In this article I will address one of the ideas within the knife community, one that I have encountered frequently and on which I hold a strong opinion.
Picture taken at the Painted Desert Inn in the Petrified Forest National Park. Civilian Conservation Corps molded handles on a 1930’s pocket knife, an aesthetic addition.
So, if you’re a knife enthusiast (which I’m guessing you are if you’re reading this!) you might have heard a variation of this claim:
“Collecting knives is a new thing. In the good old days people bought knives to use; they didn’t care about aesthetics, they just care if it worked”
This is an idea put forth by people when they feel that someone cares too much about the design and looks of a knife, or that someone is too picky with the fit and finish of a knife. It’s a criticism of the times as much as the person, saying that we live in frivolous times wherein looks are more important than utility. Maybe you haven’t heard this sentiment yet, but I’ve heard it in various forms many times. I think you will too if follow the forums and Facebook groups.
EDC is not new in America, as shown by this post in which a Redditor’s grandfather carried 3 knives in 1946
So, why is it worth writing an article refuting this idea? Well, aside from it being just plain incorrect, more importantly, it also downplays the timelessness and historicity of knife collecting and enthusiasm. I would make a safe bet that as long as knives have been made, which is basically as long as people have been people, they have been appreciated not only for their utility but also as items with intrinsic and aesthetic value.
Image of an Educational Plague at Petrified Forest National Park
If there’s a shift in how we relate to knives now, I propose that it is because we are in a golden age of knives. People don’t care about aesthetics and fit and finish now more than they did in the past, they just have greater access to more and better knives than (not that arguably) any other time in history. For the majority of history exotic and aesthetically focused knives were mostly only available to the wealthy. Now, there is a plethora of knives available at every price range in an unlimited variety of styles. The current knife market is absolutely unprecedented and allows for more discernment beyond utility.
I have included some pictures showcasing historical knives with an aesthetic focus, but there are many other great resources for more examples. I follow several Instagram accounts that often post great examples of historical knives and swords (as well as other arms and armor): Runjeet Singh, Met Arms & Armor, Peter Finer. There are lots of others, so I highly suggest poking around. There are also many sites dedicated to antique knives from museums and auction houses, so there’s plenty to peruse. I believe that anyone who takes the time to research into the history of knives will find that collecting them and an appreciation of them beyond their utility is an integral and long-standing part of the human relationship to knives.
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
As part of efforts to slow and contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf recently ordered all non-essential / non-lifesustaining businesses to close and stop operation, starting last night March 19 2020. I had expected this as an inevitable extension of the preceding actions taken by local, regional, and national authorities.
Due to this order Bill Howard, President of Great Eastern Cutlery, posted the below message on their website today. It speaks for itself and is, in my opinion, a very well written and thought out response to such an unprecedented situation.
We can’t know the long term impact of the virus and the actions taken to contain it, but there’s no doubt it will negatively affect small businesses like GEC. Working in a family run small business myself, I know how difficult and uncertain times like these can be, and I’m sure all of you feel the strain of these strange times also.
Hopefully soon the virus will be quelled, business will resume, and GEC will get back to making the best production traditional knives on the market. I wish Bill, William, Joan Mae, and everyone at Great Eastern Cutlery all the best!
Every year I travel to Columbus Ohio to compete in the Arnold Classic (specifically in the Grappling Industries tournament). It just so happens that River’s Edge Cutlery is a quick 15 minute drive from the Arnold. So over the last few years I’ve made it a habit to visit as an extra perk to the trip. This year I was able to go check out the selection at REC with my brother, and as always it was a great experience. There are always several people there willing to show you as many knives as you like, just talk knives, and they even sharpen knives (for a very reasonable fee). I ended up purchasing a couple Mora knives for review and a Spyderco Police 4 Lightweight that I’ve been wanting since it came out. When I went to check out, they offered to loan me a Finch Knife CompanyRuntly for review!
Check out my video review of the Finch Runtly
I have been seeing the Finch Runtly quite a bit on social media; it seems like there’s some hype surrounding this knife and brand. I had done a pass-around on the Spyderco Native Chief for River’s Edge Cutlery, the review of which you can find at this link, so I appreciated that they wanted my opinion on this new knife.
