Your Traditional Knife of 2020

[Magizm7]

I thought that was what it was . I got one too . I am sorry that we did not connect there . They had some very nice pieces to get there in 2019 .
Take care my friend and carry it in good health .

Harry

Thank you Harry

 

[FLMacKnife]

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New to me Parker Edwards fat stag Single blade damascus trapper. You can pinch open it, has really good walk and talk and isn't a bear trap, and it takes a razor edge that polishes and stands out against that Alabama Damascus. The 512 layer damascus with the stag just pairs really well and to me makes it very unique. The size is in that just right category, very pocket friendly, not too big, not to small for most any task. My 2020 KOTY!

 

[Jack Black]

Just thought I'd give this thread a bump in case anyone has missed it

 

[Scott J.]

My knife of the year has to be the 23.
It's also the one I was most hesitant to buy with the reports of nail breaking pulls and pocket unfriendliness, not to mention the fact I was never a big fan if spey blades and my preference for stainless steel.
Turns out that spey blade is a great slicer, I enjoyed watching it patina, it's my most carried knife and I kinda dig the strong pull.
Definitely my favorite knife.

 

[eisman]

This has been quite a year, as I moved a pretty good number of knives in and out of the collection. And there have been some really worthwhile additions, the BF knife among them. (Thank You, Mike!) I've found a RoughRider I like enough to carry, a couple new GEC's, a couple reworked by Glennbad, etc. But the biggest surprise was my first Flylock for the collection. Not a knife I'll carry, but one I am very happy to have.

 

[rishma]

I actually did not acquire any knives in 2020 so I don’t have a qualifying knife to post.

As is my habit, I carried one knife everyday until some time into December. My Tinker Small SAK was my constant companion. Last week I decided to go back to my Hoffritz 2-blade Congress, a favorite of mine that hasn’t been carried in a couple of years.

I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a better 2021.

 

[cudgee]

Received this in October so it qualifies for a 2020 covid year purchase.. It has that " thing " that logically you cannot explain. I just like it, and has a bit of weight and just feels nice in the hand. Hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas.

 

[Nebrasketball]

My KOTY for 2020 came in just under the gun. This knife is wonderfully finished. The jigging provides very good grip in addition to being attractive. It’s just a bit shorter than a GEC 15 but it is noticeably stouter. The extra thickness makes it a much more comfortable knife for me to use. Thanks to Albers Cutlery for making a beautiful knife and pricing it fairly!

 

[lambertiana]

I'm going to go with this Moore Maker 5301. I got it at a feed/hardware store in Liberty Hill, TX while visiting my sons earlier this year. I got it when we stopped for bait on the way to go fishing, and once we got lines in the water I touched it up on a stone that I happened to have on me. To me this knife will always be associated with hanging out with my sons. It has been a regular in my pocket since then.

 

[cudgee]

To me this knife will always be associated with hanging out with my sons

Cool..

 

[CelloDan]

I don’t qualify this year.
My most carried knife in 2020 was the same as last year.
It’s my ebony lambsfoot.
Sticking to this simple, affordable, imperfect but perfectly functional knife was in a way my way of resisting consumerism and trying to get a sense of what our ancestors experienced. They most likely had just one knife that they used until they wore it out.
Sharing pics on the Guardians thread facilitated this commitment as I had another reason to sticking with it

Still I managed to get a few new knives but they have not gotten consistent pocket time. I also gave away a few to family, friends and a GAW.
The sodbuster I just got has piqued my interest and is getting a fair amount of pocket time.

 

[Signalprick]

A couple great choices for me to choose from this year but only one really takes the cake and it's my first full custom build. A Tony Bose pattern shadow built barlow. I carried this knife for 2 weeks before I handed it over to my best friends son. It was tough to give away my very first knife build but I am confident it went to a fine home. I've known it's current owner from the day he was born. A young outdoorsman who I know will use it. That's the knife of 2020 for me. One I built completely with my own hands and had the privilege to pass on to a worthy young man. Cheers!

