Classy Slipjoints (Stockmans, Trappers, etc) Question

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Lock1454

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**New questions are being asked towards the end of the thread**


Was looking at some of these, think they look very attractive and everything (will likely get a couple sooner or later for that reason alone), but whenever I think about whether I'd carry one or not, I always come back to the thought of "Why not just carry a SAK instead?"

So I guess my question is, why carry these slippies instead of a SAK? The only reasons I can personally see is that these knives are classier / fancier and that some people may have a need for a particular blade style for a specific cutting task. Is there something else to them?

Also, What are the good American brands that put out slipjoints pocket knives? I know there's Case... That's about it. Or if I find older Schrades, which is unlikely for me (at this point I just like to deal with dealers and not 2nd markets).

And another question; what do the knife names (stockman, peanut, etc.) refer to exactly? Handle shape? Blade type combination? Length?
 
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Ok, I have both and I ask why carry an SAK. Because it has a screwdriver and tweezers? If I need those I'll use my Leatherman. It's a personal preference, that's all. Some folks see a SAK and think European where as a Stockman seems more domestic. Just my 2 cents...
 
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Two things are fun. Well there are more, but for my point, lets just pretend.

1. Feeling like you have everything you could ever need carried with you at all times.

2. Feeling like this one old slipjoint knife your grandpa got by with for 50 years is all you need with you.
 
babakanoosh45 said:
Ok, I have both and I ask why carry an SAK. Because it has a screwdriver and tweezers? If I need those I'll use my Leatherman. It's a personal preference, that's all. Some folks see a SAK and think European where as a Stockman seems more domestic. Just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...

Yuppers. I carry a Micra on a keyring for tools. And maybe in my back pocket is a one-hand opener.

But in my front pocket is a something domestic and classic like a stockman or trapper.
 
Slippies have soul. :p I tend to like most every type of knife but to me, there is something different about a slipjoint. For some reason I only have 4 - A lil single blade Schrade liner lock Old Timer I bought when I was about 12, A Buck Stockman my Dad gave me, A huge monstrosity of a SAK type that I think my Grandfather brought home from WWII (Maker unknown, blade just says Japan - imagine that), and my Air Force issue Demo Knife.
However I hope to remedy that soon enough.

I'm going to go out a limb here and make a prediction. I think a trend that we will see soon is some kind of melding or merging of slips and the single blade locking blades. I think you'll see much more of the types like the Spyderco UKPK (Modern looking but doesn't lock) AND, I think you'll also see more single blade locking knives that incorporate the more traditional aesthetics of a slippie. For example, it may look like a stockman or saddlehorn but have the blade and all the guts of say, a Millie or ZT or whatever. Perhaps the outward looks will be designed in such a way as to blend the lines to distinguish it as a fresh, modern design but with much more character and depth than G-10 and screws. I'm not necessarily just talking about materials either but rather the "attitude" of the knife. It could still be Tacti-Cool, just in a more "rewarding" way to some, if that makes sense. I know there are customs and also there are some production pieces that kind of incorporate some of this but not quite reaching what I see in my head. Okay, do I have everyone confused so far? Good, cuz I am too. Sorry for the novel.

Gibby
 
Recently, I've asked myself the same question... and while I am lending preference to SAKs right now... it's only because I haven't bought a decent slip yet.

I love SAKs, but I must admit, a good slip is irreplaceable.
 
Me it's kinda like the other guys are saying above, like today I was carrying my new Case CV red bone mini muskrat and it's just a really nice classy knife, and I was also carrying my new Case harvest orange muskrat and they are just nice knives to pull out from your pocket and people won't go running for the hills. I guess what I should say is that most slippies are classier and SAK's are more utilitarian and have a plain red or some other plastic handle but I have a small Vic SAK on my key ring so I carry both.
 
I normally like the utility of a SAK or multitool, but I admire the aesthetics of traditional slippies. I carry a small traditional at work, where I have to dress up, because it is more elegant.

The compromise between SAK and traditional would be a nice scout pattern.:thumbup:
 
Most have said it, the "traditional" slippies have style. The SAKs are nice, no doubt, but they don't look...um, different. They're "cookie cutter" like. They definitely are useful, but with my slippies, I can fondle them & normally someone says something about it. That never seems to happen with a SAK.

Plus, depending on the steel you have on your slippie, it may be better than what's on the SAK. I have some that have 1095 & D2.
 
Lock1454 said:
Was looking at some of these, think they look very attractive and everything (will likely get a couple sooner or later for that reason alone), but whenever I think about whether I'd carry one or not, I always come back to the thought of "Why not just carry a SAK instead?"

So I guess my question is, why carry these slippies instead of a SAK? The only reasons I can personally see is that these knives are classier / fancier and that some people may have a need for a particular blade style for a specific cutting task. Is there something else to them?
Click to expand...

To be fair, I think you should also ask the same question of locking, single-blade folders. Why opt to carry just a single blade, when in a compact, well engineered package you could just as easily carry two blades, screwdrivers, awl, saw, scissors, bottle opener, etc. etc.?

