New to trad folders, need a few suggestions, and have a few questions..

bodydamage

bodydamage

Joined
Jan 10, 2007
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639
Well, Ive decided I want to get a classic folder to try my hand at whittling and to expand my collection a bit.. I think I want a congress, stockman, or seahorse style thats made in the US or Germany. I dont want to spend a grip of $$ if I can help it.. For general whittling and cutting I dont think it would really matter if it was carbon or stainless. I spent an hour or so at SMKW last week and they had a ton of name brands that Ive never heard of before.. What are good solid brands that wont cost a fortune, but arent piles of crap either?? When knives are advertised as ** bone handled, is it real bone?? Sorry for all the questions.. Thanks..
 
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Case and Boker are good places to look for good knives. Case is US and Bokers are from Germany (at least the slipjoints usually are). Bone? yeah, it's real bone, but bone what I have no idea. My guess would be that it's cow bone jigged to look more like stag which is more expensive. If you have the choice of carbon steel (case calls it CV) or Stainless for use it whittling, I'd choose the carbon steel.
 
Welcome to the fold. :)

Anything advertised as bone is really bone. Typically the shin bone of cattle makes the best handles because of it density, ect.. That is what the good top brands use. Most are jigged, picked, scored and some are left smooth. Most are dyed different colors but some are left natural.

If you are on a budget(most folks are these days) looking for currently made NEW IN THE BOX good classic USA or German made brands and want to stay away from the off shore produced stuff, I would suggest sticking with Queen or Case from the USA and Henckels or Boker from Germany. Most patterns like Stockman's, Congress's and Whittler's can be purchased for around $70.-$80.USD plus shipping from many reputable dealers.

But, if you want to save some money(in many cases half of the above stated figure or less) and get the same brands and patterns, I would suggest the secondary market. Going to local knife shows in your area or eBay and other auction sites can be a real cost effect way to get the good brand names and desirable patterns without paying anywhere near full retail price.

Other great patterns to consider may be the Trapper pattern or medium Trapper, or Sowbelly pattern. All great for multiple chores including the things you mentioned.. Good Luck on your quest and let us know what you ended up getting and how you like it.

Best,

Anthony
 
I have no issues going used, I just want to know what to steer away from and what to look for.. Ive got one of my Kershaws up in the trade forums right now hoping Ill get a bite on a trade.. We'll se..
 
If you want to go used you can save even more money on the secondary market. I was referring to NEW IN THE BOX items when I mention that suggestion before. For example, I just got a slightly used late 1970's USA brand Schrade, Uncle Henry Stockman with the original box and paperwork for 17. including shipping.

A lot of us are skeptical about one brand or another, so if you ask, 'what brands should I steer away from', you are going to get many different answers and it may cause you some confusion. Go with any current or older(in good condition) USA or German brand pocket knife and you will be fine.

For good used vintage knives to look for that were American made, Case, Queen, S&M, Buck, and Camillus come to mind. But that is just a small handful of companies that made quality slipjoints. They're are scores of them.

Actually, if you are considering a good quality vintage knife and want to learn about the many fine brands from the older days, go to the link below and read for a while. You will become very enlightened!.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=527126
 
Slip joints are the one knife I enjoy having multiple patterns and styles for EDC. I guess it has been two or three years since I found this site and I have added a good many knives.

I believe:
Case and Boker make good knives at fair prices. I have had good success with Case's CV and TS. All my Boker are carbon steel. I have some Moore Makers, but they were not worth their price. Queen Cutlery knives are my "high end" knives and I ask for them as gifts. I have a wonderful Canoe by them in 1095 that is very thin and great for more formal office wear. I hope "Santa" will leave a Queen Copperhead in D2 under the tree this year.

I have been burned with Eye Brand and am jaded by all the former great German makers as they have morphed ownerships over the year and quality appears spotty. All except Boker that is...

I buy from several venders and Ebay. Cumberland Knife is a good source for Queen.

My favorite knife is a Boker tortoise shell Barlow, a pattern I never really appreciated until I owned and used one. For working knives, garden woods, the yellow handles Cases in CV are hard to beat as is a big black handled Case Sodbuster in ss.

A brand I want to try is Canal Street Cutlery but I have a hard time paying $75ish for a 420 knife. Buck does 420 right but ehn again they are not that expensive.

Hope this helps. There is a lot of good info in this forum. Some are very passionate about steel and brand.
 
Swapping and trading is my favorite way of getting knives. Not only is it fun and social, it's a cheap way of trying different things without accumulating an excessive amount of unused knives (I only keep users).
 
