Overwhelmed. Help me find a knife that fits this very specific list of features

bleh

bleh

Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,122
Hey guys, I'm new around these parts and to the traditional game altogether. I hang our mostly over on EDCF, but I seem to be gravitating to traditionals lately ever since I got a Northwoods Fremont jack. So here I am. After discovering the Charlow, I've become enamored with nearly the entire GEC line, and I've got a stack of cash right now, so I'm looking for something new. But I'm also overwhelmed with the number of patterns and blade layouts within each of those patterns. It's impossible to keep straight!

Features I want in order of importance:
Swedged spear main blade (roughly parallel edges, not the broad teardrop shaped blade)
Long pull
less than 4" closed length
bolsters at both ends (is this called capped?) (or a Barlow, of course)
not 440 steel, preferably 1095 or D2
secondary blade of some sort

Here's the list of knives I'm currently looking at:
#15 Charlow (impossible to find right now, and I don't have quite a large enough stack to score one at ebay prices)
#15 Boy's knife (Can't find a capped version with the spear)
#92 Eureka Jack (this is winning right now, mainly because it's available)
#77 Barlow CK SFO (on the list, but I'm not typically a fan of clip blades, and they don't have long pulls in the render)
S&M Heritage jack spear (not capped, no secondary blade)
#15 electrician's knife (only one bolster, I'm not sure how I feel about the liner lock and the saw)
#15 Huckleberry radio crown lifter (no long pull or swedge)
#66 white owl (not sure about size or if I'll like the bail)
#68 moose (not a fan of the large clip blade)

Are there any other patterns that fit the bill that I've missed? Have any great pictures of your favorite pattern that can sway me to that one?

I'm trying to be patient and get my hands on the #77 Barlow right now, but patience has never been my strong suit, especially when I've got cash burning a hole in my pocket. It's also possible that I can get one of these right now and sell some stuff before the #77s hit next month and get both.

Right now, I'm juggling the Eureka jack, the electrician's, and the S&M. How are the S&M knives? I've heard some things about shoddy Queen QC lately, so that one seems like a risk to me. If that's unfounded, please let me know. How thick is the Electricians with the saw and the liner lock? Is it any thicker than other 2 blade patterns?

Thanks in advance for your help!

And here's a few pics of my Fremont Jack so I can fit in:
20140710_163503 by mrbleh, on Flickr
20140618_102512 by mrbleh, on Flickr
20141003_161132 by mrbleh, on Flickr
 
Also, can anyone tell me what the Charlows went for from a dealer? That'll help me budget to have cash in the bank when the next round hits.
 
Welcome! Nice to see you've discovered the magic that's in these old classics :)

The 92 Eureka Jack is a major favorite of mine FYI.

The Charlows originally ran in the ballpark of $88 for single blades and about $100-105'ish for two blade IIRC. But they sell out in a single day oftentimes as far as new releases at the dealers. You'll see them in the Exchange here in this forum but they go within the hour sometimes, so watch and see if you get lucky.

Good luck on your quest for The One - that magic traditional that "speaks to your soul" once you find it. :)
 
arizonaranchman said:
Welcome! Nice to see you've discovered the magic that's in these old classics :)

The 92 Eureka Jack is a major favorite of mine FYI.

The Charlows originally ran in the ballpark of $88 for single blades and about $100-105'ish for two blade IIRC. But they sell out in a single day oftentimes as far as new releases at the dealers. You'll see them in the Exchange here in this forum but they go within the hour sometimes, so watch and see if you get lucky.

Good luck on your quest for The One - that magic traditional that "speaks to your soul" once you find it. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! If the next round goes for a similar price, I may be able to get one knife now and still score a Barlow when they land.

Do you by chance have any pics of your Eureka jack closed from the pull side? I'm having a hard time finding shots showing what it looks like closed.
 
The three GECs that pop to mind are the #26 Sleeveboard, #56 Reverse Dogleg and the #85 Bullet End Jack. The 26 seems to hit all of your points the best, but the secondary is on the opposite end and I don't know how you feel about that. On the 56 I can only seem to find end caps on the clip point models, the spears are all barehead. The 85 has the spear that widens towards the tip, but is an extremely popular design nonetheless. I don't know if any of these would do it for you, but thought I'd at least bring them up. Good luck in your hunt and welcome to traditionals. :D
 
The White Owl is a #68, not a #66. There is also the #68 Pony Jack. Same frame as the White Owl but blades side by side instead of opposed on a single spring and no bail.
 
Cory Hess said:
The three GECs that pop to mind are the #26 Sleeveboard, #56 Reverse Dogleg and the #85 Bullet End Jack. The 26 seems to hit all of your points the best, but the secondary is on the opposite end and I don't know how you feel about that. On the 56 I can only seem to find end caps on the clip point models, the spears are all barehead. The 85 has the spear that widens towards the tip, but is an extremely popular design nonetheless. I don't know if any of these would do it for you, but thought I'd at least bring them up. Good luck in your hunt and welcome to traditionals. :D
Click to expand...

