The Traditional Knife of 2016

[Jack Black]

No apologies needed P :thumbup:

Excellent points Jake, as I think you know, I am in full agreement :thumbup:

 

[JustinR]

I tried to pick a single knife for 2016, but that has proved to be difficult. I am a knife knut and am rarely without 3 slipjoints on my person. These are my 3 for 2016:



Charlie has produced many beautiful and elegant knives in collaboration with GEC but this remains my favorite. The size is about perfect for me, I love the long slim clip main and the very utilitarian pen blade that has a really nice length to it. I have always liked the trapper pattern but the spey blade is one of my least used blade shapes. I've carried single blade trappers for years but this particular knife really resonated with me. The jigging on this run was probably some of my favorite GEC has ever done. To make it perfect, it should be paired with a sheepsfoot behind the main to give you a plus sized Schrade 893.




I was late to the 33 conductor party. When they first released, I had not yet discovered the elegance of the single spring. Wow was I wrong. I carry this guy in my shirt pocket every single day. It is in the sweet spot of not to big yet not to small. The coping is like a scalpel and allows me to make short work of clamshell packaging. The blades nest perfectly and there is no rub. The frame itself is just pleasing to the eye, I appreciate the shield less chunk of ebony and touch of class the threaded bolsters provide. I think it rivals the eureka pattern as the most visually appealing. I'm actively hunting for another in stag to let it develop that pocket worn buttery goodness.



I've read for years about the quality that came out of the hen and rooster plant prior to A. G. Russell's sale of the company. When I found this one listed on his site after he bought a large collection, I had to make my move. Made in the 1950s according to his estimate and distributed by Gutmann. This knife has no flaws. The blades have the best pulls I have ever experienced. They nest perfectly and have no lateral movement. It came with a mirror polish inside and out and my 9 months of carry have added some nice patina to it. The stag is fitted perfectly and the backsprings have no gaps and would probably hold water. I'm now up to 3 H&R congress knives and have a feeling I will own several more.



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[Jack Black]

Nice knives Justin, but which one is your KNIFE of 2016? :thumbup:

 

[SVTFreak]

Well, 2016 was a great year for me. Even in the aftermath of my house flooding, it's all been a blessing.

Some highlights of knives that came to my possession in 2016 is this blue as-ground case as a gift from Randy. He admired my faith in Jesus not afraid to say it. And I appreciate him for it.



This year I found both a 12 forum knife and an 81 stockman.


[URL=http://s1196.photobucket.com/user/svtfreak1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/B8F692FE-65B5-426B-B2B4-81BC5169003C.jpg.html]

One of the highlights of the year was getting married. I had Todd Davison make me an ivory jack to commemorate the occasion.

I picked up a few other knives this year worth mentioning, including a bog oak Davison from Jake and a double blade Davison from another forum member.

But the one knife that I will say is my knife of 2016 is this little 48 improved trapper. See, I paid fellow member and now friend Jake for it. He sent it out. While it was traveling here, I both found out that my brand new wife (see the ivory Davison) is pregnant. Not on purpose mind you. Also, 24 hours later, our home flooded. 12" of swamp water. When Jake found out, he immediately refunded my money and still won't accept payment for it yet demanded I keep it. Made me promise to give it to that little one that's on the way, which we found out will be my first and only boy. This knife is the first thing someone gave me because of the flood. It was what he could do for me. Someone I've never met and now have the pleasure of calling a friend. The knife reminds me of that and also reminds me that the Lord has plans for us all and bad times are like a potters clay. The Father sometimes has to beat us down and add water to mold us into perfection that he desires for us. Because of that flood, my family is in a better place now than we would have been, and the knife that Jake gave me reminds me daily of exactly that.

So, thanks, again, Jake. And don't worry. This little ebony 48 will go to baby Ethan. I'll teach him about both Jesus, how life lows are good places to start starting over and how even strangers can be good friends.

 

[Will Power]

Nice knives Justin, but which one is your KNIFE of 2016? :thumbup:

I'll take the liberty of answering for him Got to be that Hen & Rooster, even if I'm no great Congress fan, but that one looks just the job.

Mind you, the other two are not exactly poverty examples either

Thanks, Will

 

[supratentorial]

Excellent points Jake, as I think you know, I am in full agreement :thumbup:

Thank you, Jack.

