Help me choose

solphilos

solphilos

Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
1,076
Good afternoon gentlemen, I once again need help choosing between two knives I have my eye on. I see these two knives quite a bit on the porch so I'm interested in opinions.
I'm looking at the Case Tribal Lock and the Swayback Jack. Both barehead designs with beautiful jigged bone and single blades.

The Swayback simply looks elegant, and I quite enjoy knives in this size. Its similar in proportions to my Barlow, which is my favorite carry.

On the other hand I've never owner a lock-back, and the Tribal Lock seems to be a great example of this type. The blade profile also just seems so darn versatile.

What say he friends, what would you choose, or if you own both what do you prefer?
 
Quite a difference in size between the two. I have looked at the swayback quite a few times, but don't actually own one at the moment. The tribal lock caught my eye the last time I was at the local Case dealer, but it's larger than I generally carry. I'd go with the swayback between the two.
 
If it is actually the sway back jack ( 2 blades) I would chose the sway back jack. If it is the sway back gent ( 1 blade) I would pass, it is far to petite. I have not handled a tribal lock so I cannot give my opinion if I would purchase one. They are very attractive knives .
 
akaMatt said:
Quite a difference in size between the two. I have looked at the swayback quite a few times, but don't actually own one at the moment. The tribal lock caught my eye the last time I was at the local Case dealer, but it's larger than I generally carry. I'd go with the swayback between the two.
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The size is my only reservation on the Tribal, being thin it shouldn't be too bad in the pocket, but then again my larger multiblades spend more time in the drawer than the smaller ones.

WhittlinAway said:
I own neither. I've never handled either. So, I'm supremely unqualified to offer an opinion.

But, if it were me, I'd go for the swayback. :D
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Its a good an opinion as any, since my decision is going to be more emotional than rational anyway. :D

LastRodeo said:
I vote Swayback Gent. I love them. I don’t own a Tribal Lock, mostly due to the size. I do like zulu blades though.
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Seems many do, I figured with this many fans there must be something I'm missing out on! Plus they simply look awesome.

Airborne 1 said:
Buy them both, you know you want to !!
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If course I do, but the wallet is a little thin this year so I must choose one unfortunately :p
JaxBaron said:
If it is actually the sway back jack ( 2 blades) I would chose the sway back jack. If it is the sway back gent ( 1 blade) I would pass, it is far to petite. I have not handled a tribal lock so I cannot give my opinion if I would purchase one. They are very attractive knives .
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Thanks for the clarification, I didnt notice the different names. While I prefer single blades I would enjoy the extra heft of the jack, smaller knives can feel quite thin and wispy in single blade construction.
 
Apple's and oranges. I've got a number of Case's Swaybacks, both Jack and gent. I also have a Tribal Lock. For an EDC knife I like the Swayback Jack. It's easy to carry and very versatile. I'm Iikely to put the Tribal lock in my pocket if I'm headed to the woods.
As Jeff said though, the Tribal lock is one of the nicest knives Case has come out with in awhile. It's worth getting one at some point in time.
 
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black mamba said:
My new Tribal Lock is one of the nicest and best built knives I've bought in the past couple years. It sounds like you may already have knives similar to the swayback, but the Tribal might be a revelation to you.
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The pics of yours are one of the reasons I'm looking at this pattern :thumbsup:
I'm a huge sucker for swayback handle but I don't own a lock back yet. Also the extra amount of jigged-bone real estate on the larger knife appeals to me :D
 
I own both, and think that both are splendid knives, but they are certainly very different. Tribal Lock is bigger than average, has a single Zulu spearpoint blade, is a lockback, and mine is stainless; SBJ is smaller than average, has wharncliffe and pen blades, is a slipjoint, and mine is carbon steel.
So which you choose probably depends more on your preferences than on my recommendation. I will say that I'm surprised how much I like the Tribal Lock pattern, given that my "default" preferences favor knives that are under 4", multi-bladed, carbon steel, and not lockbacks. Despite having all these strikes against it, I found that I like it A LOT. Go figure!
Obligatory photos:
tribal.pile.open.jpg

sbj.mark.open.2.jpg

- GT
 
It's not fair of me to post this, but I will anyway. I love this Tribal lock.
RPMZ7GC.jpg
 
+1 to Peregrin Peregrin apples and oranges comments. I like a little larger single blade, so I'd take the Tribal over the Gent. The Tribal rides easily in a pocket IMO because it's so think. Don't own a Gent, but have certainly held and fondled one. If you like a smaller carry I think it would be a great knife. I do have a Swayback Jack. Choosing between that and a Tribal would be much tougher.
 
Peregrin said:
Apple's and oranges. I've got a number of Case's Swaybacks, both Jack and gent. I also have a Tribal Lock. For an EDC knife I like the Swayback Jack. It's easy to carry and very versatile. I'm Iikely to put the Tribal lock in my pocket if I'm headed to the woods.
As Jeff said though, the Tribal lock is one of the nicest knives Case has come out with in awhile. It's worth getting one at some point in time.
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That another reason I'm looking at the Tribal Lock, it seems it could be a good companion to my usual fixed blades, or even an alternative in brief hikes.
It also looks to have some nice fidget-factor to it, which is just as important to the practical benefits.
 
I have two Tribal Locks, two SB Jacks, and three SB Gents (single blade). All are outstanding. I actually like the Gent over the Jack -- it is so slim it carries effortlessly and is useful despite the small size. I bought a used TL in yellow Delrin for cheap and liked it so much I went looking for the whiskey bone CV version. A big knife but delightful to use. The SB Jack is probably the most all-around useful of the bunch for everything from general cutting to cleaning under fingernails. It's a difficult choice!
 
I have neither, but like both. I have handled the tribal lock at a gun show, and loved it. I would pick the tribal lock myself, but you can't go wrong with either.
 
solphilos said:
That another reason I'm looking at the Tribal Lock, it seems it could be a good companion to my usual fixed blades, or even an alternative in brief hikes.
It also looks to have some nice fidget-factor to it, which is just as important to the practical benefits.
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The Tribal Lock fits nicely in a polyester Buck 112 sheath and I think it makes a nice alternative to the 112 or even the 110 if you want something lighter and slimmer but with a similar length.
 
I have the Gent, but don't carry it often. It feels too dainty to me. The Jack would have probably been a better fit for me.
I don't have a Tribal Lock, but I like slipjoints better than backlocks. So, I guess my vote would be for the Jack. :D
 
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