First (real) Trad-folder

[bkzk100]

How about a Seahorse Whittler then? Large Wharncliffe, Pen and Coping blades.CASE or Bulldog.

Böker Germany, do a very decent Large stockman 4" with rounded bolsters,carbon, many choices including a smooth bone version since you say you don't fancy jigged or textured handles. Check CASE G-10 Humpback Whittler, very nice handle material that.

As for cheap Chinese knives, Rough Rider, Steel Warrior or particularly Colt are certainly not junk at all,good to experiment with. Buying higher priced knives is usually more satisfying but it certainly is no guarantee that the knife won't have 'issues'.....

how about "valued priced " instead of cheap. i recently tried colt and r.r. offerings and was surprised by q,f&f. they are an affordable option for checking styles i would have otherwise avoided. and all have proved to be formidable edc carries.

 

[black mamba]

Why do most of us jump up and push our favorites? . . . All I can add is if anyone is interested in a Buck knife, I will give an opinion.

300Bucks

I would like your opinion, 300. In my opinion, and I don't even own one yet, so not pushing my favorites, the quintessential Buck slipjoint pattern is the #389 canoe. There is just something about those deeply hollow sabre ground spear and pen blades that I like. Add Bucks famous 420HC heat treat and the ultimate pocketability of the canoe frame and you have a serious EDC.

 

[sappyg]

i was thinking of doing a 200 post give away and i guess i'm close enough.

if dnullify wants to try a slippy here is a great chance. RR trapper never touched a stone and carried only about an hour. as NIB as it gets really. i got it to see if i like trappers and they are not for me but it's close enough to what dnull is looking for.

shoot me an e-mail if you want it. they only thing i ask that that you can't sell it yet you can pass it on to another knifenut should that time come.

 

[Blues]

Well done, Alfalfa. :thumbup:

 

[Dnullify]

The buck 389 doesn't too bad... it's not exactly what i'm after, but the blades are nice, and the price is great ~$24 shipped.

So here are one's i'm looking at for budget purposes that don't necessarily fit my specific likings, but are basically just cheap carefree user knives that can be sharpened over and over and kept hair whittling sharp.

RR mini canoe:

$7+shipping
RR peanut:

$7+shipping
RR copperhead:

$13+shipping
RR half-whittler:

$10- nice long pull
Schrade delrin peanut:

None of them have carbon steel, and are of questionable steel, so that's a negative...

Echk those pics turned out larger than i had anticipated...

 

[Dnullify]

Okay... symmetrical... Equal ended... cigar.

That's what i'm after. I guess i'll have to save up for a GEC/Northwoods pattern,

but is there any cheaper (<$35-40) that makes say... a 2 blade jack, either spear+pen or wharnecliffe+pen. Or perhaps a whittler?

I'd probably get the indian river or this later:

edit: my searching thus far has yielded either >$75 knives, or 60 year old antiques... is this not a popular shape?

 

[TLARbb]

Dnullify, that muskrat (or moose, the names confuse me some on this style knife) up there looks mighty good. I wouldn't say it is unpopular or rare, but it is not as popular as the stockman and trapper and sodbuster patterns. It is a great pattern and you would be well pleased with it I am sure. They also make an equal end Furtaker trapper with both blades on the same end if you'd like that configuration better.

Ed

 

[TLARbb]

I read these recommendation threads with a smile on my face. Why do most of us jump up and push our favorites ? Wonder how much we confuse really new people ? We do promote quality and usefullness. And we do it without any (or very little anyway) critism.....to me its like we are all sitting around the campfire handing someone the knife we carry and telling about it.

It sounds like you guys have him pretty well lined out. All I can add is if anyone is interested in a Buck knife, I will give an opinion.

300Bucks

Well, don't be bashful. What is your opinion? I'd like to hear it. I'm not a newbie by some standards, but I like to hear opinions and see examples anyway.

We "push" our favorites because those are what works for us. Can we confuse a newbie? Yes, but a lot of knowledge is shared and hopefully the newbie (Dnullify in this case) will begin to form an opinion of what might work for him. A lot of it comes down to size of the knife and the size of the fist as well as the expected use for the knife. Ultimately, each person has to make a choice of their own regarding knife styles. Fortunately, most patterrns, can do most jobs. For instance, I wouldn't recommend a peanut to skin a moose. Doesn't mean it can't be done, but I don't think it is the right knife for the job. And a peanut is going to be too drastic of a change to be comfortable.

Again, in this case, Dnullify is looking to move from tacticals to traditionals and most tactical knives are physically larger and heavier than traditionals, so he would probably be more comfortable with a larger pattern and not so much with a peanut or SB jack, so I would think the large muskrat, moose, trapper, copperhead patterns, and large stockman pattern should be considered for the first traditional in this case, but the OP has to choose. So, if money counts, then I don't see why picking up his first choice in a RR or Colt or such is a bad idea, because they won't break the bank.

But, by all means, trot those Buck choices out there because they are good values and fine knives. So, let's see what's available for him in a Buck knife.

300Bucks, don't take this as an attack, I'm just trying to tell you why we do what we do when we respond as we do to the newbies seeking advice. Sometimes it is a bit like drinking from a firehose, but we do have the water.

Ed

 

[tomcrx]

Equal enders are nice. If your range includes ~$50 these can be found ... available in bone and CV too

These are around $30-40. Nice 1095 blades. Not equal ended but nice sturdy gunstock jack

 

[midnight flyer]

I would have to say that if I were completely new to this expensive addiction, I would probably start out with one of the RRiders, a Colt, or something like that to try the patterns out. For less than $10, you can buy a knife to carry around and see how you like the feel in your pocket, test which blades you will actually use, and find out its utility value to you.

