History of the Blade Forum's Traditional Forum's Annual knife, 2006-2019

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Feb 3, 2001
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I was planning on doing this anyway and had started researching for my own history/data base do to stop derailing other related threads about the current and past knives in starting this as a repository for all things related to the BFC forum knives. Please feel free to send me corrections, pictures, stories whatever you have and I'll sort through them all and try to make a cohesive timeline of the Traditional Forum's knives.

Id like to include who was involved for each year, poll results, examples of art work, anything related. We had a few close calls and some underdogs come from behind for an upset with some years. All in all I think it's a relevant and interesting story and it should be told and shared so here goes nothing.

(Mods, if this becomes a good historical timeline for our forum knife consider it for a sticky, if nothing else it'll keep me from posting all the knives everytime one gets mentioned :) ;).

The Traditional Forum's knife has become a tradition, a thought in 2005 and because of the love for knives a bunch of guys had it became a reality the following year when the Canal Street Cutlery 2006 Ring Opener Pen became the first BFC Traditional Forum's knife.

Here's the current crop of Traditional Forum's knives so far 2006-2017

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2006 $78 - (43)........................Ring Openers.....................Canal Street Cutlery
2007 $100- (57)........................Cannitlers...........................Canal Street Cutlery
2008 $89 - (50)........................Stockmen...........................Northwood knives
2009 $82.94 - (113).......................Barlows..............................Queen/Schatt Morgan
2010 $100(?) -(131).......................Moose................................Queen
2011 $92 - (184).......................Easy Openers.....................GEC (Pending confirmation)
2012 $125 - (262).......................Wharncliffe Trappers...........GEC
2013 $129- (173)........................Congress Jacks...................GEC
2014 $76 - (354)........................Stag Jacks..........................GEC, stag donated by John Lloyd
2015 $00 - (000)........................Serpentine Jacks.................CSC
2016 $115- (350)........................Equal End Harness Jack.......GEC
2017 $ ( ).........................TC Barlow.............................GEC
2018 $ (?) (474).............,.,,,,.,,,,Jack Knife............ BUCK
2019 $(96.64)- (399) ........................African Blackwood scales, Barehead Jack Sailors knife. ...........GEC

more to follow, please post any pics you have of the forum knives or your current collection of forum knives any anecdotes links to polls, anything helpful or corrections.

The first forum knife was the only one where we tacked the knives. They were one of the few we had serialized here's an original list of the first knife and who bought them.

BFC Ring Knife registry so far I know, these were serial# so the #s were recorded from the initial sale, there's no guarantee that there still with their original owners. I still have mine, lucky # 13
Y
01 Spark
03 Randy (Nifrand)
04 Rusty1
05 shaldag
06 timjmayer
07 shaldag
10 peter78
11 kapt kopter
12 waynorth
13 T. Erdelyi
14 ea42
15 cockroachfarm
16 sunnyd
17 longbeachguy
18 bushkill
19 Lanza
20 garciajr
24 PhilL
26 cockroachfarm
27 Mick57
28 FreezerGeezer
30 Thomason
31 sheathmaker
32 db
33 kapt kopter
34 ea42
36 cmd
37 jki
38 Gus (aka Bastid)
39 Vampire Gerbil
41 cccxiv
42 El Lobo
43 glennbad
44 waynorth
45 Gus

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


First official Traditional Forum’s knife. Made 2006 after the 2005 Schrade Forum’s knife was made the same group came together and decided to make an annual knife. Something different that hasn’t been made or made available for a long while. Traditional patterns using traditional materials that had been used in the past history of the traditional slip joint knife. No clips or assisted opening devices or aids. Basically reflecting the Traditional Forum’s philosophy of what a traditional knife is.


The first knife was released after a long year of discussions as to what the first knife would be, who would make it and how we would make it available. We had all the great ideas, just none of the logistics worked out. We spent a long hard year learnin’ what little we really knew what went into making a knife, let alone making one that met our requirements. :D With a lot of help from the likes of Gus (Bastid) and folks like Esav and many of the others who have been fixtures since the forum’s been around.


After what seemed like endless discussions (and that’s puttin’ it lightly) we settled on how we were goin’ to decide what to make and who would make it. Figurin’ the democratic way was the best and by votin’ we’d insure the knife bein’ made was the knife the majority wanted. Like that ever works :rolleyes:



So it was determined that Canal Street Cutlery a new and upcoming knife company built on the bones of Schrade would make the first Annual Traditional Forum’s knife.


The pattern was to be a Twist Ring/Opener Pen Knife with a pen and manicure/nail file blade with Burnt Stag scales democratically voted on and ironically made by some of the folks who just recently found themselves without work when Schrade, the company they worked for previously, closed their doors 2 years earlier.


