Why a trapper?

You reminded me of a funny story, FarmKid, that I may or may not have told here, and if I have done I probably told it a bit differently because my memory's not much good anymore. Anyhow, I have a pretty good buddy who makes his living hauling cattle and managing ranches, with a little speculating in hay on the side. A friend of his brother's got a few head of cows and when it came time for vaccinating, he called my friend George to come over and show him what to do. George told me that when he showed up, the guy had a whole box of disposable needles and syringes and insisted on using a fresh needle and syringe to vaccinate every cow and calf. I don't know what y'all do, but around here no one but vets uses disposable needles, so George was pretty disgusted at the waste and aggravation. What really got him, though, was when the first bull calf got into the squeeze chute and George pulled out his trapper. He said the guy handed him a disposable scalpel and said, "Here, use this. That knife isn't sanitary." George's response was, "Get that finger-cuttin' SOB away from me, fool, they're just cows!" We got a good laugh out of, though, and I don't think the guy ever asked for George's help again.
 
Yeah jalexander; them disposable blade castration knives are dangerous. I know a lot a people that has got cut bad with them. Don't u just love those newbies around cattle? They'll get u hurt quicker than those disposable knives! Its funny how certain areas carry certain knives. When we was in Hereford tx trappers was a popular pattern. Now here in western Virginia everybody carries a medium stockman size knife. For the longest time we all carried trappers on the farm; now we all carry smaller knives. The first calving season my wife and I was marryd she helped me process calves. Well the first few were heifers and the first bull I pulled out my case medium stockman and castrated him. She took it well until she seen the healers eatn Fha scrotom and testicles. But now it doesn't bother her!
 
Hey jalexander forgot to mention this but ive been using a case sodbuster Jr in Cv for castration and its blade is great for it.
 
More than two blades confuse me. Less than 2 frustrate me. I think a wharncliffe trapper would be very useful. I may have to find one, or modify one.
 
ranchmanben said:
This is from another thread, I didn't feel like retyping it.


I have always carried a two blade trapper, partly for tradition and partly for function.

Tradition: Every working cowboy I've ever know has carried a trapper. My grandfather gave my dad a trapper when he was a boy and taught him how to sharpen and care for it. My dad did the same thing for me when I was eight.

Function: The reason we carry these trappers is branding and castration of calves. The spey blade is for cutting the sack open and severing the cords that connect the nuts. The design of the blade is perfect for this because it is extremely easy to get very sharp. If you have a large quantity of bulls need cutting you have to sharpen your blade every ten or so to make it easier on you and the animal. You need a knife that you can sharpen very quickly so you don't hold up the operation sharpening you knife. The rounded or sometimes blunt end of the spey blade also prevents you from stabbing your help, the calf or yourself. I know quite a few hands who don't sharpen the rounded end since it's bad form to stab the guy holding the steer down.
The main blade is used for cutting ear marks, lancing abscesses, opening up an udder and other general cutting and stabbing where there isn't a risk of poking another person.

This is how I use my multi blade knife and have seen countless others use theirs over the years.

Ben
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Ben,

Was the stockman ever used by cattlemen in your neck of the woods? i know the trapper is used by cattlemen, especially in Texas, but we do have a knife with the name Stockman and it does have a spey blade. How did the trapper ever take the place of a knife like that for cow cutting purposes? I know that it is nothing new, you can see in the LL Bean catalogs from 50 years ago where they were selling a yellow handled trapper that they say is popular with stockmen also. Do you know how and why the trapper ever took over and replaced the stockman with cowboys and others who actually use that spey blade for its intended purpose?
 
Ben might know, but I don't. I do know that based on my informal research, none of the various cattlemen or cowboys I know carry a stockman. I kinda doubt that anyone really knows for sure why trappers are more popular, but based on my experience it's easier to use a longer blade than a short for cutting calves. If you look back on the first couple of pages of this thread, Ben and I compared notes on holding the knife while we work, and it might help to explain. On the other hand, I can't work with a blade that's longer than about three inches, since it gets in the way.
 
ok, just a question for those cattle folks
and well, anyone that uses the trapper for a hard work (more than cutting up fruit and opening envelopes)

do you prefer the regular size trapper (4 1/8" i believe)or the mini (3 1/2") model, and why
i picked up a couple of mini trappers and after reading all the love they getting recently I was wondering if I am missing out on anything with the larger model

and when i bought them i was more a managerial type and the 4 1/8" i believed was too large, now i am working in a warehouse and larger knives arent a problem, more of a preference sorta thing...
 
