Why particular tradition knife pattern appeals to you

My favorite pattern is a full size trapper. I always regrind the spey into a sheep's foot. That gives me the functionality of a large stockman without the useless third blade (spey).
 
The trapper pattern and stockmans have always appealed to me, after being on this forum Ive started really looking at the peanuts.
 
i always had a soft spot for the stockman pattern. probably due to it being one of my first pocket knives i had. i always felt prepared with a good, sharp stockman. oddly tho, i have more single bladers, and use them more often. kind of the polar opposite of a stockman. knives are funny things.
 
As Frank said, when I think of a slippy, I think about a stockman.
When I answer those "if only one knife' threads, it is always a stockman.
I find the size range fits my needs, a 3 1/4" is great for being in the office, a 4" for camping and picnics, and a 4 1/4" for heavy work.
I like the three blade and sharpeing them differently and all the different things you can cut with them

A 3 1/2" Whittler is a close second with the three blades
Then a 1/2 congress for that large Sheepsfoot

I do not yet have a sowbelly or railspitter, that might be something I need to rectify :)
 
I've always liked stockmans, especially ones in stag. I'm not really sure why but they just look great to me, and I really like having the three blades plus.

Trappers also appeal a lot to me because i like the clip shapes they often have and the long spey blade gives a great straight edge and a round tip for stuff you might not want to catch the tip on.
 
LKJW said:
As I've mentioned in another thread, I have a Rough Rider Canoe that is not a real great knife...I don't like the scales. Blades are fine. It would make a good beater. I don't like Canoes...it's the only one I have. I don't think it's ever cut so much as a thread.

I'd be happy to give it to someone who would use it. You want it sqoon? Or anybody else? I'll mail it out no strings...or if you want to trade a cheapie you don't like that could be fun, too.

I plan to give away a better knife contest-style eventually, but this RR is just gathering dust. Let me know.
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Well, when i arrived home this afternoon i had a surprise waiting for me. Your Canoe arrived, but i was surprised to find out there was a little something extra in the box.

Just want to thank you again LKJW
and i'll post pics as soon a i figure out how :p
 
I've alway's been partial to full sized trappers. I use the spey blade for gutting deer and hogs as it won't puncture the guts as you open up the belly. And, the clip blade works great for everything else. I used to carry a large sheath knife hunting. But, here lately I usually just have a trapper and a sak in my pockets. I keep a larger sheath knife in my hunting pack just in case of an emergency need for something a little larger. But, usually the only one that gets pulled out of my pocket is the trapper.

I've been trying out some stockmans here lately. But, so far the spey blades on them just seem a little to short for my taste on opening up hogs and deer. I'll give them a little more time though.
 
I think because of my background I've always been a little scizoid on pocket knives. My granddad carried a stockman the last half of his life, and my dad was a peanut user. Then I had a scout knife from my 12th birthday till I went in the army.

So for 20 something years, my strong preference was to a stockman. Usually I had a sak around, but the stockman was my knife for a very long time.

These days, as a retired older fart, I like a smaller knife for my suburban existance, with a sak around someplace not far away. In a back pack, boat bag, other pocket. A sak kind of goes back to my boy scout days, when we worshiped our scoutmaster, who had a Remington scout on his belt, dangling for all to see. The regular army issue sak, like a Wenger SI is a strong pull to me. Same layout as my old scout knife. A cadet is a downsized cousin of the issue sak.

My old Buck 301 is still carried now and then, it's like an old friend. It calls to me to go along. When it doesn't, a Buck cadet takes it's place.

Carl.
 
My favorite has always been the Stockman. The Peanut comes in second.

Lately I've been craving a Half Whittler. I can't say it will step past the other two but one never knows.
 
That Texas jack is hard to beat. I find myself liking it and the mini trapper size knife more and more. Just got a mini trapper to match my full size Wharncliffe trapper.

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Todd, that mini copperhead is a dangerous thing. First thing you know that's what you'll pick up every day. I bought one pretty inexpensively and it had a small defect, but that didn't keep it from working and it didn't keep it from becoming a pocket hog either.

Ed
 
tell ya what Ed,
that purple case (the top one) is AWFULLY pretty

might have to find me one of those myself ....awefully pretty
 
I love barlows because I find the short and long blade to be very useful in all manners of tasks, but my all time favorite is a pattern going back to my childhood...my grandfather carried a large single bladed Sheffield knife (I think it was Taylor, Sheffield) with a spear pointed blade and almost black jigged bone scales and a basic shield inlaid. He carried it over 45 years, when he died it went missing and since then have been seeking out my "white elephant". :)

So my affinity most goes to single bladed patterns (saddlehorns, etc), but wont pass up good two bladed patterns (barlow, moose and twin bladed jacks).
 
knarfeng said:
When I hear the word "knife", the image that first pops into my head is that of a Buck stockman with black scales.
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:thumbup:

I can relate. Stockman has long been my favorite. Very utilitarian, and I think quite good-looking too. Here's my Buck 307, one I've been carrying a lot lately:
 
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I will follow OWE with my Bucks.

I keep on the dresser very few. This is my favorite 303 stockman, I put the scales on myself. No other stockman currently in EDC cigar box. If I had to buy a new one it would be a yellow scaled 303. I carried a old elk scaled 303 for a long time.
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I also favor a Schrade TL-29 without a bail. I carry it in a leather pouch that hangs from my belt but goes in my front pocket.
SchradeTL29.jpg

If I think I am going to need a big knife I usually carry a 112 but recently have put on my belt a 110.
If I need a knife for rough work like cutting drywall or the like I use a razor knife.

300Bucks
 
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The rounded shape of a small Barlow (GEC #25) is pretty easy on the pocket and comfortable to carry, so I guess that's what I favor. I like any small 3" or so traditional knife though.
 
My first decent knife was a stockman, therefore, I am partial to the pattern.
 
Most important to me is the shape of the frame pattern. I prefer frames from 3-1/2 to 4-1/8 inches, that have a rounded or sloping butt to them, such as a teardrop, sowbelly, saddlehorn, or even an equal end. They just seem to fit my large hand better.

Secondly are the blades. The best patterns have two very different blades, such as clip and sheepfoot, or spear and Wharncliffe. They should not only be of different lengths, but also one straight edge and one curved edge, one beefy and one more delicate.

When I envision my "ultimate" pocket carry, I think of a 3-7/8" barehead saddlehorn with copperhead bolster to cover the run ups, Turkish or muskrat clip main (slender and pointy) with a sheepfoot secondary (stout and a little shorter than the clip) and both nicks on the mark side. Hafted in rough, greenish-brown exterior ram's horn with pinned on badge shield.

A2 or 52100 steel would be nice as well, at around 59 HRc. I guess I need to start talking up a few of our custom makers!
I may have just talked myself into something! :p
 
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