The defining US pocket knife

[dsutton24]

No whittler? Interesting.

 

[Rsmith_77]

I suppose I should have made this a poll...

 

[Just Tom.]

While I don’t disagree with J jackknife ’s assessment of the 110 as a cultural phenomenon, it certainly wasn’t the first American large lockback hunter. I can’t remember what year this Sears catalog is from, but it predates the 110 by several decades at least:

Edit-
I found it. the catalog is from 1919:

Sears Roebuck and Co. : Hardware Catalog : Sears, Roebuck & Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

98 p., illus., 27.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Plenty of stockman knives on the previous page, too…

Sears Roebuck and Co. : Hardware Catalog : Sears, Roebuck & Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

98 p., illus., 27.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[GaiusJulius]

I thought about mentioning the Congress, just because it seemed to be a very popular pattern from the 1850s-70s, and lingering in the south for many decades beyond that. But it’s not really iconic in the way that, to me, the stockman is. If you saw a Frenchman you assume he’s carrying an opinel, laguiole, or something similarly shaped, single bladed, with wooden covers or handle. If you saw an American (abroad) or in any town, in 1950-1990, he’d probably be carrying a double blade penknife. If you saw an American in rural (wherever) odds were best he’d be carrying a ____ (stockman) is my vote. Single-end Jack might be second (encompasses a lot of patterns.)

 

[Drop bear]

While I don’t disagree with J jackknife ’s assessment of the 110 as a cultural phenomenon, it certainly wasn’t the first American large lockback hunter. I can’t remember what year this Sears catalog is from, but it predates the 110 by several decades at least:

Edit-
I found it. the catalog is from 1919:

Sears Roebuck and Co. : Hardware Catalog : Sears, Roebuck & Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

98 p., illus., 27.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Plenty of stockman knives on the previous page, too…

Sears Roebuck and Co. : Hardware Catalog : Sears, Roebuck & Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

98 p., illus., 27.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Ford also wasn't the first car

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

Anyways I can't just go to my local case dealer and examine and buy one or just order one is my point

Perhaps not but you never know. I walked into a pawnshop thats also a Case dealer, in one of the rotating displays was a beautiful red pocket worn corn cob barlow. It was around the time of the '19 vault release so assumed it was one of those. Turns out it was old stock,although I had to buy the display sans box. You can find them in the wild occasionally, but generally you're correct.

https://imgur.com/l0nRApY

 

[cbach8tw]

stockman or a Barlow.

 

[Rsmith_77]

Perhaps not but you never know. I walked into a pawnshop thats also a Case dealer, in one of the rotating displays was a beautiful red pocket worn corn cob barlow. It was around the time of the '19 vault release so assumed it was one of those. Turns out it was old stock,although I had to buy the display sans box. You can find them in the wild occasionally, but generally your correct.

https://imgur.com/l0nRApY

Noice

 

[Will Power]

Bowie

No such thing as a defining TRADITIONAL US pocket knife given this forum's definition of traditional. They all came from elsewhere or are a riff on another culture's pattern. If it wasn't restricted by traditional it'd be an easy answer...

Congress. According to many sources, including Levine, it is a pure American pattern, if I recall correctly.

I tend to agree with ALL the above. Bowie is the spirit of the Frontier, much copied and also much exported from England to an eager US market.

America's expanding frontier and exploding cities of the c19th/20th meant that pocket knife styles were adapted and copied from England, Germany and other European countries and adapted and manufactured for the American context.

The Congress certainly seems to be an American original, the name itself gives it away but its popularity and high profile has never been very strong it's a kind of anachronism due to blade duplication and not very good ergonomics-in my view anyway.

But my vote as it were, would go to a Stockman or Cattle knife as these 3 blade knives may have origins and early manufacturing in Europe(likewise Barlow) But they became widely carried, appreciated and used in the outdoors of America both for work related to agriculture and recreation. It has an association with the Cowboy who is the essential American myth and homegrown, thus it's the most iconic. Unlike the Trapper, it works well in varying sizes too.