Thanks! The sleeveboard actually looks a little small and fat. One of the things drawing me to these is the long slim look, accentuated by the long pull and swedge. I've looked at the 85 as well, but I can't seem to find one available in long pull spear. I'll look again while I'm checking out the #56.

EDIT: Strike that, the long pull 85 is available, but I'm not sure how I feel about the teardrop shaped blade.
 
2Dead said:
The White Owl is a #68, not a #66. There is also the #68 Pony Jack. Same frame as the White Owl but blades side by side instead of opposed on a single spring and no bail.
Click to expand...

I had forgotten about the pony, thanks!
 
PMs aside ;) Welcome to Traditionals Bleh and congratulations on your first thread here, those are great shots of your Fremont Jack BTW (interesting reading too) :thumbup:

Good luck in finding another great knife. Specific prices aren't generally discussed here in the forum (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ional-Folders-amp-Fixed-Blades-quot-Sub-Forum), but I'm sure you'll get plenty of good advice :thumbup:

Jack
 
arizonaranchman said:
Welcome! Nice to see you've discovered the magic that's in these old classics :)

The 92 Eureka Jack is a major favorite of mine FYI.

The Charlows originally ran in the ballpark of $88 for single blades and about $100-105'ish for two blade IIRC. But they sell out in a single day oftentimes as far as new releases at the dealers. You'll see them in the Exchange here in this forum but they go within the hour sometimes, so watch and see if you get lucky.

Good luck on your quest for The One - that magic traditional that "speaks to your soul" once you find it. :)
Click to expand...

Exactly my thoughts. Go for the 92

Mike
 
Jack Black said:
PMs aside ;) Welcome to Traditionals Bleh and congratulations on your first thread here, those are great shots of your Fremont Jack BTW (interesting reading too) :thumbup:

Good luck in finding another great knife. Specific prices aren't generally discussed here in the forum (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ional-Folders-amp-Fixed-Blades-quot-Sub-Forum), but I'm sure you'll get plenty of good advice :thumbup:

Jack
Click to expand...

Thanks, that book isn't particularly good reading. It's like reading VCR instructions, if the VCR instructions included the theory behind how the motors worked. Sorry about the price inquiry, I know "How much is my knife worth" stuff is frowned upon on most forums, but I thought asking for a new-from-dealer price would be ok.
 
bleh said:
Thanks, that book isn't particularly good reading. It's like reading VCR instructions, if the VCR instructions included the theory behind how the motors worked. Sorry about the price inquiry, I know "How much is my knife worth" stuff is frowned upon on most forums, but I thought asking for a new-from-dealer price would be ok.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that! :D

Some things are best discussed by PM, there's traditionally been a very non-commercial spirit here :)
 
The 92 Eureka Jack is what came to mind for me as well when I was reading the requirements. The Northfield version of the Eureka Jack will give you the long pull as well as more of a swedge than the Tidioute version.
 
Barry at Gunstock Jack's has end capped spear point 15s in stock.
4 to chose from,2 Radios also.:thumbup:
 
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Any reason there are so many votes for the 92 and none for the electrician? Those are top 2 for me. Anyone have both and can picture them side by side so I can compare size and (mainly) thickness?

Thanks for all the feedback!
 
bleh said:
No long pull swedged spears though. ;)
Click to expand...

Sorta like this?

IMG_2577.jpg~original


~ P.
 
Hey folks. Let's keep the forum guidelines in mind as we continue this discussion. These exist to try and keep the discussion threads free from commercialism. You can read the complete text in the sticky post at the top of page one.

This is not directed at anyone in particular but seemed a good opportunity to reacquaint the members with something they may have forgotten.
Thanks!

Blues said:
Guidelines Regarding eBay, "Exchange" Listings, Commercial / Vendor Links & Knife Valuation Requests


In order to avoid Terms Of Service (TOS) violations, please omit links or referrals to vendors within the forum. ("Deal Spotting" is a violation of the TOS.)
We want the forum to focus upon the discussion of traditional knives...not the purchasing process, prices nor vendors and their websites.

The exception to the rule above is that you may refer other members to vendors who support bladeforums.com via a "Dealer" membership.

Otherwise, if someone inquires where you made a purchase, please take a moment to provide them with the requested information via email or PM.
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In line with this, please post threads concerning your experience with vendors (both good and bad) in the "Feedback" section of the website.

(If you are seeking stock images and/or information about a particular knife for your post, the manufacturer's or custom maker's website is often a very useful resource without resorting to using dealer listings. If you do decide to use images from a vendor website, please crop the image to avoid identifying the vendor and raising potential issues with the TOS.)

Following these guidelines will go a long way toward keeping the forum free of these issues.

Thanks for your cooperation. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
 
:joyous: That's the same one I was going to post and I agree, I think the early #15 Boys knife fits the bill. Did you notice on Barry's site the second run of those doesn't have the swedge on the main?

What the heck, you can never have too many pictures.
GEC_152212_Huckleberry_Boy's_Knife.JPG
 
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