Iconic: Traditonal Knife Pattern, Year, & Maker/Brand Opinion Info

KBA

KBA

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Apr 27, 2014
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I love my knives, but I only have a one that I would consider the "iconic" pattern or knife of a culture, a Tommi Puukko. So I started digging to educate myself on "iconic" patterns and knives.

As I was digging in the threads I ran across a couple that brought up iconic “ground breaking” traditional knives. You can see those threads here. 1 2

In those threads the OPs were focused on the pattern and not so much the maker or a time period. I, still being green to the hobby, thought it would be interesting to see who you all who have been at this longer than I associate as the “iconic” maker of a pattern at what year or era along with other details (covers etc)

For example, and forgive the obvious lack of depth to my cutlery knowledge, I associate the Russell Barlow with those worn brown saw cut bone handles as the iconic barlow (time stamp I am unsure on), the Case Yellow Delrin peanut for that pattern, and the Winchester Black Box jigged bone Sowebelly for that certain pattern. (I’m still a little hurt I lost that one on the bay yesterday.)

I did a search on this to see if it has been brought up but did not find anything. Sorry if my google-fu skills are weak. Please post a link for my education if it has been done.

Also, forgive the lack of pictures to this OP, but I do not own what I would consider an iconic knife of a certain pattern by a certain maker. That's one of the reasons for this thread I suppose.

So in your opinion who is the iconic maker of what pattern? If there is a certain year, time period, or other details I would love to be specific.

Also, let’s go worldwide on this and include traditional patterns of all cultures if possible. Take the Tommi Puukko for example.
 
Between the Tommi puukko (THE puukko) and a Russell barlow (any handle), you have all you need.
Rich
 
Rich S said:
Between the Tommi puukko (THE puukko) and a Russell barlow (any handle), you have all you need.
Rich
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Would still need a stockman, canoe, sunfish, trapper, moose, and a scout knife to have iconics. Some would add the coke bottle to the list ... and maybe the venerable Buck 110.
 
Thanks for the post gentlemen. This is less about need, want, or even about what pattern to add. Looking for more specifics and opinions on the specifics of a pattern that would make it the more iconic.

Take for example the stockman that was suggested. Would that stockman be the Old Timer of the Schrade Walden era or a red bone Case of the 60s?

Not looking to buy. Just curious on the opinions of others and the information. I ran across the old bone Old Timer 80t the other day and it just had me thinking and comparing it to other makers of the pattern.

This is all subjective I suppose
 
Schrade splitback serpentine whittler (like GEC's #38)? What say the Sage Collectors?
 
You can't leave out Opinel and Mora (I'll say No.8 and No. 1 respectively). Not just iconic with respect to their cultures, but at the top of a subgenre.
 
I must say the Buck 110 is an icon, not sure about what stockman maker I would consider king.

Connor
 
Marbles introduced the Woodcraft and did it best. Their Ideal eventually defined the fighting knife in WWII by all makers.

wso6bo.jpg
 
ConBon said:
I must say the Buck 110 is an icon, not sure about what stockman maker I would consider king.

Connor
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I second the buck 110 and will add the case sodbuster,and the bullet trapper which I attribute to Remington, the case hobo knife, and the 2 blade folding hunter which I attribute to schrade.
 
Hickory n steel said:
the bullet trapper which I attribute to Remington
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The Remington 1123 is an interesting study. From what I've seen it was first made in the 1920s, as least that's as old as I've seen them. It appears to have been made into the '30s and maybe '40s? Then it was reintroduced by Bowen in the '70s and remade again by Camillus in 1982. This 1982 version is the one that seems to have cemented this pattern into an iconic knife. Subsequent runs trace back to this 1982 version, with anniversary knives being put out counting the years since the 1982 release. For example, the 2012 1123 was dubbed the 30th anniversary edition even though it was made almost 100 years after the originals. Then of course you have the clones such as the GEC 23 and Queen Mountain Man. Most knives that qualify as iconic are going to have tributes made by other manufacturers.

You'll get no argument from me that the 1123 is an iconic knife, the question is which version is the icon? The original knives from the '20s? The Camillus version from 1982? Or is it just a general icon and it doesn't matter which time frame or maker it came from?
 
Cory, you brought up what sparked my interest, "general icon.. or maker?"

Great input folks. Keep them and the thoughts rolling in.

Josh - The Schrade splitback serpentine whittler is one I haven't given much attention. I need to remedy that. Appreciate it my friend.
 
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