Your 2018 Traditional Knife Of The Year

Lyle's SFO was an eye opener for me. I've enjoyed owning and using it more so than any production knife I've owned. The photo doesn't do it justice, the bone is not as white as it appears, the brass liners and pins add a tiny bit of contrast, and the bar shield just looks "right".

 
Spey Blade:
With the curved end of the blade being closer to perpendicular to the blade's axis than other knives and lacking a point, making penetration unlikely, spey blades are common on Trapper style pocketknives for skinning fur-bearing animals. Also good for spreading peanut butter on bread.

Thank you for this, @JohnDF! :)
 
JB that is a beautiful 14!! Wish I would have gotten one but every time I looked for the two blade at one of the dealers, I came up empty. My traditional knife of the year is probably the little stag Case Peanut. It is pictured with an older Hen & Rooster small stockman. I really like this little peanut.
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SVTFreak SVTFreak , come on now, don’t be shy. Post up a pic of the Kawamura sitting on top of a burnout mark from the Cobra.

~ Respectfully signed by the man who wishes he could do it for you LOL.

Lol. Well, I'm working alot right now and my next days off are supposed to be cold and rainy. So the cobra ain't coming out! Lol. But, you're right. It's hands down my knife of the year.

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Oh boy, I'm not sure about this. I don't buy a ton of knives throughout the year, other than forum knives, or the occasional good deal. Although, I guess I do pick up quite a few at the knife shows, so I was forgetting them. Anyways, the knife of 2018...I have modded a few for myself that are quite nice to carry, but are otherwise not that special.

Okay, I think it will be this one...I picked this Lloyd up second hand, it is used, but lovely regardless. I guess it's my knife of 2018 due to it being a finely-made custom, that's a pleasure to look at, carry, and use.


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That Lloyd is just great.
 
SVT, that's really a sweet knife! Big one!

Thank you!

Actually is not that big. My long skinny fingers make it seem so though. Its actually off pattern and smaller than his usual LBS at 3 7/8". Usually they are 4.25.
 
wlfryjr wlfryjr you done good my friend, I grin every time I pull it out of my pocket.

22-rimfire 22-rimfire that Hen & Rooster is a great knife. When I was a guy that carried a knife, before going off the deep end on knives, I bought a Hen & Rooster Model 273 in stag from AG Russell sometime in the mid 70's. I carried that knife until sometime in the early 90's. It was the nicest knife I'd ever owned up to that time (I still have it).
 
Well this is a difficult choice to make.

Firstly, although I regrettably wasn’t able to catch up with Mr J. Black personally on a family trip to the UK earlier this year, he very kindly gave me some detailed instruction on the Sheffield area and I was lucky enough to fit in an hour or so at the olde Sheffield knife store. Even though the Lambsfoot is the knife pattern most associated with the area, the Wright and Rodgers knives were the ones I chose after testing every knife in the store at least twice! So nice to have opportunity to make a choice based on weight and action not just looks. I am sure there is a lambsfoot or two on the horizon.

This Rogers knife feels nicer in hand than even my TC barlows and Northfield barlows. The black delrin sets it all off so well. Its just about the perfect barlow.

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The next knife is a special find - a user jobillo #92 to replace one I foolishly sold on when thinning out the collection. This is a real treasure and I like a user blade or two for my collection, even though I am rarely brave enough to convert a safe queen to a user myself.

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The knife beside it is a new one today, a stainless 15 which has the distinction of being the only GEC to be personally delivered to my house in Canberra Australia, and I am super pleased with it in every way. These were so slow to sell but it is a surprisely good knife, both in hand and to look at.

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I can’t ignore making special mention of this 78 which turned out the pick of the bunch of 78s I bought. A very fine knife both to look at and to use with fantastic action and ergonomics.

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But the overall best of the bunch and my award for my knife of the year is this Queen gunstock in CPM 154. It is amazing both in its looks and its ergonomics. A true EXCEPTIONAL gem that is hard to put down. Just look at those lines when open. The sabre blade is head and shoulders better than the FFG on the GEC gunstock.

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Pomsbz Pomsbz Woes with the Roundhead???o_O
I'm afraid so. It was from the first batch. Too thick behind the edge to be a slicer and thinning out M390 is far from my abilities. I just couldn't get it to cut like a traditional or maintain that hair popping edge. I sent it to 3 pros for the edge to be set and tuned but it didn't help. Having a regrind would have cost the same as the knife itself and diamond stones for my sharpmaker were also expensive. I gave up and sold it on ebay. I loved everything about it other than the grind but when it comes down to it, cutting is what a knife is for and that steel required more skills and equipment than I have or have the patience for. I was glad the BF 2019 knife ended up as CPM154, I can make that steel sing!
 
Well this is a difficult choice to make.

Firstly, although I regrettably wasn’t able to catch up with Mr J. Black personally on a family trip to the UK earlier this year, he very kindly gave me some detailed instruction on the Sheffield area and I was lucky enough to fit in an hour or so at the olde Sheffield knife store. Even though the Lambsfoot is the knife pattern most associated with the area, the Wright and Rodgers knives were the ones I chose after testing every knife in the store at least twice! So nice to have opportunity to make a choice based on weight and action not just looks. I am sure there is a lambsfoot or two on the horizon.