Great info thus far guys... Ill keep an eye out for Bokers, Cases, and Queens.. I have an older fixed blade Queen that Im reprofiling right now, due to a broken tip. When I was at home last week the feed store by my folks house has 2 Schrade Barlows for $5.99 a piece, but wasnt sure if they were worth a damn or not, so I left them..

What do you guys think about kissing crane and bulldogs??
 
Pinetree,

Why settle for 420; get some good stainless or go for the D2!! Canal Street is expanding their product line slowly but surely.

CSML1196244ES.JPG


Mike Latham
CollectorKnives.Net
 
bodydamage said:
Great info thus far guys... Ill keep an eye out for Bokers, Cases, and Queens.. I have an older fixed blade Queen that Im reprofiling right now, due to a broken tip. When I was at home last week the feed store by my folks house has 2 Schrade Barlows for $5.99 a piece, but wasnt sure if they were worth a damn or not, so I left them..

What do you guys think about kissing crane and bulldogs??
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Beware of the current Taylor off shore produced knives, a lot of the hardware and feed stores are now selling. They are not made in the USA. And likely that's what those were and you were smart to pass them by IMO.

The older Kissing Crane's and Bulldogs are fine.
 
sunnyd said:
The older Kissing Crane's and Bulldogs are fine.
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Define older.. So the ones in the SMKW catalog are no-go's?? I looked a a Bulldog when we were int he SMKW showroom last week and they seemed OK, but I wasnt really scrutinizing it, my wife liked it cause it was purple..
 
If buying a purple knife will make her happy, go ahead and do it. It might just make it easier to get a high end knife for yourself later. And it won't have to be purple.
 
SharpFella said:
If buying a purple knife will make her happy, go ahead and do it. It might just make it easier to get a high end knife for yourself later. And it won't have to be purple.
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Actually Im having a David Farmer custom made in O1 with purple and green micarta as we speak.. If she has to have a purple knife, at least it I can get her one thats not a POS..
 
Bodydamage,

I collect combat folders and got interested in whittling last summer. I found it difficult to carve with a large Sypderco or Emerson cqc12. I researched whittlers and bought a Queen D2 whittler. My whittling/carving improved 100%. I next bough a Borker Congress Carver with 1095 blades. The Queen is better for fine detail work because the blades are smaller and thinner. The boker is good for less detailed work since the blades are bigger. I like both knives. My Queen has honey amber bone handles that look great. Fit and finish is great and better in my opinion then the Boker. See my post on should I return this knife in this forum. I spoke to boker and the knife was actually designed that way. The Queen comes very dull and needs to be sharpned. I put a 17 degree edge with a lansky. That took some time but once sharp the D2 stays sharp. Boker makes a 3 blade Carbon steel whittler that would be easy to sharpen and is probably a very good knife and not expensive. I will next look for a Case, German Eye or Bulldog whittler. I think a coping blade is very important but some whittlers do not have it.

good luck
 
Alot of good brands posted so far, but Im a little surprised nobody has mention Hen & Rooster, they're great all around knives too, I love my Case knives but theres alot of other great makers out there. Ive used an older mid size square bolster Bulldog congress for whittling for years and cant find one complaint with it.
 
There are lots of good quality available today the best of which (in my opinion) are Case, Boker, and Queen. These are just my favorites though, to each his own. If a handel is advertised as bone, it really is. I personally prefer carbon steel blade (cv) in everything I plan on using. If i'm just going to put it on a shelf, ss is okay though. Carbon steel is harder than ss, and it holds a better edge longer than ss. Another great place to knife shop on line is newGraham.com. Huge selection, and good prices.
 
Either Boker or Queen are quality.
I just got a Boker Congress and a Whittler in carbon, at very good prices.
I also have a Queen Congress and Whittler in D2, more expensive, but both the steel and finish are better.

I have been very happy with Mike for Boker and Cumberland for Queen
 
I got my hands on a Case Seahorse whittler in either peach seed jigged chestnut bone or rogers jigged autumn bone. I think its the Rogers Jigged, but the color doesnt match exactly.. Mine has a bit of red running through it..

A guy I work with bought it from Cabelas a few years ago and used it a bit, but its in great shape.. I took a bt of 2000 grit paper to the bolsters and springs last night at work and it made a huge difference in how it looks.

What angle should I put on it to whittle with? I am thinking 40 inclusive would prob work well..

BTW, all the research Ive been doing on trad folders has made me get on Kerry Hampton's waiting list for a custom.. Thanks alot guys, thanks alot..
 
The thinner the better for whittling as long as the edge holds up without rolling over.

Twenty degrees or lower per side should serve you well.
 
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