Stockman Phase

Guyon

Guyon

Biscuit Whisperer
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Mar 15, 2000
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As knife collectors/users, we all go through phases. My latest phase, Busse knives, may cripple me financially, but I sure am enjoying it. :D

Before that, it was stockman knives, my favorite pattern in a slipjoint. Nothing too fancy, mind you. Just some quality, functional knives that I have enjoyed carrying. The interest was brought on by my belated realization that Schrade had gone under before I had all the Old Timers and Uncle Henrys I wanted. There was a hunting/fishing knife or two on that wish list, but mostly, I bought a number of Schrade stockman knives.

Here are the 16 I picked up. Thought some folks here might like to see them. Like I said, no fancy customs. Just honest, working knives. Oddly enough, while I originally went after Schrades, the first five knives in the top row get the most carry time (Queen, Cases, S&M, Moore Maker). Go figure.

Stockman.jpg


Top row: Queen Cattle King (stag, D2), Case 6375 (amber bone, CV), Case 6.5375 (bonestag, CV), Schatt & Morgan (green bone, ATS-34), Moore Maker 5301 (yellow bone, carbon), Buck 301 (plastic, 420HC), Schrade TM-5 Rancher (bone, Schrade+), Schrade TM-1 Farmer (bone, Schrade+)

Bottom row: Schrade Special Edition (bone, Schrade+), Schrade 8OT (delrin, carbon), Schrade 885UH ("Old Timer" delrin scales, Schrade+), Schrade 8OT Future Farmers of America/Farmer's Pride (delrin, carbon), Schrade 885UH (delrin, Schrade+), Schrade 897UH (delrin, Schrade+), Schrade 834UH (delrin, Schrade+), Schrade 84OT (delrin, carbon)

I also picked up a big old Schrade 858 that had been pretty abused. Still haven't finished reprofiling and polishing that one though.

Edited item numbers.
 
Wow. An excellent collection, Guyon, most excellent. Maybe Busse will come out with a stockman and you will be in tall cotton;)
 
Thomason said:
Wow. An excellent collection, Guyon, most excellent. Maybe Busse will come out with a stockman and you will be in tall cotton;)
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Tall cotton, indeed. :thumbup:

However, just seeing the long-heralded, seemingly fabled Busse folder would be akin to spotting a mermaid perched sidesaddle on a unicorn.

A Busse stockman? Well, a man can dream... :D
 
I am still in my stockman phase.

Of my collection and your's, the overlaps are the 2 Case CVs, the Buck 301 and the Schatt & Morgan (if you remember, we had a brief discussion on this some time back). Great minds think alike?

While I am often tempted by the more modern/tactical folder types, stockman have a special place in my heart.
 
Nice collection, Guyon. :thumbup:
Have you used them for some test cutting?
If yes, how does the Case compare to the Queen Cattle King as a user?
 
Guyon said:
Top row: Queen Cattle King (stag, D2), Case 6.5375 (amber bone, CV), Case 6375 (bonestag, CV)
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Not to be a total nitpicker, but I think you've switched the model numbers on the two Case knives in the top row. The Amber Bone is the 6375 and the Bonestag is the 6.5375. :D
 
airyq said:
I am still in my stockman phase.

Of my collection and your's, the overlaps are the 2 Case CVs, the Buck 301 and the Schatt & Morgan (if you remember, we had a brief discussion on this some time back). Great minds think alike?

While I am often tempted by the more modern/tactical folder types, stockman have a special place in my heart.
Click to expand...

I do remember. Are you liking the S&M a little more these days? I remember you had some mixed feelings about it. For me, that ATS-34 is good stuff. Seems to have had a good heat treat and takes & keeps a great edge.

