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Well I plan on picking up an 82 in maroon micarta so I have to recommend that as well. I much prefer the slender muskrat or California clip blade shape to your run of the mill clip.

If you are on the fence I would recommend trying out a few different styles of stockmans and see what you like best. If you go to that auction site you can find new and unused examples of different sized stockman from Schrade, Case, Buck, Camillus, etc. Most can be had for a $20 bill if you are patient.

Then figure out what you like and dont like before you make that $100 purchase.

Be forewarned though. Not many people here have found that one knife that makes them stop buying and sell the rest. That one GEC can turn into 30 bedore you know it. Luckily most patterns hold their value fairly well you can recoup most of your costs.
 
I really appreciate all the feedback. Keep it coming. Every single post so far has given me something new to think about, and new avenues to research. I am divided between just diving in with a GEC and getting a Case or Buck to figure out what I like and then purchasing a similar knife of a more expensive make. I think that there's a good chance that if I just buy a GEC I'll like it because I have no frame of reference. Maybe I'd like a different model better, but I'd never know and ignorance is bliss. If I buy a couple different versions of a less expensive knife I'd probably end up with a drawer full because I'd have pluses and minuses for each, just like all of you do. On the other hand, I have 3 children and we're a camping/scouting family so having a small pile of knives is probably inevitable as I'll be getting each of them a knife sooner or later. I really appreciate the word of warning about letting them use my Winchester as a starter knife, as I am sure it would be lost in short order.

As far as sharpening systems go, I really appreciate the suggestion of the Lansky. I am going to ask some questions in the Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment forum so that I don't get too far off track here. I posted here mostly because I'm only considering traditional folders and I didn't want to get suggestions of other knives.

pinnah, your post was especially helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to walk me through everything step by step. I appreciate all of the feedback, but yours has stood out and given me a lot to think about. Please, keep the opinions coming. The more info I can gather the better off I am. I really do appreciate it.
 
The problem with kids these days is they don't eat enough dirt :D "You'll eat a pound of dirt before you die" is what my Mother used to say.

Regards

Robin
 
You definitely cannot go wrong with GEC to start with. If you have a few hours to kill search the forums for stockman knife picture threads as there are a lot of great comparison photos on here.
 
welcome aboard Cory! getting a lot of input here which I have also been enjoying. time to add my two bits. as mentioned before it would be good to try out some cheaper knives like rough rider to test out patterns you are interested in. since you have been a single blade guy for so long a pattern like the stockman may feel very different in your hands. not to say to not try it out, the sheepsfoot makes for a great working blade. as much as the spey gets disregarded, they still make for a good knife to have around as a whittling blade or as one to have around to beat up in situations that could dull a knife.

two patterns that may feel more comfortable in your hand are the trapper or muskrat. they bring the versatility of having two long blades at your disposal and can separate between food and work duties. I personally carry a GEC #15 farmboy (I use to carry a case mini trapper but I received the GEC as a gift, how can I refuse?!) and find it to work great as an every day carry. of course I also carry a few utility knives around with me, a SAK or leatherman squirt just to have a few extra tools around. there is also a yellow peanut in my coin pouch I keep around if a friend needs to borrow a knife but I will go back to focusing on the trapper. I have worked several types of jobs, carpentry, landscaping, and as a cook/utilities worker for a catering company and have found the trappers clip to be a very handy knife in cutting open bags of mulch, breaking down boxes while the spey has made an excellent scrapper, rope cutter, and in emergencies a prier for paint cans or screw driver (something I don't like doing or recommend which is why I carry a SAK now). also if you are in the food industry, NEVER use your knife to prep food you will be serving. it is a general sanitation code. you can use it for personal food use but not for the public.

since you are used to having a wood handle, I would go for another wood or smooth handled knife for familiarity purpose. I like jigging cause it gives a little extra grip and there is a ton of variety in jigging patterns. this is where buying inexpensive test knives will come in handy to see what suits you. so long you treat your knife right, any handle material will last a lifetime so it is a matter of preference.

steel type can go anyway. again since you have had a stainless knife for so long you may want to go for one but you can never go wrong with a 1095 or CV. the little extra maintenance is worth the easy sharpening and the patina that will for adds character that lets you know that it is your knife and unlike anyone else's.