 

[Will Power]

While I don’t disagree with J jackknife ’s assessment of the 110 as a cultural phenomenon, it certainly wasn’t the first American large lockback hunter. I can’t remember what year this Sears catalog is from, but it predates the 110 by several decades at least:

Edit-
I found it. the catalog is from 1919:

Sears Roebuck and Co. : Hardware Catalog : Sears, Roebuck & Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

98 p., illus., 27.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Plenty of stockman knives on the previous page, too…

Sears Roebuck and Co. : Hardware Catalog : Sears, Roebuck & Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

98 p., illus., 27.1 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

There's a good case to argue that the Lockback is the iconic American pattern or rather, type. Certainly around in the c19th although again they likely originated in France, England, Germany. Larger locking knives have been popular a long time it's true.

That's a superb catalogue , the previous page has numerous interesting knives, particularly interested by the large 2 blade Congress Sheepfoot/Pen with double bolster and the so called Flat Penknife with tip bolsters, these 'lost' or extinct patterns particularly attract me.

Thanks, Will

 

[buckthorn]

There's a good case to argue that the Lockback is the iconic American pattern or rather, type. Certainly around in the c19th although again they likely originated in France, England, Germany. Larger locking knives have been popular a long time it's true.

That's a superb catalogue , the previous page has numerous interesting knives, particularly interested by the large 2 blade Congress Sheepfoot/Pen with double bolster and the so called Flat Penknife with tip bolsters, these 'lost' or extinct patterns particularly attract me.

Thanks, Will

Maybe we’re seeking something that doesn’t exist. Perhaps we should nominate several representative styles rather than a single iconic style?

 

[Rsmith_77]

Maybe we’re seeking something that doesn’t exist. Perhaps we should nominate several representative styles rather than a single iconic style?

Hence...a discussion

You may be right
No consensus will be reached
But interesting nonetheless

 

[Arathol]

No mention of the BSA type scout/camper knife? Seems to me thats the one knife that everybody has had at least one of at some time, and that just about anybody in America can identify without trying.

 

[Hashishiin]

Of all the blade shapes and opening styles the one arm razor is the uniquely American Knife.

View attachment 2026983

Emerson, eat your heart out.

 

[Hashishiin]

Smith and Wesson is still selling a large number of the old snobby .38 revolver. Some things are just too good to go away.

"I just don't think this meets my standards, another, post haste."

 

[Henry Beige]

I think it all depends on the era. American knife trends have been a bit more fluid than the other side of the water. In the 1850's to 1870's, the most popular knife shipped west was the plain Jane Russells Barlow.

I am going to say stockman. But if I could see one of those Jane Russell barlows, I might be persuaded to change my mind. Va-va-voom!

 

[Old Engineer]

Henry Beige
Here you go Henry . Do Not know when this was made but John Russell started making them in 1875 in the U.S.A. Have no idea when the first Stockmans were made in the U.S.A.

Harry

 

[AdamFuzzyballs]

If you’re talking uniquely American, I’d argue Dexter-Russell should be considered. The oldest producer in America, and I can’t think of anything more symbolic than the trade knife/pioneer/mountain man image the wood handled butchers conjure up.

 

[helobite]

Henry Beige
Here you go Henry . Do Not know when this was made but John Russell started making them in 1875 in the U.S.A. Have no idea when the first Stockmans were made in the U.S.A.

Harry

Times have changed and memories faded. Even though the origin of the Barlow is debatable, there is no doubt the Russell Barlow was widely distributed, particularly in the pockets of farm boys through the 1920's. It was priced right, did its job, used up, and replacements easily found. For decades it would have been in many pockets


Colonial Pocket & Folding Knives – History of the Barlow Knife


What is a Barlow Knife?


I lost more Barlows than any other knife I purchased. I used to buy Western Barlows at Kmart. Inevitably they fell out of my pocket and I lost them. They were not free, but they were not over priced. Still, hated losing them.


To a Southern friend of mine, this is what he remembers being in men’s pockets, and seeing in the hands of the old guys whittling around the Court House Square.

no one will make one of these again,

at least not with a Johnny Reb on the shield.

 

[calm]

A Leatherman PST may qualify one day, as it is getting old enough - The Buck 110 is older but not by that much, and for many people alive today these two may bring more memories of parents/grandparents holding or using them than knives being popular ot iconic, for the masses, 50 or 100 years ago.