 

[plk7]

Jack,

Count me among those who enjoy this thread every year! I have looked forward to this thread since early December, 2015-- because I knew then what would be confirmed through these past 12 months, that my knife of 2016 had found me.

However, the last quarter of this year has been full of surprises and overturn in my little knifely life, revelations compelling reconsiderations. My Top Knife abides, but first here are the runners-up, the catalysts three, in chronological order:

While at GEC's 2016 Rendezvous, reveling in all things Great Eastern Cutlery, I was approached (ambushed! enticed! teased!) by Parke1, who showed me a certain Wostenholm and said he thought I might like it:

At first glance, I thought it was 'very fine,' and kept moving. Over the next days the knife kept calling me back; Parke1 and I made arrangements, and it become mine. Of all its charms, this proved most irresistible:

(Swoon.)

In array:

[The Northfield at the far right would possibly pip the Wostenholm, were it a user....]

The Overturn: The character, sturdiness, and indefinable mojo of this Wostenholm IXL Barlow casts my newer knives in a noveau kewl light in comparison, much as I still esteem them, and prompted the beginnings of the pare-down of my personal selection/collection as I return to the essence of what first drew me to traditional knives, and evaluate in real-time what holds me still.

Best Runner-Up of Ever(!):
A friend sent me word that a certain Whaler was floating by, and I was, am, astonished to have landed this one:

I have long admired this knife in all its excess. I had no imagination for ever being able to find one at a price that made for peace, and then This.

The Overturn:
I spent more on this Whaler than I ever had for any knife, custom or production, and felt-- knew-- that I had been given a gift.
1) Unbeknownst to me, the now-broken price barrier poised me for the most dramatic o'erturn yet, and
2) I at once knew that I'd bumbled into my grail as far as a "collectible" knife, with an odd sense of completion on a front I didn't know existed. A puzzle, and a relief: having this Whaler here fills me full in an unexpected way, putting an end to wanting other production knives that I won't prefer or use more than the ones I already have-- and prompting me to release many knives that I had previously considered non-negotiably mine until kingdom come.

Runner-up #3, or AND THEN THIS HAPPENED:

This isn't my knife, and I don't want this knife, but I collided with this picture of this knife in a random off-topic subforum, and as I have written at length elsewhere, didn't my ever-lovin', blue-lovin' heart suffer what can best be described as an "episode," and it's been all kancamungus and Fiddleback for me ever since.

I suddenly have three Fiddleback knives, and attendant leather (oooooh, the leather):

The Overturn: I cannot explain, even to myself, my sudden and unreasonable(?) affection for these knives, over and against other knives and makers that I continue to love, but I do know that I am moved on a visceral level by the directness of their handmade production, the whimsy of their appointments, and the good hearts and company of those who make the knives (and the craftsmen who make their sheaths), the responsive and enthusiastic vendors who are an active part of the Fiddleback community, the whole sheboodle.

The Patch Knife is my first and most comfortably-handled of the three, the little Stubby Muk will likely prove the most trouble going forward in a WLST® sort of way, but I'm designating the Esquire as my Official 2016 Runner-Up here, simply because I carry it every day, in a cross-draw belt sheath or APS pocket sheath.

The Fiddleback Effect has had a significant impact here in 2016, and I anticipate further consequence in 2017. I am culling my collection(s) hard, with an eye towards simplicity but also with a new-found appreciation for that which is handmade, extending even to other areas of my life and possessions (dishware, furniture, etc.). I am cognizant of the turn for Home, and it's time to distill what I have and use down to the best I can manage.


My Traditional Knife of 2016:







It was always you.

... When one's favorite production company makes a favorite pattern in a favorite color, one does well to pay attention. My default preferences are for two-bladed jack knives with clip mains, but this sheepfoot single-bladed overbuilt Weird Little Stubby Thing® quietly and pervasively made its case as Mine from the moment it arrived, and I have carried it every single day in 2016,* no rules, compulsion, deliberation or Only One! guidelines required. It's mine, and it's with me.

[*Save for the two days it spent at the dentist's after it slid out of my pocket there, and I couldn't immediately return to retrieve it. ]

Thanks, Jack!

~ P.

Informed you in private not more than an hour or two ago that I expected to be offline in the short-term, and yet as often happens, here I am. I sure am glad I stopped by to take a quick look around! Thanks for taking us (me) through a satisfying journey of the past year using photos and, of course, your words. You really make the Porch a special place to visit for many of us.

