What is your "best made" production Slipjoint?

[FLymon]

It's easy to find flaws in a knife (I'm as guilty as anyone), and with all the talk of off center blades, proud or sunk springs, under-blading, gaps (of every kind), play in the joints, weak springs, dull blades, bad grinds, etc... I thought it might be fun to have a thread where we could show off our "best made" production Slipjoints.
Which one of your production slipjoints would you hold out as an example of "how it should be done"?

Pictures are of course encouraged, but not necessary.

In order to keep this thread from running afoul of forum rules, let's PLEASE keep the price paid, and any "how much?" or "where did you get it?" questions out of the thread. That's what Private Messages and emails are for..


I will open up with what I consider to be my best made production slipjoint, a Case Swayback Jack in Chestnut Bone w/CV blades.
There simply is nothing wrong at all with this knife!
the blades came very sharp and evenly ground,
the scales match nicely in color and jigging,
there are no gaps in any spring, liner, scale, or bolster,
the blades lay just about dead center,
the pull is a just about perfect 4+ or 5-, and the walk and talk is just right,
the springs are flush in all three positions,
there is no play in the blades

I wish they were all made this well.

Brand new:

After a good bit of carry/use:

 

[Blues]

Man, I think this is a brutally hard question to answer but I'll try. (For consistency alone I'd give Victorinox the nod much as it pains me to say so.)

As an example of how it should be done I'll offer the following knife for the following reasons:

A multi-blade is harder to get right than a single blade.
A true whittler (where the master rides on the two backsprings of the accessory blades) is harder to build than a comparable three blade stockman.
Getting the tension correct on all three blades and avoiding blade rub and movement is harder still.

For that reason I'll go with this 1973 (7 Dot) Case 6380 Whittler. And though you can't tell from the scan, the scales have a rich, dark burgundy color.

(Firefox users can right click and choose "view image" to see full size.)

 

[dalee100]

Hi,

It would be easy to say my GEC #25 or Queen Whittler or maybe my Case Gunboat. But the one knife I have that always impresses me for fit and finish is little yellow Camillus #22 Peanut. There are no gaps, the blades lay true, and the backsprings are flush open, at the half-stops, and closed, and it walks and talks like it should. I don't think I could get much better.

Dale

 

[whetrock]

Aside from my GEC's which IMO are all perfect, my best made slipjoints from more mainstream companies are my Queen amber honey stag bone #19 trapper and my Case chesnut bone swayback jack.

 

[Will Power]

Good idea for a thread,thank you!

My GEC Conductor in Faux Tortoise carries off the prize. I'm happy to say that there are others only a whisker away: CASE Swayback cv is remarkable, surprisingly enough a Queen Cutlery Muskrat is also in the frame - Queen can be extreme, excellent or bad.

 

[Modoc ED]

This post 2004 Schrade Fire & Ice Trapper manufactured by GEC in 2007.

The fit and finish far exceeds anything I've ever seen come from GEC under the GEC Brand. The blades center between the liners perfectly, the scales are rich in color and the jigging is superb. There is absolutely no under-blading and the match strike pulls are perfect. The walk is smooth and the snap is sassy. If you had to breath through the springs and liners, you'd suffocate -- the fit is that tight. It's a beautiful, well executed, knife. I just wish my photographic skills could do it true justice. I haven't had it long enoug or carried it enough to show progress as Stu did in his pictures of his knife but it'll get there for sure.

I like it so much that I bought a second one with this colored handles (black) and am thinking about ordering another one or two in different handle colors -- dark brown and dark red.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Easy! GEC Northfield Pioneer #23 pattern. Only had it a few weeks, and I carry it every day! It has bumped a Busse BAD and a CS Recon1 out of my pocket rotation (for the most part, sometimes paired up with either one!).
(Thank you Flymon!)

Camping last weekend (with Scouts). Got in a little fishing!

I actually only have one other slipjoint right now (a beat up old folder with a blade, saw, scissors, cork screw, can opener etc etc from my youth).

I used to have an old timer stockman (stolen as a youth) back when you could carry them to school with no issues as long as you were not threatening or cutting people.

