Knife rec for my dad, who's going through chemo?

Completely agree with the bird and trout suggestion. I had a "Western" brand B&T when I was a kiddo, and it was a great knife. I learned then that a small sharp knife could out punch many of its larger brothers.

No doubt, if I were to buy one, it would be the TOPS B&T. NOT in keeping with their warrior/combat ideas, this knife looks really useful. I really like the offset ergo handle design so that you get more finger room when cutting on a flat surface (such as food prep) because my hands are a little larger than normal size, and with a touch of "old Arthur" I appreciate anything that is easy to use. Besides, this is a flat out sexy version of the B&T. Meticulously and practically reviewed by the Mistwalker himself on BF:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/tops-btk-bird-trout-knife.783718/

His review is actually what brought the knife to my attention. Fits your budget, too!

Good luck to you and yours. Take care of him and yourself, too, as you will need to be strong and positive when they need you to be. Both my parents and my sister had cancer...

Robert
 
B&T knives are right in my wheelhouse. Have about 20 in my collection currently. Others have made some good recommendations and many of those are already in my collection. Will throw a few more suggestions out to you.
Moki B&T - VERY classy looking B&T available in a couple of different wood scales. Bet this is what you go for once you see one. ;)
LT Wright Coyote if you can still find one as they have been discontinued. I believe The Kershaw Guy still has one and Knives Ship Free may as well. Price will be at the $100 level I believe.
BokerPlus Noblesse - Also discontinued but a nice little knife with Damascus blade
Browning Overtime Green - Very much in line with the kitchen knife look, Has D2 steel.
Browning Escalade B&T - The mirror finish makes it a sharp looking knife.
Hess Knifeworks B&T - lot of knife for the money quality-wise ($100) ala the old Western knife look. But it is 1095 carbon steel so food prep is gonna be seen on the blade pretty quick and it is a very small knife.
Ken Onion B&T - Was a limited edition knife you could probably still find.
Grohmann B&T - Unique eliptical blade that gets raves for functionality, feel and balance.

All of the above should be at or below $100.
If you are willing to pay more, some other options include -

Dave Ferry ( Horsewright.com ) Dave makes both gorgeous small fixed blades and wonderful non-vertical leather sheathes to carry them.
Rick & Rocky Menefee's "16 bore". Beautiful knife. Only negative might be the thinness of the blade at the point. Quite a bit of flex there.
Arno Bernard - Love Arno's knives. His new "Bateleur" will be hard to pass up if you are willing to go $225 - $250. The slightly smaller "Marabou" can be found for under $200.
Spyderco Sprig - Only Spyderco I have any interest in getting. Definitely has leanings towards the kitchen prep knife look but will fit your needs.

In case you might decide that a folder could work for you, these would qualify as folding B&T knives IMO
Boker Plus - Kwaiken
CRKT - Crossbones
Kizer - Feist
Real Steel - G5 Metamorph.
 
Thanks all--really liking the suggestions. Midnight flyer, I looked at that TOPS b&t online and wasn't crazy about the looks initially. But the thread you linked changed my mind. I'd love to see a thinner version one day, but sounds like the thickness wasn't a detriment for you. One of my most-used knives is a Grohmann #1. Very handy tool, my first elliptical blade, and shares a little dna with the nessmuk hump.

Dan of BZ--still poring over your suggestions. Thanks for listing these out. While my collection features some higher end production knives, I've yet to go the custom route. Last night looking around I fell in love with JK Knives Bull Bream. Some of these are out of budget, but I'm not against selling some of my collection to fund something meaningful. That Bateleur is purdy.
 
For those of you who like GEC knives, do you ever find the handles too small? I really like the looks of their bird & trout. Their canoe knife (H23) is a looker too, through on paper seems slightly thicker than I'm thinking...

One neat thing about GEC: My dad's lived in Pennsylvania most of his adult life, and his mother was born on that side of the state. They make an american chestnut handle. One of my earliest memories is my dad bucking up chestnut trees killed by the blight in the 1970s. Beautiful trees, sad to see them go the way of american elms.
 
Edit - I just took away my first suggestion(a Tops Scandi Trekker) in lieu of this - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/childress-hunter-edc-aeb-l-cherry-burl.1604796/

That looks like a perfect match!


Other than that I also like the idea of shopping through the Knifemaker's Market. There's a lot of beautiful pieces for incredible prices over there. It's enough to make me drool, haha. One that comes to mind that could also be around your budget is @duckchildress ,(sorry for tagging you). He makes some really great knives. Just click his name and search through some of his posts, I think you'll like what you see.
 
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Dutch_Henry said:
Hi all,

I'm looking for your recommendations for a knife to gift to my father, who just finished up a long course of radiation and is in the midst of rough cancer treatment.

Here are a few parameters:
  • Leaning toward a thin, slicey fixed blade. Something good for kitchen prep, like cutting up fruit and cheese while you're sitting there feeling like a$s.
  • Classic looks, something to remind him of the outdoors and camping. But this is a food prep knife--no batoning or heavy use, maybe some whittling or cutting cord on occasion.
  • Non-coated blade and a steel that's easy to strop back into shape.
  • Blade around 3" or so. Something that if it's left on his tray in the hospital, nursing staff aren't freaking out.
  • Hoping to keep it below/around 100, and I'm open to the used market and closeouts.
There's a lot out there that offers incredible utility. I'm looking for something that's just a pleasure to hold and to use, to make him smile. What should I consider?
Click to expand...
How about a stainless Izula with the optional G10 scales?https://www.knifeworks.com/esee-stainless-izula-neck-knife-with-clip-plate-special.html
 
jmh33 said:
I say contact Dave at Horsewright Clothing and Tack.. I am sure he can hook you up with a one off fine knife your Dad would appreciate!!

