Traditional

[Junkyardworker]

I'm looking to purchase a traditional knife not really knowing much about them I was looking for recommendations, any brand, trying to keep it under $200 and it has to lock no slipjoints, premium steels, 3-1/2 in. to 2 inch blade. One with multple blades would be a bonus of course, any handle material.

Any Suggestions

 

[Hawk45]

I'm pretty new to traditionals as well, it's a whole new world from moderns. Big brands are Great Eastern Cutlery (who make both Tidioute and Northfield). Northfield supposedly gets better handles and has more ornate bolsters and nik nail pulls. There is Queen Cutlery who makes lots of knives too like Schatt & Morgan (their higher end I think). There are many others, but those two are the big dogs outside of Case. There is also Northwoods who is made by GEC and Queen depending on time it was made (I think GEC at the moment). Good steel is anything from 1095, D2, ATS34, 440SS. Handles are usually going to jump your cost the most (stag or mammoth bump the price up significantly). There are lots of custom makers out there too, but $200 may not get you in that game. Best thing to do is start reading every thread from the past 6 months

I'm not sure you can get a traditional with multiple blades that locks, at least not all of them, maybe only the primary blade.

 

[Epicurian]

You might look into Tuna Valley for a traditional with premium steel. GEC is great for carbon blades and some 440c.

 

[Cap’n Smudge]

GEC has the #99 farm and field. It's 01 steel and is a lockback. There are other GECs that are lockbacks, and nicer handle materials than the 99. Queen has some also and they use a lot of D2 steel.

 

[dannyp]

Canal Street makes a lockback they call the Pinch. Queen also offers some locking knives. The Mountain Man is at the upper end of your size range and they also have a couple of smaller liner lock knives as well. One is a Teardrop pattern and the other is a Copperhead. All of these knives have D2 steel. Another option would be a 501 from Buck's Custom Shop with an S30V blade.

 

[wouldestous]

you have asked an very open-ended question about the very broad subject of traditional knives. if i may suggest, this thread is a good place to start. its over 1700 pages and most posts have pix of knives.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/547127-What-quot-Traditional-Knife-quot-are-ya-totin-today

not all of the knives in that thread have locks or premium, latest greatest miracle steel. the good news is that for two hundred bucks you could have two or three *very* nice traditional knives.
if you like inexpensive working knives like i do you could have a half dozen solid performers that have stood the test of time for significantly less than your limit. lol

 

[deskil]

I'd also suggest that you look at the Canal Street Pinch lockback.The D2 steel, being semi-stainless and with edge retention just below S30V (in my experience), is a good transitional steel for someone moving from modern knives (and steels) towards traditional knives. It has a 3 1/4" blade and weighs about 2.5 oz., widely available in wood, smooth bone and horn.

 

[abcdef]

If you do this, you will soon only want slip joints. It's called the slippery slope.