Thoughts on pocket knives........

[Bob Wright]

Well, not so much pocket knives, but utility knives in the shop.

I do a good bit of woodworking at times, and a folding knife is always at hand. Right now I have two, a good sized stockman, and a too small congress.

Here's my ideal of the best, which I have yet to find: I'd like a knife with a good sized frame, grips (or scales) of either jugged bone or stag, of either stockman or congress frame. Blades to be spay, sheepsfoot, coping, and maybe a second spay, all about 2" or so length.

I find a spay blade to be ideal for general trimming, whittling, or cutting paper. The sheepsfoot is for scoring or grooving. The coping blade for intricate inside cuts.

For the best grip when my hands are maybe damp or oily, bone or stag seem to offer the best grip. As to steel, carbon vs.stainless, I've really found no difference as to the ability to sharpen or hold an edge. Brass linings, with nickel silver bolsters at each end. Bare ended knives are often subject to chipping.

That's my thinking. Your ideas/comments/humorous remarks are welcome.

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

For pocket carry, by the way, this Cherokee Warrior from Frost Cutlery has been my favorite:

Bob Wright

 

[GunnyGene]

Carving jack.

https://www.flexcut.com/home/product/jkn91-right-handed-carvin-jack

 

[sfhogman]

Kershaw Dividend. Opens with one hand, stays sharp and disappears in the pocket. If I'm not carrying the Kershaw, then it's the Spartan model Swiss army knife which usually lives in my glovebox. I've been known to carry both, but that's only because I had forgotten the Kershaw was there.

Jeff

 

[powder smoke]

I have my share of knives no doubt about it. My pocket knives folders never make
it to the shop. When in the shop knives are rarely used and when they it's usually
light duty stuff. For shop use my utility knives come into play, a new blade or a
couple passes on a stone gives you a super sharp edge. I can sharpen knives but it's
a struggle never really mastered the art. Those thin utility knife blades sharpen up nicely
with very little effort. That is my go to when I need something SHARP. ps

 

[powder smoke]

Carving jack.

https://www.flexcut.com/home/product/jkn91-right-handed-carvin-jack

Cool knife gunny, never seen on of those, gonna have to hunt me down one of them. ps

 

[GunnyGene]

Carving jack.

https://www.flexcut.com/home/product/jkn91-right-handed-carvin-jack

Cool knife gunny, never seen on of those, gonna have to hunt me down one of them. ps

Flexcut has several variations. And none of them are cheap. Be aware that for this particular model there is a left hand model and a right hand model. They are extraordinarily sharp also, and if you are doing small hand held carving it's advisable to get a carving glove.

https://www.woodcarvingexperts.com/best-wood-carving-glove/

https://www.flexcut.com/home/category/wood-carving-knives/carvin-jack-collection

 

[Kevin]

I've always liked the sheeps-foot blade. Big knife blades belong in the kitchen.

For me, it's easier to use a shorter blade on a pocket knife.

 

[Bob Wright]

I've always liked the sheeps-foot blade. Big knife blades belong in the kitchen.

For me, it's easier to use a shorter blade on a pocket knife.

Exactly!


Bob Wright

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Large and small blades have their place, but if I had to choose, I'd take a smaller knife and a hatchet or BIG knife. I have field dressed literally dozens of deer with the small spey blade on my constantly carried large stockman pattern pocketknives.

 

[eveled]

My favorite pattern is a 2 blade sway back jack. The main blade is a large coping blade the second blade a small pen.

Case calls or a loom fixer
Rough rider calls it a half hawk
It’s also sometimes generically called a New England Whaler.

 

[daveg.inkc]

I have many small pocket knives, Case, Uncle Henry. Muskrat Skinners,,, most belonged to my grandfather. The Buck 110 is my favorite now. I ordered a custom Buck 110. Walnut handle, black oxide 420 blade, with nickel bolsters. It will be here Monday, according to USPS tracking #.

 

[farley]

Case medium stockman with clip, spey and sheepsfoot blades. I’ve carried other styles at times, but always come back to the medium stockman as the most useful.

 

[bobski]

i dont use knives enough to buy more. im still using 3rd generation knives past on to me.
they all still work just fine. rust, scars, and all.

 

[Del J]

Case Canoe.

 

[Bayouhunter]

Leatherman wave is my everyday knife and seems to be my most used tool. I feel naked without it. Thanks Gunny for posting that knife.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

+1 on the Case Canoe! And mine's got purty green bone scales so it doesn't terrify CA "old ladies" of whatever age, gender, or "gender preference"!

Us humans have only been packing around edged hand tools for a few million years--why are they suddenly suspected of being WMDs?
(I blame this, like almost everything else, on TV. One of my Mexican friends says that the solution to many of the problems of the 21st is "menos de pantalla, mas de jardin"--"less screen, more garden." It's an Rx I take daily).

 

[smoke-eater]

Always been a fan of the Buck #112 Ranger, much more than the famous #110 Hunter. I often think about ordering one from the custom shop, but I'd probably be afraid to use it!

 

[Kevin]

Always been a fan of the Buck #112 Ranger, much more than the famous #110 Hunter. I often think about ordering one from the custom shop, but I'd probably be afraid to use it!

You should! A few years ago, I was curious how the Custom Buck knives are, so I ordered one for my wife for her birthday. The Buck 110. The quality is really nice. It’s a good solid, heavy duty knife.

I’ll try and get some pictures of it later the morning. But I was really impressed with their “Custom Shop.” And I didn’t feel that the prices were too much either.

 

[Kevin]

My wife's Buck 110. It's from the custom shop, Green wood scales with Brass.

 

[Rook]

The only knives I carry are the gold pen knives on my pocket watch chains. Not much protection but they are good for cleaning your fingernails with. Then again how much more protection do you need when you've got a .357 Mag in your pocket.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I appreciate a good pocket knife. I've lost several. So I tried this . . .

https://www.buckknives.com/product/425-minibuck-knife/0425FAM01/

Carried it for several years, lost it, and replaced it with another. A year or so later I found the "lost" original, so I now have two. There's always one in the watch pocket of my jeans. It does 99.99% of my knife work but I back it up with a Leatherman Super Tool.

:mrgreen:

 

[Bob Wright]

The only knives I carry are the gold pen knives on my pocket watch chains. Not much protection but they are good for cleaning your fingernails with. Then again how much more protection do you need when you've got a .357 Mag in your pocket.

Nice photo! Years ago every man carried a pocket watch with a small "gentleman's knife" on the gold chain. Either gold as yours is, pearl or ivory handled. Usually had a pen blade and a manicure blade with ridges for a fingernail file.

I've got my grandfather's knife with gold handles, but it is too fragile now for any use.

Bob Wright

 

[Rook]

I've got my grandfather's knife with gold handles, but it is too fragile now for any use.

Bob Wright

Both of the watches in the photo belonged to my great grandpa. The one on top in the photo is a American Waltham Watch Co. model 1883 Crescent St., 17 jewel that was made in 1897 the year he bought it.

The one on the bottom of the photo is a Hamilton 992 21 jewel open face made in 1913. I'm sure he bought that one because the numbers are much easier to see with old eyes than the other one. My old eyes have a hard time seeing them too in low light.

Both of the pin knives I bought myself.

My grandpa gave me a gold Elgin pocket watch when I started into high school that his dad, my great grandpa, gave to him when he started into high school back in 1917 and it was stolen from our house back in 1966. Everytime I'm at an antique shop or estate sale where there's pocket watches I still keep an eye out for that old watch to this day that had his initials engraved on the back...CME.