 

[plk7]

These are two of my favorite knives o bought this year, the rendezvous knife actually really surprised me as how much I like it. But to pick one knives that has not only been in my pocket far more than the others and defined as "my knife" "dad's knife". Would have to be this one. GEC #38 American whittler

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If we can count other people's knives, your #38 is probably my Knife of 2016. It floors me every time I see it; the covers by themselves, and in combo with the shield, are just perfect. Hoping you get many good years of use and enjoyment out of it.

 

[flatblackcapo]

This was a hard hard decision but I finally made it. My 2016 knife, the one that pleasantly surprised me the most, is this Winchester "Black Box" 3907 split back whittler. I purchased this one thinking it would be a good user at affordable price and I was right but I was very pleased to discover that it was also a beautifully made gem of cutlery.

 

[flatblackcapo]

Delectable in size and proportion, with a pinned federal shield, beautiful bone and a tapered, full sheepsfoot blade...

~ P.

Beautiful.....just beautiful, Sarah!

 

[WhittlinAway]

Jack, this is a wonderful thread you're hosting, my friend! I've thoroughly enjoyed reading through all of the posts. Thank you everyone for sharing.

I rang in 2016 as a pocket knife neophyte in search of a good knife for whittling, having decided between Thanksgiving and Christmas to try my hand at it as a new hobby. Internet searching for "best knife for whittling" or something to that effect led me here to the Porch, and I'm so glad it did. I've learned much about many things from you kind folks and I'm very happy to be able to participate here.

I have since realized, of course, that there is no such thing as "the best whittling knife". I was fortunate, however, to discover two knives during 2016 that are very well suited for me, my hands, my aesthetic tastes, and the style of whittling that I've discovered that I enjoy.

The first is my Schrade USA 34OT. When I first purchased it, I thought it might be a tad too small, but after carrying it for a few days I realized it was just right. The only problem was that I really wanted a pen blade instead of the spey. In a thread here I asked for recommendations for a next knife and also asked whether it would be possible to modify the spey blade into a pen. Thanks to the kind encouragement of lutejones and Mr. Chips and some great help from the MT&E subforum, I gave it a try and ended up with a pen blade that I was very happy with. I also gave a bit of a Wharncliffe treatment to the sheepsfoot blade so that it rode lower in the frame and was pointier for three-cut chip cuts. This experience opened my eyes and taught me to endeavor to see knives not only as they are, but as they could be.

The other is this Camillus 72 that I purchased on the exchange. I admire lutejones' whittling very much and he had mentioned that he really liked the Case 6383, which has a small clip blade. So when I saw the Camillus 72, sporting a small clip, come up for sale at a very reasonable price, I jumped on it with the intention of trying out the small clip and then seeking at 6383 in CV if I liked it. A funny thing happened, though. I did end up buying a Case 6383 from my birth year--which some day I fully intended to sharpen, carry, and whittle with--but I like the Camillus 72 so much that I'm in no hurry to do that. At least for the foreseeable future, this is my whittling knife.

I seriously considered making one of these my 2016 Knife of the Year. They are both worthy contenders: trusted companions, frequent carries, and have shaped how I view the world of traditional pocket knives. But, there is another.

In early June both r8shell and Jack posted stunning pictures of their lambsfoot knives in the Totin' thread. r8shell's was in rosewood and Jack's was his special buffalo that he mentioned in his 2016 KotY post. I respect Jack and had been intrigued by his evangelism of lambsfoot knives a in few posts, but had no intention of getting my own. And then came that one-two punch of beautiful photos. I wanted one even though I didn't plan to whittle with it. Up until this point, my taste in pocket knives had been limited to those that I fancied for whittling. That's not to say that I didn't admire the other knives I saw posted here--I most certainly did--I just didn't think they were for me.

Soon thereafter, I ordered an A. Wright Lambsfoot in buffalo horn from Sheffield. In my naiveté I was initially disappointed that it had a couple of minor gaps between the liners and spring, not understanding the difference between a hand-made knife and the mass produced knives I'd handled in the past. It did not take long, though, to appreciate what a wonderful knife it is. It's a handsome, hard-working knife made for hard-working folk and available at a very reasonable price. And, oh, is it capable! I don't use it for whittling, but I use it for everything else: it's been in my pocket more during 2016 than any other knife and I expect it will see plenty of carry in 2017. Thank you Jack for introducing me to the pattern and for helping me to truly appreciate it.

