Anyone into "traditional" folders?

[tr4022]

Hi, all. Hope everyone in the NE is safe after the storm. We just dodged it here in the D.C. area, thank God. It's fun to watch it come down, but no fun at all dealing with the aftermath (shoveling out, power outages, spotty road clearing, etc.).

Anyway, enough of that. I'm interested in getting into more traditional folding knives and was wondering if anyone here had any suggestions.

Does anyone have any favorite manufacturers or models? Looking around the interwebz, I've seen GEC, Northwoods, Queen, Canal Street, Schatt & Morgan.. although I believe some of these actually are the same company producing knives under different names.

If anyone has any advice where to get started, it would be much appreciated. Oh, and I don't want to spend a load of dough (much over $100) just starting out.

Thanks, all.

Tod

[Sequimite]

I've only bought two and have been very happy with them. I don't intend to buy any more. I use these whenever I want an innocuous but useful EDC. I carry one of these whenever I'm in Canada.

First I bought a GEC Melon Tester from an ebay retailer for about $85

Second I bought a custom in whalebone and 154CM for $160:

[rosconey]

canal st makes some nice stuff- a canittler -is in your range -

ive been buying a few friction folders for a little over a hundred-

sorry no picks right now

[xceptnl]

I am partial to the CV blades from Case as well as the older (USA made) Old Timers made by Schrade before they went to China. Personally I find older slipjoints and two handed openers to be more abut the pattern or blade shapes that I love than about the handle materials. The Hawkbill (pruner), Wharncliffe, Spey, and Melon Tester have always appealed to my eye.

[BigBill5953]

GEC is the company that produces Northfield and Tidioute knives. Case is an American classic and some of their designs are great (peanut, medium stockman, trapper). Bladeforums has a Traditional Folders sub-forum. I'm sure they can answer and question you have.

[OldSarSwmr]

I have a moderate collection of "Traditional" knives. The brands you mentioned all produce quality knives in numerous patterns. My advice, for what it is worth, is to find a pattern or scale material that you like and focus on collecting that. There are so many patterns that finding one you like can be difficult and costly. I have heard of folks buying a certain pattern made by companies that offer less expensive knives (Rough Rider), to see if they like it or not.
Good Luck

[JoeKansas]

A.G.Russell has a lot of really good traditional patterns. Joe

[Bladekeeper]

I know the budget has been set but I don't know what the second hand market in the USA is like I'm not a traditional fan per se.
But T Davidson makes some beautiful traditional knives maybe worth holding out for that extra something happy hunting.
At the cheaper end some sodbusters are attractive little blades too .

[Waco]

My traditional folder is a Case XX Buffalo. Good quality. I wish they weren't so focused on collector knives. I was going to post a photobucket image, but it says the image is too large. I never heard of a forum limiting the size of linked images. Weird.

Hey, the image works now. The blade is not this shiny, since I started carrying and using it occasionally.

[Sithus1966]

A.G.Russell has a lot of really good traditional patterns. Joe

And then some.

[The Mastiff]

I do like traditionals and grew up using them. I have some from all the companies listed above and really like them all. My current favorites are G.E.C.'s line of ones in O-1 which I like better than 1095. Next would be Queen D2 knives such as the lock back "mountain man". Case CV's are relatively low hardness and sharpen super easily.

Joe

[tr4022]

Thanks for the input, everyone. Those are some nice-looking knives there.

Tod

[xceptnl]

And then some.

I have admired that A.G. pattern for a while!

[Jeremy_A_Neel]

I've had my eye on the kabar coppersmith lockback. Anyone know a place that sells them? I'd like to find a better price than buying directly from Kabar.

[xceptnl]

Instead of starting a new thread, I am bringing Tod's old thread back. Lets see some more of your traditionals. I have acquired a few recently and the itch started with a gift from a friend.


