Help me pick a knife for dad!

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twhman

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Dec 7, 2006
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My dad is having his 72 birthday in a couple weeks. He is still in great health and is very active. He carries a small two blade sliplock Case knife with bone scales in his pocket that is probably 30 years old. It is starting to show some wear mostly due to poor sharpening. But he almost always carries it when working around the house or helping at my place. I want to get him a new knife to carry everyday.

I carry a Mini-Grip that a love and my wife has a Native which holds a great edge for a long long time. Based on his comments about these two knives they are to large for him - I guess he is just happy with the traditional looking smaller pocket knife.

I was thing of a small (like 3-3.5" closed) traditional looking folder. Maybe a lockback or liner lock over a sliplock. With a good wearing scale material for everyday use; I like wood but not sure it would wear like bone. About $40-50 - if it is too expensive or fancy he will not carry it - it will sit on the dresser because it is "to nice to use". That is just dad. I have a few ideas:

Case Copperlock - Looks traditional locks back and there are a ton of these out there to pick from. Many with bone scales. Made in USA. Not sure what steel would be best CV or SS.

Boker Copperliner - Looks traditional the thumb stud may make it easier to open. I believe these are sliplocks. Bone scales. Still made is Germany. I have handled one of these at a gun show and thought they were nice - but then I went an bought my Mini-Grip. Not sure what steel is actually used by Boker.

Queen Mini-Hunter - Looks great. Very traditional. I believe this is a slipjoint. Made in PA. D2 steel which gets good feedback on this site. But this looks a little big I am thinking for dad.

Queen Tear Drop Jack - Looks great. Interesting handle shape - kind of like my MiniGrip. Made in PA. D2 steel. But I think even bigger than the mini-hunter.

I looked at the Bucks but most of the squires, princes have fancy wood scales which I don't think would hold up as well to everyday use as bone. I am thinking the Case Copperlock maybe my best bet. I would sure like some thoughts on these knives and suggestions for others that I should consider. Thanks for the help.
 
My dad is 78, and I have purchased a few knives for him over the years. Just something to be aware of here - while your dad may like whatever you give him, recognize that he may just keep on carrying his old trusty favorite and stick the new knife in a drawer somewhere. What you carry is very personal, especially if it has been in your pocket for 30 years and has sentimental value. So whatever you get, just keep that in mind. :thumbup:
 
That's what I was thinking. That old knife is prolly one of his best friends. That's not to say that he wouldn't appreciate the new one and admire it, but for changing his EDC - good luck.
 
The Queen #48 whitler might work out.
 

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I'd say a Queen might seem most like his EDC, and would be an upgrade in blade quality, especially the D2. Might want to get him an early Christmas present of a good sharpener as well. If he's had trouble sharpening a Case, D2 might put him off.

Ditto on the personal attachment.That's a tough nut to crack.

I had to bite my tongue when my father in law whipped out the Case I had given him and the tip was broken off. He had lost it in another 6 months.
 
The kiwi and Kopa are way outside the target price range

Queens are good value but can be hit-or-miss on the sharpness out-of-the-box. And if it is a miss the D2 is a pain to sharpen. You might contact the retailer and ask them to check and make sure you get a sharp one. The better shops will do that.

Aside from that, the Buck 300 series are really good users, although they are a bit plain. Cases are a bit fancier. Lots of folks like them, especially the non-stainless versions.
 
Yeah, I kind of think there is a decent possibility he will not carry it. But what the heck he has about everything he will ever need.

Kiwi or Kopa - I am thinking about a Kiwi as an office knife for me. I love that knife but I think it is a little to modern looking for dad. But I suspect I will have one of them in a couple of months.

I like the Queen D2 steel also. I will pay a visit to the queen website to see what exactly is available out there. I fiqure a decent sharpener may make a nice x-mas give. That is one thing he does not have.

I appreciate the input. There are a lot of knives out there. So many knives so little time.
 
I didn't get to be close to my father until late in his life. He then always admired whatever it was in my pockets on a given day while doing mail with him at bedside. Perhaps what made his eyes light up the most was an A.G.Russell mini-lockback. Mine's in micarta, from some years ago but they are still offered with a variety of scale options.

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/pro...ves/a_g_russell_4_drop_point_lockback__2.html

If your dad is used to a multi blade, look around for something similar to what he carries.He may well still want to use that short pointy one for a phillips screwdriver and another for slotted screws. Lots of nice sturdy small stockman patterns out there.

A.G. Russell actually has a large inventory of nice and reasonably priced elder gentlemanly type knives.

Maybe come right out and ask him?

I do know that in the aftermath of my dad going, a couple of his classic type scissor and nail file type knives have become real treasures to me. Both bought on his travels through Germany, these aren't your typical SAK key fob jobs.

Notice what you dad is using a knife for. if it is just the odd piece of cord, letter opening and box opening, a nicely done small lockback migt be just the ticket.

Cheers

GC
 
My dad has a few cheap imports that didn't see much use, and he didn't EDC.. until I got him a 710. He never looked at knives beyond what's available in Cheaper Than Dirt type catalogs, and didn't seem to want to spend more than $30 on a knife, so the 710 was an enlightening experience. Should be a nice all-purpose EDC for him, with a SharpMaker to maintain it.
 
How about an A G Russell Featherlite folder or if you want smaller a Blade-Tech Mouse-Lite? GOOD LUCK! Kevin:)
 
twhman said:
But what the heck he has about everything he will ever need.
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Off topic alert: I can relate. Some of the best gifts by dad receives now are things made by his grandkids. Kid-painted picture frames, kid-decorated boxes, drawings, etc. You get the idea.

I favor the knife idea too, maybe as long as your dad knows his is not obliged to carry it everyday. :thumbup:
 
Ask him to borrow his knife and send it out to someone for a set of new blades in a newer steel and a general cleaning service. I bet he would like that the most.
 
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