Traditionals: Your favorite blade pattern.... has it changed over time?

Old Hunter said:
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um...excuse me? Why am I just finding out this knife exists? That right there is a grail for me! California clip/sheepfoot OT made in the USA! Off to the auction site to see how many pennies I have to save...
 
I used to be all about the spear point but over the years I have grown enamored with the clip point. I find the usefulness of it to be perfect for my needs. And if it has a swedge and a long pull it just don't get any better.
 
black mamba said:
A slender clip along with a stout sheepfoot is about perfect for me, but a long, slender spear blade is pretty close to the clip for a main blade.
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I don't really have a single favorite blade. I like combinations of shapes. It's why I gave up on modern knives. I need more than one blade shape.

A sheepsfoot with a pen blade is a good combination for me.
So is a sheepsfoot with a clip.
I'm not hot on spear blades and I don't care for spey blades.

And this is a change for me because for years (decades) I liked clip blades in preference to all others.
 
This blade is deceiving from the looks of it.......Clip pattern? yes... Spearpoint functionality?....yep

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I have always preferred a spear point. Maybe even a drop point on occasion. (One of those modern type things with doohickeys that has no place here though.) :) The SAK spear is what I have carried the longest. And my new 15 is a spear. I suppose I have a preference, but lately on looks alone the wharncliffe is doing it for me. Preferably in a swayback. :)
 
The slip joint knife I carry most of the time is a Wharncliffe Trapper. I carry it because it has the blade combo I like best, a California clip and a Wharncliffe. Those two blades seem to handle whatever I need. A close runner up would be a single blade slippy with a modified Wharncliffe blade.

My favorite fixed blade shape is the drop point. It makes a great hunting and utility knife.

Did my favorite blade pattern change over time? Yes it did. When I was a lad I had a scout knife and the spear point was my favorite blade. Of course it was the only knife I had so my experience was limited. As I got older, with a little more coin in my pocket, I got the chance to experiment some. I found others that suit me better. The clip has been a long time favorite. When I started seeing the WT it pushed all my knife buttons.
 
Peregrin said:
The slip joint knife I carry most of the time is a Wharncliffe Trapper. I carry it because it has the blade combo I like best, a California clip and a Wharncliffe. Those two blades seem to handle whatever I need. A close runner up would be a single blade slippy with a modified Wharncliffe blade.

My favorite fixed blade shape is the drop point. It makes a great hunting and utility knife.

Did my favorite blade pattern change over time? Yes it did. When I was a lad I had a scout knife and the spear point was my favorite blade. Of course it was the only knife I had so my experience was limited. As I got older, with a little more coin in my pocket, I got the chance to experiment some. I found others that suit me better. The clip has been a long time favorite. When I started seeing the WT it pushed all my knife buttons.
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Hi Gary. I have seen the new GEC hunter combo pack with a single Warncliffe knife included. Tony Bose is also a fan of the Warncliffe instead of a spey blade in his classic Warncliffe Trapper. As a hunter myself, what role does the Warncliffe play in processing game? I have four or five Warncliffe blades and am curious as to what role they could play in processing game.

Thanks,

Mark
 
I am extremely new to traditionals (basically only since April), but have been very fortunate to be able to rapidly build up quite a nice collection for myself, and additionally fortunate to find you fine folks to help educate me. What has been interesting is that the blade I find most pleasing to my eye (the wharnecliffe, as seen on the GEC 61) has been the least useful in practice and the least pleasing visually (the clip) has been the most useful! So far, the best compromise beteen looks and utility for me has been a tie between the sheepsfoot and the big, wide spear (like on an 85 jack). I also have been drawn to the spey as a main (or an equal size secondary, like on the 73 scout trapper). Overall, I love any blade shape that I can pinch open, probably due to being left handed.
Who am I fooling, I love 'em all!!
B.
 
Markesharp said:
Hi Gary. I have seen the new GEC hunter combo pack with a single Warncliffe knife included. Tony Bose is also a fan of the Warncliffe instead of a spey blade in his classic Warncliffe Trapper. As a hunter myself, what role does the Warncliffe play in processing game? I have four or five Warncliffe blades and am curious as to what role they could play in processing game.

Thanks,

Mark
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Hi Mark, I don't use the WT for game. The Clip does gets used on the occasional trout. I don't know how a Wharncliffe blade would be effectively used for game processing. I'd be curious too.
I rarely hunt anymore but when I did I always used a fixed blade knife. The drop point was my blade of choice and 3 1/2" seemed to be the best size for me. I still carry one most days, as the drop point makes a great EDC.
 
Always liked the California clip, but lately with my new fascination with SAK's I like the Spear Point. Quite a swing there, I think I got whiplash!
 