This Rogers knife feels nicer in hand than even my TC barlows and Northfield barlows. The black delrin sets it all off so well. Its just about the perfect barlow.

wH5DrjH.jpg


YUww0Ld.jpg


The next knife is a special find - a user jobillo #92 to replace one I foolishly sold on when thinning out the collection. This is a real treasure and I like a user blade or two for my collection, even though I am rarely brave enough to convert a safe queen to a user myself.

ViP8bix.jpg


The knife beside it is a new one today, a stainless 15 which has the distinction of being the only GEC to be personally delivered to my house in Canberra Australia, and I am super pleased with it in every way. These were so slow to sell but it is a surprisely good knife, both in hand and to look at.

evt0J1X.jpg


I can’t ignore making special mention of this 78 which turned out the pick of the bunch of 78s I bought. A very fine knife both to look at and to use with fantastic action and ergonomics.

IDRKNf8.jpg


But the overall best of the bunch and my award for my knife of the year is this Queen gunstock in CPM 154. It is amazing both in its looks and its ergonomics. A true EXCEPTIONAL gem that is hard to put down. Just look at those lines when open. The sabre blade is head and shoulders better than the FFG on the GEC gunstock.

eyNYfXW.jpg

MBVM3h1.jpg

Excellent post, with some very fine knives my friend :) I'm glad you enjoyed your flying visit to Sheffield :thumbsup:
 
My 2018 knife of the year is a pretty easy choice. This 77 Ironwood Barlow SFO from Mike Latham managed to garner all of my pocket time for 6 months straight. The clip/sheepsfoot combo is pretty close to ideal for me. The size is just right. Amazing heat treatment on the blades. Great snap, but without any broken fingernails. It's a slice of heaven.

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Honorable mentions go to 2 knives. The GEC 43 Oregon Trapper was destined to be in my pocket all year long, until it was supplanted by the 77 Barlow. The 43 is just an incredible performer, and oh so comfortable in the hand.

The other knife is the Lionsteel Shuffler. The only reason that mine doesn't get more carry time is because the 77 Barlow has two blades, and I greatly prefer multiple blades. But the upcoming Lionsteel Warhorse may very likely change that dynamic, and become next year's knife of the year.
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The Churchill for me checked all the boxes and I was very disappointed that there was not a jigged bone Northfield variant on offer. So I had that remedied.

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Wow!!!! If GEC had produced Churchhills like that, I think they would be the knife of the year for many people.

Mine has been a surprise for sure. I bought this LT Wright Patriot as a pocketable fixed blade. Super sharp, handy size, make tinder, make shavings, skinned a doe, started a fire using a fero rod.... Great size.

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I really need to look into this knife. Thanks for mentioning it. It looks so incredibly useful.


This should be the knife of the century!!!!!!.......... for whatever century it was produced. Utterly breathtaking.

This was a fairly easy choice for me, I have wanted a Remington saw scout for a long time, and picked one up this year. I thought it might be the perfect “bbq knife”; I absolutely love grilling and at most family or impromptu gatherings I end up on grill duty :). So something that I could throw in my pocket that would cover as many bases as possible, that will cut stuff of course, but also open bottles etc. Other scouts and SAKs have worked very well in the past, but I had high hopes for the saw scout. It functions perfectly in this capacity.

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Awesome choice. My saw scouts are also my favorite grilling knives.

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It was a generous extra gift, it was modified by a pal, and it has the looks of a well-worn, tough critter. AND it slices like a lightsaber.

That's amazing. Who would have thought your knife of the year would have been a last minute "toss in the box" as it was being taped up.
 
Wow!!!! If GEC had produced Churchhills like that, I think they would be the knife of the year for many people.



I really need to look into this knife. Thanks for mentioning it. It looks so incredibly useful.



This should be the knife of the century!!!!!!.......... for whatever century it was produced. Utterly breathtaking.



Awesome choice. My saw scouts are also my favorite grilling knives.



That's amazing. Who would have thought your knife of the year would have been a last minute "toss in the box" as it was being taped up.

No act of kindness is really wasted. Even if rejected by the recipient, the act ennobles the giver. I'm thankful to have been a recipient of your kindness!
 
Out of the half dozen knives I purchased in 2018 the folder I favor is a SAK Huntsman that was a tsa confiscation. Used but still great. The fixed blade would be the crkt hunt n fisch that I bought new.
 
I couldn't pick between the three. So here are my two favorite production knives I picked up. Also a custom John Lloyd.

The first knife, my #77 Barlow. This thing had been in my pocket for about 4 months straight. It was super Ard to kick out of my pocket. With a beautiful clip point with a nice belly and an easy to sharpen sheepsfoot. Just an amazing combo that has seriously changed my mind on multiple bladed knives for the better!
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Second, the #44 gunstock. Again a first for me in a gunstock pattern. Love the huge clip point on this bad boy. The large pen blade is a big beautiful blade that's easy to get razor sharp. Plus the brass accents are amazing and are ageing nicely.
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Last but not least my John Lloyd, this thing is just perfect in every way. Disapears in the pocket razor sharp. Love the covers which are getting some cool character as well!
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