Difficultly liking trappers

VCM3 said:
Zip7,
Go on the Bose website,the link is in the sticky thread at the top,pg 48 I think
On the Home page is a phone #,call & get on Reese' list.Time passes,it'll be the best move you make
If you should get involved with custom slips while you are waiting for Reese,there are plenty of makers out there to accomodate you,in the meantime
But it's like the pizza box says,"You tried the rest,now try the best"
If you plan to carry it,IMO,the Reese Bose knife will be a great knife
- Vince
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Thanks a lot Vince. I just read the whole Bose sticky thread. Now I'm ruined.
 
Zip7 said:
Thanks a lot Vince. I just read the whole Bose sticky thread. Now I'm ruined.
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Zip,I felt that way at first,but after I crossed over,everything became much clearer,as far as custom slipjoints are concerned.
-Vince
 
As for the lack of point on a spey being a problem, I was working with a scalpel all day that says otherwise. Sometimes, a sharp edge and a slightly less pointy tip is good.

I had a Wharncliffe copperhead once. Nice feeling knife, if only it had been a clip or spear instead of the wharncliffe.
 
Sword and Shield said:
As for the lack of point on a spey being a problem, I was working with a scalpel all day that says otherwise. Sometimes, a sharp edge and a slightly less pointy tip is good.

I had a Wharncliffe copperhead once. Nice feeling knife, if only it had been a clip or spear instead of the wharncliffe.
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Love those Wharnie Copperheads with the pen secondary blade!!!:thumbup: There is a variety with large clip and large wharncliffe, same set-up as the Wharncliffe Trapper, one on the bay right now..
 
For the wharny/trapper bunch there's that very nice Ruple wasting away at Nordic.

Mike
 
wvstockman said:
And, call me crazy but I hate the look of the wharncliff blade. I'm not trying to start anything here but I just don't like it. I love the sheepsfoot and I know that they're allmost the same but it just looks like something is missing on the wharncliff. Allmost like it's put on upside down or something. Now, if the made one with a more sheepsfoot type blade, I'd like to get one.

Sam
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For some reason, I've always really liked the look of a sheepsfoot blade and never really cared for the look of a wharncliffe. I've never used a wharncliffe extensively, though, so maybe that would change my mind.

I've never had a trapper, either, but the Schatt and Morgan Mountain Man trapper has caught my eye- it looks like one beefy knife, and with better-than-average stainless blade steel to boot.

JR
 
malextwo said:
For the wharny/trapper bunch there's that very nice Ruple wasting away at Nordic.

Mike
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I agree that it's a beautiful Ruple trapper at Nordic. Unfortunately $850 is probably about what I've paid for all the knives I've ever purchased and sold (in total). Custom knives are beautiful and the makers deserve to be compensated well for their incredible skill and time. I can afford it, but I just think it's hard to find $850 of value in a pocket knife. I still feel a little strange about spending $117 for the 2007 Bladeforums knife. I believe our fathers and grandfathers would think we are nuts to pay so much for a single simple tool, but they sure are beautiful!

PS I think the wharncliffe blade is probably the most elegant looking of all slipjoint blade designs. I don't own a trapper because I can't seem to find any affordable wharncliffe versions with natural colored handles. I just can't warm up to the spey blade on most trappers.
 
I favour the Mini Trapper pattern as I find the full size too bulky for pocket use.OK with a sheath though.

Others have talked about the CASE mini trapper with wharncliffe. I have 2of them and the fit&finish is exceptional:thumbup:

But as others have said, the colour is er, garish, lurid:barf: The green apple one is like some poisonous algae in a bog, the red is a bit better but still a shock.Pity, as the jigging is excellent and the wharncliffe blade most useful. Keep looking at my CASE mini trapper in stag and wondering if I have the skill to carry out a scale transplant:D Amber Bone ,Bonestag ,Crandall or Yellow handle be most welcome in this fine pattern. Why must we wait:grumpy:
 
Knives were made for use and the blade so disliked was for skinning an animal which did a good job then and now. Those with no intention of using as such are going to be disappointed.
 
