The Perfect Slipjoint

Buzzbait

Buzzbait

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Joined
Feb 25, 2001
Messages
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I got to dreaming a bit this afternoon. Here’s my idea of the perfect slipjoint.

1. Matching stag scales
2. Stockman shape
3. Medium-large size
4. Large hollow ground clip blade
5. Large Wharncliffe blade instead of sheepsfoot blade
6. Flat chisel grind on the Wharncliffe blade
7. Small pen blade instead of spay blade
8. 52-100 carbon steel blades
9. Parallel aligned blades ala’ Buck
10. The walk and talk of an Old Timer
11. Lanyard ring on pen blade end
12. Titanium bolsters

So what do you think? What’s your idea of the perfect slipjoint? I’m playing with the idea of having one custom made.
 
Whittler pattern, coke bottle shaped, with split backsprings and about 4" unopened. Large clip, pen and small sheepfoot (or large coping) blades. Carbon steel blades. Nickle silver pins and bolsters. Smooth bone scales, natural color, aged look. Half stops on all blades.
 
Buzz, sounds like a nice knife. I'd like one too, the only things I would change are Trapper pattern and No hollow grind on the Clip point blade, nickle silver bolsters and no lanyard ring.

Yes, on the Stag and wharncliff instead of spey blade (I never could figure out a use for them?) And forged 52100 blades would make me very happy.

For me the Case/Bose Slimline Trapper came real close, but no stag. :(
 
Sounds like you've got pretty good taste, Buzzbait. I like all of it except that I'd probably prefer something a little more rust-resistant for the blades. It's way too humid in the summertime around where I'm living.:( Otherwise, I could do fine without the lanyard ring. I can go with either the sheepsfoot or wharncliffe, but I strongly approve of a pen blade instead of a spey. Go for it if you can get it!

Paul
 
Victorinox "Tinker", with BG-42 main and secondary blades, pocket clip, thumb stud and slim G10 scales.

JK
 
I own the perfect slip joint. It is a Bulldog lackback Canoe. It is 4" closed with a saber ground clip point blade. The only thing it needs is a thumb hole like a Spyderco to be truly perfect.
 
Here's my perfect slipjoint

1. Matching stag scales; really nice medium red jigged bone
2. Trapper shape
3. Medium-large size
4. Large hollow ground clip blade
5. Large Wharncliffe blade instead of sheepsfoot blade
6. Flat chisel grind on the Wharncliffe blade
7. BG-42 Steel
8. The walk and talk of an Old Timer
9. Nickel silver bolsters

Who do we talk to to get stuff like this made?
Lenny
 
I recently bought a 3 1/4" Doctor's pattern in tan Rogers bone, ATS34 clip and pen blades, nickle silver bolsters and liners, brass pins, and a limited production of 100. Pretty close to perfect, for me. It could have been scaled with India stag, and they wouldn't have had to match.
 
Well let's see......The perfect slipjoint would have to be .......

1. 4" to 4/14 " closed
2. Yellow linen micarta scales with nickle silver bolsters
3. 3 3/8" main drop point blade with sheffield swedge
4. 2 1/2" wharncliff blade with sheffeld swedge
5. double end blade design stockman pattern
6. Vg-10 blade steel flat ground
7. long pull on each blade
8. Stainless steel backsprings and liners.
9. rounded ends on bolsters.
10. (this one is really deaming) affordably priced.

I can see it now but I doubt anyone will ever make it. Oh well.
 
This is tough... my perfect slip-joint would be a serpentine stockman style:
1. Four inches closed.
2. Nickle-silver bolsters.
3. Asian Water-buffalo or black jigged bone handles.
4. 1095 or 52100 steel.
5. In-line closing.
6. Pen and Warncliff along with a hollow-ground main blade.
7. Stainless steel springs, pins, and liners.
8. Old-timer walk-n-talk.
Or, all of the above, but with:
1a. Stag handles.
2a. Brass bolsters, pins and liners.
Or maybe...
 
I already have several slipjoints that are just about perfect: one is a Queen/Robeson Boy Scout-Utility knife with an ATS-34 flatground spearpoint blade and beautiful redbone handles; the second is my Ray Cover Sr. large single blade Canoe with stag scales and an ATS-34 blade, this knife has superhuman walk and talk and the tightest tolerances I have ever seen on a slipjoint; third is a Paul Myers small single blade Gunstock pattern with a 2.5" clip point blade; the fourth place is a tie between my Queen/Robeson Teardrop Jack in amber bone and my Queen/ Schatt & Morgan Easy Opener Jack in worm grove green bone. One day I will post pictures of them.
 
Tightwad has a good point. Why doesn't anybody make slipjoints with Micarta slabs? I'd love to see a slipjoint done with the handles of a CRKT WASP. :)
 
I am going to be greedy and put two on my list since I collect doctor's knives and whittlers.

Some things they would have in common are bolsters integral with the liners. D-2, 3-V, or 52100 blades.
A serpentine split backspring whittler with a warncliff master and two coping blades and stag handles would be a gonner if I saw one.
I would also be a sucker for a doctor's knife with capped bolsters in black lip pearl.
 
Easy part is spec'ing what you want.

Hard part is coughing up the money, and choosing and then waiting for a great maker to produce.

In 52100, Bailey Bradshaw comes to mind. Why not go 3V though? It's tougher, holds an edge as well, and has just as fine a grain (of course all this is debateable).

In BG-42, there are a bunch of good makers... I know Chamblin does BG-42. Bose probably would (hell, they can send the blades to Bos), and Terry Davis is great. I don't think Shadley deviates much from ATS-34, jigged bone & MOP.

So who else would you guys have make your favorite slip joint?
 
There are a few in my collection and I have to say that I like them all. There is one Shadley in there and it is the most perfect knife in my collection. The most outstanding aspect is the fit with the backsprings and liners when both blades are closed or both open those pieces look like one piece of steel rather than five sandwiched together.
 
carbon steel blades...52100 sounds good,works great,too.
2 blades
1 clip point
1 wharny (seems like most of us agree on this one)
flat ground
definitely stag or some type of bone for scales.
bolsters? nickel silver.
>>easy open.some slip joints and lockbacks (mostly lockbacks) are hard for me to open. i want something easy to open,but will stay closed while in its sheath,or my pocket.
 
Let's see...

Good carbon steel blades(somthin' like 52100)
Large-medium size
Matching stag scales
Nickel silver bolsters
1 large clip point blade
1 medium sized wharcliffe blade
1 small-medium coping blade
Brass liners(a brass lined knife has smoother opening than a nickel silver one)
Heat-treated by Paul Bos
:eek: :eek:

:D :D

Jeff
 
Who would I have make a slipjoint-

Richard Rogers
Bailey Bradshaw
P.J. Tomes
Eugene Shadley
Joel Chamblin
-In no particular order-however; Richard Rogers and Bailey Bradshaw lead the pack IMHO!

I would get the blade steel in 3V or 10V.
4 blades- warncliffe, spey, clip, coping

Scales would be in desert ironwood.

The rest I would leave to the masters.:)

Daniel
 
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