Your Traditional Knife of 2017

My knife of the year sits here in front of me right now in the dimly lit light of my knife cave and my make shift knife photo studio... if you told me a year ago that I would have a knife photo studio I would've said you were on hallucinogenics.

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It's the product of a learning curve that I didn't see coming when I started collecting knives. It didn't take me long to find out that I was a Schrade guy; not for any particular reason but most likely that I knew the name and there was a lot of company history posted by Codger on this forum. Additionally I've always had a fascination with old collectibles and some antiques. So I started focusing my collecting on Schrade-Walden stamped knives since I knew they were manufactured prior to 1974 which happens to be the year I was born. So anything older than me is worth collecting I guess LoL. I started seeing auctions online with the Schrade-Walden 804 "Splitback Whittler" that had this knife going for over $100 consistently so I decided I wanted one of them. I won a few auctions and ended up with the two knives below and over $150 out of my pocket for an 804 that was far from stellar and another that I later realized was "modified" to have a spey blade instead of the coping pen blade.

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I eventually learned that seeing pictures of knives online can be very deceiving if you don't learn the knife first and really study the pictures before you spend your hard earned money. After learning the S-W 804 Splitback Whittler inside and out, I happened to be walking thru an antique mall in February 2017 and shoved in the corner of a glass cabinet full of knives was this baby for $40. I shrieked like a school girl and if that doesn't mean you love your hobby, I don't know what does. So without further ado... I present my Knife of 2017, the Schrade-Walden 804 Splitback in near mint condition :):D:thumbsup:

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Thanks everyone for your awesome posts! Happy hunting in 2018! ;)

- V_P
 
veitsi_poika said:
My knife of the year sits here in front of me right now in the dimly lit light of my knife cave and my make shift knife photo studio... if you told me a year ago that I would have a knife photo studio I would've said you were on hallucinogenics.

View attachment 820295

It's the product of a learning curve that I didn't see coming when I started collecting knives. It didn't take me long to find out that I was a Schrade guy; not for any particular reason but most likely that I knew the name and there was a lot of company history posted by Codger on this forum. Additionally I've always had a fascination with old collectibles and some antiques. So I started focusing my collecting on Schrade-Walden stamped knives since I knew they were manufactured prior to 1974 which happens to be the year I was born. So anything older than me is worth collecting I guess LoL. I started seeing auctions online with the Schrade-Walden 804 "Splitback Whittler" that had this knife going for over $100 consistently so I decided I wanted one of them. I won a few auctions and ended up with the two knives below and over $150 out of my pocket for an 804 that was far from stellar and another that I later realized was "modified" to have a spey blade instead of the coping pen blade.

View attachment 820294

I eventually learned that seeing pictures of knives online can be very deceiving if you don't learn the knife first and really study the pictures before you spend your hard earned money. After learning the S-W 804 Splitback Whittler inside and out, I happened to be walking thru an antique mall in February 2017 and shoved in the corner of a glass cabinet full of knives was this baby for $40. I shrieked like a school girl and if that doesn't mean you love your hobby, I don't know what does. So without further ado... I present my Knife of 2017, the Schrade-Walden 804 Splitback in near mint condition :):D:thumbsup:

View attachment 820306 View attachment 820307 View attachment 820308

Thanks everyone for your awesome posts! Happy hunting in 2018! ;)

- V_P
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Great find, V_P!
 
Has to be the 2017 BF knife. I had pretty much sworn off single, straight blade knives until this one came along as the Forum knife. Since a lot of my regular knife use comes from cutting up food when out and about with the two little kids, I really prefer a knife with some belly.
Maybe I gave it more of a chance since it was the Forum knife, or maybe the kids are a little older and I'm not cutting up so much of their food, but I guess the timing was right for me to get on board with a single sheepsfoot Barlow.
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Happy New Year!
 
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Thanks for entering into the spirit of this thread folks :) There really are some outstanding knives being shown here. It'll soon be another year, and as it progresses, I hope that from time to time, you'll give some thought to Your Knife of 2018, and that we all find something outstanding. Wishing you all the very best for a very happy New Year :thumbsup:

Jack
 
My choice for my Knife of 2017 came down to two very worthy knives. Each one is a quality well made knife! The #35 Churchill from Great Eastern Cutlery and the Special Edition Guardian Lambsfoot from A. Wright. I have two varieties of each knife. In the 35 Churchill I have an Ebony and 3 Sambar Stags. While I really like my Ebony example, being a fan of Ebony, the 35 that I have carried the most is a Sambar Stag model. One of the reasons that I like the Stag models so much is the fact that each one is different. The Stag models each have their own characteristics that make them unique. I realize there are differences in any of the handle materials but the Stag has the most unique differences, IMHO. The Special Edition Guardian Lambsfoot from A. Wright was limited to 25 with 5 additional Midnight Specials. I was fortunate to be able to get one of each. For the same reason I like the Sambar 35's I also like the Guardian Lambsfoot, each one is unique with no two being the same. They are all beautiful. Here are the two knives that I considered for my Traditional Knife of 2017. :)

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And here is my choice for my Knife of 2017!!! :D

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I wish each of the members here on the Traditional Forum a Prosperous and Happy 2018! :D
 
A wonderful thread Jack, actually a decision I thought long and hard on. I wrestled with the 2017 knife being the most used, or my favorite or my go to knife? I held off until today to post. There were MANY beyond the two I'm listing, so I narrowed it down to two with one knife as my choice. Notice I didn't say "winner" but "choice" instead.
The #78 Jack is obviously a recent arrival, the farmboy, although purchased several weeks back is a GEC 2013 release.

