Need some options

Thunder47

Thunder47

Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
166
If I am lucky enough to get a year end bonus, I want to reward myself with a new 3" - 4" Stag 4 blade congress pattern knife. I have several , but do not have one with stag. Please let me know your opinion on Case, GEC, Queen (City), Schatt/Morgan, Northwoods, and any other in the $75-$150 range.
 
Of those mentioned, I would go with either GEC or Northwoods.

GEC Stag is hard to beat and the Northwood's have some pretty sweet Stag too.

I don't own any Northwoods knives but I think my GEC four blade Congress is one of the nicest patterns GEC makes.
 
What kind of blades do you want? The congress pattern refers to the way 4 blades, 2 large and 2 small are fitted within the handles using 2 backsprings. However, what specific blades are actually used varies greatly between different manufacturers, and differs even within a certain manufacturer's definitions. You can find ones with twin large sheepsfoot blades and twin small pen blades, ones with sheepsfoot and spear master blades and twin pen blades, ones with 4 different blades, etc.

Congresses tend to come in 3 sizes: small (~3 1/8"), medium (~3 5/8"), and large (~4 1/4"), give or take 1/8".

So, other than having stag handles, what specifically were you looking for? In my own searching for my "perfect" pocket knife I've done an excessive/obsessive amount of researching, so if you can be more exact, maybe I could find the "perfect" one for you.
 
Looking for 3.50" to 4.00 + or - .125" or close, with Spear, pen, coping and sheepfoot blades.

Thanks.
 
GEC's configuration where all four blades are same are only two bones and a wood handles. Stag is 2x wharnie/Sheepshoof and 2x pen. They won't make those anymore, ever... but no stag for different blade configuration.
 
Thunder47 said:
Looking for 3.50" to 4.00 + or - .125" or close, with Spear, pen, coping and sheepfoot blades.
Click to expand...

You're pretty much limited to Case to get those 4 blades. You can find new production medium ones (3 5/8") in stainless steel easily enough. Large ones (4 1/8") will be vintage and be very expensive. The congresses you'll find by GEC, Queen, and Northwoods will all have duplicate blades. S&M did make a 4" congress with that blade selection, but it's in green jigged bone only, not stag. If you look around you can sometimes find Boker Tree Brand congresses in stag with those 4 blades, but it seems these are limited editions (SFOs probably) and not regular production ones.

Steel Warrior has a large congress in stag with those blades, but I think you're looking for higher quality than that. There's also a Boker Magnum in stag with those blades, but again, that's their cheap Chinese-made line.

There might be others, but if they are I haven't come across them yet. I'm of the same taste as you; I don't have use for duplicate blades, and very high on my list of future purchases is a Case congress in chestnut bone and CV steel.
 
Just got a Burnt Stag GEC/Northfield Half-Congress. I usually do not get stag unless I can visually inspect it, but I wanted the fluted(?) bolsters that come on the Stag Half-Congress vs. on the jigged bone. I was not disappointed at all. Overall quality of the knife is very high. My only complaint was that it was dull. That is already in the process of being fixed. I've gotten it sharp, but not yet where I want it. This was my 1st GEC purchase & I was a bit nervous. Based on my Half-Congress I could see me getting more of their knives.

The only other brand that makes Congress patterns I have seen that I like is Boker. Canal Street Cutlery made a nice Congress, but it is hard to find. Queen also makes a nice Half-Congress, but again can be hard to find.
 
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