Favorite Traditional Materials and Knives

[Jerbhola89]

I think there are many threads on the topics of materials, construction, blades, etc. but I could find any that combined everything - or that is recent. I am curious to know what everyone’s favorites are on their traditional knives: Covers, Blade Style, Construction (Bolsters/Liners/Pins), Pattern, etc. Is there one knife that you have that hits all your tendencies? What’s your fancy?

Note: While 95% of my collection is GEC thus is what I’ve posted, that does not mean this is an only GEC thread; please post anything. I’d love to see those real classics from the 19th or 20th century for those of you that have some older beauties.

My favorite cover material (jigged bone being a close second) is Ebony Wood. I love that is has character when you look close enough, but it also just simple, sleek, and clean. For me, it’s just plain classy.


My favorite main blade style is a spear with a nice swedge - a great all around blade style that can do just about anything; the swedge being my butter spreader every morning on the kids toast as well! My favorite secondary blade would be a small sheepsfoot or coping blade for those draw cuts.



For knife construction, pins don’t really matter to me, but I have to go with steel liners and bolsters over brass or nickel-silver. I like the aesthetics, weight, patina, and rugged nature of the steel.


My favorite pattern has to be the one that started it all for me, and that’s GEC’s 86 - so I’ll say an above average sized Jack Knife. These heavyweights just fill out the hand well and get’er done.


So… the culmination of everything, or rather, most of everything? It’s tough to find a knife that can check every box, but for me the one that gets the closest (so far) for me -and I’m sure most of you see this one coming- is the Cattle Knife. It may not be an 86, but boy is it near perfection.


*While you don’t have to be as obnoxious as I was with the photo’s of everything, I would love to at least see the photo of your ‘perfect’ knife.

 

[GaiusJulius]

I like an equal end single spring pen knife with a clip and pen blade. Brass liners and nickel bolsters is fine. Symmetrical shield of some type, and wooden covers. I also like fancy fluted and pinched bolsters. That’s probably my platonic ideal. Maybe I’d like it in whittler format so I could have a pen AND a coping blade, but in general I find the pen does most everything about as well.

But really I like a lot of knives. A big jackknife with fluted bolster and an endcap is sweet too. Make mine of the 15/77/78/86 style. Or the 48, or 92 style. My preference is usually for two blades in a jack unless the knife is big enough that 1 is better. (86.)

Or a single blade 73 with no end cap in wood or stag. That’s a pretty sweet knife.

 

[black mamba]

Red stag has always been a favorite of mine, and on this #72 in Northfield trim it may be the prettiest knife GEC have made. The threaded bolster and the proportions, long pull and swedge of the clip blade are all nearly perfect. And just look at that gnarly stag!

Another favorite is ram's horn, the bark exterior type. The #53 Cuban's large frame makes a great canvas for this gorgeously matched horn, and with three blades it can "do it all!"

 

[Old Engineer]

This is like asking me which is my favorite Child !!!!
This is my favorite Pattern in my favorite Handle Material . They are both Northfield 73's with one being a Liner Lock and the only 73's that I have . But I do have a few more Stags .

But I would rather have Steel Liners and Steel Pins in it .
But the knife I carry almost every day now is the 2019 Forums knife because of the Blade and it is Pinchable . My EDC has changed a few times over the years .

I have a number of knives that are made of Unobtainiam .
But of all the knives that I have , there is not One knife that checks all of the boxes .

 

[afishhunter]

By quantity and carry time:
(excluding the Buck 110 & Old Timer 6/7 OT lockbacks, which don't get carried much the last couple years.)
My favorite pattern must be the stockman.
Tied for number two is the Barlow and Canoe. (they make a nice couple.)
Third is the Moose pattern.
Fourth is a large sunfish, with three.
I do have an assortment of other patterns in 1's and 2's
The 4 blade Scout/Camp/Utility is another I have several of.
To be honest, I've been toting a couple SAK's (Huntsman and Hercules) daily pretty much exclusively for the class for the last 6 or 7 years. The scissors are just so darn handy.
A 4 blade gets the call when I need the punch/awl. I don't care for the underside punch/awl on the SAK's.

I dont have a "favorite"/"do all" blade. No one blade profile is "ideal" for all tasks. The stockman gives me a choice of three. (tho 1, the 2018 Forum knife, only gives a choice of two, and one of my stockmans is a six blade.)
I do prefer carbon seel, however, the vast majority in my accumulation are equipped with a stainless of some sort. If I had to guess, 440A is the most prevelent.

Covers ... I like most (not fond of Celluloid). Most of my knives have bone, delrin, acrylic, or some other synthetic, including G10 and Micarta.
I "need" to get more with wood.

 

[chevyrulez1]

I agree with your choice of spear main and a sheep foot or coping secondary, that is just a perfect do all combo. It is hard to find this combo, which is why I usually gravitate to a stockman even though I don't usually use the spey blade.
Pattern, I really love the swell end jack, and equal end cigar styles, which for some reason very few people make anymore.
Liners I don't really have a preference on, but when it comes to scales I like bone, but I really love delrin.
I guess dark delrin covers remind me of the old classic Case knives, Camillus and Old Timers. I also find they are pretty durable and feel solid. They just really seem to catch my eye for some reason.

 

[Hengelo_77]

I really like a zulu-spear as an EDC.
I also like a wharncliff trapper but a single blade feels better in hand when using is my experience. A zulu is a good compromise with a bit of belly and a low point

 

[Jerbhola89]

I like an equal end single spring pen knife with a clip and pen blade. Brass liners and nickel bolsters is fine. Symmetrical shield of some type, and wooden covers. I also like fancy fluted and pinched bolsters. That’s probably my platonic ideal. Maybe I’d like it in whittler format so I could have a pen AND a coping blade, but in general I find the pen does most everything about as well.