for sharpening, it takes a little practice but you come up with your own method that works for you. I usually have a pocket sharpening steel or a ceramic rod on me that does wonders for quick touch ups followed by a stropping on my belt. that's another positive of a 1095 is their ease of sharpening so you can pretty much use anything like the base of a coffee mug to give it a satisfactory edge for the time being. when you want to do a full on sharpening, a stone is great, I usually stick to a medium and fine grit stone with some oil on it and that can make any knife into a razor.

to your kids you don't want to hand down them an expensive or sentimental knife as their first cause they will beat the crap out of if (speaking from personal experience) you will want to teach them proper care and handling so they don't hurt themselves but its up to them how to treat the knife. that's where the test knives you may want to get would come in handy so they have something their dad gave them but it would not be a total loss if they damage it or lose it.

me being me, I would recommend a GEC #15 farmboy in ebony for it would fit most of your requirements while still having familiar aspects that you would like. at 3 and a half inches it is very pocket able yet they have relatively large blades that would be great for any task you put before them. they would also feel more comfortable in your hand compared to a stockman. the 1095 steel would be great for slicing, easy to sharpen, and age along with you. the smooth ebony wood would feel good in the hand, look beautiful, and still have a familiar feel when you hold it. this is if you were to buy one knife right away though. get some rough riders or something that you can test out before you go for the big purchase.

best of luck buddy and glad to have you around!
 
A Case stockman was my only knife for 10+ years. Then my brothers here on BF showed me the error of my ways :D Now I have many!
The stockman is a fine choice. My use breaks down to:

1. long clip for food.
2. sheepsfoot for general use
3. spey is scapel sharp. it's the sharpest blade on the knife.

Choose well or you risk buying both....
 
Lot of answers for you to ruminate over so far, here's some more suggestions on the knife-front.

I tend to opt for single-blades or single-spring 2 blade knives as my preference. I see you want to have a Stockman perhaps and it's an excellent choice (lot of models to choose from GEC,CASE, RR, Buck, Böker, Queen all do very worthwhile versions) but how about a Whittler as an alternative? I find them more compact than a Stockman and usually better in hand as well, plus you get one decent main blade and two thin minors.

Don't rule out staying with single-blade though, as others have said, provided you keep the blade washed before use you should be OK. A Traditional liner-lock or lockback makes a fine choice in my experience. We look forward to hearing more from you.

Thanks, Will
 
When I started this process I was looking for another single-blade. I figured my old Winchester could be the use and abuse knife that would stay in my pocket and the new knife would sit in a drawer for when I was feeling a bit peckish, as the English might say. I had my mind set on a Buck 500. I even went to the store to buy one, but they didn't have any (I didn't know at the time that the 500 is not a very common knife). So, I came home and started looking for a place to order a Buck 500, which naturally led me to some sites which had some interesting looking Case knives. Now I had to research to find out if I should get a Buck or a Case. That's when I fell down this rabbit hole. A month ago I thought that there were 4 kinds of pocket knives: single blade lockbacks, Swiss Army knives, "the ones with like 3 blades", and "the newfangled ones that people carry when they want to look tacticool". No offense to anybody that carries a tactical knife. Understand that this speaks more to my ignorance than any judgements towards anybody else. Anyways, it wasn't until I started looking into it that I began considering multiple blades. I like the clipped blade, mostly for lack of having used anything else, and the sheepsfoot/wharnscliffe seemed very popular with "people in the know", mostly people on this forum, so I started looking at stockmans. Since I started this thread and the suggestions started rolling in I've been looking at more trappers, though I still like the idea of a sheepsfoot or wharnscliffe secondary as it seems like it's especially good for opening stubborn packaging and whittling, which are two of the things I use my knife for quite a bit. I'm not any good at whittling, mind you. It's mostly just sharpening sticks for skewering various foods to hang over a fire.

willgoy, can you recommend a decent sized whittler? The only larger ones I've been able to find are the Montana whittlers, and they seem to have 3 springs which I would think would make them a bit cumbersome to carry.

I have spent a good amount of time today researching different sharpening methods after pinnah's mention of the Lasky. I think I have come to the conclusion that I'm just going to stick with the diamond stones and a strop. I have enough blades around the house that could use sharpening that I should be able to get some good practice at it, and it's a skill I want to learn.
 
