Help me pick a traditional!

AntDog

AntDog

Joined
Apr 3, 2001
Messages
27,034
Please?... See, I asked nicely! Hey fellas! I hope this post finds you all well out there.

I am not new to traditional knives. I've carried many a Case and Old Timer. A few other brands too. I guess I lost interest in them for a while, but as you know, everything comes back around...

I've got the itch to buy a traditional folder, but there are so many options that I'm finding it very difficult! I never knew there were so many great traditionalist being made these days! I've spent hours looking at beautiful bone, stag, wood, carbon steel blades - soooo nice! I guess it's good to have choices, but I could use some help...

What I'm looking for is basically a nice traditional folder on the medium to large side. Something I can't go buy at the local Wal Mart... So I guess most Case knives are out.

I've been looking into GEC knives a lot lately and I very much like what I see! The two I have seen so far that I'm the most interested in are the Tidioute Western Outlaw in antique ivory bone, seen here:

http://www.collectorknives.net/gec-2013-tidioute-antique-ivory-bone-outlaw-moose/

and the Farm & Field Bullnose Sodbuster, seen here:

http://www.collectorknives.net/gec-2013-orange-bullnose-sodbuster/

If anyone has any recommendations I would love to hear them. Feel free to recommend knives from the same company, different companies, whatever you'd like!

Thank you gentlemen.
 
How do you plan to use the knife? As an EDC? Or more of an out-in-the-backyard or back-40? Do you have a preference on the number of blades you'd like?

Do you like stainless or carbon steel? You can commonly get production traditionals in stainless or near-stainless steels like D2 (Queen & CSC), 154CM (CSC & Case-Bose), ATS34, 14-4CrMo (CSC), 440C (GEC & CSC) and 420HC and the like, or in carbon steels like 1095 and 01. You ruled out Case which is the only source of CV.

Also, do you wear slacks, casual clothes or jeans? As you know from your Case experience, carrying a traditional in the bottom of your pocket is very different from wearing a clip at the top. Weight and size made a huge difference.
 
RobbW said:
How do you plan to use the knife? As an EDC? Or more of an out-in-the-backyard or back 40?

Do you like stainless or carbon steel? You can commonly get production traditionals in stainless or near-stainless steels like D2, 154CM, ATS34, 14-4CrMo and 420HCand the like, or in carbon steels like 1095 and 01. You ruled out Case which is the only source of CV.

Also, do you wear slacks, casual clothes or jeans? As you know from your Case experience, carrying a traditional in the bottom of your pocket is very different from wearing a clip at the top. Weight and size made a huge difference.
Click to expand...

I plan to carry it and use it every day. I use my knives daily at work (a lot) and on the weekends I am outdoors and use my knives (a lot)!

I never wear slacks. It's boots, jeans and a t-shirt all day every day.

As far as steel types go - I love tool steels, carbon steels. I vastly prefer them to stainless, but stainless is ok in the right applications. For this knife I'm heavily leaning toward carbon steel.
 
avoidspam said:
With so many fine choices you'll always struggle to make a decision (staying on target!). Then you'll want another.... And another... That's why we're all here!:)

Sam
Click to expand...

Ohhhh, now I get it!!!

Yes I am having a hard time "staying on target"!

When I saw the clip was from Star Wars, I thought for sure it had to be some "I knew you would come to the dark side" joke!
 
AntDog said:
Ohhhh, now I get it!!!

Yes I am having a hard time "staying on target"!

When I saw the clip was from Star Wars, I thought for sure it had to be some "I knew you would come to the dark side" joke!
Click to expand...


Ha, ha:) Well, you can't beat a nice patina.....
 
Ok, in jeans you can comfortably carry a larger and heavier knife than business slacks. If you like carbon, you can go GEC or QCCC knives or Schatt & Morgan Heritage series. QCCC is Queen City Cutlery Company, a sub-brand of Queen that makes knives in 1095 rather than Queen's usual D2. Schatt & Morgan is also a sub-brand of Queen that makes knives in 1095. Look around at dealer sites to see what's available from Queen sub-brands. They are smaller runs tied to certain years.

For GEC on the smaller end lots of folks like the 66 and 68 patterns. Just look for the number of blades you want. The 92 is popular and I love mine with a spear main blade and sheepfoot secondary blade. It gives me one curved edge and one straight edge (think clamshell packaging). The 82 Dixie Stockman is also nice. It's a bigger knife at 4-1/4", but I handled one at the Rendezvous and it carries small because of the rounded bolsters and the fact that it has a wharncliffe blade where most Stockman patterns have a sheepfoot that sticks up uncomfortably. Anything in the 3.5" to 4" and up should be easy to carry in jeans, and you'll get lots of good recommendations from the members here.
 
Thanks very much! I'm off to do more research based on your info... I'll check back.
 
I've got a couple of John Lloyd gunstocks , amongst others ,in 52100,listed on my site. Consider a custom hand made
 
Of the two you are looking at I would go with the outlaw. I love my bull nose but for an edc I like that it has two blades. If you're open to suggestions, I would also look at the 81. I love my 81.
 
Out of those two I would go with the sodbuster. I'm not a big fan of blades that open on the opposite end. My suggestion would be to look at the #73 scout trapper. You get the same blades as the outlaw, but they open from the same end. I carry the #23 every day, which is the big brother to the #73, and I couldn't be happier with it. The spey and clip is a good combination, and I'm sure that the outlaw would make a fine knife, it's just not my cup of tea in that configuration.
 
Thanks very much guys! I am looking up all of these suggestions. Keep em coming - it's been very helpful!
 
Well, I have gone through all of this information. I really appreciate all the replies!

Something that seems a little odd to me is that most of these knives sound really small on paper.... I mean, I know traditionals are meant to ride in your pocket all day, but as far as actually using a knife, I'm used to a 4" plus handle. I have pretty big hands, so some of them seem a little smallish. When I decided I really liked that Western Outlaw I had no idea what size it was.

Now, I'm not saying I want it to be a honkin' huge knife, but do you fellas have any suggestions that are a little toward the larger end of the spectrum?

I checked out the GEC #23 and that's in the ballpark. Anything else I should take a look at?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top