Trapper? Moose? 2 Blade Slipjoint Folding Hunter?

[afishhunter]

Which are you more likely to carry for your EDC now n' then?

Full Size Trapper?
View attachment 2205271
Full Size Moose? (Cigar and bow styles shown)
View attachment 2205272
The Classic Venerable Full Size 2 Blade Slipjoint Folding Hunter?
(Admittedly, it is more of a belt knife than a pocket knife.)
View attachment 2205274
(Meese shown with a full size trapper for size)

I know the Trapper and Moose have the same blade combination, and are roughly the same size. For some reason, I like the Moose better.
I've never really been able to warmup to the trapper.

I "think" of the three, I have carried the 2 Blade Slipjoint Folding Hunter the most, whether not long enough in the field, or too long in "civilization".

I am pretty sure the 2 blade slipjoint Folding Hunter was around when Mr. Nessmuk was active. Any theories why he pushed the Moose for a "sturdy" pocket knife, rather than the Trapper or Folding Hunter?
(I don't recall Mr. Kepheart suggesting a pocket knife. I know the Folding Hunter was available in his day.)
O.K. ... Nessmuk may have passed on the F.H. because he already had "enough" on his belt?
Of the three, I suspect it may be the sturdiest/strongest. They sure feel that way.


Please Feel Free to post your full size Trappers, Meese, and Slipjoint Folding Hunters.

 

[screened porch]

I know the Trapper and Moose have the same blade combination, and are roughly the same size. For some reason, I like the Moose better.
I've never really been able to warmup to the trapper.

I'm the opposite. I don't know why, but I don't think I'm alone, judging by the numbers I see of the two patterns.

I'll be back with pics.

 

[WasCEG]

Regarding moose vs trapper, wonder if in early days pivot pins would fail or bend. With a moose you have a pivot pin for each blade whereas on the trapper both blades share a pivot pin? Bend or break the pivot pin on a trapper and you are SOL. Do the same on a moose and you still have another blade. Just a thought....

Like you I prefer the moose over the trapper. Not really sure why. Maybe because I liked the muskrat config too?

 

[RickHuf]

To pick one of those three, it would definitely be the hunter. I dont find spey blades useful at all and it's space that could be better used for a coping or sheepsfoot blade!

I have the same Schrade trapper you show. Tried to disassemble it to remove the spey (because that clip is great by itself) and I guess Schrade uses some crazy method to put their knives together because I frickin mangled it. Now it's a tool box knife. Live and learn, right.

 

[dundak]

Moose but with a spearpoint instead of spey. Just find I prefer symmetry over jack configurations.

 

[mrknife]

trapper but as long as its in single blade

 

[meako]

Hunter
Trapper
Moose

 

[mrknife]

you may laugh Will Power but its what bought me down this rabbit hole we called the porch in 2010

it all started with silence of the lambs and then googling attempts of that knife and seeing 2Dead 's pictures of those half moon trappers, so here we are, years later persistence for single blade trappers

 

[screened porch]

To pick one of those three, it would definitely be the hunter. I dont find spey blades useful at all and it's space that could be better used for a coping or sheepsfoot blade!

I have the same Schrade trapper you show. Tried to disassemble it to remove the spey (because that clip is great by itself) and I guess Schrade uses some crazy method to put their knives together because I frickin mangled it. Now it's a tool box knife. Live and learn, right.

The Swindon key. Some people can drill those out and replace them with normal pins.

 

[screened porch]

My only mooses:
A Boker with the traditional improvised replacement shield, and a Hammer clip/New York Knife Co. other

These two folding hunters are unusually slim, but still in a different league of pocketability, as OP said.

Western two-blader and Craftsman single-blade liner lock.

 

[black mamba]

The only trappers I've carried have been the 3⅞" serpentine variety.

 

[1911bphil]

Personally I prefer the trapper. I find the folding hunter to be too big for my pocket. It's more a sheath knife in my opinion. A Buck 307 is my preferred traditional carry though.

 

[brownshoe]

Moose, like the Bladeforums pattern, except mine is branded Vintage Knives, Brandon Miss.

 

[Will Power]

mrknife not laughing at you Jack, but amused by your persistence and single-mindedness

Fact is, the only Trapper I like carrying or using is short of two blades

 

[Old Hunter]

For my purposes the Folding Hunter is a sheath knife (akin to the Buck 110). Between the two pocketknives listed I would take a Moose over a Trapper. The type Moose I like is similar to the Buck 307 or Case 75 pattern, such as this heavy duty Blue Grass built Winchester manufactutured in the Texas Jack style. OH

 

[jc57]

Of the three categories, I only have Trappers, so that is what I would carry. Case's full-sized Trapper is my most frequent choice when carrying a large slipjoint.

 

[mrknife]

mrknife not laughing at you Jack, but amused by your persistence and single-mindedness

Fact is, the only Trapper I like carrying or using is short of two blades

my collection is actually highly monotonous tbh and made up of mostly very similar knives with some occasional outliers. i want to say maybe 85% of the knives consist of 15s or some of its derivatives, in fact im due one soon, back from some reductive surgery!

 

[Will Power]

Playing Devil's Advocate here, really never carry a same end two blade Jack anymore....much prefer blade each end, three blades or single But, were a maniac to be pointing a gun at me shrieking "Choose!" Would go for a Copperhead over a Trapper each & every day. This Böker Germany is a tidy knife, nice thick deeply jigged scales, not too big/small , pocket friendly due to the Copperhead bolster. You can see the Clip has got patina whereas the Drop-Point is still mint, worthy knives for those who like same end Jacks.

 

[TheJon]

I am pretty sure the 2 blade slipjoint Folding Hunter was around when Mr. Nessmuk was active. Any theories why he pushed the Moose for a "sturdy" pocket knife, rather than the Trapper or Folding Hunter?

I would say I usually carry a trapper more than any of the others. But mostly because the trapper is far more common of a pattern than the others. As for why the mouse instead of the others. I would argue the moose is actually the strongest of the 3 patterns. The single blade on each side, with a solid bolster means more strength when the blade is torqued. I will say that is my favorite of the three, for example a GEC 53/54 moose.