steel more important or is the blades thickness more important for the strength of a knife. which brand is best for my application in this design?

I am referring to the Stockman design and the blades only. I'm open to more points being added to help me move out of the junk knifes and actually purchasing a quality knife that will last.
 
Custom slip joints are big bickies, so I assume you are only in the market for production made knives. Out of the selection available, none of the steels are outrageously tough, so it is probably best to go with the blade thickness as the major factor.

If you don't get much of a reply here, ask the moderators to move this thread to the Traditional forum. Welcome to Bladeforums.
 
I can't provide a complete answer, but I remember reading that the stiffness of a steel is cubic and the strength is quadratic with the thickness. Due to this non-linear relationship, I believe it is fair to say that thickness could be at least as important as the specific steel used, if not more. (Depending on your goals and use, of course.) In general, as knives getter thinner at the edge the cutting performance will increase, but at some point the strength and stiffness are decreasing so fast that failure can become much more likely and the scope of work is reduced.
 
Plenty of stockmans out there. The 8OT old timer is one of my favorites but may not suit your needs. The blades are fairly thin and cut like a laser. It sounds like you are looking for something more robust. My next favorite is the buck 301. In many ways similar to 8OT. Then there is the case large stockman (6375). Definitely more robust then the aforementioned knives. Maybe you should try to track down a Buck 307 wrangler. It's a beast of a stockman, could certainly take some abuse.
As reflected in my post I like the older knives (because I can afford them) there are many other offerings by companies like GEC, Queen and canal street cutlery.
I would agree that you should ask a moderator to move this to traditional. Those guys are extremely knowledgable AND a friendly bunch.

ETA: more to the point of your question. Type of steel and thickness of steel are certainly two factors to consider. But there is more to it than that... Thickness behind the edge, heat treat, wear resistance....
1095 is really a very tough steel when heat treated to be so. With any steel there is give and take in its properties greatly decided by the heat treat.
 
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Noob move putting this here I guess, hopefully a MOD will relocate if they come across.

The Case Large stockman and the Buck 301 Stockman were the two at the top of my lists, mainly because if I were to break one out of necessity (happens on a farm) then I can just simply order me a new one, instead of tracking down another. Although I LOVE the look of some of the higher end knifes I would like to try and keep under $100.00, so it won't hurt my feelings if I were needing to replace.

BUT, I would like to hear about the blade thickness vs Steel composition a little more. If i can carry a thinner blade without sacrificing strength I would be very interested. Not for prying, but for muscling through tough rope or leather in a hurry, blade failure can not be an option.
 
The Buck 301 generally has the reputation as the toughest stockman. The saber cut 420HC blades with Bos heat treat are extremely tough, and the sawcut delrin covers continue the theme. Very hard to beat for a rugged stockman, they're 3⅞" closed and made in the USA.
 
The Buck 301 has only one fault: the backsprings are a bit mushy and weak. The old ones were strong and nice. It is a strong design, though. The liners and bolsters are one solid piece of steel.

My family used to have a farm, so I know what you mean by abuse. I used a Buck 110 or 112 most of the time, but kept a Buck stockman in my pocket always.

Spyderco makes a Dyad that has two blades, one regular and one serrated.

There are some great STockman designs out there, by Boker, German Eye, Ka-Bar, and etc. But most of them that I have seen are designed more for slicing. The Case Large Stockman would be a good choice, I think.
 
Pulled the trigger and bought the Buck 301. I went to a place in Eastern Tennessee called "Smoke mountain knife works." I took a look at both Case and Buck along with many other knifes, but mainly only stockman style. I kept hearing that Case made pretty knifes and that their workmanship was better... I call BS! The main difference between Buck and Case were first, the price and second, a polished blade. The Buck had three spine springs which kept the middle blade from being cocked at an angle, which has a term but I can't remember. The Buck had noticeable thicker blades and more ergonomic grip/size, the Case was a little too long and thin. The Cons to the Buck were I had to get the poor employee to drag out all of the knifes from the shelf and lay all f the knifes out on the table so I could find the one with the least gap in the wood and brass liner. The knife does not have a center pin in the wood, so if it expands or gets dirt under it, then it leaves a slight gap. The Case did not have this problem, but when I asked them to pull all of the Case stockman knifes out I noticed that almost 90% of the knifes had scrapes on the wood or finish of the blade. This makes me reconsider ordering these knifes of the internet, because both can have some minor blemishes, but for $45.00+ dollars for a little pocket knife I would like it to be as perfect as possible.
 
Apophis said:
I can't provide a complete answer, but I remember reading that the stiffness of a steel is cubic and the strength is quadratic with the thickness. Due to this non-linear relationship, I believe it is fair to say that thickness could be at least as important as the specific steel used, if not more.
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I kinda feel like I just watched and episode of "Big Bang Theory"....lol
 
JkArctic said:
Pulled the trigger and bought the Buck 301. I went to a place in Eastern Tennessee called "Smoke mountain knife works." I took a look at both Case and Buck along with many other knifes, but mainly only stockman style. I kept hearing that Case made pretty knifes and that their workmanship was better... I call BS! The main difference between Buck and Case were first, the price and second, a polished blade. The Buck had three spine springs which kept the middle blade from being cocked at an angle, which has a term but I can't remember. The Buck had noticeable thicker blades and more ergonomic grip/size, the Case was a little too long and thin. The Cons to the Buck were I had to get the poor employee to drag out all of the knifes from the shelf and lay all f the knifes out on the table so I could find the one with the least gap in the wood and brass liner. The knife does not have a center pin in the wood, so if it expands or gets dirt under it, then it leaves a slight gap. The Case did not have this problem, but when I asked them to pull all of the Case stockman knifes out I noticed that almost 90% of the knifes had scrapes on the wood or finish of the blade. This makes me reconsider ordering these knifes of the internet, because both can have some minor blemishes, but for $45.00+ dollars for a little pocket knife I would like it to be as perfect as possible.
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I understand wanting the best knife of the lot, but I thought this knife was to be for "abuse" on the farm...Wont take long to get scrapes on the wood or scrapes on the blade out there......Just giving you a hard time:D. Enjoy that new "user"...
 
Been to that store many times. Prices are a little higher than internet usually, but I am willing to pay to handle and knife at the store and choose. Yes, people have been commenting on a decline in Case quality (mostly fit and finish). I hope you enjoy your Buck 301. I was going to recommend something by Queen/S&M or Great Eastern.
 
Lol, thanks for the hard time. I went through to find the best one since I had the option, it didn't really matter, but I'd like it to be presentable if one of you fine eyed fellows cross my path one day.

I did look at some of those other knifes, but decided to get a cheaper knife in which I could use for work, but am considering getting another to carry when I put on my suit and tie.

I've carried the knife since I bought it and decided I needed to sharpen it to my liking... unfortunately, the buck's steel is so hard that it put more ware on my cheap stone than the knife. Guess it's time to go look for sharpening stone threads.
 
mobenzowner said:
I understand wanting the best knife of the lot, but I thought this knife was to be for "abuse" on the farm...Wont take long to get scrapes on the wood or scrapes on the blade out there......Just giving you a hard time:D. Enjoy that new "user"...
Click to expand...

I was going to point that out, but I thought "meh, why bother? He just wanted a nice one." Believe it or not, if I have the option, I go through and pick the best specimen of almost everything I buy. I do mean everything... Drives my wife nuts!
 
If you are used to stones, get yourself a diamond stone in fine and coarse. You will seldom use the coarse side, but it will be there should you need it. I like DMT stuff, but you can do pretty well for yourself at your local home center. Don't press hard when you sharpen the blade.
 
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