Your 2018 Traditional Knife Of The Year

glocktenman said:
My 2018 knife of the year is the GEC 78. I definitely prefer the single blade version. The only one I have is the 78 with the golden brown jigging. It's super looking, feels great in you hand and feels good in the pocket. I do have two other 78s I'm looking for but they've been difficult to locate at a manageable price. It's the elderberry and the tortoise. I had an elderberry w/ two blades but sold it BC of the single blade preference. The color and jigging on the elderberry is BA.

View attachment 1033813 View attachment 1033814 View attachment 1033815
Click to expand...

Congratulations on snagging the tortoise shell 78
 
I did not buy many knives this year. The Forum knife will bemy most significant acquisition. That one aside, all I bought were a Rough Rider, 470E9926-8242-4002-81C8-E0D91BE05363.jpeg D513E603-3EBD-4387-BE17-4A1E179096CE.jpeg a couple of Mora 511s and a few Opinels for modification. I have not gotten around to doing anything with the 7 and 10 yet. Only the 6 has received any attention, and it now shares pocket time with another mildly breathed-on 6. So the Opinel 6 has to be my knife of the year
 
I’ve been fortunate to get a lot of nice knives this year, and maybe I’m breaking the spirit of the thread by not posting something that “surprised” me, but I did get this knife this year. Maybe someday I’ll tell the story, but this unassuming ‘nut accompanied me through a lot in what turned out to be a pretty crazy 2018.
E32F403B-6FE6-41F6-8DA8-2FBFB0FE345D.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Very tough choice this year. 2018 saw quite a few wonderful knives come my way. Some of them were new and some were older users. For starters I narrowed the list down to four great contenders presented in no particular order.

1. #14 smooth white bone is a real stunner, excellent fit and finish, small but fully capable for 99.9% of my daily tasks.
2. #15 ebony TC Barlow, what else is there to say about this one, for me its perfect.
3. 1971 Case 9 dot 6207 with beautiful covers, blades centered and snaps open and shut like gator! Still a bit pocket shy but working it into rotation.
4. #66 Calf Roper hemlock green bone - my first stockman
1.jpeg

Based on my choices its obvious I prefer clip/pen jack knives in various sizes over just about any other pattern. The ebony TC saw more pocket time than any other knife and will still continue to be my go to choice. However, during the elimination process I was reflecting on what was new or different about this year and decided to make my knife of the year more of a pattern of the year. One that I had not carried before and grew to appreciate more and more each time it slipped into the pocket, one that proved to be extremely practical and great to look at. The stockman!

Pictured here are three of my favorites acquired this year.
1. 1965-1969 CaseXX 6332 Medium stockman in chestnut red bone.
2/3. #66 Calf Roper's in hemlock green bone and green canvas micarta.
3.jpeg

But since we have to pick only one here is mine. This smallish pocket knife punched way above its weight for me this year! It saw a good bit of pocket time and performed tasks I wouldn't ask my TC to do (only for fear of shortening its lifespan). Memories of using it as a mini pry par, trim nail hammer, flat heat screw driver and blades cutting everything from food to drywall to plastic pipe come to mind. AND... it still manages to clean up nicely and look oh so purdy!

The #66 Calf Roper in Hemlock Green Bone is my knife of the year for 2018!
2.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Barrett A haul of excellence there for sure, but my vote goes to the Burlap 71 Bullnose, I like the pattern a lot as it has such thick scales but that Burlap :cool: Astounding:thumbsup:

Thanks, Will
 
tongueriver said:
I had a very active year of collecting some really exceptional knives so as I was going through the chronological list for 2018, I was soon lol because I saw that I could not pick one. However one did stand out as one I couldn't keep my hands off and did end up using very pleasantly on a hunting trip. A Boris Krylov knife with a Finnish forged Altti Kankaanpaa blade. The wood-lined superb leather sheath provides a snap and secure fit that is outstanding. I have seen many prettier sheaths but never one as good (strong words; ymmv).View attachment 1034138
Click to expand...

I’d have a hard time not picking that one also:thumbsup:
 
glocktenman said:
Duncan! I need to see this one if you have a pic: Swamp Kauri 57 Wrangler. The name has my interest. Thanks
Click to expand...

@glocktenman

Hey there my glocktenman,
@paulhilborn - my good friend gifted me the Knife, Swamp Kauri is our massive big Kauri Tree that grows ( if left untouched by the ever invading Human race ) for up to two to three Thousand years old.
We have few left that size, The great civilized man came and took everything from this small untouched Paradise - including cutting Down utterly irreplaceable beautiful Trees, Giant Rimu, Totara and Kauri's etc.

Well Swamp Kauri are the Fallen Kauri that have been very well preserved in the Swamps since before any ( Known or recorded ) man has set foot in New Zealand, so we are talking usually Swamp Kauris at 40 Thousand years old.

Kauri doesn't have a massive Grain that our N.Z Heart Rimu has, rather a very fine and even wave throughout the wood, what made Kauri so usable was it's Strength, great for building Boats, and Houses etc, quite a light Coloured Wood - if you were to describe it - a Mellow Golden Glow - that has no real distinctive Grain, in fact I find it quite boring only when compared to N.Z. Heart Rimu which is exciting- rich in Red / Brown colours and a lovely grain, Rimu when working with it on the older Houses is near impossible to remove from Architraves etc as it splinters extremely easily if tweaked once nailed in place.

The Swamp Kauri on this Knife I am not sure if GEC stained the wood, or if it was nearer the Bark and naturally stained from the Peat.

Gec did a run some years back with the amazing 57 Wrangler - Oh man what a Knife! Stout as can be that Main blade is, along with a strong Punch and good Stout Pen / Spey Blade as well, so here are the Photo's- please excuse the very last-of-the-daylight Photo's....
Thank you again Paul for this gorgeous Knife my friend!

