The half around the world Trapper.

[NirreBosse]

I will write a little about a case trapper mod 54.

It came to me as a gift from Anthony, Sunnyd , together with a stockman as typical american knifes to try. Im very glad and averwhelmed over his friendlyness as this sort of knifes isnt aviable here in Sweden. He made me a lucky man for sure.
I started of with the stockman and even though that one still residences in my frontpocket I have started to carry the Trapper as well. Posts here in the forums about trapper history and trappers made me start to carry this daily one week ago.

This trapper is a case mod 54 with stainless blades and backsprings. the handle is made of reed jigged bone and is has a case xx shield. According to the letter from Anthony its made in 2002. Fit and finish is very good with no gaps in any parts. Walk and talk is stout without being stiff. No play wahtsoever in the blades and centered when closed.The pin shows itself and the thickness of it talks about a knife that will hold up for real use.
Its not a light slipjoint at 4 oz and its long 4 1/8. Ive tried to carry it in my frontpocket but it doesnt carry realy comfortable. I now carry it in my backpocket since I read about someone carry it that way. Im still not used to it but its a good place for a bigger knife.
The blades is stainless and was sharpened from Anthony to a nice sharpness, just to carry along. My use is still limited to kitchenduties and some cutting when I went to my small farm last weekend, but I can tell you that this pattern of knife was designed with focus on use more than carry. The disadvantages when folded in pocket transforms to real usefulness in the hand working. That clipblade has full capasity to do smallgame and fish and out of experience I would not hesitate to use it on a moose if nessisarry. The spay is a good foodblade as I see it. I know that the spay was intended to use for skinning smallgame but Ive learned that with a clipblade with a sharp point and see no reason to change that.

As this knife was a gift to give me something to carry this is what I will do.
For me its unice to have 2 new knifes the same time and it makes me a little confused to have that much new at the same time. It also gives me a curious taste in the mind that I want to try even more new patterns and materials.

Your american traditional slipjointpatterns is realy good users in real life and just not only gentlemans knifes. The trapper infact needs a rather big gentleman to carry smothely.

Bosse

 

[puukkoman]

Nice post! Glad to see you enjoy the trapper pattern (and traditional American slipjoints in general...). It's always been my favorite.

 

[ken erickson]

I enjoyed your review of the trapper! Very nice gesture on Antony's part! I enjoy threads like this as it showcases what a wonderful place this forum is.

Thanks!

 

[cj65]

If only pocket knives could be used as a diplomatic tool. It appears to me that it bonds people from nation to nation. We all have the same basic needs, wants and interests. Thanks for such an interesting post.

 

[smiling-knife]

Great post. Thanks Bosse for sharing your views on the knife and to Sunnyd for his generosity.

 

[sunnyd]

Hello Gents,

Thanks for the nice comments one and all. CJ65, A "diplimatic" gesture indeed.. Great idea.

.. The way it happened was I was reading some of NirreBosse's threads and posts here in the Traditional forum and he struck me as a fine fellow who seemed to possess quite a passion and really enjoyed using his knives for his camping, hunting and fishing activities very much like some I know and hang out with here in the western part of the world. After reading more and more of his stories which I thoroughly enjoyed, I became intrigued with his personal experiences and also realized that he had literally no access to any US made slippys. So, out of the blue one day I emailed him and asked him what his favorite/ideal folding knife might be like and describe it in regard to steel type, closed position length and kind of handle.. Well,, WITHOUT knowing it, he described a classic Stockman pattern with hi-carbon steel. After he told me, I asked if he would give me his address because I would like to send him a surprise package by post. The knives I sent were my two very favorite examples of traditional-slipps and the ones I grew up on as a kid...

Well, before I knew it, I received a cool little package myself half way around the world from Sweden with some very Swedish style traditional Scandi Grinds. This was unexpected and a most gracious gift as I had never had the opportunity to use these wonderful cutting tools before.. So you see, we(NirreBosse & myself) got to share one anothers cultures with each other in a way I believe we can both appreciate! I know speaking for myself, I felt my spirit sore and I possess a richer character now from the experience. I also know I have a new friend in Sweden and he has a new friend in Florida, USA.

NirreBosse,

I am pleased you are enjoying both the American built slip joints you received. I am also glad you are now getting a chance to use the Trapper now. I found the review here was good one and I agree with everything you said as well. It obvious you are putting your new knives to good use and I am glad of it. I appreciate you being able to rank them accordingly. I also do not like carrying Trappers in my front pocket, or any pocket as a rule because of the large size and hence I also find it uncomfortable. However, I do enjoy using the Trapper pattern for the exact same reasons. Its got the perfect amount of blade length, design and good stout structural integrity that I find perfect for my outdoor chores. I have resolved that problem with several types of belt sheaths. Bosse, perhaps you may benefit from this type of carry method as well as I find it quite practical with immediate, easy access and very comfortable to carry. Any simple and typical leather flap-over type sheath would work well as long as it fits..

Here is a custom Trapper pattern sheath in a leather open-top style. A nice member here, Gary G. hand made one of his G-2 sheaths for me..

Try a sheath on the belt and see if this makes the Trapper easier to EDC. :thumbup:


Anthony

 

[NirreBosse]

I have now lived with my trapper in pocket for another week and especially another weekend in the countryside.
The regular sized trapper is one fine farmersknife, I dont know if its any better than a lot of other knifes for hunting, but its one fine farmersknife!.
It has the heft of a big handle and the advantage in edgeholding that 2 blades give. Its not a wittlers knife but a good woodcarvers knife. The blades are thin but not flimsy. Thin and holowground. This gives the trapper a sharp feeling. Even when dull it cuts because of the low edgeangle. The blades also matches the pivotpin in a trustworthy way. The pin is kind of oversized in relation to what the blades can handle. This would probobly be possible to see in older trappers with much use still being tight in the pivot. Just a theory witch will take me years with this trapper to test for myself.

I can see the point in the trapperpattern to become popular in the early 1900s. People still lived in the countryside, working with farmestuff or being lumberjacks or in oilfields. They needed good knifes for actual cutting.
I imagine it was more usual in those days to cut lether, rope, wood, an occational chicken for dinner, all the way from living to table, and other things we still think of as natural but more seldom do in real life anymore. The spay was probobly in those days a more typically "needed" blade than it is today.

The size, heft and sturdy construktion of the trapper must have been appealing in the days of the great depression. A knife that you could bye and count on to hold together for a long period of use is appealing to poor men neding a good tool but not needing the expence of it.

Im very thankful to Anthony to give me the opportunity to try a knife like this and also the medium stockman. The part of the life i live outside town and work, fish and hunt in my farm or the mountaincottage will see a lot of use for this trapper. Its still small enough to carry if I know I will benefit from its size when Its time to use the knife. Right now I also carry it in the backpocket for every day use since I like it so damned much, but i prefer the smaller stockman for intown EDC because of its portobality.

This knife and the stockman kind of proves for me that its real use that have formed your traditional american slipjointpatterns to what they are. Its the usability in them that is the real beauty of them.

Bosse