43 people bought that first knife at $78 a piece. That was the only year the list of buyers was made public Who knows how many of the original owners still have the historical first knife? I know I do, lucky #13. (2006 was the first year of the forum knives and also the first year we serialized the the forum knife)


Here are the specs for the first year’s knife:


Manufacturer:...................................................................Canal Street Cutlery

Year:..................................................................................2006

Pattern:.............................................................................Pen Knife/Ring Opener

No. of Blades:...................................................................2

Handle:.............................................................................Burnt Stag

Blade Steel:.......................................................................??????

Bolsters:............................................................................Steel

Lngth Clsd:.......................................................................2.875” (2 7/8”)

Lngth Bld 1:......................................................................1.562” (1 9/16”)

Lngth Bld 2:......................................................................1.25” (1 1/4”)

Some pics of the first years knife.

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_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2008 Traditional Forum's knife history. 2008 was the last serialized forum knife

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View Poll Results: Which pattern from the frontrunners?

Voters 101. This poll is closed

PATTERN........VOTES..........%

Trapper............(39)..............38.61%
Congress..........(20)..............19.80%
Stockman.........(42)..............41.58%

2008 Traditional Forum's Knife final pattern poll Click Here
 
Last edited:
Great idea for a thread...and for a sticky:thumbup:;)

I've only owned two, with the third (2015) on the way.

2014
1st use



A year later




2011

 
According to my email PayPal receipt, the 2013 knife cost $129.99.
 
This is really cool, I always remember looking up the forum knives and coming upon that photo :) One of my favourites with all the artwork and different knives dedicated to our forum.

My 2014 that I just let go, beautiful knife with great walk and talk.
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Beautiful photos...or scans Jake? ;) I especially love the first one with that gnarled and curled piece of wood.

Thank you. The first photo was taken on a piece of driftwood that's hanging on the tool shed. It was a convenient spot for a photo and back in 2011 most of my photos were in the same spot. The others are scans

please post any ...links to polls...

There are a LOT of links for discussions and polls so it will be a lot of work to organize. Here are a few to help you get started.

2013
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...adeForums-Traditional-Knife-Official-KICKOFF!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1039204-2013-BF-Traditional-knife-poll-pattern
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...Traditional-knife-poll-congress-type-and-size
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1042147-2013-BF-Traditional-knife-poll-covers
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1042149-2013-BF-Traditional-knife-poll-steel
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...rums-Traditional-Forum-Knife-Pre-Order-thread

2012
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/928582-2012-Bladeforums-Knife-Pattern-Thread
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/930913-2012-Bladeforums-Knife-Pattern-Poll
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/932547-2012-Bladeforums-Knife-THUNDERDOME!!!!!!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/937750-Last-Poll-Traditional-Scale-2012-Forum-Knife
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...PDATE-7-17-2012-Forum-Knife-Knife-Description
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/961509-2012-Forum-Knife-Fate-of-the-Knife-Poll
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/971701-2012-Traditional-Forum-Knife-Ordering-Thread

2011
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/797587-2011-Traditional-Forum-Knife-Thread
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ime-to-vote-on-the-2011-Traditional-Slipjoint
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/833814-2011-BF-Knife-Time-to-Choose-Final-Pattern
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/843654-***order-your-2011-forum-knife-here!!***

2010
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/715764-2010-Forum-Knife-Queen-final-choice!!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/729633-2010-Forum-Knife-Time-to-choose!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/741105-*-2010-forum-knives!!!*-THANKS-EVERYONE!!!

2009
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-down-to-it-Pattern-vote-for-2009-forum-knife
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/622622-Final-Vote-for-2009-Forum-Knife
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/627914-2009-Forum-Knife-Barlow-won-by-a-nose
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/638583-Sign-up-2009-Stag-Barlow-Forum-Knife

2008
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/511248-2008-knife-narrowed-poll
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/512134-2008-Forum-Knife-Updated-poll
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/511249-2008-forum-knife-steel
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/511250-2008-Forum-knife-Scale-material
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/514736-2008-forum-knife
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/561324-2008-forum-knife-order-thread
 
Thanks Jake, that's why I left some blank pages to help keep the first couple of pages in some kind of order with available links. Keep the pics, and info coming, consider this a dumping ground and I'll filter and organize as I add. If you submit a picture make sure to include your name and I'll credit you with the picture and any other verifiable info you submit.

Thanks again for any help. For now I'm off to a long overdue, week long reunion with my brother so I'll be back next Monday to continue putting this together.
 
Wow a few of these I wish I had been around for. Looking forward to getting this year's and the thread to start next year's also.
 
Terrific resource! Thanks for getting the ball rolling Ted. I hope this gets stickied. :thumbup:
 
OK that 2011 knife is nice. I am biased in that I believe a pocket knife should have one sharp blade and atleast one bottle opener and screwdriver combo. I just can't see myself carrying a knife without the combo blade. I'm hoping when it comes time the 2016 knife will be a stainless Beer Scout, but most folks here prefer 1095 so that probably won't happen. I'll always have my SAK.
 
Subscribed!
Im pretty new around here and the 2015 will be my first forum knife, but I do enjoy the history and effort that was put into this.
 
I have 2.

A 2006 Knife - Number 30 which I bought from Thomason and a 2014

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