One of the most engaging aspects of traditional slipjoint knives is the myriad of unique patterns that have been made, and a great example can be found in the Cotton Sampler. The Cotton Sampler is a relatively little known and sparsely made pattern that has, like many traditional patterns, an obscure history. In this article I’ll discuss some of the pattern’s variations, possible background, and current versions.
Companion Video!
Description
There are two distinct blade shapes and corresponding handle shapes that have been given the name “Cotton Sampler”. One type of Cotton Sampler has a backward curved handle, like a swayback, (though some versions have a straight frame) and a hefty straight edged blade with a straight spine and abrupt angle toward the tip. This type looks very similar to a typical harvester or sailor knife, but often with an even taller blade. The other, more unique, type has a forward curved handle and a blade that deserves its own sentence to describe. The blade on this type has a long unground ricasso, often around an inch long, between the kick and the edge itself, which curves abruptly toward a small clipped tip. It makes for a blade that looks like a squatter spay shape with an unground extension from the handle. While both these shapes have been called Cotton Samplers, today the term is almost exclusively used for the latter style.
Schatt & Morgan Example of the Swayback Type
History
So, what’s the story behind these interesting knives? Well, it seems the pattern shapes themselves likely predate the name. The first style described above is just a slight variation of an ancient pattern that can be found in the earliest Sheffield pattern books (and likely much earlier, as some Roman knives have similar designs). It’s a classic agriculture pattern well suited for the pull cuts prevalent in those uses. On the other hand, the second style is less typical. The earliest example with this unusual blade shape can be found in a 1903 Schatt & Morgan catalogue, but isn’t identified as a Cotton Sampler. It actually has a rounded unground area, rather than the flat type seen on later examples, that is heavily reminiscent to finger choils on modern knives (at least to my eyes). Considering that a knife of the same shape in a 1938 Maher & Grosh catalogue is identified as a “Skinning Knife”, I think it is likely that this version of the Cotton Sampler pattern started as a sportsman’s knife and was later repurposed for agricultural use. That said, I have seen an explanation of the unusual blade shape proposed in several places. Apparently the tall blade with abrupt edge is used to cut into a bale of cotton and act like a spoon to extract a sample (hence the name), and the flat unground area is used to rub the cotton fibers to somehow ascertain the quality of the product. While it’s not my place or intention to claim what is or isn’t fact in this notoriously murky realm of knife history, I find it likely that the previously described use evolved to fit an already existing pattern and then that use influenced the evolution of the pattern itself.
Schatt & Morgan 1903 Catalogue
Availability
Unfortunately, the Cotton Sampler is not one of the more widely available patterns. Queen made both versions over the years before going out of business. Great Eastern Cutlery has made the latter version I described but, like most of their patterns, it has become highly collectible and difficult to find since 2013 (the only time it was made). The only company I’m aware of that offers an array of widely available Cotton Samplers is Rough Ryder.
AMKCA Club Knives
Conclusion
My interest in the Cotton Sampler pattern was piqued by an unexpected addition to my collection. I attend the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association club, and one of the members has been a supporter and a huge asset to my journey into vintage traditional knives. He knows I am a GEC enthusiast and collect the AMKCA club knives, so he offered to sell me his favorite of the club knives at a fair price. It happened to be the 2013 GEC #74 Cotton Sampler. I agreed happily, both because it’s a great knife unlike anything in my collection and because I appreciated that he thought of me when he decided to sell the knife. I have enjoyed getting to know this pattern through my example and to display it with my other AMKCA knives. While I haven’t been able to find as much historical information on the Cotton Sampler, I’ve still enjoyed getting to know it. I hope you’re able to check out this unique pattern also!
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Slipjoint knives are reemerging in popularity across the knife market. Slipjoint knives are non-locking knives that are usually, but not always, opened with two hands and held open and closed with some sort of spring mechanism. Considering the skyrocketing demand for traditional slipjoints like those made by Great Eastern Cutlery to the myriad of modern knife brands bringing slipjoint designs to the market, it’s safe to say that the knife community has its eyes on these enigmatic non-locking knives.
What led me to my interest in Jack Wolf Knives?
