Question on a knife gift for rancher father-in-law

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I know that this question could be a little out of place in W&SS but I don't want to leave and it has definitely has outdoor purposes. My ladies father is a rancher and looking for a new knife which she was appointed to finding for Christmas and of course I then was appointed by her to find a nice one. He is into a more classic design usually using a large trapper design (two blades one clip point, one round tip). I looked into Case trappers and found a beautiful Damascus steel trapper that would be perfect but I don't have 160 dollars to spend, and the rest I looked at use stainless steel and I am mostly against stainless steel.

So I am wondering if you guys have any knowledge on a working mans steel. As I have said he is a rancher and uses it in day to day work from castrating cows to picking dirt from under his fingernails. I would like to add some of our steel knowledge to this decision and not just buy him a joe schmoe knife. As always it goes back to do I go for rust resistance and lesser blade sharpness or vice-versa.

Thanks ahead of time for any help and a wish you all a belated happy thanksgiving. Hopefully the tryptophan commas have subsided.
 
There are a number of companies offering very nice traditional folders, including nice trapper designs. You should check out the traditional forum in the general section. Perhpas even repost the question there.

Aside from Case, Boker, Queen, and the other usual suspects, there are a number of new kids on the block like Canal Street Cutlery, offering fine knives at a reasonable price.

If you don't care for stainless, Queen has a number of knives in D2 with a number of scale options. Thaey also have a number in good old 1095. If you want premium stainless, their Schatt & Morgan File and Wire series uses ATS-34. Both great value.

Places like cumberlandknifeworks.com have nice selections. And Bill Horn, the owner is very helpful--you can call him up and ask for options. He will also personally inspect a knife that he ships if you ask him to--tell him that it is a special gift.
 
Check out the Great Eastern Cutlery patterns at collectorknives.com. Especialy the harness jacks.
 
I would suggest the Buck 110 - a great traditional folding knife!It's pretty useful!
 
Moore maker has a "jumbo trapper" that comes with a leather sheath and uses 1095 carbon steel for the blades. Alot of ranchers here in florida carry this knife. The knife shop where I hang out sells them as fast as he can get them to the local ranchers. GEC sells their model #23 which is almost identical to the MM and you can get all kinds of handle material and the tidioute or northfield versions use 1095 carbon as well. Any of those can be had for under 100.00 bucks. Hope that helps...Jim
 
wildmike said:
Check out the Great Eastern Cutlery patterns at collectorknives.com. Especialy the harness jacks.
Click to expand...


GEC stuff is traditional, beautiful, and very well-built, by all accounts. I hope to be getting something from them myself.
 
I would second the Moore Jumbo Trapper and sheath, hard to beat. But can't go wrong with a true Boker trapper either.
 
Thanks for all the ideas. The limit money wise is around 60-80. I would agree that ranchers are set in their ways with what they like. I know I couldn't get him a single blade spyderco which is the blade I love. Again, thanks guys.
 
I'm a big fan of the CV sodbuster, but that wouldn't be the best if he wants multiple blades. Looks like there are plenty of better recommendations in this thread already.
 
im gonna have to agree with the Case CV trapper or a Queen. Both with carbon steel and are great knives, though the Queen will need reprofiling to be good to go.
 
Great Eastern Cutlery would be a great way to go. 1095 blade steel and some good classic patterns. Case makes some nice looking knives too.

I would, though, like to ask how your f-i-l accomplishes the job of castrating cows. As a farmer who's worked with many a cow, I've yet to see a cow with oysters. :D
 
Damn I guess I had not come out of my food comma while writing that. I guess as a city boy converted to outdoor fanatic I still group both bull and cow under a main title cows so that my bad. Good catch though if I ever plan to get some respect as the city boy son in law I am going to have to change that habit.
 
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