Knives you want to like

[Hickory n steel]

I've tried the fat spear in two-blade jacks and single blades, and the punch in two-blade jacks and stockman/cattle knives.

Broad spear blades look great ( I've tried and can't like cut swedges though) but I've never tried one yet.
Is there a difference between a punch and an awl ?
I love having an awl on my knife when I can get it, but am not sure I'd want to trade a sheeps foot secondary for it.

 

[afishhunter]

Ya but your experiencing hip troubles from carrying multiple knives lol.

Nah. My hip, knee, and back (among other) problems pre-date age 5 (I have M.H.E., formerly known as Osteocrondromatosis (sp?) a hereditary bone/joint defect.) when I got my first knives (Genuine issue Demo Knife ... I think it was a Camillus, and genuine issue Jet Pilot Survival Knife (Ontario 499?) from my Uncle Bob, just before he shipped out to Germany, after completing his 2nd tour of duty in Vietnam.
HOW/WHY he was issued an Air Force sheath knife, I have no clue. He was Army Infantry - a grunt - not a CIA or Special Forces "advisor"... (He was in from c.1957 to 1963.)

 

[black mamba]

not sure I'd want to trade a sheeps foot secondary for it.

No, the sheepfoot is much more useful to me than a punch or an awl, and I'm not sure what the difference is, either.

 

[Hickory n steel]

HOW/WHY he was issued an Air Force sheath knife, I have no clue. He was Army Infantry - a grunt - not a CIA or Special Forces "advisor"... (He was in from c.1957 to 1963.)

It probably wasn't necessarily issued to him, but as I understand it they made a lot of them so they were just easy to get.
Could be traded for or bought in the PX...etc
I've read many accounts from soldiers who said the PSK was the most common knife they saw outside of bayonets.
I don't really know why they'd be more common than the official " standard " Mil-K-20277 combat knife ( OKC 498 ) but during a way everybody doesn't always get the exact thing they're officially supposed to have if they get one at all.

 

[afishhunter]

during a way everybody doesn't always get the exact thing they're officially supposed to have if they get one at all.

Very true. I know a fairly high percentage of Johnny Reb's were never issued a rifle (they brought what they had from home ... some brought a single or double barrel shotgun.) or a pistol or revolver (brought from home if they had one, be it a single shot pistol, pepper box, revolver, or cut down and sawed off shotgun**) or bought their own, or claimed one or two from them that did not need it anymore after a battle or skirmish), uniforms were not aways available (and could be either gray or "butterscotch" in color when they), shoes and cartridge and cap boxes, holsters, haversacks, and blankets were not always available, either.

**At one reenactment I met a guy portraying one of his ancestors.
His ancestor was very near sighted. Could not see the front sight on a rifle. He used a pair of 10 guage double barrel shotguns. One was cut off behind the pistol grip, the barrels sawed off even with the forearm, making the barrels about 8 or 9 inches. Supposedly he used 8 to 10 .32 and .36 caliber revolver balls or 0000 buckshot when he could get it.
(modern guy's cut off and sawed off shotgun was legal. Muzzleloaders are NOT a "gun" according to the 1968 GCA or any of the following gun control acts, because they use loose powder and ball! I don't know if the modern powder pellets are considered "loose powder".)

 

[Will Power]

Well, if my 'denunciation' of four patterns was off topic, then I regret it. However, it was based on OWNING those patterns and trying to use them but my realities kicked in and I found them wanting on many levels. Got rid of them to new appreciative owners, I remain unabashed

The Sowbelly is an interesting example of a pattern I admire but I dislike the handling of them. If some people abhor the Stockman then I feel the same about the Sowbelly and can't get round the blade cant and awkward feel of the knife when using it, MIGHT be better in single-blade form though ? If people are disappointed by the Stockman (how???) I'd recommend finding a GEC Dixie, the blades are low riders

 

[DaveHS]

My "hard pass always" would be the elephant toe type knives.... they make absolutely no sense to me at all, unless I was spreading peanut butter for a living...

With you on this! In fact most of the big toe type blades are not even long enough to reach the bottom of your average peanut butter jar.

 

[highcoast56]

Is there anyone who dislikes a Swiss Army knife?... I am not sure.

 

[black mamba]

I have to say that I dislike their normal plastic handled knives- way too slippery for my skin. All of mine are either alox or Evo Grip models.
Same for me with Buck's great fixed blades. The black phenolic handles are just too slippery for me, can't use 'em.

 

[brianv]

I wanted to like Opinels.

 

[Just Tom.]

I wanted to like Opinels.

