which brand of folder?

[Jason Fry]

I've got the pick of a lot of production slipjoint folders. There's trapper patterns in Tree Brand and Hen and Rooster, a couple of Bulldog brand, a Puma, and a couple of Schatt and Morgan. I've looked them all over, but I'm a fixed blade maker, not a slipjoint collector. All of them have tiny things wrong with them that I can find with a critical eye, but all of them have things I like. They all look like 440 stainless. Any reason to prefer one of the brands over the other?

 

[jackknife]

Sounds like you don't have a Case.

 

[Jason Fry]

There's one case trapper, stainless blades with orange picked bone handles, but I just don't like it. My BIL laid out two dozen knives on the table and said I could pick one for my Christmas present.

 

[thejamppa]

Case is good with Queen but expensive. If you want good quality knives without paying heaps of bucks check Rough Riders. A lot traditional patterns and people have liked them. You cannot get much better deal as most of them are under $ 7 - $ 15 depending on pattern. Good patterns: Texas Jack, Stockman, Peanut.

 

[338375]

If you have your pick, just get the one that you like the best.
S&M makes some great knives. Some were even ATS-34..

IIRC, The older H&R and Bulldogs were good knives. I don't have enough knowledge of them to tell the difference though

 

[rprocter]

i have many of all the brands you mention.
Puma: probably a cheap import
Bulldog: a few of the early '80s and the 2004 (25th ann.) are quite good, but you have to know your Bulldogs.
H&R: if it's Bertam (pre 1980), take it; but most likely Bertram Cutlery, some from Germany, most from China(regardless of whatever is stamped on the knife). pretty good knives.
S&M: most are very good, esp. the "File & Wire" ones.
if i had to pick without seeing the knives, i'd take the S & M.
roland

 

[DennisStrickland]

ditto to rprocter without knowing more about the others best bet is S.& M.

 

[coondog108]

Don't overlook Camillus--great values still out there.

 

[dkonopinski]

ditto to rprocter without knowing more about the others best bet is S.& M.

I'd go with that choice too. We don't see that many S & M knives over here, but I have 5 and you need a lens to see any fault. The File & Wire one is ATS-34 and the rest are 420HC.

David