Markesharp said:
Hi Gary. I have seen the new GEC hunter combo pack with a single Warncliffe knife included. Tony Bose is also a fan of the Warncliffe instead of a spey blade in his classic Warncliffe Trapper. As a hunter myself, what role does the Warncliffe play in processing game? I have four or five Warncliffe blades and am curious as to what role they could play in processing game.

Thanks,

Mark
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Peregrin said:
Hi Mark, I don't use the WT for game. The Clip does gets used on the occasional trout. I don't know how a Wharncliffe blade would be effectively used for game processing. I'd be curious too.
I rarely hunt anymore but when I did I always used a fixed blade knife. The drop point was my blade of choice and 3 1/2" seemed to be the best size for me. I still carry one most days, as the drop point makes a great EDC.
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My thought would be that a long wharncliffe would be good for slicing pieces of meat after it was removed from the animal.... ie cutting the back strap into thin medallions. I'd still be happier with a clip or drop point though.
 
Clip point with a swedge and long pulls win by far, or any other type of clip point really, I doubt i'll ever change my mind. Spear points are pretty great too, and so is the sheepsfoot but ideally that goes along with a clip or spear blade. I have yet to complain about any blade shape in a traditional though. The long spey blade on a trapper is tough to beat for food prep.
 
Markesharp said:
Hi Gary. I have seen the new GEC hunter combo pack with a single Warncliffe knife included. Tony Bose is also a fan of the Warncliffe instead of a spey blade in his classic Warncliffe Trapper. As a hunter myself, what role does the Warncliffe play in processing game? I have four or five Warncliffe blades and am curious as to what role they could play in processing game.

Thanks,

Mark
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There is a video on YouTube of Tony Bose saying that the warncliffe blade is good for "unzipping" a squirrel belly. I'm pretty sure in the video he is holding a warncliffe trapper, it's been a few years since I seen the video though.

Edit: Found the video and it looks like a shadow pattern trapper. It's about the 4:25 mark in the video.
[video=youtube;FuXwE49l-tk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuXwE49l-tk[/video]
 
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Caution: Ramble alert

For me, knife and blade length preference has been an ongoing experiment.
I have grown to prefer one straight and one curved blade on a 2-blade knife.

I thought if I only had one GEC knife that it would be my #73 but I gave it to
a friend yesterday and the look on his face was worth it. I'll get another 73
some day, especially if looks the one Christian flashes us with.
Like most people, he had never had a knife that nice in his life.

Spear point knives just slightly beat out wharncliffes, then clips.
Cali or Turkish clips slightly beat out the large clips.

My #15 and #66 SFO's both have an awl and are a must for me.
The awl rides humbly (not proud) when the primary is open.

I didn't have a Stockman until yesterday, so I ordered both an #81 (Yellow Rose)
and a #82.

Everbody (94.5% of you), needs at least one yellow knife.

I like rounded bolsters on big knives. (an apology to Stockman purists)

My new Eureka jack (spear/coping) has been a pleasant surprise.

Other than that, I have no opinions.
 
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Frankly, I like them all except the spey which I find no use for.

A lot depends on the pattern or frame of knife as to which blade is favoured, oh and mood & whim!
 
knarfeng said:
I don't really have a single favorite blade. I like combinations of shapes.
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This is the reason I'm not drawn to single blade slipjoints. I favor 2 shapes and 2 sizes in whatever knife I carry.

When it comes to actual use, I probably use a pen blade more than any other; not a real "looker", but versatile and dependable. I guess that's a vote for a spearpoint.

When it comes to "warm fuzzies", a classic clip blade (not too slender) makes me nostalgically think, "Now, that's a jackknife."

For pure aesthetics, I really like the looks of a wharncliffe, but I only have one knife with a wharncliffe blade (and it's a tiny blade), so I'm not sure how useful that style blade is. And I'm sure that novelty is a big factor in my attraction to a wharncliffe; I never saw one (or a sheepsfoot, either) until about 9 months ago, and it's just so exotic and mysterious to me.

Cool question, Woodrow! I enjoy reading what everyone has to say.

-GT
 
The spey is my go to working blade. Tough and the point doesn't break, when used for what a blade shouldn't be used for around the shop or under the hood. Used be a spearpoint guy, we parted ways decades ago after I started carrying stockmans, which seem to be a all in one cutting tool.
 
Peregrin said:
Hi Mark, I don't use the WT for game. The Clip does gets used on the occasional trout. I don't know how a Wharncliffe blade would be effectively used for game processing. I'd be curious too.
I rarely hunt anymore but when I did I always used a fixed blade knife. The drop point was my blade of choice and 3 1/2" seemed to be the best size for me. I still carry one most days, as the drop point makes a great EDC.
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Thanks for the reply Gary. I too use a fixed trop point blade for large game and a clip/spey muskrat pattern for small game.
 
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