But really I like a lot of knives. A big jackknife with fluted bolster and an endcap is sweet too. Make mine of the 15/77/78/86 style. Or the 48, or 92 style. My preference is usually for two blades in a jack unless the knife is big enough that 1 is better. (86.)

Or a single blade 73 with no end cap in wood or stag. That’s a pretty sweet knife.

I forgot about the fluted aspect of the bolsters - they do give some pizazz! The 73 is definitely a sought after single blade pattern; I’d love to get my hands on one of them as well. They made an ebony wood single blade 73 in 2013…

Red stag has always been a favorite of mine, and on this #72 in Northfield trim it may be the prettiest knife GEC have made. The threaded bolster and the proportions, long pull and swedge of the clip blade are all nearly perfect. And just look at that gnarly stag!

Another favorite is ram's horn, the bark exterior type. The #53 Cuban's large frame makes a great canvas for this gorgeously matched horn, and with three blades it can "do it all!"

Wowza Jeff! That 72 is an absolute stunner - red covers of any kind get me. The texturing on that 53 horn sure make it unique indeed; a very cool piece as well! Two splendid choices sir.

This is like asking me which is my favorite Child !!!!
This is my favorite Pattern in my favorite Handle Material . They are both Northfield 73's with one being a Liner Lock and the only 73's that I have . But I do have a few more Stags .

But I would rather have Steel Liners and Steel Pins in it .
But the knife I carry almost every day now is the 2019 Forums knife because of the Blade and it is Pinchable . My EDC has changed a few times over the years .

I have a number of knives that are made of Unobtainiam .
But of all the knives that I have , there is not One knife that checks all of the boxes .

How true those words are Harry! Very cool stag on those 73’s and that ‘19 BF knife is sublime in looks and utility - I can see why it’s a daily carry.

By quantity and carry time:
(excluding the Buck 110 & Old Timer 6/7 OT lockbacks, which don't get carried much the last couple years.)
My favorite pattern must be the stockman.
Tied for number two is the Barlow and Canoe. (they make a nice couple.)
Third is the Moose pattern.
Fourth is a large sunfish, with three.
I do have an assortment of other patterns in 1's and 2's
The 4 blade Scout/Camp/Utility is another I have several of.
To be honest, I've been toting a couple SAK's (Huntsman and Hercules) daily pretty much exclusively for the class for the last 6 or 7 years. The scissors are just so darn handy.
A 4 blade gets the call when I need the punch/awl. I don't care for the underside punch/awl on the SAK's.

I dont have a "favorite"/"do all" blade. No one blade profile is "ideal" for all tasks. The stockman gives me a choice of three. (tho 1, the 2018 Forum knife, only gives a choice of two, and one of my stockmans is a six blade.)
I do prefer carbon seel, however, the vast majority in my accumulation are equipped with a stainless of some sort. If I had to guess, 440A is the most prevelent.

Covers ... I like most (not fond of Celluloid). Most of my knives have bone, delrin, acrylic, or some other synthetic, including G10 and Micarta.
I "need" to get more with wood.

Quite the gamut there Steve! One can certainly cover a lot bases with a good stockman. That’s a big part of the Cattle Knife feeling so complete for me - the multiple blades for various tasks.

I’m an SAK fan as well. I keep a deluxe tinker in my bag. I presume you carry that beefy Hercules in a pouch or bag?

I agree with your choice of spear main and a sheep foot or coping secondary, that is just a perfect do all combo. It is hard to find this combo, which is why I usually gravitate to a stockman even though I don't usually use the spey blade.
Pattern, I really love the swell end jack, and equal end cigar styles, which for some reason very few people make anymore.
Liners I don't really have a preference on, but when it comes to scales I like bone, but I really love delrin.
I guess dark delrin covers remind me of the old classic Case knives, Camillus and Old Timers. I also find they are pretty durable and feel solid. They just really seem to catch my eye for some reason.

I agree about the Spey. I love a large single Spey blade knife for slicing, but the small one in a stockman/cattle knife doesn’t help me much - though I do like having a spare blade that will always be sharp.

I think my only derlin covered knife is a case trapper (yellow derlin).

 

[Jerbhola89]

I really like a zulu-spear as an EDC.
I also like a wharncliff trapper but a single blade feels better in hand when using is my experience. A zulu is a good compromise with a bit of belly and a low point

The Zulu spear does seem like a bit of mesh between a spear and a wharncliff. Nice shape for everyday use for sure!

 

[afishhunter]

I presume you carry that beefy Hercules in a pouch or bag?

On a VIC belt hanger (last 7 months(?) or so) or clipped to my NOVA Traveller rollator's basket. (starting again tonight since a Buck 110 went back on my belt.)

 

[JM2]

I like lined bolsters. I like a large/jumbo stockman pattern. I like carbon steel blades. I like amber jigged bone. So... I guess my perfect knife would be a Case 6375 Jumbo Stockman in amber bone with the addition of lined bolsters. I don't have one, but I have it's stainless cousin.

This is a 6.5375 that I dyed black.

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

When I started this knife collecting caper I didn’t care all that much for dark woods. Wouldn’t you know it they’re now my favourite!

As for blades I can’t ever decide between lamb/sheep/wharns and clips so I make sure I always have both.