Could use some direction.

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professir

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Feb 23, 2011
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I carried Buck 110, then Spyderco for my 60 years of knife carry. (Read- I am not a knife expert but a user). After open heart surgery, arthritis set in my hands pretty bad so the flippie, thumb opening and liner lock gymnastics are out for me. (I have investments in band-aid companies as proof). I want to go with a finger nail opening medium traditional knife. I would like something worthy of passing down to my grands- adequate steel. One good or two compatible blades. USA made. (or something.....ANYTHING but China. ) So far, I have been looking at Case, Buck, maybe a Boker. What would you suggest I look at?
 
Case 18 (round bolsters) and 32 (square bolsters) pattern Medium Stockman are in the range you mention as is the Buck 303 Cadet. Many can be found with softer opening (probably most of them) which is easy on arthritic hands. All USA made, an 18 pattern with bone handles will be a 6318, same knife with yellow Delrin handles is a 3318. Same applies to the 32 pattern. Buck normally offers black sawcut Delrin, other handle options are limited runs. OH
Ps. This is a Case 6318, one of my all-time favorite carry pocketknives.

Case-6318-HP-SSP-1980.jpg
 
I would highly suggest the GEC 66 pattern. Comes in many different blade configurations and flavors. It’s a great mid sized traditional knife in my opinion. A quick google search will bring them up for you to study.
 
One or two-blade slimline trapper? Small trapper? Depending on what's medium for you.
If it's heirlooms you want, try to find GEC.
Or go to Collector Knives and look at the Italians.
Or Opinel or Mam, for easy and more-or-less cheap.

Case and Buck are both good choices, though some of the Buck slipjoints are made in China. We have a Buck subforum that would be current with that info.
The short blade on a two-blader is often very hard on my thumbnails, especially on a Barlow. Buck is especially good at making the short blade openable.

I'm not up on the pull weight of Bokers. There's a Boker sub-forum here that could help you tell where a given Boker is made.

Victorinox makes some single and double bladers, but the big single bladers are liner-locks.

If you're feeling exotic, have a look at Knives of France, one of our member dealers. Lots of largish one-bladers.

Enjoy your hunt.
 
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Just a thought- for arthritic hands, you might prefer a friction folder. Svord, Opinel, Antonini, or more high-end, a Woods Monkey. Something that doesn’t move on you without deliberate action applied.

Svord and Woods Monkey types can be opened one handed either by hand, or on any surface.
 
Arthritic hands? Get a friction folder.
MAM. (with or without tab lock, chice of spear point (they call it a "clip point" and sheepsfoot blades.)
OPINEL, (Number 6 and larger have the optional to use blade lock. Size 5 and under remain true to the original with no blade lock)
SVORD.
HIGONOKAMI. (Japanese. Brass handle have Blue Paper Number 2 blade
Steel handle have an SK5 blade.)
Blue Paper is the "better" steel.:
SK5 (base steel)
WHITE PAPER (More refined/purer SK5)
Number 2
Number 1
BLUE PAPER (More refined/purer White Paper)
Number 2
Number 1

The SVORD have screw construction, so you can adjust the opening/ closing tension. The extended tang is under your hand when open, preventing accidental closure. SVORD have a Carbon Steel blade.
If you want stainless, MAM currently only uses stainless.
Opinel offers carbon or stainless. Any handle except Beech will have a stainless blade. Beech is available with a carbon or stainless blade.
 
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The Case mini trapper is a good recommendation (I'm partial to the Wharncliffe version), and I would add the muskrat as a two blade option. The Case tribal lock would be a good choice for a larger single blade that is easy to pinch open, and the mini copperlock is a smaller single blade that can also be pinched open. Both of those are mid-lock so they are easy to unlock and close.
OR... How about a Buck 501, 503, or 505, depending on whichever size you prefer? I have a 503 and being a lockback the spring is not stiff at all so it is very easy to open. You can go "stock" or customize any of those.
 
Is back-lock a problem ? If not, maybe go back to the 110 ? You can get some really nice upgrades these days, like in Magnacut, S30V or 20CV .... Can you carry Autos ? Love the 110 Auto ...
 
At 60 years old and the beginning of arthritic/stiff fingers, I have switched to a Buck 303/309 and a Victorinox SAK . Way easier to open for me. I also keep my nails clipped short because of playing guitar. Makes it difficult to snag the nail groove on stiffer sprung pocket knives.
 
Have you seem the Mcusta friction folder? Laminated VG10 blade, laminated hardwood handles. Screwed together construction allows adjustment of the tension, it has the stick tang so it wont close when gripping it. Its very nice looking. I cant post a picture until I re-up my subscription, but if you google it you will find it. Its only about $140
 
If spearpoint blades are acceptable, maybe you'd like the canoe pattern. Typically 3.625" closed, spear/pen blade combo, bolster shape covers the tang corners so the closed knife has a smooth oval profile. You can usually pinch open the main blade between thumb and finger without having to use the nail nick.
Case and Buck make them (although Buck canoes may all be made in China). Here's a recent example from Case:




- GT
 
I will second a Case or Buck slipjoint, but maybe you should go back to the 110?
With hand issues, I think you might be best served with a fixed blade like a buck 105.
 
Depending on how tough of a pull you want there are loads of options. I also wouldn't rule out some of the Italian, Japanese, & German made knives. I like the USA made too but the selection is basically Case, Buck, and GEC as the brands. I have and love my Spyderco Urban which is made in Italy as a bit of a hybrid of Traditional and Modern. I also love some of my other Italian made ones such as Viper EZ Open, Lionsteel Roundhead, Viper Swayback, and Maserin Plow.
 
Ace Rimmer said:
The Case tribal lock would be a good choice for a larger single blade that is easy to pinch open, and the mini copperlock is a smaller single blade that can also be pinched open. Both of those are mid-lock so they are easy to unlock and close.
OR... How about a Buck 501, 503, or 505, depending on whichever size you prefer? I have a 503 and being a lockback the spring is not stiff at all so it is very easy to open. You can go "stock" or customize any of those.
Click to expand...

👆 Ace stole my best ideas! 😃
 
I would suggest a larger knife, like the case 6375 Jumbo Stockman. A jumbo sized knife would be easier to hold onto and manipulate with hand issues. I also would think that a Buck 110 would be a good option, provided that you could work the lock back sufficiently.
 
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Spyderco has some slip joint models as well. Two hand opening using the opening hole are is the easiest to open, IMO. That said, Case makes ( or made?) a few models with modern steels that have thru slots instead of nail nicks. I find those easier to open versus traditional nail nicks. I also second the Lionsteel, Viper, and Fox choices. Very easy springs.
 
One of the USA made Buck 300 series knives would be my suggestion. Good steel, good solid construction. A lot of the knives made these days have very stiff back springs. So far, at least, Buck hasn't followed the pack in this regard. They stay closed, they stay open, and they work as you'd expect.
 
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