Who carries a Congress

Jenner 515

Jenner 515

Joined
Nov 27, 2002
Messages
2,145
For years I have been a Sowbelly kind of guy.

Within the last couple of weeks I've had an urge to pick up a 4-blade congress. Who carries one as part of an EDC rotation?

Where can I find a good selection of them?

Who is so proud of their congress they want to post a pic of theirs?
 
not me. I have a couple of them,including a neat old 8 blader but I just cant get myself to carry one as an edc.
It seems that the congress is more for someone who is into whittling and woodcarving.
 
I rarely carry mine but they are my favorites for whittling. I have a Case and a Boker both in carbon steel. (Images are in my photo albums which is linked below my sig.)
 
Well, I've been carrying one for the past few days. It's the first one I've ever had. I NEVER saw anyone with one down here growing up. Always stockmans and trappers. I don't know what part of the country they are popular in, but I kind of think of it as a town knife or a fancy man's whittler. It does work nicely in the hand for whittling. More than likely I will end up carrying mine as a dress up knife or going to town knife because it's really pretty, even if it's a bit large for that. I'm kind of curious about the history of the congress pattern myself.

Here's a pic along with two that I regularly carry - Case USA Mini trapper and a 6292 texas jack. The congress is a Henckels with sambar stag and carbon steel. The stag is really nice on it. The steel takes and holds an edge pretty well. The knife itself is very well built - half stops, strong springs, no play in any blade. I really like it. Not a terribly expensive knife either.

henck_congress.jpg
 
I carry my Queen D2 steel 4 blade Stag Congress quite a bit. It's a handful but I don't mind larger knives. I'll post a picture later when I get some time.
 
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The four blade on top is my EDC for the next year. The old two blade is also one of my favorites.

I really love the CV, wish I could get that in a different color bone.
 
although I like the pattern, I only occasionaly carry a 4 blade congress. I more often carry a 2 blade congress. Here is one of my favorite EDC's-a Joe Allen 2 blade congress(
image-4.jpg
On the bottom)
 
Sometimes it is a BOKER, sometimes it is a CAMILLUS, and sometimes it is an S&M, a RUSSELL, a ROBESON, or a CASE, or something else that strikes my fancy. I rarely carry a particular knife for less than a year so I can get to know it fairly well.
I do like the feel of one and the choice of four blades is good. The 2-blade congress knife looks to me like a vast project started with a half vast idea; I hardly see the point !!! SO...why did I just buy the new 2-blade congress from A.G.RUSSELL ???
Right at the moment I am carrying a S&M 4-blade Railsplitter. It dang sure looks like a 4-blade stockman to me and I still have yet to hear an explanation of the name RAILSPLITTER. Since I collect congress and 4-blade stockman pocketknives this new 2007 S&M fits in the pile of 'em pretty well.
 
I frequently carry a large Queen that I recieved in a trade. I like that knife a great deal.

Ed T
 
If you'd like to try a congress but are reluctant to pay a lot then it might be worth your time to look into the offerings from Rough Rider and Steel Warrior. I picked up a Steel Warrior congress with blue jigged bone scales and 440A blades for $15. It's my only congress and I love it. Check out Smokey Mountain, they still have limited time free shipping!
 
Just received a fourblade congress pattern Browning knife from an ebay auction. Cost me about $18 shipping and all. I have to say it is one of the nicer knives I have bought recently. Give one a try, it is made in China but the highest quality Chinese made knife I have yet seen.
 
I love to carry a 4 blade congress. I have quite a few, but the one that gets all the pocket time is this Reese Bose 3.5 inch in ivory and A2. Just sharpened it up this morning. 2 blades polished, 2 toothy. I also have a 3 inch Reese Congress that I'd love to carry but I just can't bear to.

reese_congress_1_2008.jpg
 
nice knives guys! Any idea how this pattern came to be called a congress? Alot of the pattern names kinda make sense this is a puzzle:confused:
thanks
ivan
 
Wow, ask and you shall receive. I really appreciate everyone's input and love the pics. When I pick one up...I'll let ya'all know.
 
Fasteddie, that is just about the finest looking pocketknife I've ever seen. Certainly the best looking congress pattern.
 
I just can't get one as all that I have seen have the same blades. If I am carrying a multiblade slipjoint then I want different blades for multi purposes. But that is just my opinion.
 
The Case has a large sheepfoot, large spear, small coping and small pen. Those are different blades and different sizes.

The Boker I have is also set up with different blades but replaces the large spear with a large spey for whittling where you don't want the point to dig in.
 
Thanks everyone, I received a Henckels in Stag and Carbon similar to the one Zip7 posted except this one has stepped bolsters.

Sharp out of the box and great F&F...it'll be this weeks "lone wolf" as an edc to give it a chance.

initial impressions are this is a great pattern and a good edc knife.

Thanks again.

Pics when I get the chance.
 
Zip7 said:
Fasteddie, that is just about the finest looking pocketknife I've ever seen. Certainly the best looking congress pattern.
Click to expand...

With Ivory on it, that knife is like a barometer. It changes with the weather. Has a life of its own. But I'll go out on a limb here and say that Reese Bose makes the finest 4 blade congress ever made. Right there with the ole dawg for sure.
 
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