Pens vs. Jacks

I like my Jacks.
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I do too JT, especially that river valley green 66!

I am thinking about getting this one rescaled in something similar to that Tidioute serpentine which makes my heart beat a bit faster every time I see a picture of it.

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One thing has crossed my mind looking through this thread. I guess the knife companies do some sort of market research, but there seems to be much more jacks made than pens. Even in the old days when I was growing up, mod of the pocket knives I saw were some sort of jack, even though they were referred to as 'my penknife".

Food for thought.

Carl.
 
Could it be that more jacks were made because they are easier to make ?
Jim
 
I prefer a Jack Knife where both blades open from the same end of the frame.

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Grateful said:
Could it be that more jacks were made because they are easier to make ?
Jim
Click to expand...

You could have a point here, single springs are trickier to make if you're particular about blade-rub for sure.

Did a review of some small knives on my desk as I write: GEC Conductor, CASE Pen (yellow) RR Mini Copperhead, Buck 309 (yellow smooth delrin) CASE Crandall P.Nut, Queen Cutlery No.2 Jack. The GEC is by far the best made, no blade rub or play and gives fine grip in the hand with its swell centre. Its blade is the longest and broadest of the knives, very impressive blade in a small frame. It also costs a lot more than the others. CASE Pen is not far behind in ergos but the build is more rudimentary, blade not as broad as the GEC and the blades droop down on open. Fine to handle though. The RR has its qualities too, bit smaller than the other two but nicely made, good in hand and the Copperhead design ensures no rips in the pockets (note the GEC tangs are fearsomely sharp and needed smoothing down with a stone).

So to the double springs or "two thick". The Buck has appeal, well made, all stainless construction, good quality blade steel. But....very narrow blades indeed that I can't see the point in being sabre ground. Hard to grip this shiny yellow delrin securely plus it's a very narrow handle too. It is a lot better in hand when in sawn black delrin, this is grippy but it's too small for my taste and I have small hands too. Good back-up PSK type of emergency knife though, it cuts well. The CASE Crandall has beautiful thick bone scales and tangs that are low, so they're easy on the pocket. The pen blade is very hard to open and the P.Nut is the only knife here with half-stops, come to feel that I prefer the smoothness of a small knife WITHOUT half-stops though. Yet I prefer the CASE Pen as it's longer, so I much prefer it in the hand. Yes, I know I'm in a minority here but that's how it is for me... Lastly, a better Jack than the P.Nut? Yes I think so, the Queen Serp Jack No.2 is about Conductor size (handle narrower) and offers very good comfortable grip, decent Clip blade still not as broad as the Conductor though. It is heavier, perhaps D2 is denser?? Could just be from having thicker springs too. It offers nail-nicks on both sides, a rarity these days.

Still find the single-spring Conductor to be superior (build, size, weight, blade size,grip) but it's close. If CASE were to offer the Pen in some bone scales (and re-tool a bit for better fit) then this would also be very tempting indeed. All these knives have undeniable virtues though as they are different from each other.

Well, I find the Queen to be better than the Nut. But, it's all too obvious to see the appeal of the Nut and the creation of the notorious Cult of the Peanut. Somehow The Cult of the No.2 just doesn't seem to have the same allure....:eek::D

Thanks, Will
 
Pertinux, maybe if I stopped ordering knives I could afford a new camera. :)
 
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Paradiggum said:
Perrinux, maybe if I stopped ordering knives I could afford a new camera. :)
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Could be! Still, I'd rather you have knives than I have pictures of 'em, but I still hope you find your camera, because I want to see 'em. :-)

Willgoy-- Thanks for the detailed breakdown of your jacks and single-spring two-bladers. :thumbup:

~ P.
 
pertinux said:
Sure, that would be great! I keep a ruler near my computer and often measure, gauge, and attempt to accurately envision, but there's nothing like pictures-- especially those that compare at least one known quantity to others.

Also, there's nothing like pictures. :)

~ P.
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Pertinux,

I just got my medium jack today. Here are a few pics with other knives:

The first is a comparison shot. Pen, then new jack, then 2 regular peanuts, then a Caliber 'nut, then a Buck 309:
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Next is a thickness shot. Pen on left, jack on right:
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Another thickness shot. Peanut on left, jack on right:
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Finally, a shot comparing blades. Jack on top, G10 peanut on bottom:
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-Blaine
 
Wow-- thanks so much! I really appreciate your taking the time to take and post such clear comparison shots. It's great being able to view the knives' relative similarities and differences, head-to-head.

What are your initial impressions, having them all in hand? The caliber(?) is an interesting addition. I'd guess it's lighter than the others-- true?

(Sorry, for every good deed and helpful response given, I tend to ask even more questions!)

I'll be curious to see which knife you gravitate towards over time, or maybe, which knife or knives you consistently choose in specific situations. You certainly have a nice selection!

I still am drawn to the no-nonsense look of that medium jack, but I can also see that the peanut's blades are almost as large, in a more compact package (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on hand size, tasks, etc.).

Again: thank you. :)

~ P.
 
I've noticed one thing, and it wasn't on purpose. Regardless of what other knife I'm carrying, I also have a peanut in my pocket. Be it pen knife, medium jack or Sebenza. The peanut goes wherever I go.

I think maybe some of it is nostalgia. The peanut reminds me of the very first knife my Dad gave me. It's long gone now to who knows where but it was a toothpick/powderhorn style with black plastic scales. It was the same size as the peanut though. So it reminds me of days gone by. Oddly the small toothpick doesn't do the same thing. Maybe because that little first knife had 2 blades and was the same size. I dunno. But I really like the peanut.
 
P,

The Caliber peanut is definitely lighter than the other peanuts. Not only does it have "as ground" blades, but the springs and brass divider are also not polished. The springs are just a little proud both open and closed, but that's just because they can't put the knife on a grinder to make them even, due to the handle material. Overall, it's still a really nice knife, although not at all tan. It's really more of a gray/green color.

The extra width of the jack really makes a difference, compared to the pen. Even though they are the same in silhouette, the jack feels substantially more, uh, substantial...

And you're right - the blades are almost the same size. The pen/jack's main blade is about 1/8" longer than the peanut, and the small blade is maybe 3/16" longer, according to my eyeball.

I'm just a sucker for small two-bladed knives.
 
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