What slipjoints do you see people using in the real world?

Down south it is multitool's, SAK's, and then comes all varieties of belt sheathed knives, folding and fixed. Traditional slipjoints are the rarest breed so it seems.
 
In Buenos Aires very few people EDC any kind of knife.
The more common are Victorinox SAKs, even among outdoor sport enthusiasts like hunters or climbers. Mostly the regular models without a lock. Nobody freaks out with them, you can carry and use them anywhere. I usually take a SAK as a back up to my main blade, for the tools and to use it in places that aren't knife friendly.
Multitools aren't that common. I've been carrying a Swisstool for a long time, and people are still kind of amazed by it. If you see a multitool, it's usually a cheap knockoff sold at hardware stores. Leathermans and Swisstools get really expensive here, they cost more or less a whole month's pay for many guys.
The only people I've seen carrying good quality folders work at gun or knife shops. Of course, there are knife enthusiasts who are the exception.
Slipjoints are VERY rare, they are even hard to find at shops. The only person I know who EDCs one is my dad.
Workers in the rural area carry a fixed blade of some sort (of very varied quality) .
Teenagers tend to carry very bad quality autos or tactical knife knock offs. My father is a city magistrate, he deals with a lot of the unlawful weapon carrying in the city, and he told me that he sometimes feels pity for the guys caught with a knife. Last week a teen caught with a broken auto was given 15 days of arrest!
 
All you see are slipjoints. Almost everyone I know carries a Case knife. O carry a Case, my daddy carries a Case, my grandpa and great grandpa all carried Case knives. Slipjoints seem to be the most popular type knife in these parts. You will also see a several fixed blade knives. Nobody in these parts has heard of Benchmade or Spyderco.
 
Most of the ones that I see are Case Trappers, and medium Stockmans, Buck Stockmans, Schrade Stockmans, Eye Brand Trappers or Sodbusters, and a few Mooremaker Trappers.
 
Here is a good one for you all: I prevailed on an old Cargill Canoe last week on an eBay auction. And after the auction was concluded and I made my PayPal payment, I noticed this fellow lived only 11 miles from me. So a quick email saved me the shiping cost and we met up the next day. After receiving my knife I asked him what he carried and he whips out this naturally pocket worn very vintage Case Tested XX bearhead trapper (he called it a 'farmers knife') in the most lovely translucent red bone you ever saw!.. :eek: So we sat and talked for a long while about our mutual addiction and I am glad to say that this 60's, maybe 70's something old fellow is now a fast friend of mine!! :cool:
 
Here in Austin, Texas, among common folk, I see mostly SAKs and Bucks if I see any at all in use. Among tech geeks I work with, Leatherman tools. Among knife collectors I know, anything goes.

I moved here from Boca Raton FL. My first full day in Austin, almost 8 years ago, I pulled up to a stoplight and looked in the car next to me at the light. The driver of the SUV was an attractive young blond, manicuring her long, bright red nails at the stop light with a Buck folding hunter. Couldn't help but smile.
 
I work in an office building in San Francisco's Financial District. What I've noticed is:

The computer folks - Leatherman

The maintenance folks - Buck folders

The Xerox guy carries a monster tactical folder clipped on the outside of his belt, I haven't had a chance to ask him the brand. IMO he carries a big folder to show off. Come on, he's the Xerox guy, what is he cut with that big thing? A box of toner? :rolleyes: :D

I've noticed a few small SAKs being used by ladies.

Me - Ritter Mini Grip until my Case Toothpick arrives. :)
 
Nary a one, unless they borrow mine Schrade stockman or SAK.

And whenever I ask how they sharpen, they always describe those rotten carbide knife peelers. :rolleyes:

I've been showing them the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker. Maybe we'll make some inroads.
 
In rural France, the Opinel is king.
SAKs are more urban. Some classy or crappy Laguioles too.
 
I have used both a Browning 3-bladed stockman and a leatherman for over 30 years. They both excel in practicality!
 
Here in MD, I see mostly BM's and other tac knives. I have all of that stuff, but I have been carrying a Stag Copperlock lately. I like the simplicity of it. I feel like I have some heritage in my pocket. When I carry one at work, and need it, the guys alway say "What, did you trade your Strider to an old man?" I laugh. I can't stay away from slipjoint knives. I would love a custom someday.
 
Another voice from Maryland- alot of the tacticle stuff among the 30 and under crowd. Among blue coller workers some Leatherman and other multitools. Saks make a good showing. I was in Walmart a couple months back getting a new nylon band for my Timex and this nice looking 30 something secretary looking lady was also buying a new band for her watch. She pulls out a Vic tinker from her purse to get out the little spring things from the watch to get the new band on right there at the counter. We talked for a bit and ends up she does alot of hiking and backpacking and is a big sak fan.

The only traditional slippys I see aside from my own is a couple of friends in my own retired age group.

Oh God, does that mean I'm getting old? :eek:
 
Here in South TN you see a lot of people that used to carry German Eye brand exclusively switching to Buck Creek. They tell me you get the same quality steel in a knife that runs anywhere from 10 to 20 bucks cheaper.

All patterns are carried, but one I think I see more often than not is the 3 or 4 bladed Congress pattern. The sheeps foot blade will come out before anything else.
 
Here in Oregon many people carry. The most visible are clip type knives - tac/utility.

The slipjoint of choice seems to be SAK.
 
My family have been Old Timer fans as long as I can remember.
I've spoken elsewhere about my Grand Dads 8OT.
My dad usualy carries a 340t or an Uncle Henry the same size, dont remember the model #.
At work we are required to carry utility knives(yuk) so hardly anyone carries a pocketknife. I always have a old timer108ot or a small case in my pocket as well as a vic classic on my keyring.
OT Guy what part of Pa are you from? I belong to the Keystone Blade Assoc. in Lewisburg.If you want to ckeck us out we have a meeting this Wed. night at The country cupboard inn along Rte. 15. We 'd love to see ya.
Skip Fryling the Pa knifeguy.
 
A few years ago I started work at a container terminal, and they were emptying one building to tear it down. One room still had some parts we needed, and no one had a key anymore. So we decided to cut through the drywall. At that time I was into tacticals and had a Benchmade tanto blade, which couldn't cut real well with the tip. One of our older security guards pulled out a hook bladed slipjoint and cut right through it. We reached in, turned the knob from the other side, and did the job. Around then I decided to carry something with a more useful blade instead of what looked cool.
 
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