Longest Blade Per Package

black mamba

black mamba

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Oct 21, 2009
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As many of you know, my beloved pattern is the stockman, and even though GEC's #53 Cuban Stockman is more of a cattleman pattern, it is still a favorite of mine. The three different blades and the hand-filling frame make it super useful, and GEC have made many beautiful handle materials available in their Cuban. The muskrat blade is my favorite for all-'round use, and both the #12 Toothpick and the #48 Traditional Trapper have a muskrat main as well.

I thought it would be interesting to compare the three. All three here have elk stag scales and 440C blades.

elktintype.jpg


The #53 Cuban on top is 4-1/8" closed, with the clip measuring 2.710" from tip to plunge.
The #12 Toothpick in the middle is 4" closed, with it's clip also 2.710" from tip to plunge.
(Except for the kick and the nick, these two blades are the same.)
The #48 Trapper on the bottom is 3-7/8" closed, with the clip at 2.835" from tip to plunge, and narrower as well.

The trapper clip main is a full eighth-inch longer than the identical blades in the Cuban and the 'Pick, even though it's frame is an eighth-inch shorter than the #12, and a full quarter-inch shorter than the #53.

Here is a different exposure of the same photo, which nicely shows the reprofiling (more acute) of the #48 clip's edge for improved slicing.

elkflash.jpg


I like all three of these knives, but the Traditional Trapper is really growing on me. Please feel free to post photos and descriptions of any other knives you all have which maximize blade length in their respective frames.
 
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I see it didn't take you long to get back on that GEC stuff. I suspected as much. I don't have any sort of a toothpick now and don't remember ever purchasing one of my own although Dad had some fish knives when I still was living at home. I think I like the proportions of the GEC models the best, and also like the blade shape on the GECs. If I ever buy one, odds are it will be a GEC.

Those all look great. I really am falling for that elk horn.

Ed J
 
Thanks, Ed. I was always a buttery, toasty kind of burnt stag guy, but the whiter elk stag is growing on me too.
 
It's interesting to see how much blade the #48 packs compared to the other two.

All three of those beauts have wonderful covers!

KG
 
black mamba said:
(Except for the kick and the nick, these two blades are the same.)
Click to expand...

What about the click?

(Nice rhyme, up there.)

The trapper clip main is a full eighth-inch longer than the identical blades in the Cuban and the 'Pick, even though it's frame is an eighth-inch shorter than the #12, and a full quarter-inch shorter than the #53.
Click to expand...

Very interesting observation about the Trapper's blade-to-handle ratio.

I like how you caught the light on the edge of the reprofiled blade. :thumbup:

I don't have comparative knives/blades to add just now, but am thinking we should see Blues's new Improved muskrat here soon....

~ P.
 
Jeff,
thank you for the pictures and comparison. Now to rambles...
it doesn't surprise me the least to see that the #53 has the lowest blade/handle ratio, considering it has blades on both ends, which is somehow a limit to the blade/handle issue. On your Cuban Stockman, for example, even if the clip blade has its own spring and space, the pivot on the opposite end somehow limits the length of the blade. Or so I guess.
Also, it seems to me that some handle shapes allow for longer blades to fit in, while others don't. I'd like to hear the opinion of some knifemaker on this topic as well. Ken Erickson's latest muskrat (currently under Elliott's Christmas tree) is a clear example of trying to pack as much blade as physically possible.
Thanks for the thread :-)

Fausto
:cool:
 
This Sears Craftsman 95041 peanut has the longest blade per package of my traditionals (both my Gerber and Kershaw one handers have an even higher percentage of blade to frame length).

The 2.0625" Clip is 72% of the 2.875" frame. Not quite as efficient as your 48 trapper, but close.

Craftsmanpeanuta.jpg
 
I haven't really made any comparisons but two knives that I own that give a lot of blade per frame length that come to mind are my Tidioute #73 especially the spey blade and the main blade on my cattle king size Marbles stockman the Opinels even in unmodified form give a lot of blade especially on my #7 and #8!
005-2.jpg

I really like those three patterns mentioned even though I don't have the #48 and #12!
 
Thanks for all the responses. I had a sneaking suspicion the Opinel would show up here.

One I don't own, but has shown up on Traditionals before is the A.G. Russell Sowbelly Trapper, which is 4-1/4" closed. It's wide, sturdy blades measure 3.20" tip to plunge for the clip main, and 3.27" tip to plunge for the Wharncliffe secondary. The #48 trapper clip is 73% of frame length, while the Russell Sowbelly clip is 75% of frame length, and the Wharncliffe is 77%. Below is a stock photo of the Sowbelly Trapper.

SowbellyTrapper.jpg
 
I immediately thought of the A.G. Russell knives, when seeing the thread title. He has a knack for putting some very big blades (length, and width especially) in otherwise 'small' handles, in knives of his own design. The Cowboy & Rancher sodbuster-style knives are a good example; the 'Cowboy' models are shown below as compared to the large Case Sod Buster (2138 SS, 3138 CV).

AGR 'Cowboy':
4-3/8" = 4.375" handle length
3-7/16" = 3.4375" blade, tip to plunge
3.4375/4.375 = 78.57%

Case Lg. Sod Buster:
4-5/8" = 4.625" handle length
3-1/8" = 3.125" blade, tip to plunge
3.125/4.625 = 67.57%
 
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For a production knife I think my GEC #73 Trapper has the best blade to handle length ratio. I think the blade is just a hair over 3" (about 3.05) and the handle is 3.75", which gives it a ratio of about 81%

I just measured this John Lloyd barlow I have been carrying for the past few weeks and it comes in at 3.4" blade on a 4.125" handle so that gives it a ratio of 82.4%

NOTE: Those measurements are from tip to scales

NhQ76.jpg
 
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