Which do you prefer in a wharnie? #47, #55, #72

Hawk45

Hawk45

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Jan 28, 2005
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Thinking about grabbing a single blade wharnie and like all 3 designs. I have a #72 clip point at the moment and love it, but not sure I want the same knife with just a different blade shape, though It' is a great design. I don't have any 3.5" designs, so thought maybe the #55, but is it too small? Then there is the new kid on the block the #47.. Tough decisions.

What do you prefer?
 
For GEC line, my two favorite single blade patterns are the Viper and the Hounds Tooth. Kind of like the hounds tooth better than the sway back, but they are both nice. Steven
 
I dont own a 72 but have this comparison pic



Really depends on what you want it for. The 72 and 47 are going to be roughly the same size. If you like how your 72 feels holding it upside down you may want to try the viper. Between the viper and 72, do you prefer lock back or slipjoint? If you like the action of the slipjoint but still want a lock you can find the 55 with a liner lock.

If you want something a little smaller but still very capable the houndstooth is a great knife. At this point I could not pick the 55 or 47 over the other. Dont have enough time with the viper yet. I will say I really like the feel of the drawn swedge of the tidioute viper. Realisticly the cut swedge on my northfield is a little thin if you need to press cut a lot with the tip in hard material. Its a tough choice for sure. With the houndstooth getting harder to find and the viper almost selling out across the board in the first week, I would say get both. Make up your mind from handling them which one you like and then of course, send the one you dont want to me :D
 
Here two top down pics I just took to show the cut vs drawn swedge. The thin drawn swedge on the 55 is not an issue in usual use. If I was doing fine tip cutting for an extended time then I might consider another option from my stable. In normal jobsite use in 6 months or however long I have had it, ive had no complaints with it.



 
I would suggest the Tidioute version of the #55, as I'm not a fan of the nail nick inside the large swedge a la the Northfield version.

Tid55_zpscee20102.jpg~original
 
The 55 for me. It's a lot of knife in a slim package. I had the 72 and the blade was too large for my needs.
The Viper is very nice and it carries well for its size. Again, for me the blade might be a bit big. It does look like a superb slicer. So maybe it's just a matter of using it different.
And just to mix it up a bit here's another favorite GEC wharncliffe the 57.

 
Love the #72 as a work/chore knife, easy to open and close with one hand which is very handy at times. Viper more of a casual pocket carry for me but makes one heck of a paring knife!
 
Haven't been able to get hold of a Viper I like so can't judge that one yet. It's quite a large knife though.

The Tidioute Houndstooth I have in Redbone ( Jeff showed a picture of the liner lock version) offers a lot of blade in a compact frame, I'm delighted with it and hope they do another issue next time Barehead (the tooth shield is very cool!) Brian showed the Half-Whitt which is a reversed 55 and well worth considering too.
 
I have all three and prefer the 47, by a small margin, over the 55. If you have medium hands, the 55 might fit you better. It's one of the most comfortable in hand (and in all grips) that I own, but a tad small for me. Be advised that the 72 wharncliffe is a wide carry, but a solid choice for those who like larger lockbacks..
 
The viper is nice, but for me I found it to be bigger than what I need. The one thing about the viper is that it feels somewhat cumbersome to me. Between the handle width, blade width and the strong springs I always feel like I am going to drop it when I close it. Open , half and closed stops are so strong. But it is a good looking knife.
uploadfromtaptalk1393818367351.jpg
 
Then the 55 is your huckleberry, but you won't get away from a strong snap, if you get one..
 
I'd say scratch the #72, since as you say, you already have a #72 and you're not sure you want the same knife again with just a different blade.

Which leaves the #55 or the #47. Both are great frames, both are slim, and I think it really just comes down to what you prefer in terms of size/length. If you like the length of the #72, I'd go with the Viper, since they are closer in length. Of the three, the Viper is definitely my favorite.
 
I tried holding my #72 upside down, and it felt odd for sure. I felt like I would have to turn my wrist down to get a proper angle for cutting. Is this the case? Didn't feel real natural.
 
I am sure the geometry is different between the two so that may have some to do with it. The swayback is a little weird at first but I have found the sweetspot and it feels great in a turned pull cutting fashion.

The 55 feels better in hand to me but I like the extra length in the 47. The 55 dips down and then gets bulbous at the end. Close in profile to the swayback but not quite. Here are a few in hand pics I hope will help.









 
No problem at all. If you want a particular shot just let me know. Wish I had a 72 or 73 to compare for you(on my shortlist).

If you want to try the swayback out I have a 47 hayn helper you could borrow and try out if you wish. Pm me your address and I can try to get it out to you pretty quick.
 
RG's excellent pictures highlight for me at least, a issue with Swayback knives. I like the look of them, find them an interesting and desirable pattern, but I can't really get comfortable with them in the hand. The Saddlehorn pattern, for instance with its curved handle, fits into my palm exactly, but not so the Swayback. It could be a technique thing, or sheer incompetence on my part! I find the Houndstooth frame to be a real treat in the hand. Some peoples' hands are more equal than others...:D

Thanks, Will
 
Hawk45 said:
I tried holding my #72 upside down, and it felt odd for sure. I felt like I would have to turn my wrist down to get a proper angle for cutting. Is this the case? Didn't feel real natural.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Both the 47 and 72 feel better in my hand with the inner curve of the handle against my fingers with the outer curve in my palm. The 47 is better for pull cuts and paring duty, the 72 feels more at home with push cuts to me.
 
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