Wanting to get into traditional knives!

Welcome to the gates of traditional ownership. Be careful. Once you pass through those gates your wallet may hate you.

Joking aside, I would try to be more specific in your question. Does blade length, style, and or steel matter? Does the overall length opened and or closed matter? Then, and kind of secondary do you have any brands that you have already looked at?

I would suggest looking at Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC) in the Tidioute 15 boys knife pattern at 3 1/2 closed and the GEC's 73 pattern at 3 3/4 closed. Both are 1095 steel and great knives. The Sodbuster pattern is a great one to start with as well.

Good luck with the hunt.
 
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KBA said:
Welcome to the gates of traditional ownership. Be careful. Once you pass through those gates your wallet may hate you.

Joking aside, I would try to be more specific in your question. Does blade length, style, and or steel matter? Does the overall length opened and or closed matter? Then, and kind of secondary do you have in brands that you have already looked at?

I would suggest looking at Great Easter Cutlery (GEC) in the Tidioute 15 boys knife pattern at 3 1/2 closed and the GEC's 73 pattern at 3 3/4 closed. Both are 1095 steel and great knives. The Sodbuster pattern is a great one to start with as well.

Good luck with the hunt.
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Blade length is not that big of a deal I just want something that will peel apples really well and develop a real cool patina over time. I was lookin at the GEC viper and talon and I really like that wharencliff/swayback kinda pattern.

P.S. I will use it only for food.

TFS
 
thefirstsuspect said:
Blade length is not that big of a deal I just want something that will peel apples really well and develop a real cool patina over time. I was lookin at the GEC viper and talon and I really like that wharencliff/swayback kinda pattern.

P.S. I will use it only for food.

TFS
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Both are great knives. I personally would go with either. Though I do like the style and ergonomics of the Viper more.

Be ready to hear, "get both." :D

I would still look at the 73. Especially if you can find a single spey blade. Great blade for food imo.
 
Welcome.

I have both the patterns you are looking at, and for peeling apples I'd choose the Talon; it's got a thinner blade than the Viper and is a slightly slimmer pattern.

If you watch the "exchange" you should be able to get a knife under your budget.
 
GEC knives are nice, a little $$$. You may want to look at some of the Case offerings in CV. Slimline trapper, Stockman etc. Hopefully you have a place you can handlel them before buying.
 
I don't have a #47 Viper (yet :p), but I bought a Northfield #92 Talon in Moss Green Jigged Bone as my first traditional. The slender wharncliffe blade is perfect for using a paring knife. I've cut apples, sliced oranges, pears, and trimmed the crust off sandwiches with mine. The serpentine handle is really comfortable in draw cut and saber grip I have medium/large hands. Only thing I would say is to really be careful with that tip. It is a slender blade with a very pointy tip. So if you somehow hit something hard with the tip, it will probably break pretty easily.

While this is a bit over $100, check out the Northwoods Fremont Jacks, too. They seem to be a bit more robust of a tip.
 
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Case Sod Buster Jr. in CV and Yeller
Opinel
GEC of which ever suits your fancy.

You could probably make all that happen with $100.
 
Take a look at the Case Swayback. It has a wharncliff blade and overall shape of the Viper #47 but smaller and a thinner blade. Very nice quality too.
 
Case Swayback Jack. Wharnecliff main with pen secondary, CV steel - around $75. My pen blade has already started to develop a nice patina from its daily apple duty.

U0sKOJ.jpg
 
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I personal wish I could find a Case Swayback single blade in CV. The original OP was for single blades, but if that changes to allow a secondary, the Case swayback in cv is a great choice imo as well.
 
Brett How about considering the Gent in Damascus? I have one and it's a very fine knife, superb finish:thumbup:

The OP should also look into a GEC Houndstooth Wharncliffe, very nice mid-sized single-blade.

Thanks, Will

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Tidioute Houndstooth, top

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Here's a comparison of the GEC #47 and the Case Swayback. Even though the Case is two blades, it's not much thicker than the Viper.



 
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