Tired of tactical, looking for a good large size more traditional folder..... help?

H

Hawgsnawt

Joined
Aug 16, 2015
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I'm just done with the tactical knife thing for awhile... I have MANY more knives than i'l.l be able to carry and use in my lifetime..... but now days I'm feeling a good LARGER more traditional style knife....

Now, I know NOTHING about traditional style knives, but I know I've seen a few over the years that have caught my eye....

I know the Buck 110, theres one made by Boker?.... though I don't know the name of it so I can't research it to buy....

You guys are a wealth of info, show me some larger style more traditional type folders please.... lock backs, slip joints, liner locks....as long as its hand filling and beefy!

Schrade? Old Timer? Case? I'd love to see pics or just hear suggestions....
 
Have a look on A G Russell's web site. He has some large traditional-styled folders wearing his brand, both slipjoints and lockbacks. Queen and some other companies make a larger traditional pattern called the Mountain Man. GEC and their "family" make traditional folders in all sizes. Puma makes more traditionally styled lockbacks, and Fallkniven makes some in liner locks and maybe in lockbacks, too (can't remember for sure). Case and Browning both deal in larger traditional lockbacks. Then there's the Buck 112 if you want a 110 in a 3" blade.

If you want unique, there's a ton of highly skilled and talented makers right here on BF. Just look in the Traditional F/S subforum.
 
The GEC #42 (Missouri Trapper or Trader) is my favorite larger slip joint. It's 4.25" closed. Tried the #23, but felt it was just a tad too large for me.

The Madison Barlow is made on the same frame in the Northwoods line from KSF.
 
What you want is a Queen City #01 Sway Belly. 4 1/4" closed with a long clip and a full size spey. Nice deep jigged bone and a tall ergonomic handle shape. 1095 was used for the blades.
Photos:


 
When it comes to traditional knives, I generally consider anything over 4" closed to be on the larger side. Personally, I like my traditionals as companion folders next to a modern one-hander, so my 'sweet spot' is around 3.5" closed.

Here's a couple over 4" closed that might fit the bill*. The thing about Case is they offer plenty of variety, so if you see a pattern you like, look around and you might find the same knife with a different scale/colour/shield pattern you like more.

copper01_zpsyde0scfv.jpg

Case Copperlock SS in Kaleidoscope Caribbean Blue Bone (4.25" closed)

casebp01_zpsq4xe00pc.jpg

Case BackPocket SS in Molasses jigged bone (4.6" closed)

Good luck, OP! :)

-Brett

*Maybe not super beefy but either could tackle any task I'd expect from a folding knife
 
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Spend some time on the traditional forum. You'll find everything you want to know and meet some great people in the process...
 
4" closed length seems to be the general consensus on the break point for large versus medium sized traditional knives.
 
was actually looking to the larger side of that... Boker makes a 5.25 inch closed folder, and so does Schrade.... not sure what either of them are called, but saw a picture in another thread a week or so ago and cant find it again now....that size looked.... big enough to compensate for a lack of tactical doohickies.....

Buck 110 is about the smallest knife I'd really consider..... I want one of those that has to be carried on the belt in the well used oiled leather flap sheath!

found these pics on the web...


 
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They actually make that schrade in a one and two blade model. I will get a model number tomorrow for both of them.
 
I used the Schrade 250T for years as my dominant field knife and often used it hunting. This is the two blade version of the pictured one above. I really like that knife, but it is heavy unless you carry it in the belt sheath/pouch.

I believe the Queen Mountain Man is about 4.5" closed. It is a pretty big knife, but you can still carry it in your pocket comfortably due to the thinness. The GEC #23 is 4.5" closed. I have a couple of them.

The Grand Daddy Barlows are around 5.5" closed. I have a couple of those, but they are too big for me.
 
a custom one. give clear instructions:

1. no pocket clip
2. no thumb hole
3. no thumb stud
4. no thumb disk
5. no wave
6. no nail nick
 
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Elephant toe nail. Great work horses. If you can find one made by GEC - those are beasts! They are discontinued and might be bit pricey though. In the same pic is GEC Tejas camp knife.
 
