Whats your favorite traditional knife brands?

If we go by what's in my pocket every single day, then it'd be Victorinox. They're not all that exciting, or nice to look at, but there's always an Alox of some flavor in my pocket. Case would come in a close second, especially the Case/Bose collabs.
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In the spirit of the old saying "Actions speak louder than words", I did some quick counts of how many knives I own of various brands.
Looks like I own about 77 Rough Riders, 32 Victorinox knives, and 32 Case knives; every other brand is considerably less than those counts.
But I'm probably most interested in finding old American Imperials and Colonials to add to my collection.

- GT
 
I don’t own a single rough rider. I guess I feel like they are cheap, even though they get good reports. I am looking for an opinel now though. Go figure.
 
5K Qs said:
But I'm probably most interested in finding old American Imperials and Colonials to add to my collection.
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Are you still getting your mail at your place of “employment”?
JM2 said:
I am looking for an opinel now though. Go figure.
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😂🤣 Knifecenter has them, but you will have to pay shipping, or Opinel has a store on the big shopping site, I believe.
 
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Just Tom. said:
Are you still getting your mail at your place of “employment”?

😂🤣 Knifecenter has them, but you will have to pay shipping, or Opinel has a store on the big shopping site, I believe.
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Finding the knife ain’t the problem. It’s finding that spare $20. I depleted my stash of shotshells the other day so a few boxes of those are in order I think.
 
JM2 said:
I don’t own a single rough rider. I guess I feel like they are cheap, even though they get good reports. I am looking for an opinel now though. Go figure.
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RRs are relatively inexpensive, but that's one of the things I like about them (because I'm definitely cheap). I can't remember ever losing a knife I've been carrying, but I'm still really nervous about the idea of carrying a $100 knife and losing it somewhere.

Just Tom. said:
Are you still getting your mail at your place of “employment”?
...
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Yes, I still have packages sent there to avoid "porch pirates." But that option will probably not be available after next May.

- GT
 
I grew up with Case knives but here in the past 5/6 years it's been all GEC for me. The quality can't be beat honestly.
 
Just Tom. said:
It’s good to know I am not the only one who agonizes over $20 discretionary purchases :thumbsup:
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Im poor. A new knife isn’t as important as keeping my stock of ammo sufficient. Especially when I have a couple dozen good knives, even if they aren’t the best.

Like I tell my wife, they ain’t trying to ban knives....yet.
 
The first knife that I really bonded with was a Buck 112. Something about it just seemed to fit. Then there was a Buck stockman, 703 that I got at a PX while in the Coast Guard, that one served me for a few years in the galleys of the ships I served on, it was used mostly to open bags of flour or rice or to open boxes of canned goods. When I got out of the service, I took a liking to Schrade Uncle Henry knives, they had a really decent HT to their stainless and took a keen edge and held it well. Then I discovered AG Russell Knives, and they became a favorite, until I discovered GEC right here in the Trad. forum. Currently I would say that GEC is by far my favorite brand and am very glad that I found them early on.
 
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I do not have any distinct favourites, though I do tend to buy mainly GEC, Victorinox and some RR these days.

I also, generally, use mainly these too.
 
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JM2 said:
Im poor. A new knife isn’t as important as keeping my stock of ammo sufficient. Especially when I have a couple dozen good knives, even if they aren’t the best.

Like I tell my wife, they ain’t trying to ban knives....yet.
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I live modestly, but comfortably, and regularly spend way more than $20 on little luxuries my family members don’t really need, I just can’t bring myself to spend a lot on luxuries for myself.

I don’t think this is the reason I like thrifty knives, however - I’m not exactly sure why that is…
 
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JM2 said:
I don’t own a single rough rider. I guess I feel like they are cheap, even though they get good reports. I am looking for an opinel now though. Go figure.
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Give one a try, it’s a relatively safe gamble. I have a couple regular RR and a couple of the Reserve line (the “upscale” line), and they are actually pretty great. Just temper your expectations a bit, they’re certainly not GEC’s. Handle scales are a little plasticey and the steel isn’t typically the toughest, but mine have good action and F&F. For 20-50$, they’re fun to knock around.
 
I like Case as a beater and GEC as fancy. Both are made in my home state of PA!
 
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My favorite traditional knives are Buck, Case, and Victorinox. I like the utility of an SAK, but want a larger handle personally. I usually carry a Buck 307. Thanks for sharing.
 
For me I think my favorite traditional knife brands would start with GEC and northwoods at the top. Then my second favorites would be the original Adrian Harris made Colonel Coon, and my third favorite would probably be Canal Street Cutlery.
 
When I was a kid in the late 1960s, early 70s I liked the Old Timer stockmen's, mainly 34OT. Then I bounced around with Uncle Henry, Camillus, Case and a few odd ones in the late 70s.

Then in 1987 I was given a Buck 301 425m blades from a Tifco salesman. That pocket knife was, and still is a dandy ! I still have it and use it occasionally. That knife changed my perspective about what a good pocket knife should be. It kept an edge much better than any other knife I’d used up till then but wasn’t hard to sharpen. Soon after I bought a Buck 110 Damascus Stag that was the best I ever used and from then on I was mostly a Buck fan and currently have around 60 in various models in my accumulation with 10 of them being the model 110.

I have always liked the Case patterns and I have 8 that I’ve acquired over the last 12 years or so. But only a couple of them have decent edge retention, the rest dull very quickly.

I have two GECs a 29 and a 23. They are great knives but I prefer stainless for my hard use work knives. I mostly just whittle with them and lighter duty, clean stuff.
 
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