Texan pocket knives.

pipedreams308 said:
Nope. But, to my recollection, it was just the opposite 40 years ago. As a kid I remember way more Stockman knives and just a few trappers.
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What part of Oklahoma are you in?

Is the popularity of trappers tied more closely to the ranching parts of the state?
 
jackknife said:
So, it's been two and a half years now since Karen and I fled The Peoples Republik Of Maryland for our now adapted home state of Texas.

I've finally got used to the BBQ gun thing. Your best gun in a very nice hand tooled holster wit a matching belt. A lot of 1911 patterns with some nice old Colt or Ruger single action magnums thrown in.
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Some of the best folks I know are Texans and a bunch of you have posted here. I agree with GT it doesn't seem very long ago we were wishing Karen and you a safe journey. :eek:

I guess I've moved into the modern age of handguns as I recently sold everything but my Glock 23. The one I miss the most is my 1975 Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag I understand why the mag's are loved in Texas.

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From what I understand cattleman outwest prefer the trapper because of the longer Spey for castration and all round utility of a trapper. Cowboys prefer the belt sheath because of access while in the saddle. Idk if it’s the real reason this is what I’ve heard. I’m a horseless cattleman from back east and I lean toward a stockman for bovine vet work. Everyone I use a trapper around cattle I end up getting cut up!
 
The trapper at least to me just feels like a sturdy will work knife, and it has two full sized blades. Nothing wrong with a stockman but they often times don’t have the “heft” of a trapper and for me the trapper just fills my hand better. that’s my reason why they are more popular. I know the Vaquero style or Buckaroo style of riding often prefer a fixed blade for work. Handy to get to in a pinch when it’s worn in a crossdraw sheath. Any way thanks for the tales Jack Knife they are always a good read.
 
My wife and I were both born in Texas, Austin and Harlingen respectively, spent some time in Kalifornia, and have live in Texas, Austin, for the last 20 years. I've recently started getting into knives, but not for the sake of collecting them really. I don't live on a ranch. I do carry a knife (and a gun) every day, but I don't use either of my EDCs much. Instead, I'm starting to get into whittling, so my idea of an ideal collection of knives has changed drastically and recently. Early on, I was interested in the tacticals, sort of. Maybe "survival" or "camp" knives, but now I'm zeroing in on WHITTLING knives. That's something that I can do every day. Survival, camping, and defending myself are not things I do daily.

So, I have:
a couple of Moras
an Opinel #8
a small folding saw
a Swiss Army with lots of tools
a Buck 110
a Buck 112
a Buck 373 Trio (Chinese Cadet) Medium Stockman

I have a Case Yellow Large Stockman on order.

I'm looking at several Case Seahorse Whittlers. I would like to purchase a small hatchet, but with emphasis on whittling NOT survival.
 
I keep a Glock 23 for my traveling gun in my sedan while working, but I don't think I could get along without my woods bumming truck gun, a Ruger 44 MAG (or my Buck knives or a Stockman/Cattle Knife). When I was a boy in the mid-1960's I lived in west Texas (Odessa); I've got some Trappers, all nicely stored in their boxes or on display - rarely carry one. OH

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Gabriel Velasco said:
My wife and I were both born in Texas, Austin and Harlingen respectively, spent some time in Kalifornia, and have live in Texas, Austin, for the last 20 years. I've recently started getting into knives, but not for the sake of collecting them really. I don't live on a ranch. I do carry a knife (and a gun) every day, but I don't use either of my EDCs much. Instead, I'm starting to get into whittling, so my idea of an ideal collection of knives has changed drastically and recently. Early on, I was interested in the tacticals, sort of. Maybe "survival" or "camp" knives, but now I'm zeroing in on WHITTLING knives. That's something that I can do every day. Survival, camping, and defending myself are not things I do daily.

So, I have:
a couple of Moras
an Opinel #8
a small folding saw
a Swiss Army with lots of tools
a Buck 110
a Buck 112
a Buck 373 Trio (Chinese Cadet) Medium Stockman

I have a Case Yellow Large Stockman on order.

I'm looking at several Case Seahorse Whittlers. I would like to purchase a small hatchet, but with emphasis on whittling NOT survival.
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Wow, small world! My wife Karen and both her sisters grew up in Harlingen. This past year Karen and her middle sister Diane went to the 50th reunion of the Harlingen high school to meet up wth very old friends.
 
