Talking about your traditional knives

[MichaelScott]

The file side is a bit different. I will post it later.

Have a new #44 Tidioute in Gabon Ebony en route. Actually found a dealer new one on sale if you can believe it.

[bearrowland]

Wow! Great collections everyone! I have a modest lineup of traditionals, mostly Case, to which I'm partial since the factory is only less than 2 hours drive from my home. Here is a Case Mini Trapper my wife and boys got for me a few years ago.

[MichaelScott]

Nice Trapper! Looks like custom covers too.

I’m kind of stuck in a Great Eastern Cutlery rut. But I like it.

[z4vdBt]

Couple of T.A. Davidsons, GEC Northfield #77 Yankee Barlow and a GEC Tidioute #38 Grinling Whittler - Gabon Ebony.

[MichaelScott]

You,sir have some killer traditionals!

I have GEC #44 Buffalo Jack Tidioute with Gabon ebony covers on the way.

[bearrowland]

I agree!! Great Eastern is a terrific knife!!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I have a question related to these traditional knives for you. How many of you who are into them, would want a knife or set of knives that have these classic patterns and shapes, but, where the handles are made of cutting edge materials like FRN and the blades made of super steel and things like VG10. Imagine for example a Barlow or even old style folding hunter with Vg10 or S30v blades, and FRN grips. Would you go for it?

[flasharry]

pretty much all of mine are Case... will have to troll the 'Bay for vintage, I guess

[MichaelScott]

For me the beauty and significance of the new traditional pattern knives are the way they are made, by a human performing all the necessary steps not robots, and the traditional materials, carbon steel, wood and bone scale covers, etc.

Plastics and “super steels” are not appropriate in my view.

[knivesandbooks]

Couple of T.A. Davidsons, GEC Northfield #77 Yankee Barlow and a GEC Tidioute #38 Grinling Whittler - Gabon Ebony.

Would trade most, if not all of my traditionals (and I've a lot), for those four. Very very nice set there. I'm a big fan of Davidson. Would love to see him working in his shop. He's a real master.

[knivesandbooks]

Also, everyone go check out Hiroaki Ohta's traditionals. I've really been liking his style. I've got one of his D2 higonokami style friction folders in cocobolo. It is very nice for what it is, but his Western styled traditional look grand (probably cost that much too)

[MichaelScott]

Yes, those are really nice. Being on a budget, I stick with Great Eastern Cutlery. Their quality and variety are outstanding and if you buy when they are released (not always possible) you will get them at fair prices.

[knivesandbooks]

Yes, those are really nice. Being on a budget, I stick with Great Eastern Cutlery. Their quality and variety are outstanding and if you buy when they are released (not always possible) you will get them at fair prices.

Wish I would have been collectong them 8-9 years ago. Apparently they used to just sit on shelves and were even cheaper than they are now. Though, I do feel lucky I got a Beer Scouts Knife in the beer barrel oak as one of my first. If I had any idea when I got it that it was as desirable as it is, I probably would have keep it nicer. Instead, it was my summer barbeque and bar knife until I realized other people ogled it.

[Crux]

I'm surprised so many are so willing to buy sharpened pieces of steel for so much. How many of these things do you really need? I hear all this talk about steels and handle material but does this even matter? It all seems so out of control when we all know that owning a Para 3 achieves virtually every knife requirement you need up until when a fixed blade or ax is required.

[ChrisinHove]

With the wider variability of appearance, and maybe manufacture (?), I can see *exactly* why these are more appealing to collect than most mass produced knives.

[MichaelScott]

Tradition. Materials. Hand built to an exceptional level of quality. Much more than the sum of its parts. Some of us value these qualities highly.

[dsvirsky]

Exactly.

[A.S.]

Does anyone know where the Tom Krein regrind Great Eastern Cutlery's are sold? I've always wanted to get one, but never quick enough when one comes up on the secondary market.

[dsvirsky]

Your best bet is the Krein Knives Facebook group.

[spyderg]

Finally got around to recovering this one in bocote. It’s not perfect but much better than the discoloured and warped yellow plastic it came with. Changed the Spey some time ago into a clamshell package opener with a small spatula? tip. Whatever it is it’s great for applying epoxy into tight spaces.