The Buck 110 with a drop point blade looks and feels about 2 feet longer than the standard clip point blade. Not sure why, but it does. You can find them new with and without a nail nick and in 420HC, S30V, CPM-154 and 5160. These are good days to be shopping for a 110!
 
Look up Buck custom shop if you're leaning toward that side, some beauties there... :D
 
Hands down buck 110 all the way, but if you prefer carbon steel is go with the case 2 blade folding hunter or the full sized sodbuster.
 
well, after a few hours of researching suggestions and that leading me to other ideas and thoughts and blah blah blah.... I ended up ordering 2 new knives!

The first being a break in to a buck 110 with just enough tactical feel so as to be something I can use when I start to get that tactical itch again without backtracking completely...

Its a Kabar 110 clone.... G10 handles, pocket clip and thumb stud... I rather like it as a middle of the road option just to sort of get my feet wet so to speak




The second is a Boker with Buckskin Bone, no studs, no clips... comes with leather belt sheath... should satisfy that traditional itch for the time being... went with the Boker over the other available offerings from Case, Schrade, even some old stock Camillius and Kabars in the same pattern.....because the Boker had high carbon steel blades and the others were all stainless.... and I know I can get high carbon to take a scary sharp edge....most stainless does not sharpen well for me for some reason.....could be that I'm only familiar with low end stainless which WON'T get sharp /shrug

My intention is to keep the larger blade working sharp and use it for just about everything and reserve the smaller blade at a scary sharp level for use only when you need something truly wickedly scalpel sharp...



For the record, the elephant toe has made it on my short list and i'll own one before Christmas...I even found a GEC model on a popular auction sight, but it was already bid up beyond my comfort zone for a sight unseen blade in a style that's so new to me.... I may come to regret not joining the fray on it.... but I think at least for now, I'll settle with these 2 that I have....save up for a custom buck 110....and watch for an elephant toe to come by at the opportune moment when I can strike harder than my current budget allows.... I'm already 5 knives in so far this month and its only the 7th....lol
 
Hawgsnawt said:
well, after a few hours of researching suggestions and that leading me to other ideas and thoughts and blah blah blah.... I ended up ordering 2 new knives!

The first being a break in to a buck 110 with just enough tactical feel so as to be something I can use when I start to get that tactical itch again without backtracking completely...

Its a Kabar 110 clone.... G10 handles, pocket clip and thumb stud... I rather like it as a middle of the road option just to sort of get my feet wet so to speak




The second is a Boker with Buckskin Bone, no studs, no clips... comes with leather belt sheath... should satisfy that traditional itch for the time being... went with the Boker over the other available offerings from Case, Schrade, even some old stock Camillius and Kabars in the same pattern.....because the Boker had high carbon steel blades and the others were all stainless.... and I know I can get high carbon to take a scary sharp edge....most stainless does not sharpen well for me for some reason.....could be that I'm only familiar with low end stainless which WON'T get sharp /shrug

My intention is to keep the larger blade working sharp and use it for just about everything and reserve the smaller blade at a scary sharp level for use only when you need something truly wickedly scalpel sharp...



For the record, the elephant toe has made it on my short list and i'll own one before Christmas...I even found a GEC model on a popular auction sight, but it was already bid up beyond my comfort zone for a sight unseen blade in a style that's so new to me.... I may come to regret not joining the fray on it.... but I think at least for now, I'll settle with these 2 that I have....save up for a custom buck 110....and watch for an elephant toe to come by at the opportune moment when I can strike harder than my current budget allows.... I'm already 5 knives in so far this month and its only the 7th....lol
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Congrats! I really like the boker it's gorgeous. I've been thinking of picking up a nice carbon steel traditional to carry around in my pocket every now and then. I always think of my grandpa when I see/hold any old timer or case knife.
 
Is there anything out there like that KA-BAR but with more traditional materials while retaining a thumb-stud and pocket clip? dare I even ask if there is a traditional styled knife that is a flipper or even an assisted open? I didn't wanna make my friends over at the traditional forum sick to their stomach with such a blasphemous request as I'm starting to quite like those guys over there. :D.
 
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