I want to dislike Opinels, but I have to grudgingly admit they are unmatched for comfort and cutting ability. I don’t carry them much, but find myself constantly reaching for them…

 

[Hickory n steel]

I wanted to like Opinels.

If they ever offer the little ones in carbon steel I'll try one, but otherwise they're just not really for me.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

A few that I have and thought I would like but just can't warm up to:

Seahorse Whittler -- I pick it up and think I might carry it, but then I just don't find it useful. The big, thick Wharncliffe blade would probably make a great utility knife, but that's not what I typically need, and I hate to relegate such a beautiful knife to that kind of task.

Copperhead -- I have two, both with Wharncliffe blades. I really like how they look, but they're just too big and bulky for me to enjoy carrying.

Mini Copperlock -- A beautiful knife (I have an early stag example), but there's something about the blade shape that bothers me. It's almost as if there's too much blade for the handle size.

What you might call an "Honorable Mention" goes to:

Copperlock (Wharncliffe version): I really wanted this one and finally tracked it down, and I do like the look of it, and I'm a big fan of Wharncliffe blades. But there's something about the big, single Wharncilffe blade that makes me think this one isn't as practicable as I had hoped. If I want to carry a single blade mid-lock knife of that size I'll more often pick up a Tribal Lock. Strangely enough, I find a single blade Wharncliffe Swayback Gent to be immensely useful!

Overall I would say that larger knives, no matter how nice they are and how much I want to like them, end up not appealing to me that much. For example, I will readily carry one of my Wharncliffe Mini Trappers, but my Wharncliffe Trapper is (as with the copperheads) too big and bulky to carry. But the full size Wharncliffe Trapper is an awesome slicer and I often pick it up for some kitchen work.

(Strange how often "Wharncliffe" is mentioned in this post. I wonder what that means? Some kind of love/hate relationship, perhaps... )

 

[Hickory n steel]

I wanted to like the copper lock too, but it's yet another knife with a cut swedge that I either failed to notice when impulsively buying it or thought I could get past but couldn't.
I like the idea of the copper lock, a thin slim lockback with a relatively thin blade.
I don't really like the looks of the particular clip point blade though.

 

[JM2]

Another knife I had that I really wanted to like was the Case Swayback. I liked the looks of it, and I had an example with great bone and color. I finally decided I didn't care for the wharncliffe blade shape. For a single bladed knife, I want some belly.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Another knife I had that I really wanted to like was the Case Swayback.

They're one of the most beautiful looking knives Case currently makes, especially the chestnut bone and CS.
I really really want to like them , but I handled a RR swayback and curve just feels wrong to me.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Another knife I really really want to like is the Case peanut, but I can't get past the nail nick position on currently 022's nor do I like the severe blade kant and it seems like the peanut has always been that way.
There are a good few options of small peanut sized dogleg jacks from Schrade and Camillus...etc though so I'm not totally loosing out.
The Schrade 12OT Pal is a great little knife.

 

[Oldy]

Alot of people not loving the wharncliffe, personally the 47 is one of my favorite patterns,I must admit I snapped a tip or 2 on a 47 but that's on me using it for heavy work,it's more of a slicing blade that comes in hany on alot of day to day tasks,and slice it does.

 

[knarfeng]

Trappers and Whittlers. I don’t like the two long blades on Trappers and I don’t care for the blade arrangement on Whittlers.

I want to like Whittlers because there are a lot of nice ones out there but aside from looking nice, they just don’t do anything for me.

Try a Wharncliffe Trapper. I have several regular trappers that don't get carried much because I don't care for the spey blade. The Wharncliffe takes that pattern to a new level.
Alternatively, there is such a thing as a "dogleg jack". It has a clip blade and a pen blade in the same shape handle. And that handle shape is about the most hand-friendly handle I've come across.

Is there anyone who dislikes a Swiss Army knife?... I am not sure.

I don't like the new ones with the locking serrated blade, if that counts.

 

[Old Hunter]

Another knife I really really want to like is the Case peanut, but I can't get past the nail nick position on currently 022's nor do I like the severe blade kant and it seems like the peanut has always been that way.
There are a good few options of small peanut sized dogleg jacks from Schrade and Camillus...etc though so I'm not totally loosing out.
The Schrade 12OT Pal is a great little knife.

I've bought a couple of Case Peanuts, nice for a desk knife but too small for a main pocketknife. Funny thing is my wife has seen and announced twice that she was keeping a certain pocketknife she saw on my desk; one a Case Peanut and one a Schrade 108OT - I saw the Peanut tonight on her Christmas wrapping table - glad she likes it! As to the 108OT, I found another to replace it.