I have a burnt orange (almost looks tan) case wharncliffe mini trapper. Not a bad color and fine scales. As willogy stated in his post "the fit and finish is exceptional". I find myself edcing the mini trapper as my go to knife on a daily basis.
 
augustus88 said:
I agree that it's a beautiful Ruple trapper at Nordic. Unfortunately $850 is probably about what I've paid for all the knives I've ever purchased and sold (in total). Custom knives are beautiful and the makers deserve to be compensated well for their incredible skill and time. I can afford it, but I just think it's hard to find $850 of value in a pocket knife. I still feel a little strange about spending $117 for the 2007 Bladeforums knife. I believe our fathers and grandfathers would think we are nuts to pay so much for a single simple tool, but they sure are beautiful!

PS I think the wharncliffe blade is probably the most elegant looking of all slipjoint blade designs. I don't own a trapper because I can't seem to find any affordable wharncliffe versions with natural colored handles. I just can't warm up to the spey blade on most trappers.
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I have to agree with you on both counts. Though I know it's blasphemy to some (on either side of the argument, for that matter) but I couldn't imagine actually using a knife I paid that much money for. And it's odd, because I'm into guns, and have a few that cost twice that amount, which I do use. In this particular case, that Ruple is beautiful, but the nail nick on the Wharncliff is on the "wrong" side for me. I prefer the way Case does it.

As to our fathers and grandfathers and prices: I was astounded when I was confronted with some "real world" inflation numbers recently. That $120 in today's money is probably about $30 in 1950 money. Still a lot at the time.

And I love the Wharncliff blade, so much so I talked Eddie White into making his first #XI for me, which can be seen at the bottom of www.shadowknives.com. (It wasn't a hard sell; I get the idea he was about to start production on it anyway... ;))

For those following this, and the "colors" thing: Keep an eye on www.shepherdhillscutlery.com, as they seem to get a lot of SFOs. They're the ones who had the stag handled full size Wharncliff trapper last year. I had one in my hand at a show and didn't buy it; I didn't know it was real stag, not realizing they didn't make one in amber bone. It was half price at the show, too! :(

I broke down and bought the Caribbean Blue one, as it was the least offensive to my senses. I've already got a few "red" knives, though not the "pocket worn" variation. Still looks too red to me. I want subdued tones.

-- Sam
 
I just bought one of the Prime Stag CASE trappers from Sheperd Hills. I absolutly love this knife. The stag is deep and kind of an Amber glow. I actually like the Spey for working with cardboard and many day to day tasks. Steven
 
TinyDee said:
Knives were made for use and the blade so disliked was for skinning an animal which did a good job then and now. Those with no intention of using as such are going to be disappointed.
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TinyDee, that's a real good point and made me think of something Tony told me. He say's that over the years he found less use for the spey blade and more use for a Wharncliffe blade. Way back before he even started making knives, he would take a standard trapper and grind the spine of the spey blade down till it was a Wharncliffe shaped blade. That's how the Wharncliffe Trapper was born.

Realistically, there is nothing stopping anyone else from doing the same thing. Try it on an "el cheapo" first. Get a container of water next to the grinder and have at it. Dull the blade first so you don't cut yourself, don't let the blade get hot(as in blue or yer done) and BE SAFE. ;)
 
oldrifleman said:
I just bought one of the Prime Stag CASE trappers from Sheperd Hills. I absolutly love this knife. The stag is deep and kind of an Amber glow. I actually like the Spey for working with cardboard and many day to day tasks. Steven
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Those are nice. I think that was the same series that had the Wharncliff Trapper.

-- Sam
 
I find that I like both traditional trappers and Bose-style wharncliff models. I have a wharncliff trapper from T.A. Davison that is very nice.

Just received a Boker stag trapper today that I picked up on ebay. For a $30 knife, the fit and finish is excellent. Nice quality stag as well. Got it so I could play around with carbon steel blades and work on my sharpening skills. I've already managed to round off the tip of the clip blade :barf: so now I need to go back and resharpen the whole thing.
 
I ended up trading my only two trappers today as part of a deal to get an old Ruana 10A Smoke Jumper. I can't say I really miss the trappers, they just don't appeal to me.
 
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