Traditional Carbon between Case and GEC

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bennyG19

Joined
Sep 22, 2007
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In the traditional carbon blade slipjoint world we all know and love Case and a lot of people have moved on to GEC and then customs. Since GECs are so hard to come by without paying a huge markup - what exists in that in between range that is nicer/more expensive than Case, maybe not up to GEC quality, but available for purchase? I’m looking for recommendations for a nice in between these two and not having a lot of luck. Boker or Otter make a few single blade patterns. Lionsteel makes some nice knives but none are carbon steel blades. I’d really love bone or wood handles and two blades, about 3 1/2 - 4” closed.
 
If you can find a Solingen made Boker, there are some single and multi-bladed offerings in carbon steel.

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I don't think there is, but I also know theres not much of a jump from a good example from Case and the average example from GEC.

the way I see it GEC is the middle ground between Case and custom.
 
If you are willing to go vintage, prewar Robeson, Cattaraugus, New York Knife Company, Russell, Vintage Schrade Walden, and most of the old Sheffield brands?
Vintage Queen and Schatt & Morgan, Our Very Best (OBV), pre GEC UN-X-LD and Tidioute, turn of the 19th/20th century Remington, PAL, and vintage Solingen Germany brands are worth looking at. Oh, and maybe the pre-1930 Hammer Brand, made before the KYKC bankruptcy & Imperial Schrade getting the brands.

The only more modern brand I can think of is CSC. I think they made some with carbon blades.
 
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Take a look at Bear & Son. Good prices, 1095 steel, and I think US made. They have some nice looking Barlows.
 
Case has two levels of knives with CV. Cheapest is the yellow handled ones. There are a lot of Queen made knives in 1095 for Winchester and any Queen with a “P” on the tang is D2.
 
Aa you me tioned, look at Italian made slipjoints.

Lion Steel is producing very high quality slip joints in modern materials like titanium bolsters and high performance steels like M390.

I will say, 1095 in GEC is better than Case's carbon steel in my use. Run a bit harder.

I have a new old stock Old Timer that I like (I also feel that the 1095 by GEC is a bit harder than the steel in the Old Timer).
 
glocktenman said:
Take a look at Bear & Son. Good prices, 1095 steel, and I think US made. They have some nice looking Barlows.
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I've never owned a 1095 B&S knife, but I've handled a few SS offerings in the displays at a couple hardware stores and if I didn't know better I'd assume they were $5 off brand Chinese or Pakistani knives from the counter top display at the local gas station ( though I haven't handled those )
 
I don't think any exists between where Case stops and GEC starts (although there is probably some overlap). That means either there is an unfilled spot in the market or, more likely, the market doesn't really exist for traditional slip joints in between their respective price points and build qualities.
 
Hickory n steel said:
I've never owned a 1095 B&S knife, but I've handled a few SS offerings in the displays at a couple hardware stores and if I didn't know better I'd assume they were $5 off brand Chinese or Pakistani knives from the counter top display at the local gas station ( though I haven't handled those )
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This company in the video below?

 
glocktenman said:
This company in the video below?

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Yes.
The knives I handled were a couple peanuts, a small pen or two and another knife I can't remember.
Maybe they've gotten better recently, or the trapper is just one of those patterns they have down and the little ones I handled were patterns they don't ?

Besides the severe amount of recurve in the edge of that clip blade the quality of that trapper does look pretty good.
If any examples of the little pen I checked out were on par with that trapper I would have bought one, I really liked it and wanted one but QC was terrible.
 
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