Looking for a Canoe

N

number9

Joined
Mar 5, 2017
Messages
438
I've wanted a canoe pattern knife for a while. It's been hard to pull the trigger, as I usually carry a more modern folder with a pocket clip. Well, I got some new pants, with a dedicated cell phone pocket. That leaves one of the front pockets for a traditional pocket knife. So I've been Canoe shopping.

I'm leaning towards a stag handle (don't have one.) So the obvious place to start is a Case, and that one even has a canoe on the blade. But I wonder if it's really a good value, with collectors driving the prices up. I'm curious about a Rough Rider, and it may be worth a try, for what they cost. But I've been unimpressed with inexpensive knives in the past. Uncle Henry is a possibility, but the stag is plastic, and the knife is Chinese made, too.

Or, I could forego the stag and get the Boker Beer Barrel Canoe. German made, carbon steel. And I do like beer.

Of course, only the Case and the Schrade are available locally.

Thoughts??
 
I'd go for the GEC #16 Little Indian Girl pattern, which is their version of the canoe. I believe they are not in production anymore, but you could probably find one on the exchange or an auction site. The fit and finish would be perfect.
 
The Little Indian Girl Canoe if you find one will likely be expensive. Before doing that I'd suggest anything mentioned above to see if you like the pattern. 5K Qs 5K Qs Gary has a fair number and could probably point you in the right direction.
 
I have Rough Rider knives they're really good quality. I also have a Buck canoe, even though this is a China Buck its good quality as well. 0604180728~3.jpg
Buck canoe, and Rough Rider "work knife" their version of the sodbuster pattern.
 
The Case canoe is an excellent knife. I have been carrying one for a couple of years as my office knife and it has done a great job.
 
I'd give the Rough Rider a try, you can get one for under $15 shipped and they are generally excellent. Give the Ram's Horn Bone a look.
 
I can only confirm the Rough Rider canoes and the Buck 389 Canoe are fine knives that will give you long service.
Both have a transferrable lifetime warranty, too.

If you want carbon steel, Rough Rider has that in a canoe (with pinched bolsters and G10 covers, even) as well.
I consider it a "heavy duty" canoe, since the baldes are right at 1/8 inch thick at the spine, but they still slice very well.
 
The Queen and S&Ms are good choices. AG Russell had one made, by Boker I assume, which is very nice. The stag model is worth stalking on the auction site.
 
I like the canoe pattern, and one of the best IMO was made by Queen. The D2 steel takes and holds a nice edge, and the single spring design makes it fairly slim for a larger knife. My favorite is my Northwoods version, which adds stag and a different shield in place of the normal bone and round shield. The current Case version is ok, but is double spring. If you can find one, I would look at a vintage Case single spring Canoe on the auction site. I know the rough riders are cheap, but they are also heavy and kind of bulky compared to others.
Northwoods

Single spring Case
 
As a bit of a canoe buff, I second the recommendation of Queen-made canoe, whether Queen, Northwoods, S&M, and there may be others, for the single spring design. There are still plenty floating around to be bought, and even available in stag. I also agree that a vintage Case with single spring should be the next alternative, also available in stag. For the Case, you would need to look for something earlier than 1985, when the tooling was changed to make it a 2-springer. Here's one form the late 70s....
View attachment 992073
 
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The Bokers are well-made, but I find them a bit odd shaped when opened. The spring curves around further with the bolsters, such that isn't as nice a transition from backspring to blade at the tang. There ends up being kind of a hump or step down there. And I find the pen blade sort of flimsy.
Stock image which shows this:
View attachment 992083
 
3-1-1 said:
What makes the caone, and especially the Case and Queen versions, so great is how well the tangs are tucked down into/protected by the bolsters when closed. SO smooth in the pocket.
View attachment 992071
Click to expand...
Even my Rough Riders have the tangs tucked down.
Part of the pattern design, I think.

I agree, they do disappear in the pocket. :)
 
Wow. Thanks so much for all the wisdom and experience. More than I expected. The single spring / double spring information was something I hadn't considered. I decided to try a Rough Rider, as an inexpensive experiment, to see if the shape worked for my hand and my pocket. After looking at the choices of scales and bolsters, I've got a Ram's Horn model on its way. Should be here Friday, for less than the cost of a tank of gas in my motorcycle. I'll report back.
 
N number9 , I think you'll be happy with the ram's horn bone canoe from Rough Rider. I have one that I like a lot:
M64TqQQ.jpg


Note that it's really bone jigged to resemble ram's horn. Marbles has a canoe with genuine ram's horn:
UlICCIV.jpg


If you'd like to see more canoes, here's a thread with lots of examples (but many missing pics due to Photobucket's transgressions):
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/order-of-the-canoe.1455315/

Happy Paddling! :thumbsup::D:thumbsup:

- GT
 
I think this one only cost me $45 on that one online auction site that people know about ;) Obviously I haven't used it much but I have dreamed that I saved the world with it :D Honestly though if you are looking for a "user" and not a "collector", GT (5K Qs) would be the guy I would listen too :D:thumbsup:

BOKERSTAG.JPG
 
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