Most Useful Traditional?

[moonwilson]

These days, I like my knives simple. I like a single blade that can be pinched open. I've been using my GEC Bullnose sodbuster more than anything else. It's not very pretty, it's not fancy, and it wasn't very expensive. But it's easy to get open, it cuts efficiently, and keeps a great edge forever. It's a very useful tool indeed.

 

[Peregrin]

My most carried knife, and the one I find most useful, is a small Wharncliffe Trapper.

I use the clip blade for food things, if I'm not near the kitchen. The Wharncliffe gets used more often for opening blister packs, bags of seed, mail, in the garden and for general use (I do carry a fixed blade for the heavy tasks).

I like to do a little whittling and with these two blades, I have what I need. The Wharncliffe blade is really easy to maintain with a strop a few times a week.

 

[coyote711]

Well, since SAK's have been given the OK by pinnah I'll have to go with the Victorinox Electrician Plus - center knife in the first pic.

Nice little electrician (sheepsfoot) blade comes in handy when replacing hoses on ag equipment - slice the old hose lengthwise at the nipple to slide it off, and cut the new hose to length with the main blade. The screwdriver on it will work on hose clamps if ya don't have a real screwdriver handy. The awl makes a good fingernail cleaner, and I have used it more than once to make new holes in my belts. The saw comes in handy for sawing out those little trees and woody plants that start to grow up amongst my landscaping/flower beds - can saw down in the dirt and not worry about screwing up a knife blade.

And I like it that, except for the awl, all the blades/tools are accessible from the mark side of the knife.

That's my outside-when-I'm-workin' knife, but truth be told I'm mostly retired and a two bladed knife - jack or pen configuration - fits the bill perfectly for me for most of the year. Gratuitous pics of my Peanut when new and my Conductor after a bit of aging.

 

[tomsch]

Medium stockman covers the most ground for me. I do tend to use the spey blade the least but it is reserved for when I need a very sharp blade. The clip and sheepsfoot are used for anything like opening boxes to slicing food if we are out on a picnic.

 

[mdsmith]

Well, my most useful knife is my Vic Pioneer. The two tools I use the most on it are the blade and awl. So, if SAKs are not included, I'd probably have to choose a harness jack.

 

[Humppa]

To me, it´s a Jackknife in every shape/Frame. The combination Clip/Spear and (mostly) penblade makes it to a great knife in pocket and a lot of possibilities to use during the day. It doesn´t matter if it is a Serpentine Jack or a Powderhorn Jack or even a Peanut or a Barlow... they make great knives in hand and in pocket. I like two blades with different lengths. So a Trapper is not my beer in this case (it´s a great pattern, nothing to say more). And one of two blades with a centered, strong tip.

Next are Stockmen and Hippekniep/Sodbuster. Pretty different though, but everyone of these two pattern is great to work with.

 

[pinnah]

Na, it's stacking the odds too much. I like scout knives and SAK's and do consider them traditional, but for the sake of discussion I'd leave the scout/SAK out of it. JUst too much utility for a knife that's just a knife to compete against. It'd be like coming to a local sports car club event with the local working guys with their hopped up Mazda Miata's or mini coopers, with a all out full blown Porshe followed by a semi rig carrying your pit crew with spare engines and machine shop.

I'm willing to put the knife-knifes against other knife-knives for discussion and eave the SAK out of it. Even a 4 blade congress can't compete with a SAK tinker for utility.

We're not far off but are getting there by different paths.

As a (now hobbyist) mechanic, I always prefer real tools to multi-tools. And, I strongly prefer multi-tools to knives with tool blades, like campers and SAKs.

Note, I say this as an emotional fan of the US-style camper. I grew up with Ulsters and still carry one every once in a while for old time's sake. I keep some laying around the shop as a basic utility knife for the blade and the very occasional use of the awl. But day in/day out, I don't carry one. Here's why...

I've moved all of my tools needs off of my knife. I would much, much, much rather carry a mini-multitool like a Micra in addition to a knife than try to stuff that functionality clumsily into a knife. As much as I love my old Ulsters, the Micra blows its doors off. When the jobs become bigger, I'll throw a larger multitool on my belt, or grab a proper tool box. Knives are knives and tools are tools.

So I arrive at the same place you, being interested the most functional KNIFE and comparing knives to knives. But, I don't want to exclude somebody from making their case for an SAK. IMO, SAKs and Campers are knives with tools stuck on them and for that reason, become lousy tools and less useful knives. But that's just me.

I'll share my pick for a knife later.

 

[mrrampro]

Usually this 72

Or this sowbelly

 

[jacktrades_nbk]

Well, my most useful knife is my Vic Pioneer. The two tools I use the most on it are the blade and awl.

I used an alox soldier for a few years with no problems, best utility in a compact package. But Saks have the unfair advantage, as said before.
An opinel will do take a lot of abuse, and keep going, but a douk douk will do the same without the bulk, and sacrificing a bit of comfort with the thin handle.
As for american traditionals, from what i have, a stockman will offer me the most use and strength, be it a buck for rough use or a case with slicing in mind.
With that said, when i know i'll use it very hard, or even reach the abuse with some twists and force applied, i'll go to a fixed blade.

