How about showing your muskrats?

J

jec88

Joined
Mar 6, 2012
Messages
833
Been carrying a trapper all week. I thought it would be an okay size since I was used to carrying a larger knife, but with a pocket clip. I could get used to it, but I'm finding I really liked the serpentine shape of my mini muskrat. The mini muskrat size feels almost right, just a tad small.
Thinking of picking up a regular sized Case Muskrat that is a little bigger. Leaning toward the chestnut bone cv that is 3 7/8. But might pick up a yellow so I don't lose it. I grew up with single clip blade knives, so for me that is just an extra blade to have. Anyone have any beauties to show?
 
I guess I'll start :) All of these are larger than 3 7/8" and only have 1 clip blade though.


 
The only serpentine muskrat I have is this little Tidioute Mink in grizzly cut bone, at 3-7/16 inches closed.

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This the only one I have, it's a recued 77OT, the tip of one blade was snapped off when I bought it, so I made a rough point and put it to work. It's a nice knife and the blade are very thin, I keep the long one for food prep and delicate tasks, the ugly blade gets used as roughly as needed with no worries.
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Some great looking knives!
Woodrow F. Call, I guess I stumbled on this pattern. I was wanting to get a non-locking traditional slip joint and my wife was at the hardware store picking something up and came across a mini muskrat and bought it for me. Had she not, I probably wouldn't have given the pattern second look. I thought a trapper was what I wanted but the muskrat's serpentine shape fits well in the pocket and after only carrying about a week and a half, found myself missing it. I had grown up with a single clip blade, so I thought 2 clip blades makes sense for me. I can use one blade for most stuff and save one for deer season and fish. I "think" i wish my mini muskrat was a tad bigger. I'm going to handle some over the weekend and see. I'm also going to handle the medium stockman.
 
Here is a fine example of the #81 GEC Muskrat!
I love this knife! And I agree with you Jeff, an "improved" version would be cool, and very useful!
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They did a good job on the bone handles on this knife. This pattern has a lot of potential. I look forward to the stockman and other variations!!
 
I had a kissing crane muskrat my grandfather gave me well over 20 years ago, and I would not be surprised if it was twice that age when he gave it to me. It was well used but well taken care of. I watched him clean fish with it. That was one of the only slipjoints I ever carried. Extremely thin blades (that would get crazy sharp) made the knife a thin profile for pocket carry. Not sure where the knife is exactly. It could be here or at my parents house. Needless to say it is a nice pattern knife.
 
I only have 2-3 Muskrats. This has to be my favorite, an old Remington that I bought in a junk knives bag for $10




This is the 2-spring version. I had a single spring version, but that was a lot more used up. I ended up trading that one, and found this one that same week.
 
I love the old Remington, and Charlie's GEC is great. I didn't know those were out there. Here are a coupla old Schrade Cutcos.

 
The only one I have is this one that Bret Dowell just made for me.

4 1/8" with old Westinghouse ivory micarta and red liners:

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One of the few remaining patterns on my Case knife "someday" list is the Muskrat, probably in the CV Chestnut Bone that you suggested. Problem is that I have other knives of about that same size and shape that fill the role for me pretty well. Case Slimline Trapper with its single slim long clip blade, and a GEC #48 Trapper with a slim clip and a full length spey.

But I have looked at and handled them before, and it's certainly a great useful pattern if you like that blade shape and want to have a backup (or to sharpen half as often, or to reserve one for food and one for other stuff, or you just have a passel of muskrats need skinning.)
 
It's on my list also- someday. My next will be either a russlock or the humpback whittler.
 
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