The Quintessential Cadre

[Bigfattyt]

Can't.....

 

[Wild Willie]

I’m not sure I’d call that a kitchen knife. It’s more of a kitchen sword.

I will admit that it took some getting used to, but after my initial learning curve was over I wouldn't trade it for anything else. It's surprisingly responsive in the hand, and the extra length is really handy when you get into the bigger cutting tasks

 

[Prester John]

I will admit that it took some getting used to, but after my initial learning curve was over I wouldn't trade it for anything else. It's surprisingly responsive in the hand, and the extra length is really handy when you get into the bigger cutting tasks

I love a good chef's knife. Gotta get me a nice one. Bought a good German-made one for my daughter-in-law for Christmas, and now I want one!
Your four choices are excellent, by the way.

 

[Wild Willie]

I love a good chef's knife. Gotta get me a nice one. Bought a good German-made one for my daughter-in-law for Christmas, and now I want one!
Your four choices are excellent, by the way.

It is hard to beat a good chefs knife, and thank you for the compliment. I tried to be pragmatic over sentimental, I had a lot of fun thinking it over.

 

[Prester John]

Well, if I have to choose four, okay. I'll go with these:

The first three were easy--number four I had trouble with.

Starting on the right: if I had only one knife, it would be my Laguiole. Mine is from Honoré Durand, from the village of Laguiole. It has an olive wood handle and 14C28 stainless steel. It fits my hand perfectly, being 12cm long, and is perfect for food: sausage, cheese, bread, fruit, etc. I may replace it with a Laguiole with a corkscrew. It handles any other job a pocket knife might be called upon for. I would say it's in my pocket six days a week, for most of the day.

Next is the Opinel. Cost me $15, but what a knife! I have the standard No. 8, with beechwood handle and carbon steel. (I may replace it with one with olive wood and stainless steel.) It fits the hand very well. A No. 9 or 10 might fit better, but the No. 8 is a good compromise, and practically disappears in the pocket. Very lightweight. And slices like the dickens! And wonderfully proportioned. I usually tote it in the evening.

There are several other patterns I like, but I would have to put the Case trapper at the top of the list. The one pictured is the knife I bought a couple of years ago when I decided I wanted a nicer and larger pocket knife than what I was used to carrying. I have a smooth bone trapper too, but the jigged amber bone is "iconic." My number three knife, for sure.

Number four is where it gets difficult. My answer could change in a month--or a year--but for now I will go with a Schrade stockman. The stockman knife is a classic American pattern, with a perfect combination of blades. The one pictured is a 1982 Schrade Scrimshaw knife I got at a gun show in 2018.

Well, there you go: two French, two American. Ask me again next year!

Edit: There were three possible alternates to the stockman for number four: a Sambar stag lambsfoot (SFO of Jack Black); a Buck 110; or a Spanish navaja with a polished stag handle, by José Antonio Herreros Gomez. Could have gone with any of them.

And if I ever get an ivory-handled Bowie, that's number one!

 

[Wild Willie]

All good choices there!

 

[kamagong]

Only four knives? That's a tough one. With such a limited selection, each knife I choose would inhabit a different class. No overlap, I don't have that luxury.

For a belt knife I'd choose a Finnish puukko.

I'd want a good chopper. This khukuri will do. I'd also keep the bowie. Custom made per my request, it is perhaps my favorite knife I own.

Last, but certainly not least, is this stag GEC. A Father's Day gift from my wife and daughter, I treasure this knife above all others.

 

[cbach8tw]

How about I give up my serrated "Bread Knife" and we call it "good enough"?
Unlike "Chef Tony" I know how to slice a loaf of fresh baked bread without crushing it, and without a serrated blade, to boot.

(IMHO "Chef Tony" is no more a Chef than my cup of coffee or tea is.)

Would love to see how the bread cutting thing is done without crushing it....and without a serrated knife.

 

[cbach8tw]

Good for for thought, but just contemplating has been fun, but will not happen anytime soon. I will need to think about this some more and get back to you.

 

[cbach8tw]

Ok, had to remember to keep it traditional. Just a quick thought. Any one of two of my Hudson Bay knives by ML Knives, my USMC Kabar ( is that considered traditional? and because it was my first real big blade and love the lineage behind it ), my Alox SA Pioneer just for utility and convenience, and my Uncle Henry small serpentine stockman in staglon or any smaller three blade stockman since they fit just right in the pocket and they have three blades.

Mostly thinking of how utilitarian they are and what hit my mind without overthinking it...although my ML knives have to get some use this summer.

And since it is hard to narrow it down, I had to name some honorable mentions: some sort of Kephart, Buck 110 or 112. Would the Buck Slim Pros be traditional because of the pattern? There you go.

 

[dantzk8]

I'm not a collector but own more than 4 knives. I like them all for different reasons which make the choice impossible.
So i've chosen the 4 knives i use the most in a daily basis at maintaining my house made of wood and clay, built in 1798, at hiking in the surrounding forest, at making tool handles.

This one has been made by Rod Garcia, heavy duty knife, tough 3V steel, micarta handle. The strongest and toughest knife i've ever handled.

The Mora 106. Great carver. For light tasks.

The 99 and 47 Farm & Field. I do like wood and bone covers but i also appreciate Delrin and Micarta when used for tools, i mean when used with a familiar contempt.


Dan.

