The MOST Useful 4" Serpentine Stockman

[black mamba]

I find the four inch serpentine stockman to be just about the pinnacle of balance between usefulness and portability. Many knife users prefer knives in the 3.5 inch range for carrying, but these stockmen are slender and carry quite easily. With their combination of long and short, bellied and straight blades, they cover just about all bases. It is interesting to note the differences in blades, bolster treatments and scale materials available, and these are just the ones I own. Please post your own 4 inch stockmen, and point out which characteristics you like most.

From L-R: Moore Maker, Queen, S&M, Robeson, Rough Rider, Buck, Canal Street

The two most strikingly different ones here are the Buck, with it's sheepfoot at the odd end, and the Robeson repro, with the super slender clip blade. The Robeson and the S&M have a short, stout clip for their third blade, and the Moore Maker's is close to a pen. I like the long bolsters on the Canal Street, but wish they were threaded. Steels range from 440A > 420HC > 440C > ATS34 in stainless steels, and from 1095 > D2 in carbon.

The Moore Maker and the S&M are my favorites, but I enjoy them all. Let's hear what you think!!

 

[edbeau]

I also find the 4" Stockman a very useful knife. As a collector of Frontier Knives the 44 series is the 4" Stockman.

4431

The 44 Series

 

[Modoc ED]

I too like the 4" Stockman. Here is my Case 6392.

Case's 47 pattern comes in at 3 7/8" and is also very comfortable to carry and also useful. Almost impossible tell the difference between the 4" stockman and 3 7/8" stacokman when carrying them.

Nice knives Jeff and edbeau.

 

[black mamba]

Thanks for the pics, fellas. Edbeau, is the shield on the 44 series supposed to be a powder horn? I've never seen one in person.

Ed, the Case is gorgeous, and the only stockman I ever remember seeing with an EO cutout that large. I think I've seen a slight depression in the top line before, but never a full radiused cutout. A great feature with the blades sitting so low in the frame.

 

[Modoc ED]

Yeah Jeff, Case's 92 pattern had a nice cutout on both their 6392 (Stockman) and 6292 (Texas Jack) knives up through about 1979. They are very prominent (stand out).

 

[rockgolfer]

Very nice gentlemen. Jeff I am really starting to like that S&M, its got some great features and im really starting to enjoy those reverse worm grove covers :thumbup:

 

[edbeau]

Yes, the shield on the knives is a powder horn. The knives are Imperial Frontier Powder Horn series made by Camillus.

 

[Modoc ED]

4" Schrade 80T Old Timer.

 

[markpmc]

My latest best purchase was a Blue Robeson repro. It's nearly perfect and has become my daily carry in slacks. Pics later.

 

[Nixelplix]

I've got three, four inch stockman knives.

My favorite is the four blade J.A. Henckels stockman. I carry and use it all the time!

 

[black mamba]

Jeff, the S&M is a "real" wormgroove, not a reverse wormgroove. It's from 1999, series IX.

 

[rockgolfer]

Thanks for the correction Jeff. Some how I knew I was screwing that up.

Its just a wonderful looking knife, the kind of peach seed look with the worm grooves. Great coloring as well and the clip is a nice touch thanks for sharing the close up. Hmm maybe this will be the one that gets me to try out S&M and ATS 34. Wish this thread(or your first pic) had a 4 1/8" friend in for comparison

 

[black mamba]

Jeff, I'll put together a comparison shot tomorrow.

 

[zippofan]

I usually carry a shorter stockman pattern so I only have three 4", but I really like them!

Buck:

Ka-Bar (Canal Street):

Henckels:

 

[black mamba]

Lovin' the KaBar zippo, thanks for showing.

 

[zippofan]

Thanks Jeff! It's a nice carry too, surprised me as I thought it would be heavy in the pocket, but it's just right.

 

[knarfeng]

4" Stockman! My Favorite!

I gots

• 2 spring and three spring designs.
• 1095, 0170-6C & Carbon V (I have both), CV, 440C, D2, and 420HC
• bone, stag, wood, and plastic covers.

Oddly enough, my overall favorite flavor is a Buck 301.

• I like the 3 spring design. It provides for straight blades.
• I like what they do with 420HC.
• I like how they modified the layout of the blades. It's a right-hander's design. turn it one way and the nick for the clip is positioned just right. Turn it the other, and the sheepsfoot nick is positioned just right. The two most used blades are exactly where a righty like me wants them to be. (Leftys are not so well taken care of.)
• I like the precision of the manufacturing. No gaps in the springs and the springs are exactly flat in both opened and closed position. On average, they are better than those of most of my Case knives. Case knives are designed to be nicer, but overall, the actual manufacturing of my Bucks is more precise than that of my Case knives.
• Love the thicker blade spines with the thin edges.
• I love looking at those three straight blades sitting precisely straight next to each other.

 

[lambertiana]

Did someone say stockman?

Closeups of a few favorites

 

[midnight flyer]

I have more stockman patterns than any other that I use for work. This is my newest one and I love it. Queen D2, great fit and finish. But the reason I bought it was the rounded bolsters. This knife is a full 4", but with the bolsters as rounded as they are it carries like a much smaller knife. It is currently seeing a lot of pocket time.

Surprisingly, I got this knife as a gift from my niece about three or four years now if I remember correctly. I have absolutely used the heck out of it, and since I knew it wasn't an expensive knife, I had no qualms about giving it all the dirty jobs. It has not only held up exceptionally well, but hasn't worked loose anywhere and closes with great authority. Steel is quite good too, and the knife takes and holds a fine edge, so it sees a pretty good amount of pocket time. The steel is hard enough that after all its use, the blades are barely even scratched. I found this same knife on sale at the end of the Christmas season about three years ago and bought two more. For some reason it came with a sheepfoot that is much larger than the spey, so that makes it even more useful for me.

Hard for me to find a much better working pattern for my needs than a stockman. Lord only knows how many I have had over the years.

Robert

 

[Jack Black]

Nice pics fellers. Only 4" Stockman I have is this Boker Tree Brand