What is your "best made" production Slipjoint?

[Peter Parker]

If I had never purchased this one S&M Queen made Sowbelley it would have been a tie between my Queen Classc Cattleknife and my new Northfield #53!

 

[Rick]

Of all the production slipjoints I've owned, these two Jacks from Remington and Case display the finest workmanship:

GEC's workmanship comes pretty darn close to these immaculate factory oldies; in fact the only area that GEC falls slightly short is in the blade finish department, but it's awfully hard to match those old crocus and glaze finishes.

The Case/Bose collaborations are outstanding; probably as good as it gets in a modern production knife, if you get a good one, and there's the rub (sometimes literally) with Case: consistency. I'll buy a GEC unseen without hesitation. Not so with Case.

 

[sappyg]

Without a dought Victorinix makes the "best made" production slipjoints I have ever owned. I've never seen or heard of a poorly built Alox scaled Vic. I'm partial to my cadet.
The Case SBJ is awesome. The build quality on my '09 rivles most any Case I have ever experienced. To me it is quite impressive. I have one knife that I use to judge all others ('72? Case 6332) and the SBJ exceeds even that. That is saying a lot! Only the SBJ has shown me the few failings of that stockman. In this day and age it's hard to believe that kind of fit and finish can still be had from any US maker.

Having said that, I just picked a GEC Tidioute Conductor and all I can say is Golly Gee. Getting past the Wow factor of the pattern and scale material I still have to say that this GEC is something special. I only have one other GEC to compare it to but this one..... clean and crisp! Solid. The assembly on this one is outstanding. It gives me the impression that it was put together with an understanding of quality and purpose by a true craftsman. Not only does it outdo the fit and feel of the other Tidioute but it outdoes any traditional I have experienced so far.

 

[300Bucks]

OWE,

Don't want to side track thread but your observations of my knife choice hits the nail on the apparent head. I have told folks about there incorrect assumptions on their Buck knives a dozen times, now I am paying the piper. So to speak.
By gum I believe you may be right on the shield. Look at the photo. Doesn't change my choice of knife for the thread. Just putting all in proper order in the historical prespective.......300Bucks

I believe this middle shield may have been replaced. It sits a little more proud of the scale surface than my other two 204s. Looks like glue squeeze out to me on the bottom end. Good chance your correct anyway.....It's all in the details...

 

[Bigfattyt]

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.

Those look great. I have to say, after eyeing them in this thread and a few other review pics, I think they look right up my alley. I also like their locking gunstock. (for some one like me just starting out in slip joints!).

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.

You convinced me! I had been eying these for a while (amongst the many eye catching offerings). I ordered 4. One large, and three small in three colors. A big and small for me (brown), and a small red and small black for both my sons (one is 6.....still have to decide when I think he is ready for an edged knife....I ground the edge and point off a cross lock years ago, and he has toted it around for along time, and the other is 18 months, so it might be a while till he gets his!)

 

[spydutch]

I have no traditionals with "perfect" fit & finish but the one that comes very close is my Chessnut bone Peanut in CV.

And the ones a little less traditional are my 3 Victorinox Alox Solo's. Those are 95% perfect in either ways.

 

[Will Power]

Of all the production slipjoints I've owned, these two Jacks from Remington and Case display the finest workmanship:

GEC's workmanship comes pretty darn close to these immaculate factory oldies; in fact the only area that GEC falls slightly short is in the blade finish department, but it's awfully hard to match those old crocus and glaze finishes.

The Case/Bose collaborations are outstanding; probably as good as it gets in a modern production knife, if you get a good one, and there's the rub (sometimes literally) with Case: consistency. I'll buy a GEC unseen without hesitation. Not so with Case.

Those two are deeply impressive, especially the bone on that CASE.

I agree absolutely with you about buying GEC unseen, and unfortunately, with the Collab - I obviously got one of the ones that wasn't "hand picked" Not good enough.

 

[Sonnemann]

The only really perfect knives in my small stable (which includes offerings from GEC and other American makers) are both from Case. The SBJ and full-size trapper are flawless. Not one gap in the liners when held up to a strong light, perfect snap, centering, and no blade play, etc. I was really floored when they arrived. The craftsmanship, the pricing, CV steel, and chestnut bone are all I need to keep me away from custom knives for the time being.

