Modern Classics: What are your favorite big folders from the 70's through 90's?

This is a Case Sharktooth my mother and father bought me back in the mid-70's . It was the best knife I owned for a long time. I rarely carry it now because I don't want to lose it, but I used to carry it all the time.

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I bought this Buck 110 back in the early 1980's , it was marked down to $29 in a Smoky Mountain Knife Works catalogue.

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I never had a real 110 until I was all growed up. I was stuck with cheapo 110 knock off's in the 80's. I had one in particular that did have a "Japan 440" stamp on it and it was a nice knife, bigger than a 110 even. I lent it to a friend and he moved, never saw it again. Other than that I had a couple of Ok quality Balis when they were all the rage at the flea market tables. I always lusted after the Buck FB's (uncle had a whole set of the black handled knives) and Gerbers, wanted a CS lockback after seeing the advertisements in martial arts magazines at the time. The internet didn't exist and if you wanted something nice you had to live near a cutlery store, harwdware shop or mail order and all.
 
I don't really miss any of the knives I've sold to be honest. I was never real fond of the traditional style lockbacks like the Buck 110 and the various Schrades. I always tended more towards SAKs and other, slimmer pock-sized folders, or fixed blade knives.
 
crom said:
I never had a real 110 until I was all growed up. I was stuck with cheapo 110 knock off's in the 80's. I had one in particular that did have a "Japan 440" stamp on it and it was a nice knife, bigger than a 110 even. I lent it to a friend and he moved, never saw it again. Other than that I had a couple of Ok quality Balis when they were all the rage at the flea market tables. I always lusted after the Buck FB's (uncle had a whole set of the black handled knives) and Gerbers, wanted a CS lockback after seeing the advertisements in martial arts magazines at the time. The internet didn't exist and if you wanted something nice you had to live near a cutlery store, harwdware shop or mail order and all.
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I used to buy most of my knives from Smoky Mountain K.W. and from AG Russell catalogs ( But I couldn't always afford AG's stuff).

I remember when SMKW started to accept fax orders. Fax machines weren't cheap back then , but I worked for a large corporation and had access to one. I couldn't believe how great it was to "electronically" send in a knife order and not have to mail it in.

The young'uns here have no idea how lucky they are today. It's never been easier to become separated from your money.:)
 
The Kershaw Folding Field 1050 is a very nice knife. A very sturdy and heavy knife. The suggested retail on this knife was $250.00 but I got this one for $175.00. I think the price is what made this knife a slow seller for Kershaw. Kershaw also made a matching fixed blade companion knife version of this knife.

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It wouldn't be right not to post a picture of the venerable Buck 110. I got this one at Wal-Mart about 7-months ago for just under $28.00. Easy to understand why these knives sell like hotcakes. I have several of these Buck 110s - from the110s of 1960s right up through the 110s of the 2000s.

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With those price-points, it's easy to see why the Buck outsold the Kershaw.
 
Modoc ED said:
The Kershaw Folding Field 1050 is a very nice knife. A very sturdy and heavy knife. The suggested retail on this knife was $250.00 but I got this one for $175.00. I think the price is what made this knife a slow seller for Kershaw. Kershaw also made a matching fixed blade companion knife version of this knife.

With those price-points, it's easy to see why the Buck outsold the Kershaw.
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The Kershaw is a beauty!
 
Great thread. I too had the Tomcat and wish I still had it. If I could find anothe I certainly would buy it again.
 
Back in the late 60's I carried a Case 6265 folding hunter. After I got out of the Navy I picked up an Imperial 'Wildcat'. It was huge for the day and reasonably priced. It was my only knife for a lot of years and cut the legs off a long ton of frogs. I think my ex got it in the divorce since she got everything else. I picked one up in a pawn shop for 5 bux several years ago, just for old times sake. It's still a pretty good knife.
 
From about 75? - 1985 - I carried a normark big swede folder. It was used very often and eventually just feel apart. It was a good knife though
 
hstdist said:
From about 75? - 1985 - I carried a normark big swede folder. It was used very often and eventually just feel apart. It was a good knife though
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I had the Swede, Big Swede and Super Swede out here in Saskatchewan. Sometimes wish I still had a Super Swede. Mine from decades ago was lent out at work, I got it back and saw later on that the jackass snapped off the blade tip. He didn't say a thing. I gave the Super away after that.
 
I have my Puma Game Warden I purchased before I went in the Army in 1972. Carried it every day for 10 years. Still looks good.
 
Gerbers in M2, and the Gerber Sportsman 2 in "V" steel ( vascowear). A knife before it's time in some ways. Try going at it with a arkansas stone and you'll see why. Norton Sil or diamond only as it's substantially more stubborn than D2 to sharpen. It came with about a 50degree inclusive edge too, so it did need work.

Vascowear, like it's nephew 3V isn't that rusty, but when it does it pits.

I also liked the Ireland Imperial carbon steel blades. Their skinny blades and carbon steel were cheap, easy to sharpen and took an edge I sometimes used to shave with at work when I was working two jobs, with a 3rd PT on the side.
 
MTHall720 said:
I wish I had kept a lot of blades which I liked when I got them but had no idea that some day I would look back and think they were some of the best.
What are some your favorite, beefy, 3-4 inch or more blades (folders) from these 3 decades?

One of the folders I wish I had kept is the SOG Tomcat from the 80's.
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Wish SOG still made this.
 
I ordered this knife from a catalog in the mid 1980's , it was the 1st knife I owned with a thumb stud and was expensive for it's time ( $39 - $49). It was listed as the "Tactical One Hander" and even after reading the ad copy over and over again, I couldn't understand how the stud assisted in opening the knife. It was made in Italy and the scales are horn. It also came in stag and I ordered one of those a few years later.

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My wife bought me this knife as a wedding present in 1988 It's a Hen and Rooster Swing Guard.

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I got this US made damascus Parker Edwards Folding Hunter in the mid 80's , it was on closeout in a Smoky Mtn KW catalog - $29.

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Here's two from when Gerber was still on top of their game.

I got this Bolt Action folder in the early 1980's shortly after graduating from College. It was $29 and seemed like a lot for a folder.

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This is a US made Combat Folder, I bought on Ebay in the late 90's

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