Well, I was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma and you just can't get more Okie than that but I moved away from there when I was 5 and haven't lived there again. I now live in Northeast California and this is a part of the state that has a lot of cattle and cowboys and cowgirls. The Warner Mountains run through the county I live in. I live on the West side of those mountains and the prevalent knife here is the stockman while in Ceaderville on the East side of those mountains just 18-miles away, the Trapper is prevalent as are small fixed blades usually with a blade 4 inches or less.

I was told by a Navy buddy who was born and raised in Texas that if you weren't born in Texas, you could never be a true Texan. I know that when I visit people in OK there is always some banter going on between those born in OK and those born in TX about all things OK and TX.

Glad to hear you've settled into your new town and digs Carl. Best to Karen by the way. She's still on the wife's and my prayer chain.
 
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r redden said:
Some of the best folks I know are Texans and a bunch of you have posted here. I agree with GT it doesn't seem very long ago we were wishing Karen and you a safe journey. :eek:

I guess I've moved into the modern age of handguns as I recently sold everything but my Glock 23. The one I miss the most is my 1975 Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag I understand why the mag's are loved in Texas.

SKh24nP.jpg
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A Glock over a Super Black Hawk! Elmer Keith must be spinning in his grave.
 
Man with no name said:
A Glock over a Super Black Hawk! Elmer Keith must be spinning in his grave.
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I must admit it was a sad day :( In the words of Paul Harvey "now for the rest of the story" I also had to sell my knife collection, tools and a bunch of other stuff but finding yourself broke, totally disabled homeless and alone at 64 causes you to do whatever it takes to get out of that mess. I hope and pray you never find yourself in that situation my friend.
 
This is a cool thread guys. I like hearing about parts of the country that I might not have the chance to get to. Especially when it involves what knives are popular in different regions :thumbsup:
 
r redden said:
I must admit it was a sad day :( In the words of Paul Harvey "now for the rest of the story" I also had to sell my knife collection, tools and a bunch of other stuff but finding yourself broke, totally disabled homeless and alone at 64 causes you to do whatever it takes to get out of that mess. I hope and pray you never find yourself in that situation my friend.
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Sorry that you fell,on hard times and glad that you were able to get through it. However, if push come to shove, I would have sold the Glock and kept the Super Black Hawk.
 
Man with no name said:
Sorry that you fell,on hard times and glad that you were able to get through it. However, if push come to shove, I would have sold the Glock and kept the Super Black Hawk.
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Ruger sold quick for much more money anyway the .40 caliber is easier to conceal carry.
 
I live in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. It seems like a Case trapper has always been the most popular knife around here followed by an Old Timer Stockman and a Buck 110. Alot of guys that i know still have a wife and kids here and they go off to Texas and work with the gas and oil industry and come home every so often and I have noticed more and more men with a trapper on a nice belt sheath. I'll run into an old friend in town and while talking to them notice the sheath and I'll ask them what kind of knife they have and it's always a Case trapper in a fancy sheath. So now I know. I guess the trapper in a sheath is spreading. Kind of nice to see a good new fad with an old traditional knife.
I've always thought a Trapper was ahead of it's time, it has a big bolster that can break glass before anyone ever heard of adding a glass breaker on a knife, and it was slim before anyone started slimming down knives and coming out with slim line versions. A delrin one starts around $35 give or take and a person can get one as nice as they want with the numerous varieties available. No need to wait for a custom shop version with the many flavors.
 
FarmKid said:
From what I understand cattleman outwest prefer the trapper because of the longer Spey for castration and all round utility of a trapper. Cowboys prefer the belt sheath because of access while in the saddle. Idk if it’s the real reason this is what I’ve heard. I’m a horseless cattleman from back east and I lean toward a stockman for bovine vet work. Everyone I use a trapper around cattle I end up getting cut up!
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I'm with you on that. I have never understood the long spey for cutting bull calves as what you are looking for is basically a folding scalpel. And I've got cut a number times using a traditional stockman spey. Holding a calf down while you go after his nuts with a knife isn't always that easy for some reason. I've used vet scalpels, rubber bands and clamps too but the last aren't as reliable as a knife.
 
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