 

[Mad_Maxx]

this one, 2011 #73

opens great, sharp, no gaps or defects or imperfections
almost stonewashed than shiny

like it so much I need a second one..

maxx

 

[Bastid]

Tough decision so I am going to include a few. (I am not going to include antiques, just recent production.)

Case Swayback jack.

2009 forum knife.

I have some Case Classics that are very very well done, a little better than the Black Box Winchesters.


Most knives I have from the early seventies and way on back pretty much blow the above out of the water. .

 

[lwt210]

While most all of the older Schrade USA models that I own have excellent fit and finish, this 225h is nearly flawless.

This Schrade Walden 863 is a close second.

 

[Invoice]

I was going to post some pics but I can't get into PB right now.
Here goes. Case SW Jack. Just love the fit and finish on that knife.

Does the Case/Bose knives count? If so I gotta go with my Tribal Spear and Ebony Humpback.

Then I'm going to say two Camillus stockman's. One was made for Buck, the 307 and the other is a yellow slabbed version of the Buck.

I have a few Queens with honey amber bone that are outstanding also.

 

[jacktrades_nbk]

all the alox vics i have had great fit and finish, especially for their price
i keep seeing the swayback jack listed here, so i guess ill have to buy it

 

[xbxb]

Based upon you question-------Well it would have to be Victorinox. Not my favorite by far but I guess my opinion is that it is the best made most consistant slipjoint I have. I also have two others that are also very good. They are pictured below. GEC Tomato Acrylic -getting riper every day, and my Schrade 61OT

 

[black mamba]

My 4-blade GEC Cattle Baron in jigged Yellow Rose bone is outstanding even for a GEC.
As Elliott said above, four blades on two springs is difficult, and this one nailed it.
No rubs, no gaps, sharp edges, beautiful swedging, blades centered in liners, just really great.
The jigging goes all the way to the lined bolsters and the pins are just slightly proud, which I like.

Both sides match nicely and the blades and tangs sit low in the frame for easy carrying.

 

[Tahts-a-dats-ago]

Picture is from AG Russell's website.

I'd have to say my "best made" production slipjoint is the AG Russell Sowbelly Trapper. The knife is superb.

 

[mdyn]

I would say my Damascus bladed Case SBJ.

Reasonably nice stag handles, perfectly centered blades, backspring flush in all three positions, sharp out of the box and after some medium-light use.

 

[300Bucks]

Some nice knives have been shown. YOU think I am gonna drag a old Stag or jigged bone Buck out here don't you. Well, just to show you I am not a factory shill here on the forum. AND, because today I am in love with this knife. I present my best made knife, in my mind, for today.

Old Schrade Walden, Model 204, TL-29 style knife, looks like dark walnut with un-patinaed carbon blades. She is not brand spanken new but she is as good a one as you will likely find from that era. Made like a tank. Holding her is like driving a "Vista Cruiser". The 'Fisherman' shield turns my crank also............300Bucks

PS :Why a knife of this type would have Fisherman stamped on the shield is beyond good sense. I would think 'Tradesman' would be better suited.

 

[bakerg2g]

I'd have to say this is my "Best Made" slipjoint.... Old Remington
Jack knife (R155) Bone is perfect, Snap is excellent, Full blades
no blade wobble, No gaps. It's just built like a tank and looks
GREAT...imho.


Jason

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

PS :Why a knife of this type would have Fisherman stamped on the shield is beyond good sense. I would think 'Tradesman' would be better suited.

At one time or another, there were several models of Schrades all having the same bowtie shield pattern. A couple of 4" stockman knives, with shields marked 'Farmer', and 'Rancher'; and a muskrat pattern with a shield marked 'Fisherman'. Apparently, there was also a 'Lumberman' and 'Miner' as well. All of those were part of a set known as the 'Tradesman' series. The Schrade Walden 204 Electrician had a plain (unmarked) shield, also exactly the same bowtie pattern. Conceivably, it'd be too easy to swap shields between them, if one got lost. Wouldn't surprise me if your knife acquired it's unique branding this way.

A very good looking knife, in it's own right. :thumbup:

 

[dannyp]

Nice thread. Mine has to be this #56 in Coconut Palm. There simply isn't anything to dislike about this knife.

My SBJ comes in at a very close second. It has a pin that is slightly proud on one side. It is otherwise perfect and would edge out the GEC simply for the backspring design on the pen blade.