Without further ado, in recognition for its role in expanding my appreciation, enthusiasm, and collection of traditional pocket knives beyond those I'd use for whittling and, more importantly, for teaching me that it is not necessary for something to be flawless to be perfectly suited to its purpose, my A. Wright & Son Buffalo Horn Lambsfoot is my 2016 Knife of the Year.

 

[Jack Black]

If we can count other people's knives, your #38 is probably my Knife of 2016. It floors me every time I see it; the covers by themselves, and in combo with the shield, are just perfect. Hoping you get many good years of use and enjoyment out of it.

:thumbup:

This was a hard hard decision but I finally made it. My 2016 knife, the one that pleasantly surprised me the most, is this Winchester "Black Box" 3907 split back whittler. I purchased this one thinking it would be a good user at affordable price and I was right but I was very pleased to discover that it was also a beautifully made gem of cutlery.

I always enjoy seeing the knives you post my friend, they clearly see a great deal of use, and are well chosen for that, having a real beauty to them in my opinion. I was almost surprised when you first posted the Winchester, but it's clearly seeing a good deal of use, and it looks absolutely great. Nice find :thumbup:

...Without further ado, in recognition for its role in expanding my appreciation, enthusiasm, and collection of traditional pocket knives beyond those I'd use for whittling and, more importantly, for teaching me that it is not necessary for something to be flawless to be perfectly suited to its purpose, my A. Wright & Son Buffalo Horn Lambsfoot is my 2016 Knife of the Year.

Great post Greg, and thanks for the kind words Have you only been here a year, seems like you have been sitting whittlin' on The Porch, and chewing the fat with the rest of us, forever?! Those are two great contenders, and I am so happy that you have found the Lambsfoot to your liking. It is always a treat to see your A.Wright in buffalo and to read your fantastic posts, which are always as thoughtful as they are generous :thumbup:

 

[liamstrain]

Pertinux - is that the stock leather for the Fiddlebacks? or did you have those made? I like.

L

 

[mikefromsac]

For me, it's this guy. Love my Case Carbon Mini- Sodbuster. Great patina.

 

[Old Hunter]

My knife of 2016 is really more of the same. I have long gravitated to the Case 18 frame and/or the Schrade USA 897UH, while owning and enjoying many other pocketknives. I bought this one (I think off of the classifieds here) early this year; it was NOS and a 1980 ten dot - I bought it to collect, not carry. Back in early November I was looking at it and figured what the hell, it ain't ever going to be worth enough money, if left in NOS condition, to even pay one house payment - why not enjoy using it? I've carried it a good six weeks now - it has pushed a much newer 6318 out of my pocket (the new one is being gifted to a friend later today). While this Ten Dot does the same job, it has the extra dimension to me of being a little more than a tool, it has an intrinsic value to me the other knife lacked. OH

 

[pertinux]

Informed you in private not more than an hour or two ago that I expected to be offline in the short-term, and yet as often happens, here I am. I sure am glad I stopped by to take a quick look around! Thanks for taking us (me) through a satisfying journey of the past year using photos and, of course, your words. You really make the Porch a special place to visit for many of us.

Thanks! I'm glad you swung by, if only to see that certain wee owl continues to grace my knives, my life.

Pertinux - is that the stock leather for the Fiddlebacks? or did you have those made? I like.

Fiddleback knives do not come with sheaths, ie, Fiddleback Forge ships them to direct customers and to vendors with cardboard blade covers only. Some vendors provide sheaths with the knives in their inventory, from JRE and the like. (If you are familiar at all with Blind Horse/LTWK knives, the sheaths are of that good quality and form.)

My sheaths are custom: the APS (Ambidextrous Pocket Sheath) sheaths are made by Diomedes Industries, sold directly and through Fiddleback Outpost; Rick Lowe made my cross-draw belt sheaths for me. All are BF supporting vendors/makers, and both DI and Rick Lowe have Fiddleback pattern forms (if not the knives themselves!) on hand for correct sizing. [Other sheathmakers require one to send the knife to them, which has its benefits but was not something I was up for at this point in time.]