So, what is Finch Knife Company? It’s a knife producer that has been in the works for a while, but was officially started about a year ago according to one of the owners. The owners wanted to create a brand that felt like the old fashioned brands they most enjoyed: Hen & Rooster, Bulldog, Case. Finch Knife Company puts a modern spin on those classic knives. I think they do a great job of melding a traditional inspiration into the modern construction and design of their first knife design, the Runtly.
Finch Runtly with packaging
The Runtly is the first product to hit the market from Finch Knife Company. It is a small liner lock flipper. The first thing that struck me was the interesting design. It has a blade shape that is something like an enlarged, or heightened, mix between a sheepfoot and coping blade. This wide blade is fit into a particularly slim handle, that tapers from the pivot end to the butt end. This unusual design is based in the knife’s inspiration; vintage Heddon River Runt Spook fishing lures. As strange as it may seem, I can actually see the resemblance when they’re put side by side as in the picture below. The Runtly is even being offered in color options similar to those of the lures! Apparently the owner thought to design a knife based on these lures because with a young family he doesn’t have as many opportunities as he would like to get out and fish, so the Runtly was designed as something he can carry daily to remind him of days on the water. I really appreciate that Finch Knife Company is bringing knives to market with such unique inspiration. I think it’s a good thing to have something new and unexpected available like the Runtly.
Picture from Finch Knife Company
The Runtly is a well made little knife. River’s Edge Cutlery told me that the Runtly is made by Bestech Knives in China, which is not mentioned on the knife or packaging. Some people have an aversion to Chinese made knives, but the fact is that China is making a lot of really high quality knives these days. It flips so well, due to a crisp detent, that someone who I showed it to thought it was assisted. I believe it is a ball bearing pivot. It also came with good centering and solid lockup. The grind seems even and well ground. Overall it’s just a solid little knife with great action!
As for the design, I think it’s apparent that a lot of thought went into this knife. One thing I really appreciate is the rounded back end of the handle above the flipper tab. This simple little design element makes the knife much easier and more comfortable to flip (it’s a light switch style flipper). I also really like the simple sculpted titanium (I believe) clip, although I mostly carried it unclipped in my watch/coin pocket. They did think to add a slight cutout to help access and unlock the liner lock, but at least for people with big thumbs like mine I think it could have been made a little bigger without the aesthetic suffering. The blade has a nice two toned finish that accentuates the well executed grind. It also has a nail nick on both sides of the blade. I recognized that the nail nick was not necessary, as (aside from the availability of the flipper) the blade can easily be opened with a pinch grip. The owner said that the nail nick was added because he showed it to his father, who has a collection of only traditional knives, who tried to open it with two hands. Thus, the nail nick was added, and I think it’s an interesting addition that gives the knife another slight nod to the vintage and traditional aesthetic. My first thought, before asking the owner about the addition of the nail nick, was that it was intended to look like the eye on the fishing lures that inspired the knife. The handle has an inlayed shield, which I think is another nod to traditional knives. I didn’t realize it till seeing a post on social media, but the shield is actually glow in the dark. If you’ve read my reviews of Case knives you know I much prefer a pinned shield, but being that this is a modern knife and the shield is not metal (and therefore is unable to be pinned) I’ll give it a pass. I actually like the look of the shield from a purely aesthetic standpoint. Lastly, the blade is not “billboarded” with excessive branding. The front side says “Finch” in a font I like, and the back says “N690” and “Runtly”. The blade is 2.25″, which is a size I appreciate because it’s big enough to be used for things like breaking down cardboard and opening boxes but small enough to be legal almost anywhere (that a one hand open locking knife is legal). Overall, the Runtly is a small knife with an interesting aesthetic inspiration that I have come to appreciate in my short time carrying and using the knife.
Avery carrying the Runtly
I think the Runtly will be a hit, and I’m looking forward to what Finch Knife Company brings to market in the future. Right now they have two other models planned: the Tikuna and the Model 1929. Honestly, both these designs appeal to me and I hope to get to review them. I get the feeling that the owners of Finch Knife Company have a lot of passion for what they’re doing, and I think they’ll find success in the knife community. You can purchase your Finch Runtly at River’s Edge Cutlery at this link, and don’t forget to tell them Knife Thoughts sent you!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
Case has been the preeminent producer of traditional pocket knives since the turn of the 20th century, and that means they have built knives on countless patterns. Some of these patterns are made continuously as perennial standbys for the company, like the Peanut and Trapper, but others only appear on certain occasions. Case’s “Out of the Vault” series brings not recently seen patterns back into production, for only one calendar year.