 

[traumkommode]

Been a bit of a ghost on the porch lately, but the traditional knife of the year for me is this Russell Barlow, a gift from @Michael Bridges

Suuuuuuuuper thin blades, they cut like the dickens and that Schrade stainless takes such a ferocious edge.

 

[RayseM]

I like that one and your story Signalprick

 

[JTB_5]

I didn’t mention it before but it deserves a word. If I hadn’t found a 3-year-search-knife this year, my Mike Moran would have been #1 of 2020 hands down.

 

[Henry Beige]

2020 was an interesting year for me knife-wise. An extraordinary run of good fortune in giveaways brought me several lovely knives. Then there was the Forum knife, and Jack Black’s gift (or was it more GAW luck) of a lambsfoot.
Two knives really stood out for me. One was the RR 2176 Upswept Trapper, an elegant design very nicely executed. Plus, it was so cheap I bought three without feeling any pain. For photos, I refer you to Joe Razda’s, who also bought three, and who takes much better pictures.
The one that really did it for me this year was the Becker BK62 Kephart, Ethan Becker’s replica of the only original Kephart knife remaining in private hands. Simple and unassuming, yet versatile and capable. Mine are the two on the left.

 

[nickvnlr]

I'm a little shocked and surprised no one has nominated the Beer & Sausage. Honestly, I really like it. Sure it's kitschy and not everyone has a manly beard to utilize the comb in proper fashion, but it's still a cool addition to a dreary year.

However... based on pocket time, not my top dog.
Which brings me to this one:

Laugh if you want, but I really dig this Rough Ryder. It is very well made, a great size for me, I love the blade combo, and it's my first foray into damascus. I really like this one. If it wasn't for the fact I recently acquired it, it would no doubt be my most carried traditional knife.

Based on pocket time and shear love of the knife I am going to have to go with... (drum roll please)...

Yes, the Pocket Carver. GEC did such a great job on these. I own several renditions, but this cocobolo is my favorite and more often then not is in my pocket, ready to remove some wood from unsuspecting sticks or blocks. This right here, is Traditional Knife of the Year.

Merry Christmas!

 

[tongueriver]

Well, I have the knife; it is definitely the right one, no question, but it arrived in November of 2019, so I'm out. Great thread!

 

[joeradza]

For photos, I refer you to Joe Razda’s, who also bought three, and who takes much better pictures.

Thank you for the kind words. I totally agree with you on the bow trapper. I did however only buy one. The photo is a photoshop design.

 

[bigfish64]

I’ve gotten many nice knives this year as many of you have, but my KOTY is going to a small very cheap advertising knife from the early 70s. I finally got it this year so I believe it qualifies. Please bare with me while I tell you the story of how I finally came to own this special little knife.
My grandfather and grandmother owned a place called the Stardust Lounge along Rt. 20 in Northern Indiana in the 60s and early 70s. My grandfather had some knives made to handout to customers. As a young boy, I thought they were the coolest things I’d ever seen. Years after closing the place my grandfather passed away and one of the cheap little knives that my grandfather carried became my father’s. Much time passed and due to a divorce my dad and I didn’t see one another that often and over the years I forgot about that little knife. After my father passed 6 years ago we were going through his things and I found an old sign that used to be in the lounge my grandfather owned. When I saw the sign (which I kept of course), I remembered the knife but couldn’t find it anywhere. This past spring his wife was throwing out a box of stuff that she deemed “worthless”. The neighbor saw some old photos in that box and figured I’d want them, so they grabbed the box from the curb and contacted me. In the bottom of the box under the photos was this cheap yet priceless little advertising knife from the days of the old Stardust Lounge. It now sits along side my very best GECs, Bokers, and Case knives and isn’t worth a thing to anyone but me and that is exactly why it is my KOTY!
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