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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Trapper vs stockman vs congress
- Thread starter blade dude
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Stockman for sure, best variety of blades for me. I prefer a pen instead of spey, as I use the spey/pen for heavy cutting tasks, the sheepsfoot when I need a straight edge, and the main (California clip preffered) for food. I loved my Uncle Henry 897UH stockman, but traded it for an axe. I think I'm beginning to like the equal end cigar shape more than the serpentine these days however, and have my 53 Northfield on me right now. Stockmans I think will always be my favorite pattern.
Connor
Connor
I'm a fan of the trapper. Except that prefer the secondary blade to be a straight edge, like a wharncliffe. I'll use the clip for food, and the wharncliffe for everything else. A small liner in between the blades to keep them separate is nice. I do prefer the 2 longer blades.
A stockman is also good. Except that I don't use the third Spey blade much. I feel like Im wasting the third blades utility. With the crinked blades, it doesn't put much space in between blades, mostly a mental thing for me I don't like seeing my food blade near rubbing a blade I just did some dirty gardening or automotive work with. Probably why my stockman is a buck with the 3 separate springs keeping blades just a shade further away from each other.
A stockman is also good. Except that I don't use the third Spey blade much. I feel like Im wasting the third blades utility. With the crinked blades, it doesn't put much space in between blades, mostly a mental thing for me I don't like seeing my food blade near rubbing a blade I just did some dirty gardening or automotive work with. Probably why my stockman is a buck with the 3 separate springs keeping blades just a shade further away from each other.
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I have a stockman with a broken blade. The Spey is really nice for carving woof especially when sharpened to ten degrees per side. But the story the dude told me who sold me the stockman as to why Theres a broken blade is why I'm not getting rid of it
Railsplitter
Gold Member
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I wasn't going to pry but since you mentioned it twice I can't help myself. I would love to know the story should the mood strike you.
I guess this is as good a thread as any to try and outline my "bladeosophy". In a word, it's about versatility.
Of the three titular patterns, six months ago I would have said trappers were my favorite without hesitation. Even now, I still enjoy the humble large trapper. It is a comfortable, sturdy pattern with a host of uses. Oddly enough, one of the main knocks against trappers in this thread is the long spey blade. I find that to be one of the more useful blade profiles, IMO. The only blade pattern that can really compete with a spey blade making a PB&J sandwich, or spreading your mustard across a juicy beef hot dog, is the one-armed man/"razor" blade, and even then only when the "catch" at the end is flattened or rounded, a la the Bokers and Cases of modern times:
Even the venerable sheepsfoot and the squared-off rope knife blade present challenges in this use-case. A standard large trapper makes an excellent LFP carry for me, because I am often carrying a Barlow or other smaller jack in my watch pocket. A sheepsfoot Barlow and a standard trapper give you a pretty good set of blade options, and a medium trapper itself can become that watch pocket knife leaving you open for the large stockman or Congress in another pocket. Next week, if not sooner, I plan to carry a medium trapper "riding watch" and see how that suits me. I even have a tiny trapper that gets a whole lot of carry at home because a small clip and spey also have some interesting uses when you only have to worry about surviving the wilds between kitchen, living room and garage.
All that being said, for the last few months the far-and-away #1 most-carried traditional in my arsenal has been a #75 pattern Case large stockman with the typical blade loadout. Big, beefy frame with a large clip, more than adequate sheepsfoot and a short but broad spey blade. I feel like if I were restricted to a single knife every day that this would have to be the one. It's an apple chopper, a pizza slicer, a letter opener, a rope cutter, and a million other things in one attractive package. I have noticed most of the appreciation for stockman patterns tends towards the mediums, however, and I can find no real fault in that. A medium stockman would also make a useful watch pocket knife and facilitates the carry of a trapper, "improved trapper", or a single blade of your choice. Unfortunately, there aren't many typical patterns with larger frames that can supplement the stockman without some blade redundancy or overlap in use-cases. This is why I prefer the big fellas, because they can ride in a bigger pocket and I have a host of smaller knives that can "fill in the gaps".
Recently I unboxed and carried my first full Congress, a Queen that had lived most of its life in box and butcher paper. I must say that it's a gorgeous knife (another theme of this thread -- the Congress's #1 point of praise seems to be its looks). It just looks regal, statesmanlike, and its heft and size are substantial so you do not have any qualms about using the knife. The redundancy of the "classical" Congress pattern can be a good thing or a bad thing; while most of the folks here are turned off by the prospect of two sheepsfoot and two pen blades, I think others can see the utility of having the option to leave blades at varying levels of sharpness. Given that notion, there are some cases in which a quality Congress could easily supplant a whittler at the whittler's own game, I imagine. The duplication of the blades also can mean that the knife itself will last twice as long as a similarly-apportioned two-blade knife. In the end, though, for my purposes the Congress is more flash than fitness, more style than substance. It is a beautiful knife, but I think it might be headed back to its box until either my knife needs change or I start wearing pants with more pockets.
