Your list of top 5 "must-own" traditionals?

From small to large, here are my five.

Case Swayback Jack @ 3.2"
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Northfield #85 Teardrop Jack @ 3.6"
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Queen #06L Teardrop Linerlock @ 3.8"
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Queen #9 Stockman @ 4.0"
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Northfield #23 Pioneer Linerlock @ 4.5"
23stagLL_zps3a7a5ecc.jpg~original
 
1. Barlow-can't go wrong here. Lots of blade choices and sizes.
2. SAK-you're choice. I like my alox cadet and mini champ.
3. Pen knife-maybe I'm a minority here but a small watch pocket knife can be very handy.
4. Stockman-medium is nice but I prefer the larger 4"+ variants.
5. Congress or Wharncliffe-lots of choices here. Again I really like straight edge blades.


Barlow
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SAK
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Pen knife
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Large stockman
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Wharncliffe and Congress
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1: Victorinox Pioneer Alox (same setup as the traditional soldier knife) - and you could probably stop there but for the matter of owning 5
2: Case peanut in CV - chestnut or yellow delrin.. it really doesn't matter
3: Mora knife - This one is great for hiking and camping and comes in really handy while prepping food
4: Machete - keep one of these somewhere in the truck or car.. depending where you live and the amount of vegetation cover they come in very handy but you really don't end up using them that often.
5: Small axe - Usually I find that if a 3-4" knife doesn't cut it.. you probably should be using an axe or a saw. The Axe comes in more handy and this could displace the machete in a car or emergency kit.

All this should come to about $100 - $150 bucks and get you through a lifetime of chores and unexpected tasks..

Good luck!
 
Only 5?? Tricky....:eek:. But by now the OP will be impressed by the range and choice of Traditionals.:thumbup:

Here's my FIVE (from Europe:D )

Puukko
Laguiole style
Pattada style
SAK
Ettrick

And FIVE (From the USA if not in origin)

Teardrop/Swell End
Sodbuster
Pen (or any single spring two blade knife, Half Whittler,Norfolk,Half Congress, Surveyor etc)
The Jack
GEC 73 single blade (their iconic knife in my view and an astounding all rounder)

But these are subject to change&alteration without notice...

Thanks, Will
 
Five is pretty hard, so many great choices its hard to shrink it down to 5 but here would be my top 5 for today, with my personal choices listed after. Those choices are mine and made, not as "grail" but as a list of easily obtainable classic traditional knives.( This list is subject to change at any time.)

1. Stockman (for me it would be a Schrade Oldtimer 34OT just for the 1095)

2. Barlow (my personal favorites are the old Imperial 2 blades but there are so many great ones to be had)

3. Alox SAK ( my favorite being the Electrician model)

4. Opinel Carbon ( my pick of these would be the # 7)

5. Buck 110 ( can't go wrong here I really like mine from the custom shop)
 
1. 3 1/2" or larger two blade Jack, secondary blade preferably in the front.
2.English Jack
3.Stockman/Cattle knife
4.Trapper
5.110/112 versions by USA makers. Buck is the original and probably does them best but that is always up for discussion.
 
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These are always tough! Lately I've been leaning towards...

Opinel 8
Buck 110
Case Peanut
Case SBJ
GEC Scout
 
Boy Scout
Barlow
Stockman
Toothpick/Powderhorn
Clasp or Sunfish-something with a fatty boombatty blade on it.
Sailor
Peanut
Jack
Buck 110 or similar folding hunter.
whooaaa dragon whoooaaaaaaa!
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Here's my five have to owns. Small to large.
1. 3 to 3 1/2 inch Jack or Pen knife
2. Sodbuster Jr.
3. Barlow
4. #73 Scout /Trapper
5. #23 Pioneer /Trapper
 
waynorth said:
Only Five????:eek:

Who's kiddin' who????:confused:


:D:D:D
Click to expand...

It is said that when it came to counting, primitive man only had words for: one, two, and many.

Honestly speaking, I don't think there are any "5 must have knives". You either have one knife, because that's all you really need, or you have many, because there are so many variations on the theme.
 
Here are my top five of my collection.

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But I would say:

Stockman with Spey and punch, or wharncliffe Whittler
Trapper or canoe
Pen knife
Swiss Army or Scout pattern.
Single blade jack in clip or wharncliffe

I would suggest if the first on the list is wharncliffe, then the last on the list should be clip and vice versa.

I will try to take a picture tomorrow.
 
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Kris, those are some choice knives! Very impressed by that Pruner in particular:thumbup:
 
Funny I only own 4 knives at the moment but I'm trying to decide on what the 5th one should be :D

so far I have

1) Kephart - mines by Matt Lesniewski
2) Sodbuster Queen cutlery D2
3) GEC #72 Lockback mini hunter
4) GEC #73

with them all being carbon steel I've been thinking of something in stainless - now if the ALOX VIC's were wood with brass bolsters it would be a no brainer but I can't get past the ALOX look

quietly waiting in the wings for something nice in stainless that has a traditional look, 3" blade and a saw
 
1) SAK Swiss Champ/Champion/Explorer
2) SAK ALOX Soldier/Pioneer/Farmer
3) Classic Mora #1/#2
4) Opinel Garden
5) Trad slipjoint Stockman/Trapper/ Jack etc

That's as close I can get....really hard to limit to 5 categories.
 
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