OOC197Z.jpg


3TMSDtY.jpg


shulUQC.jpg


3ssRin1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Wow what a great thread :) This will be my first time participating but a whole lot has happened in the time I've been here. I've received gifted knives which I hold dear and there are a lot of others in my collection now that I could go on about but there is one that really stands out for me. In the spirit of your original post "Maybe it was a knife you didn’t think was going to be that special, but it has absolutely CHARMED you." - the knife of the year for me is the Smooth Deep Woods Green Bone SFO 14. This one wasn't even on my radar when the 14's were announced but my tastes were evolving at that time. Some of the green bone knives I saw from the rendezvous started grabbing my attention and then photos of these 14's pop up and I realized that I had made a huge mistake :D Luckily, the Porch helped me get one and I am absolutely CHARMED :) :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
GEC_14_OldeTowne_SFO_02.jpg
GEC_14_OldeTowne_SFO_03.jpg
 
Last edited:
waverave said:
Wow what a great thread :) This will be my first time participating but a whole lot has happened in the time I've been here. I've received gifted knives which I hold dear and there are a lot of others in my collection now that I could go on about but there is one that really stands out for me. In the spirit of your original post "Maybe it was a knife you didn’t think was going to be that special, but it has absolutely CHARMED you." - the knife of the year for me is the Smooth Deep Woods Green Bone SFO 14. This one wasn't even on my radar when the 14's were announced but my tastes were evolving at that time. Some of the green bone knives I saw from the rendezvous started grabbing my attention and then photos of these 14's pop up and I realized that I had made a huge mistake :D Luckily, the Porch helped me get one and I am absolutely CHARMED :) :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
View attachment 1034497
View attachment 1034498
Click to expand...
That's a beauty. Love the boot shield.
 
waverave said:
Wow what a great thread :) This will be my first time participating but a whole lot has happened in the time I've been here. I've received gifted knives which I hold dear and there are a lot of others in my collection now that I could go on about but there is one that really stands out for me. In the spirit of your original post "Maybe it was a knife you didn’t think was going to be that special, but it has absolutely CHARMED you." - the knife of the year for me is the Smooth Deep Woods Green Bone SFO 14. This one wasn't even on my radar when the 14's were announced but my tastes were evolving at that time. Some of the green bone knives I saw from the rendezvous started grabbing my attention and then photos of these 14's pop up and I realized that I had made a huge mistake :D Luckily, the Porch helped me get one and I am absolutely CHARMED :) :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
View attachment 1034497
View attachment 1034498
Click to expand...
That's a sweet lookin little knife and it's got a cool shild ta boot. :p ✌
 
I've been enjoying this thread (Jack starts some good ones, don't he?). Several days ago, I said I would post something "next week" because I was going on a trip. I am still "on holiday", as they say in the UK, in Fort Worth, Texas having a great time, despite the cold, rainy weather. But I have learned that I should have a new knife in my mailbox when I return home Monday evening. There will still be three weeks left in 2018, so I think it only fair to give the new knife a chance. And who knows? I could be surprised by a knife or two for Christmas. I will most likely post my nomination during the final week of the year.
But keep them posts coming! Really enjoying them.
 
Last edited:
Really enjoying reading everyone's contributions :) :thumbsup:

btb01 said:
Is it that time of the year again already?! :confused: :D

It seems like this year has flown by. The first part of this year was so full of cross-country moving, house selling and house buying (and snow shoveling) that the acquiring of new knives sort of took a back seat. I picked up one or two here and there, but nothing that would make the short list for this thread.

Now, the second half of this year, I have been able to pick up some nice additions, so let's start with the honorable mentions and work our way up.

I picked up a few funky acrylics from GEC.

tZerv5Y.jpg


1dtn0F2.jpg


cZX9itj.jpg


The Dead Skunk #14 probably comes close to the No. 1 spot, but it's still a runner up.

I managed to pick up these two beautiful #15 Northfield Harness Jacks in one fell swoop on the exchange. Probably the nicest knives I picked up this year -- the fit and finish on these is superb, GEC at its best -- but to be honest, I can't choose between 'em, and since there can be only one, I guess they're out. :rolleyes:

TTD6Ktr.jpg


This #71 Bull Nose, a gift from @paulhilborn, certainly deserves mention. The #71 is one of my favorite GEC patterns, and I'd been regretting passing on this Burlap Micarta when they were produced, so when Paul surprised me by sending me this one after beating me to it on the exchange, I was thrilled! (Thank you again, Paul!)

ywUE98M.jpg


I almost missed out on the Ashley's Choice Lambsfoot, but got in an email to Jack at the last minute, and ended up with, I think, one of the best of the bunch!

xVlGo6I.jpg


iwu75Pn.jpg


The thing that really surprised me about the Ashley's Choice was the size. It's only slightly smaller than the other Guardian's knives (what I guess you would call Wright's "standard" size Lambsfoot), but that little bit makes all the difference for me. A very pocketable little beauty, this one. It might've had a shot at the top spot, but then...

Gslw6Mb.jpg


I mean, how can this one not be my No. 1 knife of 2018? Duncan ( Campbellclanman Campbellclanman ) lost this 2012 PPP TC Barlow years ago, only to have it turn up in the pocket of an old jacket, and (after jumping for joy, I'm sure) what does he do with it? He puts it up for grabs in a GAW here on the Porch!!! An incredible knife from an incredible guy. Thank you again, Duncan, for what is hand-down my best knife of 2018! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

VH1p9Wa.jpg
Click to expand...

It's flown for me too Barrett :) Great to see that TC Barlow here - Yes, that HAS to be the one doesn't it? - A most well-travelled knife indeed, including making a trip to Sheffield :) :thumbsup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top