All that aside, I'd say I prefer the look and feel of a Barlow or a sunfish above and beyond any of the patterns under discussion in this thread. A spear Barlow or a sunfish offers the added benefit of having blades that you don't normally see on the above-mentioned patterns, so they make good supplemental carries for all three.
In the end, to answer the thread's ultimate question, I'd have to say "I'll trade you the Congress for a two-blade Barlow or a nice large sunfish", and using those I can make quite a number of useful combinations with my large stockmen and large or medium trappers. The utility of these combinations outweighs aesthetic considerations such as how nice my new Congress looks or how well two trappers might pair together for a photo opportunity.
Of course, the porch here allows us to indulge in both options, so perhaps the real answer to the thread question is "yes, have some!" :thumbup:
Of the three titular patterns, six months ago I would have said trappers were my favorite without hesitation. Even now, I still enjoy the humble large trapper. It is a comfortable, sturdy pattern with a host of uses. Oddly enough, one of the main knocks against trappers in this thread is the long spey blade. I find that to be one of the more useful blade profiles, IMO. The only blade pattern that can really compete with a spey blade making a PB&J sandwich, or spreading your mustard across a juicy beef hot dog, is the one-armed man/"razor" blade, and even then only when the "catch" at the end is flattened or rounded, a la the Bokers and Cases of modern times:
Even the venerable sheepsfoot and the squared-off rope knife blade present challenges in this use-case. A standard large trapper makes an excellent LFP carry for me, because I am often carrying a Barlow or other smaller jack in my watch pocket. A sheepsfoot Barlow and a standard trapper give you a pretty good set of blade options, and a medium trapper itself can become that watch pocket knife leaving you open for the large stockman or Congress in another pocket. Next week, if not sooner, I plan to carry a medium trapper "riding watch" and see how that suits me. I even have a tiny trapper that gets a whole lot of carry at home because a small clip and spey also have some interesting uses when you only have to worry about surviving the wilds between kitchen, living room and garage.
All that being said, for the last few months the far-and-away #1 most-carried traditional in my arsenal has been a #75 pattern Case large stockman with the typical blade loadout. Big, beefy frame with a large clip, more than adequate sheepsfoot and a short but broad spey blade. I feel like if I were restricted to a single knife every day that this would have to be the one. It's an apple chopper, a pizza slicer, a letter opener, a rope cutter, and a million other things in one attractive package. I have noticed most of the appreciation for stockman patterns tends towards the mediums, however, and I can find no real fault in that. A medium stockman would also make a useful watch pocket knife and facilitates the carry of a trapper, "improved trapper", or a single blade of your choice. Unfortunately, there aren't many typical patterns with larger frames that can supplement the stockman without some blade redundancy or overlap in use-cases. This is why I prefer the big fellas, because they can ride in a bigger pocket and I have a host of smaller knives that can "fill in the gaps".
Recently I unboxed and carried my first full Congress, a Queen that had lived most of its life in box and butcher paper. I must say that it's a gorgeous knife (another theme of this thread -- the Congress's #1 point of praise seems to be its looks). It just looks regal, statesmanlike, and its heft and size are substantial so you do not have any qualms about using the knife. The redundancy of the "classical" Congress pattern can be a good thing or a bad thing; while most of the folks here are turned off by the prospect of two sheepsfoot and two pen blades, I think others can see the utility of having the option to leave blades at varying levels of sharpness. Given that notion, there are some cases in which a quality Congress could easily supplant a whittler at the whittler's own game, I imagine. The duplication of the blades also can mean that the knife itself will last twice as long as a similarly-apportioned two-blade knife. In the end, though, for my purposes the Congress is more flash than fitness, more style than substance. It is a beautiful knife, but I think it might be headed back to its box until either my knife needs change or I start wearing pants with more pockets.
All that aside, I'd say I prefer the look and feel of a Barlow or a sunfish above and beyond any of the patterns under discussion in this thread. A spear Barlow or a sunfish offers the added benefit of having blades that you don't normally see on the above-mentioned patterns, so they make good supplemental carries for all three.
