top five traditional folders must have

OP, you have to at least start with yout Top 5

Mine -
Remingon Bullet 1123
Tony Bose Wharncliffe Trapper
Tony/Reese Backpocket
Winchester Cattle Knife w/ Punch
Sodbuster
 
Oh boy lessee.

I gotta have a Buck 300 series Stockman (like my 309 Wrangler). It's big and a bruiser!

But then I need something traditional with bone or stag scales like my somewhat smaller Boker Stockman, which is MUCH easier on the pocket.

My favorite boyscout/utility pattern is a rugged carbon/steel Kabar.

Then there's the carbon/steel Boker Electrician: gotta have either that or a TL-29 (or maybe a Klein, in a pinch).

Finally I know of no reason not to have an SAK, in my case Victorinox Tinker.


I've had various other patterns but these are my staples.
I mean, I like an old greenbone Parker Trapper as well as the next guy, but it doesn't quite make the top 5 for me.
 
SAK Soldier
Buck 300 series
Sodbuster
Old Timer 194
Camillus TL-29 pattern

(Bonus - Old imperial fish knife if you fish).

Although that's more of a user vs collector POV for me.
 
rarreola said:
specific like buck 110.
Click to expand...

Wow... you're tough!

Specific models of specific brands of specific sizes with specific steels.....

This thread will either be a really long one, or very short.

I would hate to see it devolve into Case large stockman vs. Queen large stockman vs. GEC large stockman vs.... well, you get the idea.

Some on must have "affordable user" list would be:

Queen DB Barlow
Old CASE or Old Boker large stockman in 1095
CASE peanut (Carbon only)
CASE/Queen/Schleiper (EYE brand) small sod buster
S&M large whittler

Those sizes and shapes are classics and should represent a good start to a traditional collection.

Robert
 
Tastes are subjective, and what may appeal to some won't appeal to others. For example, I hate spay blades. I like the stockman pattern, but if it has a pen blade rather than a spay blade, I'll like it 100 times more. I also don't really care for locking traditionals, or for that matter any single blade traditional. If I carry a locking blade, it's going to be a modern folder, with 1 hand opening and a pocket clip. And if I carry a traditional knife, it's going to have more than 1 blade, and at least one will be curved, and one will be straight. To me, the advantage of carrying a traditional pocket knife is having multiple blade types in a small package. Something like a Buck 110 or slimline trapper, although I can appreciate them aesthetically, will never find their way into my pocket.

That said, when it comes to "must have", only 2 specific knives come to mind. A Victorinox Soldier/Pioneer, because it's almost infinitely useful. Until you've carried a knife with a quality reamer you'll never realize just how handy it can be for handyman, around-the-house/shop tasks. And it'll open your beers when the day is done. The other knife is the Case Sway Back Jack. This is based more on my opinion than empirical usefulness, but it's just so damn nice a knife that I believe everybody who likes pocket knives should at least handle one, if not own one.

It's also my opinion that everybody should have a stockman, whittler, or congress with at least 3 different blades - whatever their preference. So many people, even knife enthusiasts, don't know how useful a 1" long sheepsfoot blade can be. If attacked by a rampaging gang of clamshell packaging, I'd rather have the sheepsfoot blade of a humble stockman than a Sebenza, Strider SnG, or Lionsteel SR-1.
 
Some that I feel IMHO are standards for production slipjoints would be:
-Queen Dan Burke Barlow
-Cold Steel black delrin stockman (Camillus made)
-Queen Gunstock in D2
-Northwoods Scagel patterns
-Case Swayback Jack in CV
 
I'm pretty much with Planterz on this one. I saw this thread yesterday, but couldn't figure out what I was going to say and I'm still not sure what I should say. My thinking is that people will buy and collect what appeals to them and the concept that a collection should have 5 particular knives or types is artificially limiting and restrictive. There are brand collectors, and then there are type collectors and then there are poor souls like me that buy anything they like.

Unlike my friend above, I do like locking single blade traditionals and have several, but I do agree with him about the multibladed knife (I prefer the Camillus style carpenter's whittler to a stockman though) and the Case swayback jack.

What I like in my collection need not and should not be how I judge someone else's collection. Thus, my comments above should not be construed as what I think others should have. The whole questions sends me into a state of befuddlement (is that a word?). - Ed
 
5 shadow patterns marked : Dowell,Menefee , Hampton, or Bose (T or R)
-Vince
 
Case CV yellow Trapper.
Buck 110 Hunter.
GEC 25 Barlow.
Case 75 Stockman.
Case Sodbuster.

All Very hard working knives. :thumbup:
 
My must haves?

A Trapper pattern, my current Fave is a Schrade Old Timer 96ot Barehead.
A Stockman Buck 307 there.
A Barlow - a GEC Wharncliffe for me.
Some sort of Jack - in my EDC Rotation is a GEC Northfield Harness Jack.
And finally I'd think a Single Blade Hunter (locking or not ) mine is a 123ot Schrade.
 
For someone new to the world of traditionals, I would suggest getting one of each of the following patterns and use them for a year. Then you'll see what all of the fuss is about.

3 blade Stockman or whittler
1 blade Sodbuster
2 blade Penknife (under 3 1/2" closed)
Swiss army knife or Boy Scout Knife
2 blade Trapper

Have fun,

Rudd
 
Manufacturers are omitted.
The following would serve the non collector quite well.
It would have been an easy question to answer for the non collecting population.
For the collector this would only be a starting point.

* Pen knife
* Sodbuster
* Traditional Stockman
* Utility Knife ( 4 blade)
* Trapper or large Jack

The last entry could be switched to a folding hunter with a locking mechanism.

Again, the five choices is just a small portion of the numerous patterns to collect.
 
Rar,

Your question hints of the assumption that everyone is a generalist. Some collect only one maker or one model type. In my case being a specific collector, if I was going to maintain a small collection only, then I would want to carefully chose five classic examples of the compaines production over time. In my case that would eliminate lock blades and fixed blades and modern style knives. I would likely chose a large and small stockman, equal end trapper and same end trapper - thats four. For the fifth I would want something slightly uncommon, maybe one with an awl or a really spruced up two or three blade knife that you might call a special day knife. I might vary the blade metals if some choices had been or were available. Other folks collecting other companies,even just one, would likely have a broader choice of styles and steels, my chosen holy grail is actually somewhat limited in its offerings. But don't get me wrong, plenty of different styles to take care of slipjoint type day to day needs.

Five knives to take to a wilderness cabin to live out my days is a totally different set of standards.

300Bucks
 
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Large Stockman -- 4" or bigger
Large Trapper -- 4" or bigger
Harness Jack -- 4" or bigger
Barlow
Boy Scout type knife
Medium lockback

The brand/manufacture is not important as long as the knife is capable of handling any task it is called upon to do.
 
Case large CV trapper.
Case large CV stockman.
Cozy Glen single spring canoe, made by Queen.
Spear blade harness jack.
Case CV sodbuster.

James
 
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