All I can add at this point is.....Wow! Great advice from great people. I'm new myself and have found the traditional forum to be a wealth of knowledge with a welcoming demeanor. But be careful, this place has caused me to buy a few knives I wouldn't have and scour the "knife" tables at antique and gun shows. :thumbup:
 
Cory,

I’m not fond of using folders for kitchen duty. Oh, they work well enough. But I worry about the joints breeding E-coli or Salmonella. If a slip joint is what I have, I’ll use it. Then I give everything the best cleaning job I can.

If I have a choice—say in a lunch box, picnic hamper, or car glove box—I’ll keep an inexpensive fixed blade. Say a Mora, or an A.G. Russell™ Bird & Trout. Something with a well sealed and sterile grip.

If you do want a folder that’s good for food use, I’ll back up those suggesting a trapper pattern. That long spay blade seems designed for lunch break.

I can’t recommend a whittler, I’ve never owned one. But the established whittler pattern uses two springs. Each of the small blades is served by its own spring. On the other end, both springs together serve the main blade. Using only two springs makes the whittler more pocket friendly.
 
First off welcome to the forum. It sounds like you know what you're after and
know how to care for a knife. I too carry the same knife for long periods of time
don't suppose thats too common for makers but the knife in my pocket has been
there for 7-ish years exclusivley. I don't worry a lot about squirrels, and deer, with
the same knife I use for food - common sense goes a long way here. So have a party
buy what you like, after all most comments admit they have'nt carried one knife as
long as you have.
Ken.
 
kc, just did some browsing on your Facebook page. Pretty impressive stuff there. At some point I'm going to have to pony up and get a nice custom folder, and that cross cut trapper you made looks mighty fine. If you don't mind my asking, do you have a ball park figure for what you're going to be asking for those? I don't think I'm going to be going after something that nice for my first trip out of the gate, but I'm curious to know what that level of craftsmanship goes for. I'm pretty astonished by the number of custom knifemakers in WI and the UP. I had no idea.

As for knife cleanliness in regards to food prep, I spent around 7 years of my life working in kitchens. If I'm going to get food poisoning it's going to be from one of the horrendous restaurants I choose to frequent, not from my own knife. I'm less worried about my health and more worried about my marriage. If I'm ever going to convince my wife to allow me to kiss her again I need to at least be able to pretend that the food I'm putting in my mouth is coming off of a clean knife. That's hard to do when you only have one blade and just used it to pick buggers out from under your fingernails. :p
 
Cory, I just wanted to chime in and say that the fact that you've consistently carried that little Winchester for 7 years straight is awesome. I envy your loyalty and the fact that you've kept it simple. Probably something all us multi-knife people could learn from. As far as getting a GEC, they're awesome, and I think whichever one you decide to make your own will be a fulfilling investment as you carry it over a long period of time and get to see how dependable and finely crafted they are.
 
Well, you have certainly received some excellent advice here Cory, (great post pinnah!) about a lot of ins and outs of the traditional side of knives. Good stuff!

Although I learned to sharpen freehand on stones, I also own a Lansky system and like it quite a bit. I use mostly to set bevels, then sharpen and touch up freehand. The Lansky can be a bit tricky on some knives, but it works well on most traditional patterns. Even though you need to spend a bit of time to get really proficient with the Lansky, it is well worth it if you aren't adept at freehand, and there are a lot of videos out there on how to use the system properly.

One thing I would toss into the mix. Not every pattern is for everyone, and size and blade shape become a real matter of preference after a while. But when you are looking around and want a knife to carry to see if the pattern is something you like, if the size and shape are comfortable in your hand, $100 - $125 a shot for GEC can be pretty expensive, pretty quick. And the big auction site Eb@y... well...
ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances.

Myself and many, many others have found this line of knives to be quite satisfactory.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/582468-Rough-Rider-amp-Related-Slipjoints

They aren't GECs, for sure. But their prices are quite nice and for the most part, so is their quality. They are right there with that Winchester you have, except they have a ton of designs, patterns, and handle choices. Very affordable, and the reviews are pretty good. I have bought a few and given them as gifts, and the folks just love them. I routinely carry a couple of their cousins (the Boker Plus stockman with punch, and a Remington stockman) and have for years. Their quality is job site proven to me and I have spared them no cutting (and other!) tasks. They have performed now for years with flying colors.

The nice thing about these knives is that you can purchase several patterns for the price of one premium knife and test drive the pattern and really use it hard without worrying about its welfare. Then you can decide if the pattern is one you would enjoy, and if a Rough Rider doesn't fill the bill, then buy one from the manufacturer of your choice knowing that you will like the style and pattern when you spend your hard earned cash. They are inexpensive enough to gift to a friend if you find a pattern doesn't suit your taste and you can move on with no heartburn.