In the end, to answer the thread's ultimate question, I'd have to say "I'll trade you the Congress for a two-blade Barlow or a nice large sunfish", and using those I can make quite a number of useful combinations with my large stockmen and large or medium trappers. The utility of these combinations outweighs aesthetic considerations such as how nice my new Congress looks or how well two trappers might pair together for a photo opportunity.
Of course, the porch here allows us to indulge in both options, so perhaps the real answer to the thread question is "yes, have some!"
:thumbup:
Last edited:
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- Jan 27, 2007
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Three-blade Stockman pattern, serpentine handle shape. The blade configuration is the most useful to me: A clip main that handles utility cutting; a sheepfoot for carving/whittling; a spay for food prep/kitchen work, alternatively, a punch is useful sometimes too.
Some of mine in the past - to date, I've owned well over 200 of this type of pattern.
Same handle shape, but with two blades only; some folks prefer fewer blades & smaller handles.
Trapper patterns are nice, but the blades are sometimes longer than I need. A Congress pattern is okay, but I haven't found one yet I like the feel of in hand.
~Chris
Some of mine in the past - to date, I've owned well over 200 of this type of pattern.
Same handle shape, but with two blades only; some folks prefer fewer blades & smaller handles.
Trapper patterns are nice, but the blades are sometimes longer than I need. A Congress pattern is okay, but I haven't found one yet I like the feel of in hand.
~Chris
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2012
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Of the three patterns listed, I prefer the stockman for general purpose daily carry and handyman tasks. I like the full-sized trapper patterns if I expect to use it cutting food. Like TsarBomba, I find the long, rounded-end spey blade on a trapper to come in handy as a slicer or spreader in that capacity.
Henry Beige
Gold Member
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- Jun 1, 2015
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- 3,727
A simple inventory of my knives would suggest that the stockman is my favorite of the three. I have several, but only one Congress and one trapper, both recent arrivals. That said, the knife that gets the most pocket time in recent weeks has been the RR Improved Muskrat.
The reason is the long sheepsfoot blade, the "improvement" that I have come to think of as the primary blade. On a stockman, the sheepsfoot gets the most use. The longer version on the Muskrat is even better. I can't think of a reason the knife would be better if both blades opened from the same end like a trapper.
The reason is the long sheepsfoot blade, the "improvement" that I have come to think of as the primary blade. On a stockman, the sheepsfoot gets the most use. The longer version on the Muskrat is even better. I can't think of a reason the knife would be better if both blades opened from the same end like a trapper.
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Jolipapa
Basic Member
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- Jun 4, 2015
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Is this a Pocket Worn Harvest Orange?Not much choice for me, Stockman all the way (mind you, a Whittler is a better 3 blade knife in my view) especially one with Pen instead of Spey. My favourites are the CASE Medium square bolster in Chestnut Bone (forget the pattern No. sorry) CASE Humpback Stockman as already shown and GEC 82 Dixie a svelte but big knife with an outstanding blade array.
Full size Trappers have never moved me (better a Copperhead actually) and if smaller then I prefer Wharncliffe Trappers as Spey blades are not useful for my activities...
Congress? Tried them but never got on with them at all, most have duplicate blades and all are thick knives that I don't care for the feel of.
The compelling thing about Traditionals is the choice of patterns -nobody need to go dissatisfied.:thumbup:
Regards, Will
Will Power
Gold Member
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- Jan 18, 2007
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- 33,211
Jolipapa It most certainly is. Came in a nice tin too.
Thanks, Will
Thanks, Will
I go with the trapper. I have big paws so the size works for me. I like large stockman's as well, but the trapper appeals to me more. Even the 301 is a bit on the small size. I would like Case to come out with a single bladed sheepsfoot. I love that blade on my large stockman...
afishhunter
Gold Member
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- Oct 21, 2014
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- 14,328
Case 11031SH single blade sheepsfoot. You might find one on the used market. The one I have is a nine dot, not sure when they stopped making it.
Just looked it up and that's exactly what I was thinking about :thumbup: Didn't know such a thing existed. It looks like a good size, with wood scales. Right up my alley....
I really like wood scales so I'm going to be asking wifey for a rosewood trapper for the big 4-0 next month.
Carried mine just yesterday. It's a wonderful, lightweight, attractive folder. Worth carrying a supplemental blade with a belly on it, though, just in case.
Carried mine just yesterday. It's a wonderful, lightweight, attractive folder. Worth carrying a supplemental blade with a belly on it, though, just in case.
That's really nice my friend. I usually carry two on me all the time anyway. Always a traditional and most of the time a OHO. I wish that pattern wasn't discontinued. That would definitely be a good companion for the trapper or 112. Unfortunately wood doesn't seem to be a popular material with Case. Not like that stops me from buying them