I also own and enjoy my share of 'tactical' folders--mostly BM or Spyderco. It was a question about a Spyderco Standard (which I still own) that drew me to this board way back when. :D The black folders don't come out quite as much, but I do occasionally slip a Spyderco Para or a BM 710 in my pocket when I want something a little bigger. One knife that is seeing more pocket time is my Spyderco UK Penknife. That little slipjoint takes a wicked edge.

littleknife said:
Nice collection, Guyon.
Have you used them for some test cutting?
If yes, how does the Case compare to the Queen Cattle King as a user?
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No real testing to speak of, littleknife. As far as comparisons though, the two knives are similar in size, both in hand and pocket. The Queen has much more pronounced walk and talk. The Queen's D2 also seems to require less touching up, though it was much harder to get sharp in the first place.

The Last Confederate said:
Not to be a total nitpicker, but I think you've switched the model numbers on the two Case knives in the top row. The Amber Bone is the 6375 and the Bonestag is the 6.5375. :D
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Yup, you're right. I swapped 'em. Going to edit the original post. Thanks. :thumbup:
 
Guyon,

No doubt that that S&M stockman is a good knife. I think that due to the price, I had unrealistic expectations.

I have since gotten the 2001 S&M large stockman, in 420HC, as well. Fit and finish of the large is equal to the ATS34 one, but the large was much cheaper, by about USD50.

We probably paid a premium for the ATS34 one, due to its age and the exoticness of ATS34. I wonder how much it would have cost when new?

I have not used either though, so I cannot comment on the edge holding of either :o.

My usual stockman usage needs are met by my Buck 301. In fact, I think that the Buck 301 is a much under rated knife. I particularly like the hollow grinds and satin finish, this a a refreshing change from the usual flat ground mirror polished blades that are the norm.

As you are a stockman user, you may want to give the Cold Steel ones a try. I have one, the fit and finish are about par for the course, not as bad as some would suggest. The "faux bone" handles are jigged delrin, which are not bad. Cold Steel should have just said delrin. Most would know what delrin is and what to expect but faux bone does lead one to imagine the worst, I certainly did. By all accounts, Carbon V is a good steel, certainly no worse than Case CV ;)
 
airyq said:
My usual stockman usage needs are met by my Buck 301. In fact, I think that the Buck 301 is a much under rated knife. I particularly like the hollow grinds and satin finish, this a a refreshing change from the usual flat ground mirror polished blades that are the norm.
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Nothing wrong with a Buck 301. You're right about the blade finish being a nice change of pace, and Buck gets a lot of mileage out of their 420HC heat treat. I have Buck 110's in a wide range of steels--440C, 425M, ATS-34, BG-42, S30V, and 420HC. (I think I have an ongoing 110 "phase." :D) When I want to strap on a sheath folder, I find myself picking up the 420HC as often as I do the other steels. Paul Bos doesn't mess around with heat treats. :thumbup:

airyq said:
As you are a stockman user, you may want to give the Cold Steel ones a try. I have one, the fit and finish are about par for the course, not as bad as some would suggest. The "faux bone" handles are jigged delrin, which are not bad. Cold Steel should have just said delrin. Most would know what delrin is and what to expect but faux bone does lead one to imagine the worst, I certainly did. By all accounts, Carbon V is a good steel, certainly no worse than Case CV ;)
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I had a Cold Steel stockman and wound up sending it back. Walk and talk was a little too soft for my tastes. Same thing happened with a Boker knife that I tried. Just the perils of buying via the internet, perhaps.

An oddity about that Cold Steel stockman was that the emblem was upside-down. It didn't match the picture on the box. I actually called Cold Steel to ask if I got a mutant and was told that the upside-down emblem was simply a screw-up at the plant. Since it was cosmetic, they didn't want to spend the money to recall/fix them.

I do agree that Carbon V is good stuff though. I have a CS Master Hunter in Carbon V, and it gets scary sharp. I may actually give the CS stockman another go one of these days. Maybe try a nice-looking Boker too.
 
My only complaint about my Buck 301 ia that the springs are a bit soft too. The Cold Steel one did not strike me as being particularly soft.

I have got the Boker red bones, one jigged and the other smooth. Both have soft springs. As they do not have half stops, both will open and close very easily. You may not like that.

And the Boker shield will drop off even if you are just playing around with the knive. Have had to glue both of mine back.
 
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