I have 3 - 4 nice trappers that I bought in CASE and other brands, but don't carry them. Haven't for years. I found 30 years ago I don't use any blade but the clip point. On the other hand, my CASE copperhead has been used so much the spine of the blade is starting to bend backwards where the large blade hits the spring. That is a lot of use! I keep a good working edge on the large blade, but a much finer, sharper edge on the smaller pen blade.

I love my two Soddie Jr. knives, but miss the smaller blade. I found that after spending a lot of dough on knives that I really like Canoes (large and small), Barlows, two bladed Jacks, Gunstocks, etc. After a few decades, it finally dawned on me that my preference of patterns for a traditional are limited to a pattern with one large blade, and one small.

That being said, I finally found the medium Stockman I have always wanted from Queen, I don't know what I would do without a large stockman, and of course, my Soddies.

You can spend a lot of money looking around and testing patterns out. I would go inexpensive to find my pattern and start saving for a real keeper once I found my way. Go to any store that sells knives, a gun show, or any place else you can handle a knife, and keep track of the ones you like to get started. If you decide you don't like those inexpensive starters, you can always gift them away, carry them when you travel, or let your brother in law use them. They have a place.

Robert

 

[midnight flyer]

It sounds like you guys have him pretty well lined out. All I can add is if anyone is interested in a Buck knife, I will give an opinion.

300Bucks

I just remembered this post... you're kidding right? You are kind of the standard bearer for BUCK, so I think it is your responsibility to let BUCK's fine products be represented here. They are an incredible value.

Robert

 

[buckgen5]

if you haven't bought one yet i might recommend a case brand swayback i believe it has a wharncliffe blade and a pen blade as well. hope i helped you a little.

 

[Dnullify]

Yeah, i still haven't bought anything.

I'm not a big fan of the swayback shape. the blade configurations are cool, but i just don't like the size and shape of the chunky handle.

I really like the equal end style handle, and a spear blade (long pull + swedge would be nice, but not necessary), with a secondary pen (not necessary). All for around $30-35... yeah. that would be nice.

really i'd like anything in an equal end pattern that's cheap, but RR, Frost and others don't seem to have it...

 

[Will Power]

RR do a kind of Swell Centre Whittler, 2 blades, Spear/Pen and around 3.5" as far as I recall.

 

[300Bucks]

Oh, I really do understand the situation. Sometimes my hand gets locked when requestor wants something I can't provide, i.e. equal end models, 1095 blades........I have siipped in a few photos that were worthy of consideration in the past......and will do so in the future as well. No issues on my end, all is 10-4.

In this case if the Buck Canoe was home made I would have run up the 300Bucks flag, maybe I should anyway, am just overly cautious in that over the salt water arena......it does come with a whole bunch of scale options. I sorta like the golden pearl and the steel seems to get decent discussion for what it is. For now I have to limit myself to old collectable 300s, for some reason or the other the dang prices have increased......

Craig H.

 

[Stainz]

Here's a trio of Stockman models - top down - Boker Tree Brand, Puma, and Buck 301.

Note that the German made designs have their secondary knives reversed from the USA made Buck. The Buck is the least expensive with it's Delrin scales - but came the sharpest, albeit twenty years ago. The bone handled Boker Tree Brand is carbon steel, and a close second in sharpness. The most expensive - and most dull, but still a user - is the stag handled Puma.

Anyway you cut it, the Buck 301 is a hard act to follow - mine has a lot of miles on it. I left a DNA sample on it when I looked it over new in a knife store in Gatlinburg, TN - more or less had to buy it! The Boker is the neatest, however.

Stainz

 

[Dnullify]

well, i had chickened out of this decission a couple months ago, and just bought another vic pocket pal. I've been carrying it while on campus, and paired it with one of my larger folders otherwise. I like it's symmetry, and blade configuration. but the f&f wasn't the best, and i had to correct blade play often.

I've lurked here daily, even though i still technically don't have a traditional slipjoint.

anyway, i just today realized that i had lost my pocket pal, and though I'm hoping it might turn up, but i aught to have a backup. it's only $11 so not a big loss, but i'm still miffed. I had it easily hair-whittling sharp with months of compounded daily stropping...

I've been looking at getting a RR or other cheap slipjoint, but i haven't found a single pattern that i really just plain like. Daily lurking, and not one. it's been driving me mad. I've gotten close to buying a case copperhead, or texas jack but they don't quite fit my requirements.

the only knives i've seen that i'd like to own are WAY out of budget. I must say, that for a slipjoint, knowing that it's cheap enough to not hurt when it's lost (which i'm finding now) adds to it's value.

so anyway, i am reviving this thread for suggestions on patterns i might have missed (and i'm not sure about starting a fresh one.). thanks.

 

[Blues]

If you've been lurking and reading here, looking at images and descriptions and nothing has "grabbed" you, perhaps a traditional knife just isn't for you.

And thanks for continuing this quest of yours in the old thread rather than starting over again in a new one.

 

[Dnullify]

well, it's not that nothing has grabbed me. it's just that nothing has caught my fancy and stayed there for very long. i'll think about it, and think about it, and realize that i don't like something about it. the lines of the handle, the lack of a swedge, size, weight, blah.

I keep telling myself to just buy a rough rider, just for the sake of finally choosing something... but there are SO many options that it becomes even more important to find the right one. i'm probably over thinking it.

 

[Nixelplix]

You should spend $40 and get 4 different rough rider patterns. Plenty of deals on the 'bay with free shipping. Carry them all around and see which one you use the most! Look at this guy-- an equal end whittler by colonel coon. A little expensive but pretty close to what you've been looking for.