And best wishes to your Dad for a full recovery.. John
Click to expand...
At the very least he'll tell you some great stories.
 
My prayers for your dad. It's a rough road.
Really nice of you to do this...
 
Best wishes to you and your dad. What a great idea for a gift. One thing that makes me uneasy is the tendency of nice things to go walkabout in the hospital setting. My vote would be for an Opinel, which would not cause much distress if it went missing. You could still make a gift of a nice knife, just don’t expose it to possibly light-fingered hospital personnel.
 
  • Blade around 3" or so. Something that if it's left on his tray in the hospital, nursing staff aren't freaking out.
I wish only the best to your family and especially to your father.
And this is a great and noble idea.

Having said that....

Most hospitals these days, in the U.S.A. will not allow him to keep a knife.
It's just too great a legal liability.
We deal with many patients who are sometimes of an altered mental state (like dementia, psychosis, and such...), and many patients who are chemically mentally altered by powerful drugs.
We just can't have a patient with a knife.
Even a 3" bladed knife (which is still long enough to sever a femoral artery or a carotid artery).
 
Opinels aren't a bad idea, esp when you consider loss or theft. I'm getting closer to a decision.

So this is above my initial budget, but one that caught my eye last night was a bark river lil canadian lt in 3v. The originals were way too thick for my taste. But this model is around .093"/2.3mm.

I've seen some threads on them, not a tremendous amount of info. Anyone handle one?

And thanks all. It's a horrible diagnosis. I feel humbled by the way Dad's approaching this. Not bitter, not looking too far into the future, taking pleasure in reading a book or watching a good western. I learned a lot from him over my life, and have a lot to learn about this level of humility and "being there"
 
Best wishes for a good outcome with Chemo. I went through this with my father and Leukemia.

If he will have it with him at the hospital loss is very likely. Not so much left, though it can happen, but loss in the general sense (misplaced, dropped, etc.).

I would suggest an Opinel in Olivewood, Walnut or, some other wood that suits your (and his) fancy. My Olivewood #8 just arrived and was ~$18 delivered. Great knife but, if lost is easy to replace. It is also large enough to hold and big enough to see clearly if your father is trying to use it under the effects of Chemo where he is a bit 'shaky' and possibly under the effects of some lingering sedation.
 
Dutch_Henry said:
Opinels aren't a bad idea, esp when you consider loss or theft. I'm getting closer to a decision.

So this is above my initial budget, but one that caught my eye last night was a bark river lil canadian lt in 3v. The originals were way too thick for my taste. But this model is around .093"/2.3mm.

I've seen some threads on them, not a tremendous amount of info. Anyone handle one?

And thanks all. It's a horrible diagnosis. I feel humbled by the way Dad's approaching this. Not bitter, not looking too far into the future, taking pleasure in reading a book or watching a good western. I learned a lot from him over my life, and have a lot to learn about this level of humility and "being there"
Click to expand...

With the possibility of loss or theft, an Opinel would definitely be a great choice.
 
Some good points being brought up. If you father is going to be in the hospital overnight, then don't get anything expensive. Learning this the hard way, I used to take a quart size freezer bag for his watch, wedding ring, money, ID, and knife for any overnight stays. Without going into a long set of stories, ANYTHING you leave overnight is subject to theft.

Mom never had to stay overnight for her cancer treatments, but spent a lot of time overnight in facilities for all manner of reasons. We took valuables from her each trip, but in one incident, someone took the clothes she had on when she checked in.

You didn't mention how old your father is and what shape he is in now. I think the Opinel could be a good thing if he could operate it. In my Dad's condition, he couldn't have easily operated a the knife as his arthritis was bad enough rotating the ring and grasping the blade would have been too much. Towards the end, he couldn't open his knife by himself, but he carried it anyway. The mind was willing, but the body was not. I thought I was doing a good thing by getting him a lock back knife (liner locks, push buttons, axis locks, and all of that kind were not feasible) but he couldn't easily operate them as he had "good days and bad days" with his hands. So he never carried the two small lock backs.

One thing I did for him that he really liked, I bought a single blade traditional knife knife that was like a large Barlow pattern with a large bolster. I had the bolster engraved at a trophy shop with his initials since they knew how do do curved objects. The idea of an engraved knife that was his, with his initials blew him away. He showed that knife to anyone that would look, and found reasons to use it in front of friends just so he could brag about it.

You could have a knife engraved for him, or if you get an Opi, you could even have the wood handle laser engraved.

Robert
 
I think a case Hunter with a stacked leather handle in the small size might be a good choice. It is along the lines of a bird and trout knife.
I will be praying for a full recovery for your dad
 
Hope your dad makes a full recovery! We just lost my father in law to glyoblastoma. It's some nasty stuff.
I have this little guy available
z1rNZll.jpg

Forged 80crv2 tapered tang and walnut burl handle.
Email me at justin.schmidt23@yahoo.com if your interested man
 
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