Your Favorite Traditionals and Why

[black mamba]

Carl, the blue mammoth is beyond spectacular! As a stockman enthusiast, this page has a lot of appeal thanks to Bruce and Steven. But I was really looking for an explanation of the appeal of an individual knife, not a pattern. Which Case 75 and why that one is more favored than any other is my emphasis. The combination of different characteristics coming together to create a super appealing specimen.

Thanks to all for the replies and votes, and keep 'em coming!

 

[Hickory n steel]

I have tried many different traditional slip joint pocket knives over the years, trying to find "The One". The sweet spot for me is right at around 3 1/4" or so give or take. My favorite is the Case 08 pattern Medium Jack. I only own 2 in that configuration. Case 22087 in black delrin and an old Schrade 'Old Timer' 0T33. Limited choice's in the Case brand and I missed out on the Red Bone release a while back. I also favor my Buck 303 Stockman, but don't really need the 3rd blade. I prefer a clip and pen blade. SAK's fall in because I like the thin blades. So many choices.......

If you really like the 87 medium ( the 08 is the half whittler ) you might really like the 32 Texas Jack.
I am more drawn to square bolstered jacks, but I do appreciate that the 87 appears to have a standard pen blade as opposed to the very oddly shaped pen blade on the 32.

 

[Buck_Fan]

My favorite pattern recently changed. It's now the barlow. I just love everything about it. Size. How it rides in the pocket. How it fits my hand. And the look of it. But I still love the canoe. Peanut. Mini Trapper. Copperhead. Copperlock, Mini Copperlock. Stockman.

 

[brianv]

I have not tried out very many patterns even though I've been accumulating knives since the late ninties. My votes were for good action, a great edge, and good ergonomics.

I spend most of my time on the forum in the traditionals area as the more time I spend around knives the less I like modern knives. I have a hard time switching up the knives that I carry and I rarely carry more than one. The one knife that I keep falling back to is just about any Sodbuster pattern. Specifically the GEC Bull Nose

 

[Buck_Fan]

Before I got my first barlow, when I would want to grab a knife to carry, I almost always grabbed my Amber Bone Sod Buster Jr. Or my Yellow Synthetic Jr. They are just a great knife in every way.

 

[KentuckyBlackBird]

Kissing Crane mule/sodbuster with a carbon blade and rosewood handles and a square embellished bolster senator with a spear point lockback in buffalo made for Marbles/Parker by Tak Fukuta in Seki Japan.
The KC was a gift from my best friend 15 years or so ago. I bought the Tak from my uncle 30 something years ago and carried it for many years. The two knives have accompanied me across the country and back multiple times. They have served me well. I rarely carry them, but I enjoy them when I do. Not love, nor money can separate them from me.

 

[doulos]

I tend to sell off any knives that aren't my favorite, for one reason or another. If there is something that I don't care for, I try to fix it. Chips in bone jigging, off-center blades, proud points, uneven handle thickness, liners extending beyond the handle material, gaps around shields, etc, can be fixed with a little finesse. If there is still something that isn't up to snuff, I sell it. I don't really collect for collection sake, but rather prefer to use all of my knives. So, I end up with knives that I enjoy everything about. They are all favorites!

 

[Ace Rimmer]

My "favorite" changes over time, and at any given moment it might well be whichever knife I most recently purchased. I selected size and covers, but function is also a very important factor -- as in, does it function well for my daily uses, and do I enjoy using it. In fact, I think my current "favorite" is my Victorinox Swiss Army 1, recently purchased for all of $22.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

My "favorite" changes over time, and at any given moment it might well be whichever knife I most recently purchased. I selected size and covers, but function is also a very important factor -- as in, does it function well for my daily uses, and do I enjoy using it. In fact, I think my current "favorite" is my Victorinox Swiss Army 1, recently purchased for all of $22.

They are like a good friend.

 

[Hengelo_77]

To me it is sbout the blade shape.
Then Zulu-spear is my faforite at the moment but I also EDC a wharncliffe every now and then.

 

[Sitcomdad83]

I love barlows and my twisted assisted Arthur wright made clip point is my favorite my only small gripe is it's still got a really hard pull.

 

[JM2]

Perfect size and beautiful covers are what I picked from the list, but there are other categories that ain't listed. Aesthetics, history, and historic.

A knife that is in a historic pattern, such as my Case Folding Hunter, is interesting to me. I like that it's an old pattern, that was supplanted by the Buck 110. I tried the Buck, then I tried the Folding Hunter, and I prefer the latter.

A knife that I have personal history with is also something that brings a knife into "favorite" category. My Case Jumbo Stockman, which I've carried for 4-5 years, dyed the scales, and whittled a lot with fits this.

Or a knife that has history, such as an old Tree Brand Boker Stockman that I once owned, even if I didn't make the history, also appeals to me. That knife was traded to me by the son of its previous owner. I carried it and whittled with it for a while, but eventually I gifted it to the grandson of its previous owner. I hope that he still has it and appreciates it. He wasn't a knife guy though, so it makes ya wonder.

Aesthetics is a very important part for me, as I admire my knives. A buck 192 fits both the aesthetics and size category for me. It fits me just right, and it has just the right lines.

 

[black mamba]

Excellent post, John, and I too always liked the lines of the Buck 192.

 

[kyhunt]

I picked gorgeous covers and meaningful gift. Several of my favorites my wife has bought for me even though she let me pick them out.

To be honest it’s hard for me to determine what makes a knife one of my favorites. Sometimes a certain knife just clicks with me for no obvious reason.

A few favorites,
The 92 and 110 both Christmas gifts from my wife.

 

[kyhunt]

On the other hand this knife is one of my favorites but really doesn’t see much use and nothing fancy about it but I love the 120.

 

[JM2]

Excellent post, John, and I too always liked the lines of the Buck 192.

Thank you kindly.

 

[JM2]

I picked gorgeous covers and meaningful gift. Several of my favorites my wife has bought for me even though she let me pick them out.

To be honest it’s hard for me to determine what makes a knife one of my favorites. Sometimes a certain knife just clicks with me for no obvious reason.

A few favorites,
The 92 and 110 both Christmas gifts from my wife.
View attachment 2966049View attachment 2966051

Both are very nice examples. Love the patina on them both.