Check out my unboxing video including the Case 2020 Vault Pocket Hunter here!
This year’s “Vault” pattern is the Pocket Hunter. The Pocket Hunter is a quirky little pattern that Case seems likely to have invented. It is not one of their oldest patterns, but it hasn’t been produced since its inception in 2001. The Pocket Hunter is a small, like VERY small, version of the classic full size Hunter pattern. It has a tapered handle that turns up at the butt end, with bolsters on both ends. There is a hump, or swell, in the center of the handle on the blade well side. Mine has two blades, a clip point and straight spine (what Case calls a skinner blade), both being full sized. However, like the full sized version, Case has also brought a few single blade versions out of the vault for 2020. It really is just a miniaturized version of the normal (and very large) Hunter pattern in every way.
The Pocket Hunter’s full length when open is just barely longer than the full sized Hunter’s blade.
I personally have been interested in this Pocket Hunter pattern from Case for a few years. I almost purchased a “new old stock”, aka still setting on a dealer’s site in new condition from a previous run, but waffled back and forth too long and let it get bought out from underneath me. So when I heard Case was bringing it out of the vault for 2020 I was pretty excited. Case is of course offering the Pocket Hunter in MANY handle cover material options, but I decided to go with the classic yellow synthetic. I went with this handle not only because it’s budget friendly, but also because it’s a classic traditional Case handle material that I have several knives in and because I got the 2019 Vault knife in the same handle material (you can read my article on that knife here and below). Why not start another set / collection, right?! Anyway, I found myself with a Pocket Hunter in Yellow Synthetic as my example of the Case 2020 Vault Knife.
This knife is made much like other Case knives; built well and completely functional, but noticeably imperfect. it came with some slight gaps between both springs and the corresponding mark side liners. This is certainly not a functional issue, but it is something that collectors will notice. both blades came well centered, with nice opening and closing action, and no blade play in either the open or closed positions. The edges came thin, but shockingly rough. I legitimately would love to know what grit Case uses to sharpen their knives, because it’s pretty amazing how toothy they are. This knife seemed to have a burr on both sides, somehow, and felt almost serrated. Thankfully the Tru-Sharp steel is not difficult to sharpen and I removed the burr relatively easily. Lastly, but not least in my opinion, I have to mention that the shield is unpinned (like all Case shields). I’d much prefer no shield over an only glued shield on a knife in this ~$50 price range. Still, overall it’s a well made knife with no practical issues whatsoever and only minor aesthetic imperfections.
The Case 2019 Vault Series Barlow and 2020 Vault Series Pocket Hunter, both in yellow synthetic
To get to the point, I am thoroughly enjoying this Case Pocket Hunter. If you read my articles or watch my videos you might know I enjoy quirky knives, and this is quirky in just how small it is. It’s a pattern known for being overly large, the full size Hunter, shrunk down to Peanut size (but with two full length blades, which is a bonus over the Peanut). I also enjoy small and large versions of patterns; like the GEC #22/#44, #18/#56, and #06/#97 patterns. It feels good in the hand, despite its small size. It’s easy to carry and should be welcome in all but the most anti-knife environments, thanks to its small size. It has satisfying walk and talk, with solid joints. It’s a small knife with big appeal!
The Pocket Hunter not only fits in your back pocket with ease, it will even fit in the smallest of pockets like the 5th pocket (aka watch pocket) or those ludicrously small pockets in women’s jeans. Its daintiness makes me want to get it in abalone (with the added bonus of the abalone version being shield-less). Despite its diminutive size, it is actually a pretty capable knife. The two full size blades make for more usable edge than a Peanut, despite the Pocket Hunter being shorter when closed, and are both shaped in a way that make them practical for a variety of uses. You know, the kind of stuff you actually use your knives for; cutting strings, opening mail, breaking down boxes, etc. I think this little knife will find its way into my pocket frequently, and if you also enjoy a tiny knife that punches above its weight in usefulness then I think it should find its way into your pocket also!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