 

[Eric H]

As said before, I can't stress enough just how good the Case Swayback Jack with chestnut bone scales and cv blades. Being relatively new to traditional, I keep picking up other models expecting them to top or match the sbj, but they never seem to make it.

I even finally bit the bullet and picked up a Case/Bose collaboration dogleg, fully expecting the difference in price (I was able to pick up a sbj for $35 new) to equal a difference in quality--I was very mistaken in that.

The Winchester 'black box' series from the late 1980's are also amazing in quality--equal to the Swayback jack. Can't say enough good things about those knives.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

My collaboration Tribal Spear is probably the best I have. Those SAK's from Victorinox are almost perfect most of the time.

 

[JPD1998]

I've got two of the Case / Bose collaborations ( the Norfolk and Tribal Spear) and can't imagine anything made better than these.

Here's the Norfolk

But this regular production TB backpocket is probably the best made Case knife I own.

 

[Modoc ED]

It was my understanding that the OP (Flymon/Stu) only wanted one knife to be selected; however, it seems others understood it another way and are posting aboult multiple knives. That being the case this:

CV Case # 6392 Stockman with jigged red bone handles meets the threshold of perfect too. Walk and talk, fit and finish, blade centering in the liners, etc. etc. is perfect.

Don't let the apparent blade blemishes in the picture fool you. They are reflections of the streaks/dirt on the glass that I took the picture through. The blades are non-marred/non-blemished, etc. -- perfect. This knife doesn't have a flaw of any kind in it.

I have a few othere knives that are pristine/perfect but are not available for photographing as they are for my Grandson and are stored in an air tight, nitrogen filled container for the day when he will be ready for them.

 

[kamagong]

This one. It's a Schatt & Morgan Harness Jack.

Beautiful bone scales, quality steel, well done swedging, and superb fit and finish. This HJ is the best production slipjoint I own by far and it's not even a contest.

I wish all knives were made this well.

 

[FLymon]

It was my understanding that the OP (Flymon/Stu) only wanted one knife to be selected; however, it seems others understood it another way and are posting aboult multiple knives.

Yeah I was kind of thinking just one knife, bu it's all good.
My idea was that if a manufacturer asked you for one example of what you want to see, in the way of F&F, every time you buy one of their knives, what would you hand them from your own collection as the prime example? And why?

I expected to see the SBJ well represented (and I wasn't disappointed), but I really wasn't thinking SAK. Not they are not worthy, every Victorinox I have owned or handled has been like a carbon copy of the last, but I really don't put them in the same league as a bone handled, hand finished USA Slipjoint available in a variety of patterns (not just a stack of interchangeable parts arranged in different orders/quantities). Not that our manufacturers couldn't or shouldn't look at what Victorinox is doing for ideas of how to improve consistency, they just do two rather different things.

Carry on!

 

[Modoc ED]

With what you have in mind Stu, I'd hand that Schrade to a manufacture as an example of what a production knife should be.

 

[berzerker]

I have a four-way tie:
Ontario Real Cattle Knife
GEC Sunfish in smooth yellow bone
S&M English Jack in amber worm-grove bone
Case Gunboat in blue bone

All of them are flawless in fit, finish, walk, talk, and snap.

 

[6thtexas]

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.

That would be mine-along with my Vic Alox Soldier

 

[Grateful]

I have a Case amber bone 6254 trapper that is just about perfect. I had a dark red bone 6254 for awhile that was also perfect. As many '54s as Case has made they should be perfect. They have had alot of practice.
Jim

 

[SilverFoxKnows]

I've got a Hen & Rooster stockman from the early 80s (I think) that is very nice. Nice, square springs & tangs. Excellent fit of scale to bolster.

I also hand picked a Case Cheetah Cub from Plaza Cutlery that is extremely nice. The guard isn't quite as tight as when I picked it out but I've carried and used it some. As a whole, the knife is darn near flawless.

I had a GEC that would have been close to perfect if it didn't tear my thumb nail twice. Traded it for the above mentioned H&R.

Frank

 

[FLymon]

As many '54s as Case has made they should be perfect. They have had alot of practice.
Jim

Amen!

A few more scans of my SBJ (Firefox users can view in the original size, right click-view image)
They should all be so tight.