I have three trappers, a Moore Maker 3202, a Schrade USA 90OT, and a GEC Fire and Ice in red bone. The Moore Maker is full size at 4 1/8", and the other two are both about 3 3/4". I find that when I'm doing heavy or prolonged cutting I prefer the Moore Maker or the GEC. To me the difference is the size of the handle. The longer handle on the Moore Maker and the broader handle on the GEC both make them more comfortable and less fatiguing in hand than the 90OT.
The Moore Maker generally sees more use than the GEC as a work knife for a few reasons. First, I generally prefer the longer, slimmer blades. Second, the pulls are much lighter than the GEC, allowing quicker access to the blades, and I can pinch open the spey with gloves on if I need to. And finally, the yellow handles are a bit easier to spot than the red bone if I drop or set down the knife.
 
scalprum said:
I have three trappers, a Moore Maker 3202, a Schrade USA 90OT, and a GEC Fire and Ice in red bone. To me the difference is the size of the handle. The longer handle on the Moore Maker and the broader handle on the GEC both make them more comfortable and less fatiguing in hand than the 90OT.
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Wondering the size of your Schrade USA trapper? There is a 94OT (3 7/8") and a 96OT (4 1/8" bare head w/ pick/tweezers), but I don't believe a 90OT exists.
 
thawk said:
Wondering the size of your Schrade USA trapper? There is a 94OT (3 7/8") and a 96OT (4 1/8" bare head w/ pick/tweezers), but I don't believe a 90OT exists.
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You're right Hal, my mistake. It's a 94OT. That's what happens when you try to read the tang stamp on a well patinated blade by the light of a laptop screen.
 
Coyote3855 said:
I just like the style. You can see this one has been used a bit.

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My current edc is MooreMaker small trapper.
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You need to send this one to case! They would love to see how well used it is
 
I know that Case Trappers are the most popular slip-joints here in my part of Texas (South Central). The yellow-handled ones are the most popular, followed by the bone-handled ones. I've been thinking about getting one of those "oatmeal bone" ones that Tractor Supply carries...sort of like the way they look!

Ron
 
Once upon a time I was in my local hardware store. The clerk was showing an elderly couple a display of Case knives. (This was years ago, before China made knives swept the field.) I was passing by when the old man asked the clerk about the blade on the trapper.

The clerk said, “I don’t know.” Then she asked me, “Raymond, what is this blade for?”

I said, “It’s called a spay blade. It’s for neutering male animals. It turns a bull into a steer, and a stallion into a gelding.”

She said, “Neat! I want one!”

I said, “Remind me not to ask you out on a date.”
 
Even in the east here the older guys carry trappers. They like big knives for working. Back when papaw used horses he said he could trim a hoof with a big knife. He has carried a trapper all his life. He likes the versatility the best. From opening feed bags to butchering hogs. He said he likes the heft in his pocket. Go figure bc I hate the way they ride in a pocket.
 
Henry, I've got no idea why the trapper became popular as a cowboy knife. The reason I like a trapper is ease of sharpening on fly and blade length. When you've got 150 bull calves to cut, it's a lot easier on the animals if you sharpen your knife after every ten calves or so, depending on how dirty they are. You wouldn't think that cutting that kind of sack would be too hard on a blade but cutting through all the hair and dirt that is in it will dull a blade in a hurry. With a short stockman Spey blade, I would think you would have to sharpen more often due to shorter blade length. My Grandad and dad both used stockman but not for cow work.

Rsmith, until recently I've always carried a 4 1/8" trapper. I used my 3 3/4" gec 73 a couple of weeks ago to cut some calve and decided it wasn't really for me. I couldn't give a specific reason, but it just didn't work for me for that job. From now on, until I can get a trapper built the way I want, I'll be sticking with the tried and true 4 1/8".
 
rwc53 said:
I know that Case Trappers are the most popular slip-joints here in my part of Texas (South Central). The yellow-handled ones are the most popular, followed by the bone-handled ones. I've been thinking about getting one of those "oatmeal bone" ones that Tractor Supply carries...sort of like the way they look!

Ron
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Not a day goes by that I don't see at least one yellow-handled trapper worn in a (usually tooled) leather belt sheath.

The funny thing about stockmen is that I've always associated them more with tradesmen than cattlemen as it's the former who, as far back as I can remember, mostly seemed to favor 'em around these parts.
 
Brasso3 said:
Having been "neutered" myself after our second child, the idea of the use of the spey blade on livestock, without anesthetic of any kind, does tend to make your legs cross. LOL

I hope they aren't as sensitive down there as we are.
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Well the freezing didn't last on me so I can relate lol

When younger I watched my dad and one uncle help a rancher friend nut their calves.
It was fascinating
 
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