Le Garonnais w/ Juniper wood handles from Au Sabot

This prompted me too look into some of my older folders that were buried in a drawer


Schrade USA 18OT


Imperial Boy Scout Utensil folding knife

The embers were really catching and I was craving something new in carbon steel. The research revealed that I should consider GEC.... the rest is history.


GEC #92 (Talon) Eureka Jack in Goldenrod Jigged Bone


GEC #15 (Charlow) Tom's Choice Barlow w/ Smooth Bone


GEC #15 (Boys Knife) Huckleberry EO Sheepfoot in Ebony

and my latest is on the way soon....

[JD Spydo]

Yeah I still have a few of the older style traditional folders I keep in my footlocker. There are 2 of the older, traditional folders that I dearly adore and once in a great while I'll even carry one. One company that I really respect to this day is QUEEN Cutlery. They not only make a high quality, traditional folder they are keeping up with the times. I just looked at a couple of their fixed blades recently and they are even using D2 tool steel in some of their folders and fixed blades.

Another traditional folder company that I very much respect is the German company "Hen & Rooster". They are currently being sold by Frost Cutlery>> them and another German folder company I like is J.A. Henckel. They are mostly known for their high end kitchen/culinary blades

There are still quite a few American companies still making the more traditional folders. My dad was a huge fan of KUTMASTER out of Utica, New York. It's really unbelievable how many cutlery companies that there are based in the state of New York. Knives Illustrated magazine about 10 years ago did a big article on how many companies that are in New York. One company I love out of New York and I have a few of their kitchen knives and that is "Cattaraugus"">> I have also seen a few of their folders and they are well built.

But QUEEN Cutlery out of Pennsyvannia is tops in my book when it comes to top notch folders made in traditional designs. We have 2 hardware stores here locally that sell QUEEN cutlery and they both told me that they sell a lot of them in a year.

This is a very interesting thread because the traditional folders that were mainly produced throughout the 1900s really set the stage for some of the excellent knives we have today like Spyderco, Benchmade, Boker and a few others. Cutlery is a very interesting hobby and there is a lot to learn about it for sure

[xceptnl]

Not that I have any problems purchasing knives from Italy, France, Germany, Taiwan or Japan however I love the feeling of supporting GEC and other U.S. based manufacturers of traditional knives. I have found the edge retention to be terrific, based on my expectations. I hope to visit the factory some time soon since it is in my time zone.

[Ned]

Wow Landon, those are some great knives. I really like those blade shapes as well. That Northwoods is something else!

[paladin]

Case & Boker slipjoints will always have a special place in my heart...my Dad carried them exclusively...he preferred Congress & Stockman patterns...

And it was his use of those pocketknives that steered me into my interest/hobby/use of knives today...

Having said that, I will never carry or use a traditional slipjoint as an EDC having gotten used to one hand / locking knives...

Sure, I got a Case Butterbean and a couple others I'll pack for Auld Lang Syne, but Spyderco's are superior in almost every way IMHO...

The high carbon & Solingen steels are fun to sharpen and develop a beautiful patina with use...but left unused, they become rusty...and the backsprings weaken and lose their "walk & talk."

But if you got your heart set on traditional slippys, all the previous suggestions are great...but I will add Fightin' Rooster Brand (Frank Buster), and Bulldog Brand as a couple of my personal favorites. Maybe I'll dig some out of my drawer and post some pics later...maybe

[The Mastiff]

Excellent photography as usual Landon. That Talon bladed #92 E. Jack and the Charlow are definitely right up my alley. The old Schrade USA liner lock has a double here somewhere safe no doubt. The Northwoods look really nice with the little bit of scale from the heat treat left on. I have a custom Fixed blade like that. I've never owned a Northwoods. I might need to begin saving my money. I really do like that.

I have a #23 LL in Horn. It's massive. Maybe too much so. I also have a $42 Missouri trader (LB) in Cocobolo. I could really get carried away on those if I had money.

Joe