favorite pattern?

T

TheGoldenWalrus

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Jul 16, 2011
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what's your favorite traditional knife pattern and why?
so far mine is the Congress pattern as i find it quite comfortable in the hand, and the sheeps foot blade (probably my favorite blade shape for traditionals (also counts wharncliffes)).

Scott
 
If you had asked this a year or more ago I would have responded with trapper or slim line trapper. Now I'd have to say I'm not sure what's my favorite. I now have too many different knives of different patterns to accurately say, therefore I won't! :o. Arrrrrrrrgggggggghhhh! But that's a good Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhh! to have! (What did I just say?)

All kidding aside, I like single blade knives. Trappers, jacks, etc. and generally large sized. I just received a AGR curved regular jack in amber jigged bone and wharnecliffe blade that hasn't made it into the pocket yet. And I also have a GEC #23 in Bocote that I just dropped into my pocket today. Depending on what's in my pocket at the time, favorites change. Do you have that problem?
 
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I really like GEC 85 bullet jacks with the clip blade based on aesthetics on the pattern and the clip for my favorite type of blade. If you add the easy open to it all the better cause I have a bad habit of biting my nails. A very close second would be the new GEC barlows.
 
Medium sized jacks. I would have said something in a pen configuration up until recently, but I think I like having something a little thicker with uncrinked blades. Pens are in a respectable second place, though.
 
I like these threads in traditionals. So many to choose from, I seem to learn a new one.
Stockman for me. It's the pattern I see in my mind when traditionals are mentioned.
 
Barlow for sure. Been carryin one or another for 50 years. Preferably Spear Main Blade Pen Secondary or a Single Spear. GEC 25 pattern currently is my very favorite. It doesn't get much more Traditional than a Boy and a Barlow!
 
Barlow
Teardrop
Texas Jack

Was I supposed to only pick one? :o

Pretty partial to anything from the 3-4 inch range.
 
Any single blade slippy does it for me. Not too picky about blade shape.

As for why, it's because that is basically all I need on a day to day basis. Not really a collector, just a user :)
 
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bwperdue said:
Medium sized jacks. I would have said something in a pen configuration up until recently, but I think I like having something a little thicker with uncrinked blades. Pens are in a respectable second place, though.
Click to expand...

Exactly where I was too. I have a number of old Case pen knives that I used to rotate. I only like the older bone handled pen knives. I still love them but now I like the medium jacks. 3.25 3.5 inch. They have the most utility especially with food.
 
Splitback whittler – 3.5” closed, clip main, coping, pen or small clip for the third blade. Nothing too bulky and tall like my GEC #57… think Queen 48 or Case Splitback Whittler.
 
Something about crisp edges are aesthetically pleasing to me, so something like a Coffin Jack or nicely angled Gunstock always do nicely. Though those patterns don't seem to come up too often in the production companies.
 
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The Opinel. Specifically, the #9.


edc-pairing by Pinnah, on Flickr

That's the what. Here's the why...

There are 3 uses that keep driving me back to this knife. The first is food prep. It's like carrying a folding steak knife. It has enough belly to spread things, is long enough to reach into jars and cut larger vegetables and thin enough to slice like mad.

The second is cutting shavings and feather sticks for starting fires. The handle of the #9 is just big enough that I can really get a hold of it. The smaller #8 is just a tick too small. The blade of the #9 also is long enough to slice through the wood. It's not as nice as a larger fixed blade, but it does great.

The third is yard and shop work. I appreciate the lock and appreciate the fact that it doesn't get fouled up when I drop it in dirt or sand.

I should mention that I totally love the flat profile and convex grind of the blade. I keep trying to like my other knives with hollow grinds but I like the Opinel is just better for my uses. Better for food. Better for wood. At least for me.
 
I'm going to go along with some of the others and say a mid-sized jack, something around 3 1/2" inches give or take a quarter inch, two blades on the same end, some combo of wharncliffe, clip, and pen blades. Currently my two that fit that bill are a Case Sway Back Jack and a Case Small Texas Jack.

Fits just about right in my pocket, has enough blade for what I might need, and enough variety for multiple uses.

I'm rather new to this stuff though so I might change my mind, but somehow I think that'll probably end up being the sweet-spot for normal carry.
 
For me it would be Great easterns 72,73 paterns and case it would be the lanny clip,arkansas hunter or tribal spear i kinda lean toward 3 1/2 and bigger knives
 
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