Cut the crap with Trappers?

D

Dr. Pepper

Joined
Sep 26, 2006
Messages
167
I am trying to clear my head and cut the crap. I have become obsessed with buying knives,ruining the value by sharpening/using them for two weeks and then buying something else.

I want a folding knife heavier than my (case 31048) EDC to do everything between my EDC and my Rat-7. Will be used for light camping/hiking/hunting etc. I do use a Buck 105 that I use to process "hung" deer.

Please do not say 110. That is far too heavy.


My question is..

Do Trapper pocketknives really work well in the outdoor world compared to today's modern products or did they just get that reputation because of the other products available in the time they were introduced?

Are they truly good at skinning deer and whittling traps and food prep?

Would you rather have the case CV trapper or the case 4 inch CV stockman for this?

Bokers are too soft.
Queens are too hard ( although I might like a toothpick)

I hate modern knives like the mini-griptillian becasue of the handle shape/guard right where i like to choke up.

Do I even need to have such a knife? By getting a trapper I am not effectively getting more blade than my EDC, just an extra blade in a handle that feels stronger.

Sodbsuter (CV) is discountinued.

Frustrated.
 
Me personally, I would take a Stockman over a Trapper for EDC, BUT I don't hunt anymore, if I did then a Trapper would be just fine.

The Trapper, IMHO, is much like a Muskrat pattern. Intended for a somewhat more narrow field of use (i.e. dressing and preparing game), than say a Stockman, but inside that field of use, is the true "master of it's domain." (Seinfeld fans are laughing) :D

My late father comes to mind on this one, pretty much every minute of his day he had a Case 6347 in his pocket, BUT when he returned from hunting, or headed out into the barn to dress out a hog or sheep, he took a Queen Trapper.
 
The trappers I have experience with (Queen, Case) have thinner blades, like you might use on smaller game. I'm not sure I'd want to tackle dressing a deer with one, though I do prefer fixed blades for that chore anyway. Less "works" to hold gunge that must be flushed out, etc. Maybe a light duty fixed blade, like a Bird and Trout?

If you really want a folder, and don't mind a single blade, check out a Mountain Man or something similar. Still a big beefy blade, but lighter than a 110.

-- Sam
 
Yeah, I did laugh at that comment with respect to Seinfeld. TV show aside though, I favor the trapper patterns for many a job including hunting. The Stockman is a better EDC knife by a wide margin in my book. The Sodbuster was a decent blade. I had two of them with marvelous edges which served me faithfully until I sold them to another hunting buddy.

Much of personal preference comes from what you grew up using. In my case, I was taught to use a small fixed blade (Buck mainly) for hunting use. For many years I never carried a folding blade. It may be a matter of personal taste also, but a good keen edge is always a welcomed thing in the field. As to needing a knife: no, you don't need anything more than you already have. Get a fine edge on your hunting blade and don't look back, spend the extra cash on your knife addiction on a 401K or mutual fund for the impending rainy day which accosts us all at some juncture.
 
Well after carrying a Buck 110 for years and several different stockmen patterns I have settled on the trapper as my main go to knife along with a sak.
It's a good combination for me. I am also fond of the moose pattern.
 
I have several trappers,and my favorite is a plain old case yellow in cv,Small enough for me to carry everywhere large enough to clean a deer,I like trappers!
 
IMHO, the #73 pattern from GEC is a stout knife that still pockets well. I have one in Sambar and one in jigged bone (both the "Un-X-LD" line) that are reasonably well-made, have 1095 steel blades, and easily rank as my "heaviest" sub 4" folders.
 
The trapper is one of my favorite patterns, second only to the barlow.
For outdoor applications, the trapper can't be beat. Plenty of blade to do whatever you might need. For my hunting needs (mostly whitetail deer), it excels. When I'm camping, I never need more out of a pocketknife than the trapper can give me; it's great for whatever camp chores I might need to perform, and I can cook & eat with it no problem since it's got long enough blades.
The reason I prefer a 2-blade barlow for EDC is the smaller secondary blade -- more appropriate to use in front of non-knife folks, and honestly a small blade comes in handy sometimes anyway.
 
I have used mu case cv trapper to clean a deer before. it worked great. another good choise the moore maker 3206 DLB. it is a little bigger than the trapper. though if you don't want a 110, you may not like the 3206 DLB.

Ths year i am going to put the little 3207 cv to the test. It should be up for it.
 
I went through a bunch of Hunting knives until I got a Schrade Heritage Trapper from the 1983 series. The only time I carry it is hunting season but it is a great knife for whitetails. The sheild has long since fallen off and the blades are scratched up but it keeps a razor sharp edge.
 
I prefer having different blade sizes. I have a small Trapper from Case and use it for birds and EDC but now that I have other knives, I really don't care for the sprey blade. Maybe I'll redo it.

I have skinned a deer with a SAK. A large Trapper should work fine but, I prefer fixed blades.
 
If pushed for straight up game prep i'd go with the trapper, for general all around use i'd have to go with the stockman. I've hunted whitetail, turkey,squirrel, rabbit etc and the trapper did pretty darn good with all of it. ahgar
 
i frequently alternate between a case trapper in CV and an opinel #7 for the past few months and for the forseeable future.

i don't hunt or cut much flesh tissue with my trapper, but it is a good knife. the blades both took razor edges quickly, and kept them with a stropping on a loaded belt for a long time. i keep one edge a little thicker, and save the spey (with a very thinned down edge) for very fine whittling or other surgical tasks.

i use mine as an EDC for cutting apples, sharpening pencils, opening boxes and other mundane tasks. i also use it out back for fine pointing stakes or beveling the tips of pegs to enter a hole a little more easily.

now that i think of it, i once did use it to cut up a quite-well-done steak when i was provided with a blunt bar of stainless steel. it cut the meat like it wasn't there...naturally this is different than in a hunting role, but just in case it helped...
 
Dr. Pepper said:
I am trying to clear my head and cut the crap. I have become obsessed with buying knives,ruining the value by sharpening/using them for two weeks and then buying something else.
Click to expand...

You say this as if it were a bad thing ;)

How will you ever know if the knife is right for YOU unless you try it out? I have loved knives that I knew I would hate, and disliked knives that came highly recommended. Such is the nature of individuality. And I don't believe the trapper will do any of the things you want without your help, so only you can determine if it will work well for you.
 
I am a fan of trappers for edc, and field use. I Have used my Case CV trapper on squirrels, trout, horn pout, panfish, and deer. It has preformed well on all of them. It does a nice job for food prep, and cuts wood like a champ. I keep both blades shaving sharp and the only time I really have a preference between the two is when I need a sharp point, then I use the clip. Other than that I use both blades pretty equally. I honestly prefer trappers over stockman especially for hard use because I like how they feel in my hand and probably have a peanut for the finer work any ways. Mini trappers are a sweet package as well! Good luck. Joe
 
A trapper is a very useful pattern. It is actually my favorite.

I have a couple of vintage Schrade Waldens, an old Kabar, anOld Timer, aCase, several others.

They work.
 
I personally would go with the stockman, that is my favorite pattern.

You mention that you don't want one of the modern knives. Check out Spyderco Caly 3 or UKPK. Just the right size, and the choil allows you to choke up. I have a mini-grip, and I don't like how the handle shape limits how you can hold it. I have a UKPK, which is a slipjoint, and it really feels good in my hand.
 
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