At any rate, for the past couple years or so, my Spydercos have stayed in the drawer and I've carried just slipjoints (some SAK, some Case or Schrade etc.) exclusively. I have found that for me, the thinner blades of a SAK or well-made traditional slipjoint do a better job of cutting the things I need to cut.

Now, when I first went back to EDCing a traditional slipjoint, I always carried a SAK tucked away in a jacket pocket as well. In time, I realized I never used it, so I scaled down to a Leatherman Micra on the keys. After awhile I scaled down even more to just carrying a slipjoint for cutting stuff and having a Swiss Tech "key tool" on my keys for opening beer bottles and taking care of little repair jobs. I still love my SAKs and carry them from time to time. But I honestly got to the point where I can leave the house with only a slipjoint (usually the Old Timer 33OT or a Case peanut or sodbuster junior) and no longer feel unready to handle what the world will throw at me.
 
What are the good American brands that put out slipjoints like these? I know there's Case... That's about it. Or if I find older Schrades, which is unlikely for me (at this point I just like to deal with dealers and not 2nd markets).
 
The biggest advantage of slipjoints is the ability to carry multiple blade styles with you in a compact arrangement. Think of a slipjoint as a classier version of a SAK where all of the tools are blades. Different cutting tasks are best performed with different blade styles, and a slipjoint can give you an advantage in having not just a blade but the best blade for the task.
 
> "Why not just carry a SAK instead?"

I love my alox soldier and farmer and carry them very often, as much as my high end knives combined in fact. But answering your question, just admire this eminently affordable classy slipjoint Magnum Treasure (Magnum is Boker's made-in-Taiwan budget brand), with REAL abalone and mother of pearl inlays, perfect construction and two 440 (440A probably) blades:

01ry035.jpg


I have it and it makes a fun change from carrying a SAK!
 
Lock1454 said:
Was looking at some of these, think they look very attractive and everything (will likely get a couple sooner or later for that reason alone), but whenever I think about whether I'd carry one or not, I always come back to the thought of "Why not just carry a SAK instead?"

So I guess my question is, why carry these slippies instead of a SAK? The only reasons I can personally see is that these knives are classier / fancier and that some people may have a need for a particular blade style for a specific cutting task. Is there something else to them?
Click to expand...

Because SAKs don't develop a beautiful patina on their blades. I love SAKs and use them but carbon steel blades are my preference.
 
They offer class and beauty, good all around usefullness in the traditional way of what our fathers and grandfathers carried and used! To me that's very appealing!
021-1.jpg
 
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Lock1454 said:
So I guess my question is, why carry these slippies instead of a SAK? The only reasons I can personally see is that these knives are classier / fancier and that some people may have a need for a particular blade style for a specific cutting task. Is there something else to them?
Click to expand...
I can think of a few reasons why I carry a slippie some days instead of a SAK or a more "modern" locking folder.

Esthetics - The handles on slippies are often made of interesting or attractive natural materials like stag, mother of pearl, semi-precious stones and different colors of jigged bone. For some users, these materials impart a warmth and beauty to the knife that modern folders with their micarta, G-10, aluminum, etc. lack.

Nostalgia - Some people like slippies because they are old fashioned. They remind them or parents or grandparents that might have carried similar knives, or are just reminiscent of a simpler time of their own youths.

Uniqueness - In this day and age of tacticool and high tech folders, some people choose slippies just to carry something different. To stand out from the crowd.

I'm sure people have other reasons, too. With so many choices available these days, in the end, the choice of any knife, slippie, lockback, or fixed, comes down more to personal prefernece than any real practical merits I think. :cool:
 
I buy plenty of SAKs as well as traditional pocketknives. Each has their own strong points.

With SAKs, the main draws are the incredible level of consistency in quality, affordability, and the large variety of models with specialized tools.

The attractions to more traditional-styled pocketknives: aesthetics of natural handle materials, simplicity, and choice of handle ergonomics.
 
So far, I have resisted the siren call of the classic slips, as I know they will take my collecting to a whole new level. However, when I look at the Tidiout and UN-X-LD slips...
 
For quality slipjoints these days, any of the following will do a good job. A lot depends on your personal taste regarding pattern, handle materials, blade steel, etc.

Great Eastern
Case
Queen
Schatt & Morgan
Moore Maker
Eye Brand
Boker

The fanciest ones are the Schatt & Morgan, but they usually use 420 for the blades. Great Eastern makes some really good ones, in a wide variety of handle materials. Queen is good quality, and uses D2 (but the edges sometimes come a bit obtuse and need to be reprofiled). Moore Maker has models made by Queen and Bear & Son (and there are still some older Camillus-made versions out there); I have two made by Queen, and they are really well made. From the reports that I have heard, the current production Case knives are pretty good, too. And the Eye Brand and Boker knives that I have are all well made with good blade grinds.
 
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