One of the collateral benefits of my current Fiddleback Bender is that, pushed into the realm of custom sheathmakers, I am finally, finally finding workable ways to carry my fixed blades on my belt(s), not just in my pocketses-- as well as adding something more than a pocket slip for the rest of the time. Part of this for me is breaking the "sheath-knife-on-belt" barrier, something I couldn't have foreseen in my repertoire yay-many-years ago, but it's also the result of seeking out/paying for something other than worthy but "one-size-fits-most" options.

... I have now spent exponentially more on pants for my knives than I ever have for myself.

[I sometimes find myself hoping to find another knife I like, so I can justify working with the sheathmakers again to bring in more awesome leather.

]

~ P.

 

[Cambertree]

Great thread. I've very much enjoyed reading all your year-end posts and analysis of what you most liked about your traditional knife finds this year.

Last year I had meant to post, but every time I considered the contenders, it was too much of a dead heat of several worthy grail contender knives for me to choose between them.

This year has been more clear and much simpler to choose my Knife of 2016.

One of the things I enjoy about this thread is seeing the different motivations that inform all your collections.

I see Completionists who like to hold a whole array of variations of their favourite maker and patterns.

Then there are the Historical Delvers who lust for those lovely examples of the deep past of our culture's cutting tools, the older and more immaculate the better.

And there are, of course the Traders of The Marketplace, always hunting that grail on the horizon, furiously buying and selling to reach that esteemed piece of Platonic perfection they crave for.

My own motivation is as a humble user, looking for that Perfect Cutting Tool. In seeking that Knife, my journey is somewhat tempered by the fact that I have actually found almost perfect examples already, for my needs, in some categories of edged tools.

Consequently, I haven't acquired a great deal of knives this year.

I do not look for many fixed blades for hunting or camp use any more, nor do I seek many Stockman knives - one of my favourite patterns. In terms of kitchen knives, too, I am well served by some examples found from previous years' quests.

But those examples of past searching are fodder for another post, and have also been covered a bit in some previous posts.

So this year, my search for that perfect Traditional Cutting Tool has been a progression, in a way, of last year's 'grail quests'.

One thing I enjoy about this search is how my understanding and practical knowledge of different patterns and blade shapes changes and evolves along the way.

For example, last year, I'd decided that I wanted a two-bladed Jack, with one bellied blade - either a clip or drop point - and a straight edged secondary. My primo scores along that line were a Tidioute Muskrat 53 with clip and full 'sheepcliffe' blade; and a Northfield 77 Barlow with clip/Wharncliffe full blades also.

Given that one of my uses for pocket knives where firm grip is needed, is for carving slivers of tinder and feathersticking for campfires, as well as helping out with food prep sometimes at friend's places where their kitchen knives are unacceptably dull, I am quite focussed on handle comfort and ergonomics.




Despite the excellence of both these knives, neither have found their way into my pocket, as the spine of the closed straight blade is too obtrusive to be comfortable in my hand, when using the clip blade for more than a few minutes.

And this lovely 77 I got last year would have been ideal if the pen blade was a straight edged blade of some kind.



So I mention all that to show how this year, I was thinking that my Perfect User needs to have a really comfortable handle.

Armed with that knowledge, I acquired a few single blades.

These are some Honourable Mentions. (Note that one of the reasons I have slowed down in buying knives is I want to give each knife I attain a chance at some actual use, pocket carry, and multiple resharpenings before I judge it. Some of these, I am sure, are yet to be Great Pocket Carries in the future.)



In short, of all the above -

The linen micarta Coyote was, and is, a superbly shaped knife, but a wee bit too small to have been pocketed in my EDC selections this year. It is a shape that I think I'll be pursuing in one of GECs larger handle frames. Lately, I've been reconsidering its utility in light of r8shell's previous post in this thread, which talks about using it as a secondary, supplemental carry, along with some other larger knife, presumably with a belly.

The Sheepsfoot 25 EZ Open in Natural Stag is an example of a great knife which simply isn't used much because another knife fits that niche role too well - in this case, my 26 Li'l Carver. I look forward to using this superb knife more in the future.

The Chestnut and Tortoise-shell Acrylic 15s were my foray into sampling some stainless GEC single bladers. The Barn Chestnut seems a little soft on the Janka scale for daily use, compared to the harder and more durable cover timbers, like Ebony, African Blackwood, Cocobolo and Bloodwood.

The Tortoise-shell Acrylic in 440C was a very nice surprise contender: thanks, kysteve.