 

[davek14]

Two bladed jacks are getting a lot of votes. I guess it's personal preference AND "beauty" after that. With me it's a Barlow, followed by an electrician's knife.

 

[richstag]

From the standpoint of utility, versatility and durability, what is your favorite traditional knife?

I'm looking to hear from people who use their knives. What do you use them for and what is your favorite knife for getting the job done, day in/day out. Key attributes are:
a) Utility - straight forward functionality; the ability to do the job with no hassle or compromise
b) Versatility - the ability to be used effectively for the widest range of cutting tasks
c) Durability - the ability to take the use and abuse without squawking or complaining

This isn't a thread about the prettiest knife you own. Nor the rarest. Nor the most treasured even. It's about the single most useful traditional knife that you own.

Please tell us about the range of things you routinely use your knife for. I suspect many of live in different places, doing different kinds of work and I'm betting that we'll hear very different knife choices because of that.

And of course, no thread counts unless it has pictures.

For me its my GEC 85 easy open in ebony. The ebony is very weather resistant and I just do not care if it gets scuffed or dinged up. It only adds character that I can appreciate. It has an easy open that makes it convenient in all situations. Say you really need to open it one handed you can pinch the blade and catch the bullet end of the butt of the knife on your jeans and open it safely. It has a full leaf shaped spear blade that combines decent strength, thin grinds, decent useable tip that is closer to a safety sheepsfoot than a clip etc. It has served plenty strong for me, replacing my EDC large regular sebnenza without any trouble. The steel is 1095 that I really like for ease of sharpening to a clean micro serrated edge and having decent edge retention, lateral strength etc, with the main downfall being corrosion resistance. The knife is very slim and only weighs 1.8 ounce at 3 3/4 frame length making it a knife that can go along on any occasion without hassle. I have used the knife for intricate tasks, dirty work and all the way up to heavy rope cutting. Overall for what the 85 easy open single blade is I really appreciate it. It is not a heavy duty modern locker with super steel. What do people really expect out of a "pocket knife" anyhow?

To recap, or if you could not bear to read my long story, my 85 does all EDC tasks I ask of it. I have machetes, axes, chainsaws, power tools, hand tools etc for all the rest.

Kevin

 

[black mamba]

I'll add my vote for a stockman, my favorites being 3-7/8" to 4-1/8" length closed. Here are the three I use most.

Moore Maker #6301

Queen #9

Tidioute #53

 

[markpmc]

It's the stockman or cattle knife hands down for me. I seem to have misplaced my Case 2000 blue stockman for the time being. First time I've misplaced the little fella in 11+ years. The sheepsfoot or spey is a good utility blade for use in front of sheeple. The clip is there for larger tasks.

 

[quattromori]

I was raised with single blades, so any single clip blade should be my cup of tea but...
I've come to appreciate the usefulness of a two bladed jack. My ideal configuration would be a clip main blade (for clean tasks - food) and a smaller wharncliffe/sheepsfoot secondary...but I don't have one yet.
But then...
My need for the secondary blade comes from dirty tasks (opening packages and such stuff). So, in the end, I can easily say that my harness jack is the most useful traditional knife. Maybe not all punches are the same, but the one on my HJ6 probably works even better than a small wharncliffe blade for the kind of cuts I use it for. It has a small straight edge, it's pointy enough, it's even stronger and tougher, and even more comfortable to open, due to the design.

Fausto

 

[R.Russell]

This was one of the first knives I ever picked up on the BFC forum, ironically from another maker. I'm assuming he bought it to study its design. When I got it, I was blown away by its feel in the hand, and how light it was. I weighed it yesterday for the first time. 2.5 ounces! It had a raw birch handle I finished with some linseed oil, and its become my go to knife. So light I wear it as a necker most of the time in the woods. Its all the knife I need for most of the things I do, and its stainless and THIN with a flat grind unlike most puukkos, so it slices like a demon. The edge takes a mirror finish on a strop. Its just one of those knives you can't help but use, and knowing its traditional appeals to me on many levels. The maker is Seved Hjelm.

 

[ConBon]

I like stockmans, because the clip blade is useful for poking/slicing, while the sheepsfoot is good for scoring, pushcuts, and more edge-wearing uses (easy to sharpen), and the spey blade is nice for delicate and controlled operations, and more controlled slicing IMO.

Whatever works,
Connor

 

[Planterz]

A stockman (or cattle knife) with a pen blade instead of a spay is IMO the most generally useful knife to have on you. Like a Case 6332/63032 or 6318HE. Second place would go to a wharncliffe trapper or Hawbaker muskrat.

 

[ConBon]

A stockman (or cattle knife) with a pen blade instead of a spay is IMO the most generally useful knife to have on you. Like a Case 6332/63032 or 6318HE. Second place would go to a wharncliffe trapper or Hawbaker muskrat.

I like pen blades on stockmans better than spey, but I have noticed that most have spey blades and I like my Schrade 897UH (which has a spey blade) better than my Case 63032. Ialso think I am beginning to like spey blades.

Connor

 

[Vanguard41xx]

A two-blade easy-open jack pretty much could serve me for life as The One Pattern.

This all the way.

 

[MunroClansman]

Well I'd have to say a SAK I prefer a Fieldmaster or Huntsman.

But that's no fun now, is it? So besides that, I'll go with a medium stockman. Hands down.