History of certain patterns?

[Spec ops Grunt]

Just wondering, I've gotten back into slip joint knives, anyone know the history of certain patterns, such as the trapper (my favorite), or the stockman?


Also, any pointers in collecting slip joint knives? I like and know of Case, what other brands should I look into?

 

[Piraticalbob]

A good start is to buy Levine's Guide To Knives And Their Values, now in its 5th edition. You'll learn about the history of the various knife patterns, who made them, and get a sense of which ones are valuable and which aren't.

Schatt & Morgan make fine slipjoints, they are a subsidiary of Queen Cutlery. All of the Schatt & Morgan knives are highly collectible. Canal Street Cutlery is gaining a fine reputation, too.

 

[bikerdoc]

Im into the old stuff, Shrade-Walden, Colonial, Schrade irish, etc.

Evil Bay, yard sales, flea markets, get some nice stuff, plus the cleaning and restoring is fun.

Levines is a good book, as is just plain old google fu.

 

[Spec ops Grunt]

Clarification, maybe not collecting is the right word, I'd like a nice stable of slipjoints to rotate carrying, because they are classy and functional.

 

[sm]

May I suggest Case for starters? Perhaps going here to look up patterns and some history will assist you.
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wr_case/patterns_by_number/index.php

Or here if going by name: http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wr_case/patterns_alphabetically/a_c.php

For daily rotation and getting to know various patterns, I suggest Slimline Trapper, Mini-Trapper, Sodbuster Jr, Peanut, and Stockman for starters.

hth,

Steve

 

[22-rimfire]

Check out Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC) knives. They are well made slipjoints; one of the best factory made slippies. I'm also a fan of the Trapper pattern.

If you like slippies, you'll love GEC knives. You pay a little more for them, but not a lot more.

 

[451 Detonics]

Collecting slipjoints can be a monster monkey on your back...lol. Some folks collect patterns, others collect brands, some do both. I buy both vintage as well as new knives and customs. Currently my collection spans over a century and covers knives from all over the world.

Case knives are certainly worth collecting as are many of the now defunct US makers like Camillus and Marble. Some are fond of some of the German makes like the Fight'n Roosters or Bulldog. I would say at first collect things that catch your eye and you will likely drift into the niche you find most appealing. Skip Levine's 5th edition and try to locate a 4th edition...it has much truer values shown in it. Research your choices if possible.

About a third of my collection...

 

[Walking Dead]

Beautiful collection 451.

 

[TomADC]

How about something from Colonial these are from the 30's.
I do have a couple of early Schrades also.

 

[Spec ops Grunt]

What is the point of the tobacco pipe shaped blade?

 

[TomADC]

What is the point of the tobacco pipe shaped blade?

Actually thats a hachett for small game. I had emailed Colonial but they couldn't provide any real info the books they have only went back to 1968.

 

[Squatting Bear]

Looks more like a gentleman's hatchet !

 

[451 Detonics]

They were used more like a meat cleaver than a hatchet. Very handy when breaking down large game into quarters for packing out.

The original sodbuster pattern came to us from Germany where it was called a folding butcher knife.

 

[Remo223]

I would say the folding knife was invented in italy. According to wikipedia, the oldest folding knife ever found was dug up in austria. The switchblade stilletto came from italy. modern knife fighting styles were developed in italy by italian field workers.