The spick n' span, squeaky clean Schrade 194OT I got in a sweet mixed lot deal from Orca8589, was another fine contender, with a snug liner lock, to boot.

The beautiful, Northfield Ben Hogan, Bloodwood 65, made me feel a little bit too much like a character in the HBO series, Deadwood, when I deployed it in public...sorta like I should be pickin' my teeth with it, or cleaning my fingernails menacingly! But it's a lovely knife, nonetheless, its design harking back in my mind to the late 18th - early 19th centuries, when a person had to carry their own eating and food prep knife.

Well, these, then, are my three runners-up:




The first is the most carried, and used of all the single bladers I tried throughout the year: the outstanding Farm & Field Orange Delrin 71 in O1 tool steel. This knife is sturdy, reliable -comfortable - as well as able to be pinched open easily, and takes a really fine, super-keen edge. In my hand, it feels like a souped up version of the Opinel No. 7 I carried for several years. I like everything about it and it gets a lot of use.




This Schrade 36OT was an utterly unexpected find. Just as I wish there were more two blade jacks around with clip main and straight edge secondary, I think the Saddleman, with a punch instead of the spey would be a really popular Stockman variant if resurrected again.



This lovely 51 Dogleg Jack in Birds-eye Maple, which came to me all the way from Sardinia, is an example of what Queen can do at their best. Feels great in hand, excellent easy walk n' talk, and superb, flowing lines. The edge needed a little attention, but I thin out and resharpen most of my knives when I get them anyway.

Perhaps one day I will regrind the pen into a small Wharncliffe or coping type profile.

___________________________


But there can only be one Knife of 2016, and for me it is this one:


Despite not being any great fan of spearpoint blades, this knife reminded me just how well they lay into the handle when closed, with just enough spine protruding for an easy pinch opening. Also, perhaps because of the ubiquity of SAKs, that familiar blade shape seems to raise few eyebrows when used in public.



After using quite a few single bladers this year, I decided that I prefer the heft and extra handle width of knives with two backsprings. And also that one of the reasons I use traditional knives anyway is the combination of two or more blade shapes or tools. The secondary bottle opener/screw driver/light prying tool is pure genius. The all steel frame and construction is a great combination with the beautiful colours and texture of the peach-seed jigged covers. The sturdy steel endcaps have already absorbed a couple of the inevitable drops onto concrete that bareheaded bone covers would probably have been cracked by.

I love the balance and worry-stone quality of this knife in my hand. This knife is a great cutter and apple peeler, has opened dozens of cold beverages, prepared and been used to consume more than a few meals, and served to poke and pry and lever on all those occasions when you know you shouldn't use your knife blade, but don't have a screwdriver or Leatherman at hand. Unless I'm heading out bush and take the 53 Stockman in its stead, it's always with me.

My Knife of 2016: the outstanding Tidioute Huckleberry Crownlifter 15 with Antique Yellow bone covers.


Cheers to all here for for making the Porch such a fun and special place to hang out, and let's do it all again next year! :thumbup:

 

[Jack Black]

Fantastic post Chin, a delight to read Thanks :thumbup:

 

[Cambertree]

Fantastic post Chin, a delight to read Thanks :thumbup:

Cheers Jack, better late than never. :thumbup:

 

[BigJim2x]

I have been enjoying all the posts and pictures and wanted to join in the fun. There have been a number of knives added to the collection this year but these two have been special for me although not unique. The Texas Camp Knife has already made several appearances.

Spring and summer find my leisure time camping and fishing. I have a long tradition with the scout pattern starting in the early ‘60s with my first knife – an official Cub Scout knife. For a number of years an old Camillus military issue has been my companion on many forays into the woods so when GEC was came out with the Camp Knife it was a no brainer. I love the size of the beast as well.

I have a number of Randall Made, the earliest a 6” Camp and Trail (#5) from the late ‘70s and have others to total a handful. Several years ago I decided a 5” #7 with a #6 grind would be the ideal knife for me so I ordered one. I expected it in the summer of ’15 but it didn’t arrive until March of this year.

Neither of these are daily carry, a 74 Mustang and a two bladed 79 sleeve board share those duties. I just added a spey bladed 15 from abiggs that will need some pocket time as well. Both the fixed blade #7 and the Texas Camp Knife are special to me for special times and I can’t choose so if it is to be just one each of you may decide for yourself.

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