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I love the #78 single blade which is a departure from my usual preference of a two blade jack. But since it's somewhat recent arrival the "farmboy" is my choice for 2017:thumbsup:
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Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE:thumbsup:
 
paulhilborn said:
A wonderful thread Jack, actually a decision I thought long and hard on. I wrestled with the 2017 knife being the most used, or my favorite or my go to knife? I held off until today to post. There were MANY beyond the two I'm listing, so I narrowed it down to two with one knife as my choice. Notice I didn't say "winner" but "choice" instead.
The #78 Jack is obviously a recent arrival, the farmboy, although purchased several weeks back is a GEC 2013 release.

gChP3V.jpg

ywITJj.jpg


I love the #78 single blade which is a departure from my usual preference of a two blade jack. But since it's somewhat recent arrival the "farmboy" is my choice for 2017:thumbsup:
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Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE:thumbsup:
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Thanks Paul, nice post my friend :) :thumbsup:
 
What a great thread, a chance to reflect on ones year as it pertains to this hobby. 2017 was a pivotal point in my knife using habits, I have been a knife nut my whole life, well since 6 years of age when my father handed my a swiss army knife.
I carried mostly traditional lock backs and trappers through my youth, puma, old timer, buck etc...
While in college and working to pay for it I bought a modern one hand opener and carried these for the next 20 years.
In 2015 and 2016 I slowly started carrying the occasional trapper and stockman getting back to my roots of slip joint multi-blade knives along side a modern folder. I found I used the modern folder less and less.
Late 2016 I decided to leave the modern folder out of the pocket and see what happened. I started 2017 with a Queen #49 in my pocket, to big for slacks carry (as over the last 5 years I have transitioned from the field to the office) I tried various single blade and jack patterns from GEC etc... and finally settled on a Case 32 pattern stockman in jigged buffalo horn while at work.
Away from work I moved from the 49 pattern to a Case sowbelly (awesome definitely my most carried of the year), to a Case 47 pattern, and then finally a Queen #9 in D2 steel. I love the stockman pattern, the combo of straight edge sheep foot and a clip point blade are my perfect EDC, a razor sharp spey blade for a 3rd option is as my Cajun friends say "Lagniappe".
I caught wind of the GEC Churchills and thought why not, my most used daily blades in a single spring package and I proceeded to reserve one in Stag....... I ended up buying 2. I have been carrying this one with fat stag since I recieved it, it has ridden along with my buffalo horn Case a couple times in slacks, and even supplanted a time or two.
This has opened my eyes to my current needs, not saying I have retired the stockman pattern, but I am not closed to patterns other than the stockman at this point.
So my 2017 knife of the year is my fat stag GEC #35 Churchill. And yes it nipped the end off the cigar!IMG_E3016.JPG
 
I figured I better get in under the wire,not much of the year left. I acquired a few knives this year that I was impressed with.
The one that really surprised me was the least expensive, the oldest, & pretty much "Plain Jane" in appearance.
After I had it for awhile I found myself carrying & using it more. The way it felt in hand, the size, blade usefulness, quality of
build just clicked for me. So here it is Schrade Heritage Barlow 83 vintage in smooth red bone.
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oldtymer said:
I figured I better get in under the wire,not much of the year left. I acquired a few knives this year that I was impressed with.
The one that really surprised me was the least expensive, the oldest, & pretty much "Plain Jane" in appearance.
After I had it for awhile I found myself carrying & using it more. The way it felt in hand, the size, blade usefulness, quality of
build just clicked for me. So here it is Schrade Heritage Barlow 83 vintage in smooth red bone.
View attachment 821759
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I'm a barlow jack person too oldtymer! I have 5 Ulster Old Timer barlows that I use for my EDC's... Great red bone on that one of yours :cool::thumbsup:
 
2017 was a good year for knives! It started out with GEC producing one of my favorite patterns, the 74 Mustang. Up until a few days ago, I had thought the 74 Mustang in Snakewood or smooth white bone would be my KOTY for 2017.
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Many other perfectly good patterns came through the year, but none quite as exciting as the 78 American jack for me. Again, the smooth white bone is very classy, as well as liking the Micarta and excellent wood cover options. Still, not quite my KOTY.
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It finally comes down to this.
The 25 in Unicorn ivory is the knife I pick for my Knife of the year 2017. Not because it is my favorite knife ever, but because of the way it came to me in the form of a lovely, timely gift from a very good friend here, who wishes to remain nameless.:) Thank you my friend, you have made my year!:thumbsup:
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Ramrodmb said:
The 25 in Unicorn ivory is the knife I pick for my Knife of the year 2017. Not because it is my favorite knife ever, but because of the way it came to me in the form of a lovely, timely gift from a very good friend here, who wishes to remain nameless.:) Thank you my friend, you have made my year!:thumbsup:
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Fantastic! :) I was gifted one of these knives by Barrett, and I like it a lot, in fact I have it with me today, along with my own Knife of the Year (2017) :thumbsup:

 
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