Good luck, and welcome aboard!

Robert
 
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Now that you seem to be leaning in a different direction, remember the GE #48 trapper that was mentioned before? There was a run earlier, called the "improved trapper" that had one thin clip and one wharncliffe blade. I'm pretty sure that run has all sold out by now, but there is good news. One of the forum members here has contracted an SFO (special factory order) of some more of them. Collectorknives.net , owned by "Knifeswapper" here on the forums would be the guy to contact for more information on the subject. I have been carrying one of the first batch he had made since December, and they are a pretty darned good knife for food prep, among other things.

Hopefully you'll find a knife to suit your purposes soon, and when you do, please share what you decided upon with the rest of us. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who is curious about what you'll pick and how well it works out.



Cory Hess said:
When I started this process I was looking for another single-blade. I figured my old Winchester could be the use and abuse knife that would stay in my pocket and the new knife would sit in a drawer for when I was feeling a bit peckish, as the English might say. I had my mind set on a Buck 500. I even went to the store to buy one, but they didn't have any (I didn't know at the time that the 500 is not a very common knife). So, I came home and started looking for a place to order a Buck 500, which naturally led me to some sites which had some interesting looking Case knives. Now I had to research to find out if I should get a Buck or a Case. That's when I fell down this rabbit hole. A month ago I thought that there were 4 kinds of pocket knives: single blade lockbacks, Swiss Army knives, "the ones with like 3 blades", and "the newfangled ones that people carry when they want to look tacticool". No offense to anybody that carries a tactical knife. Understand that this speaks more to my ignorance than any judgements towards anybody else. Anyways, it wasn't until I started looking into it that I began considering multiple blades. I like the clipped blade, mostly for lack of having used anything else, and the sheepsfoot/wharnscliffe seemed very popular with "people in the know", mostly people on this forum, so I started looking at stockmans. Since I started this thread and the suggestions started rolling in I've been looking at more trappers, though I still like the idea of a sheepsfoot or wharnscliffe secondary as it seems like it's especially good for opening stubborn packaging and whittling, which are two of the things I use my knife for quite a bit. I'm not any good at whittling, mind you. It's mostly just sharpening sticks for skewering various foods to hang over a fire.

willgoy, can you recommend a decent sized whittler? The only larger ones I've been able to find are the Montana whittlers, and they seem to have 3 springs which I would think would make them a bit cumbersome to carry.

I have spent a good amount of time today researching different sharpening methods after pinnah's mention of the Lasky. I think I have come to the conclusion that I'm just going to stick with the diamond stones and a strop. I have enough blades around the house that could use sharpening that I should be able to get some good practice at it, and it's a skill I want to learn.
Click to expand...
 
Russell, thanks a ton for the post. I had spotted those improved trappers on Collector Knives, he has a couple still up for sale. I hadn't mentioned it, but it's one of the models that's floating around in my head (there's about 4 of them that I'm considering after all of this advice). I really appreciate the tip on Rough Riders. My considerations on going with a less expensive "trial" knife had left me feeling like I'd be wasting too much money. Most knives that would give me a decent idea of what to expect seem to run in the $30 - $40 range. I kind of figured I could get a GEC and if I didn't like it after a couple weeks could probably knock $30- $40 off the price and sell it in short order. So, the upside to a decent "trial" knife disappears pretty quickly. The Rough Riders seem to really impress everybody and I can get a stockman, whittler and trapper for the price of one Buck or Case. I think that this is what I'm going to do. I have one of each picked out, and if I still think that this is a good idea in the morning I'm going to order them up. Worst case scenario, they'll be good starter knives for the kids. At $10 a piece I won't be too upset if they get left in the woods. They'll also allow me to get in some good sharpening practice without risking any of my kitchen knives. I just went back and looked and it seems that catfish already made this suggestion. I guess my wife was right this whole time about having to tell me things twice. :o
 
Cory, can't suggest a big Whittler offhand I'm afraid. I favour Whittlers because at around 3.5"/9cm they are a compact knife. Böker makes them in carbon very nicely with a tapered backspring and Queen and RR do good v.good ones with divided backspring. These arrangements keep the knife slim.The master opens from two springs(divided) and the minors have a spring each. Regards, Will
 
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