Do you have a favorite pattern ?

My favorite pattern (meaning the one that's with me every day) pushes the limits of "traditional," as it's less than 60 years old: the Victorinox Soldier and its variants.

On the true traditional side I prefer single blades in general, and the Zulu spear in particular.

But there will always be a spot in my heart for the peanut, which punches way above its weight class (there's a yellow CV in my right pocket as I type this).
 
I don't know if it's my favorite pattern but it is one that I have the most of, the venerable Pen Knife, almost as many variations as the Jack Knife so here's a few of my favorite Pen Knives.

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Ted, I have a Case pen (2 5/8") I bought in the early 70's. It had to have been a new old stock at our local hardware store since it's a Case XX (red bone). Who knows how long it had been in the drawer. I used it and my Dad wore it out. They are neat little knives, the new ones are kind of clunky in comparison.
 
My favorite pattern is the Sin-A-Tor. Preferably old and sleek like 60's or older but not as corrupt as the ones in office today.
 
Buzzbait said:
I'm a scout pattern fan in a major way. Over half of my collection is probably scouts. My first knife was a scout pattern. I was once a Boy Scout. Everything about these knives intrigues me, and resonates in my history.
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Oh, thats a great pattern!"

=Kevin
 
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Kevin, new Barlows are tough right now, I love the Great Eastern TC's but they are hard to get, Case no longer makes a Barlow, Queen is making some and they can be quite good, under their name or their Shatt&Morgan line.
I keep my eye out for the high condition old ones, you can find like new Case Barlows from the 60's and 70's for very reasonable prices and the bone is beautiful,both the red bone and the Appaloosa.
So many other companies made Barlows over the past few hundred years that with a little effort looking you can find a nice one that you can drop right in your pocket and put back to use, kind of neat carrying a hundred year old knife still doing its job.IMG_4025.jpg
 
Augie said:
Kevin, new Barlows are tough right now, I love the Great Eastern TC's but they are hard to get, Case no longer makes a Barlow, Queen is making some and they can be quite good, under their name or their Shatt&Morgan line.
I keep my eye out for the high condition old ones, you can find like new Case Barlows from the 60's and 70's for very reasonable prices and the bone is beautiful,both the red bone and the Appaloosa.
So many other companies made Barlows over the past few hundred years that with a little effort looking you can find a nice one that you can drop right in your pocket and put back to use, kind of neat carrying a hundred year old knife still doing its job.View attachment 727229
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personally i like some of the Boker barlow, they have a half-stop wich is always a plus and the fit&finish is amazing i'd almost say that their as good as some of the gec barlows

=Kevin
 
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At times I have had a favorite pattern for a short while. I love equal end jacks, canoes, coke bottles, tear drops, Barlows, dog leg jacks, sleeve boards, scouts, and sodbusters. I love 90% of GEC's patterns and anything made by Case from before 1980. I love all the old patterns shown in the "Old Knives" thread. So, currently I don't have a favorite pattern.
 
Stockman is a really nice pattern, unfortunately i only own 1 stockman knife at the moment which is the "Case XX Navy Blue Jigged Bone Medium Stockman"

=Kevin
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My standard answer to this question has always been the trapper pattern. However, the spey blade doesn't sing to me much any more for any use. A two blade jack knife pattern is probably more accurate as to my preferences. The GEC #48 Improved Trapper sings to me. I just love this knife.

I also generally prefer one large blade and one smaller blade overall even though I seldom use the small blade (contrary to the Improved Trapper mentioned above). But that is precisely why I like having the smaller blade. The Improved Trapper is slim enough to handle two large blades and I like the wharncliffe being there. The second smaller blade is kept SHARP and it is always there for more detailed cutting if necessary or as a backup to the main blade. The second blade adds a bit a thickness closed in the pocket, but I like having it available.

In a smaller size, the two blade #14 Boys Knife is a wonderful little knife.
 
My favorite pattern to collect is the gunstock whittler lobster (AKA Orange Blossom) they are mechanical marvels when you consider the tools the makers had to work with. An expensive knife for it's day and hard to find in great condition today.
Charles
Hickory
lambhickory1.jpg

Remington
lambremington1.jpg

lambremington4.jpg

Robeson
lambrobeson2.jpg

Case
wrcasestaglobster1.jpg

My new custom Dunlap
dunlaplobster1.jpg
 
chuko said:
My favorite pattern to collect is the gunstock whittler lobster (AKA Orange Blossom) they are mechanical marvels when you consider the tools the makers had to work with. An expensive knife for it's day and hard to find in great condition today.
Charles
Hickory
lambhickory1.jpg

Remington
lambremington1.jpg

lambremington4.jpg

Robeson
lambrobeson2.jpg

Case
wrcasestaglobster1.jpg

My new custom Dunlap
dunlaplobster1.jpg
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Hhmm, interesting pattern havn't seen this one yet.
Thanks for posting the photos

=Kevin
 
So far, it's definitely the GEC #48 Improved Trapper. It's grown on me so much, it's pretty much all I grab these days. It just works, and it's gorgeous.
 
I've got a Northwoods Gunstock, single clip with smooth white bone and end caps that finds it's way into my pocket more often than not. At 3-1/2", it checks plenty of boxes.
 
For me it is the stockman. It's sort of something I stumbled into. I bought a Buck 703 Colt in 1989, then in the early 90s I found a Schrade 505SC (also a 1989 model) that someone lost at a trailhead in Idaho. A few years later I inherited my fathers 885UH Senior Rancher that I had given him after he lost the knife that he had carried for decades. (Fitting, since he gave me my first knife when I was four.) My interest in knives was pretty quiet for several years until a few weeks ago when I found this little 807UH "J.R." at a local shop, just had to have it, and took it home for $18. I think that put me "over the edge" and I've since acquired two Case medium stockmans (6318 and 6344).

Oh, I carried a Buck 110 for decades and I've tried those new-fangled pocket-clip things, but nothing does it for me like a traditional, and especially a stockman.


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At one time it was Teardrops, a relatively rare pattern and one that's good in the hand, vital for me.

Then Small Stockman, compact and useful. The Eureka I think is excellent as like the Teardrop it's rare and it looks sleek. My main bias is and always has been towards single-spring two blade Pen formation, slim unobtrusive in the pocket but versatile. Also Laguioles, best in hand knife for cutting any food.

But, would be simpler to say which patterns don't I like? Only a couple but I'll hold my peace about them...;)
 
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