 

[sXePhenomenal]

Always love these threads!
After thinking and going back and forth with myself for a few minutes here are my 4 keepers right now.
1. My favorite knife for coming up on a couple years now Case/Bose trapper. Excellent carry knife in every way and it’s a perfect example of the model. Just bought a sweet new slip for it too!

2. GEC #42 Missouri trader love this classic backlock. Great all around knife. If you’re picking traditionals you got to have at least one backlock in there. Picking this over my 2dot 110 and LB7 was not easy. Thinking about darkening the wood

3. Schrade 153uh with Herman’s fantastic re handle in Sambar Stag. It’s incredibly ergonomic. Great skinning and outdoor knife.

4. Hardest choice of all lastly I’ll go a Schrade Walden 885uh. Hard to pick this over my Case/Bose premium stockman. Just like the 4” stockman pattern more. This one is a pretty low serial #8,497. Perfect build quality and my favorite design of all stockmen.

 

[black mamba]

A stunning foursome, sXe, each one stands tall by itself, but together they make a spectacular group.

 

[Just Tom.]

I made do with pretty much just the top 2 for many many years so I suppose I could again in a pinch. Since we get to pick 4 I would throw in the Opinel for general utility, and the Okapi because it is my too-large and impractical daily carry (most days), and I just like it for some reason. If I had to pick just one I would have to grudgingly go with the Opinel.

I am assuming for this exercise we are excluding kitchen knives.

 

[Old Engineer]

Wow Jeff , this is like asking which is my favorite child . I have approx. 50 knives that I have to keep and give back to the persons that Gifted them to me , so I would like to not count those . I will try to then just choose 4 from the rest of my stash .
# 4. At one time it was my Grail Knife 77 Barlow in Desert Ironwood

#3 . The First American Made Lambfoot and I really like a Lambfoot.

#2 . Really like Stag and Trappers and this one is Big And Gnarly on the Pile side .

# 1 . Really like Stag and Trappers and this was my First really good Stag and my First Trapper and a Gift from my Son . # 73



Harry

 

[Old Hunter]

I enjoy this type of thread, especially reading everyone’s choices and why they made their choice. Now Jeff said knives, so I’m not including hatchets, axes, mauls, lawn mover blades, Cavalry Sabres, or Roman Broadswords. As a hunter I need a good skinning and butchering fixed blade - my choice for many years is the Buck 118 (this particular one, my favorite, bought from Cal a number of years ago).

As a fisherman I need a good filet knife but I like one that does double duty as a large bird breasting knife (wild turkey, Canada goose, swan) - the old, thin blade Buck 121 Fisherman has filled that role perfectly.

I love a Stockman pattern knife and EDC one most days (not sure how many I own but surely north of 75). I lean to the medium frame nowadays, but for this thread I’m picking my first Stockman (Buck 301) because I carried it everyday for 18 years (starting my senior year in HS) and it was a gift from my long departed Grandma.

My fourth choice is the hardest for me - really got everything covered I must do with the above three. But I think a gentleman’s knife for light carry would be my choice. I have a decent number of them, but will go with a Case Senator, both to vary my brand choice and because it lies so flat in the pocket. OH

 

[Wild Willie]

I made do with pretty much just the top 2 for many many years so I suppose I could again in a pinch. Since we get to pick 4 I would throw in the Opinel for general utility, and the Okapi because it is my too-large and impractical daily carry (most days), and I just like it for some reason. If I had to pick just one I would have to grudgingly go with the Opinel.

I am assuming for this exercise we are excluding kitchen knives.

I included my favorite kitchen knife. What's more traditional than a good old sabatier?
I like your line up, that opinel has a pretty fantastic patina.

 

[Prester John]

I enjoy this type of thread, especially reading everyone’s choices and why they made their choice. Now Jeff said knives, so I’m not including hatchets, axes, mauls, lawn mover blades, Cavalry Sabres, or Roman Broadswords. As a hunter I need a good skinning and butchering fixed blade - my choice for many years is the Buck 118 (this particular one, my favorite, bought from Cal a number of years ago).

As a fisherman I need a good filet knife but I like one that does double duty as a large bird breasting knife (wild turkey, Canada goose, swan) - the old, thin blade Buck 121 Fisherman has filled that role perfectly.

I love a Stockman pattern knife and EDC one most days (not sure how many I own but surely north of 75). I lean to the medium frame nowadays, but for this thread I’m picking my first Stockman (Buck 301) because I carried it everyday for 18 years (starting my senior year in HS) and it was a gift from my long departed Grandma.

My fourth choice is the hardest for me - really got everything covered I must do with the above three. But I think a gentleman’s knife for light carry would be my choice. I have a decent number of them, but will go with a Case Senator, both to vary my brand choice and because it lies so flat in the pocket. OH

Three Bucks and a Case. Excellent choices.
(I use the 121 to carve our turkeys.)

 

[Augie]

Hard to narrow down but all 4 are vintage and appeal to me due to aesthetics and rarity. All 4 are high condition.

An unused Joseph Rodgers stag Congress,






A slime graceful Challenge stag whittler,






A Schrade Walden stag Congress, Schrade made very few knives in stag,





And finally since the Barlow is one of my favorite patterns, an unused Case Tested Barlow with some of the best bone I have ever seen on a Barlow,

 

[Old Hunter]

Prester John - thanks!
Augie - you're carrying a knife museum in your pockets! Nice.

OH