origins of the folding hunter

[M. Miller]

I have been shopping for a standard 2 blade folding hunter pattern recently. This was a very common pattern at one time, but I am seeing them alot less lately.
I looked (breifly) at the arcive and found a recent post regarding the history of the folding hunter, but it seemed to address single blade, & clasp type foliding hunter patterns.
At this point, I am aware of only Case, and Camillus currently producing traditional,AMERICAN 2 blade (standard utility type clip & additional skinning or game type clip) pattern at 5.5" - 5.25" closed length. One example of the pattern I am referring to can be found on the Camillus home page. It is under the "folders & hunters" section, "Cammilus 2 blade folding hunter #26".
I have seen a good selection of these type patterns on ebay, a few Buck, a few Western, a few Kabar, ect. However, most of these models are no longer in production. I suspect that the single blade "lockback" type pattern gradually replaced the older(?) 2 blade pattern.(pure speculation on my part)
At any rate, I also wonder if AMERICAN made, full size, 2 blade, folding hunter patterns will be highly collectable in the future. (Are they already?)
I would like to know more about the origins of these patterns, as well as a little bit about U.S. production history.

Thanks alot!

 

[Roger Blake]

You might do better to post this one on Bernard Levine's Forum on this site. There is more interest in traditional patterns.

Yes there are people who collect these. Old ones can bring some good prices on ebay.

I don't which companies still make them. I see term folding hunter often used for other patterns as well as the one you speak of which is like a large trapper.

 

[John Schedel]

Queen still makes folding hunters in both one- and two-bladed configurations. Just got a look at their 2002-2003 catalog. D-2 steel instead of 440A in the Queen lines! Cocobolo, "carved stag bone" (not stag but the pictures look nice!), and "forest edge" winterbottom and "black cherry" Delrin handle materials, in the folding knife lines, are new. "Forest edge","carved stag bone", "stacked wood" pattern Fibron, Micarta, and Pakkawood handles are now available in Queen's lines of straight knives, too. Their lines of knife patterns have been completely redone, as well, with some real classics being offered. As far as folding hunters are concerned, one- blades are offered in cocobolo, carved stag bone, and textured black cherry Delrin, and two- blades are available in forest edge winterbottom Delrin.