Recently, at the 2021 GEC Rendezvous, I got the chance to meet the creator of Jack Wolf Knives, Ben Belkin. Ben is a member of several slipjoint focused Facebook groups I participate in, and I became aware of his upcoming brand through his postings there and on Instagram. Ben has designed a veritable brigade of models, all with traditional pattern inspirations but modern construction and materials. He attended Blade Show this year and garnered a lot of attention across social media, including with some of the larger online knife dealers like BladeHQ. Having been intrigued by some of the Jack Wolf patterns I saw Ben post online, I was glad to hear he’d be attending the Rendezvous, and looking forward to meeting him and getting to check out the prototype models in person.
Ben kindly sat in on the Knife Thoughts table at the GEC Rendezvous while I wandered around.
What are my thoughts on the Jack Wolf Knives prototype knives?
Ben brought prototypes of the first batch of upcoming Jack Wolf Knives models to the Rendezvous. He said he got a lot of valuable feedback at Blade Show and was hoping to get more at the Rendezvous.
My first impression of the knives was that they looked how I expect high quality modern slipjoints to look, but with some unique design elements. The titanium bolsters are integral, meaning they are part of the same billet that also forms the liners. The covers, all micarta on these prototypes, are surprisingly thin. At the edges, I’d say they’re no more than 3mm thick, though they do seem to have some sculpting that should make them a little thicker in the center. Ben said that this thinness was to allow the liners to be thicker and allow for more threading for the attachment screws, and I imagine it also reduces the machining necessary to create the space for the cover material. The fitting of the covers was overall really finely done, with no major gaps that I noticed.
The action was really smooth on all models, with only one model having a bit lazy snap to closed (due to the design of the tang, which Ben was aware of and planned to fix) and the others having crisp action and solid pulls.
While I didn’t cut with any of them (obviously) the blades were ground to a nice thin high hollow grind that Ben said is either completely hand ground or at least hand finished. I had noticed that one model’s edge didn’t go all the way to the choil in a picture Ben posted previous to the Rendezvous, which he said would be corrected in production, but was happy to see that that was only the case on one of the prototypes.
I found all of the prototypes to be quite ergonomic and some, like the Vampire Jack and Venom Jack, deceptively so. I do think the Laid Back Jack, a swayback pattern, could have a more continual / gradual curve to the butt of the handle. That said, some vintage swaybacks do have a similarly abrupt upturn to the end of the handle.
Now, currently the Jack Wolf Knives site shows all models at $275. I’d be dishonest if I didn’t say that this is out of my normal price range for knives, especially slipjoints. It sits a bit above some of the popular modern slipjoints like the Benchmade Proper and LionSteel BestMan. However, I’m sure the integral build style increases production costs and they’re in the same price range as other similar knives from the same manufacturer.
By the way, these knives are made by Reate. Reate does OEM for several higher end knife brands, including the Peña production knives. I don’t personally have much, if any, experience with Reate made knives but I’ve heard good things about their manufacturing quality and consistency.
I think my main takeaway from checking out the Jack Wolf Knives prototypes was Ben’s genuine desire for feedback and willingness to consider the opinions of other slipjoint enthusiasts. I really appreciate that quality in a knife designer and company. Ben has already made some design improvements based upon feedback he has received, including on the below Vampire Jack. The prototypes I got to see were really nice knives, but I’m confident that Ben’s emphasis on improvement will ensure that the models that Jack Wolf Knives brings to market are the best possible versions.
My favorite of the prototypes, the Vampire Jack. Thanks to Ben / Jack Wolf Knives for the picture!
What’s the story behind Jack Wolf Knives?
As interesting as the prototype knives were, I was even more eager to hear about the story behind Jack Wolf Knives. Apparently, it all began with Ben being a collector of Enrique Peña custom slipjoints. Over the years a friendship was sparked, and when Enrique decided to start a line of production knives he asked Ben for his help due to his experience as an entrepreneur. The project ended up being a huge success, as I’m sure many readers who enjoy slipjoints and traditional knives will know considering the popularity of the Peña X series, and Enrique offered Ben his help if ever needed.
Fast forward a bit, and Ben decides he would like to design his own brand of modern slipjoints. Ben’s experience with digital design goes back to his high school drafting classes, which were particularly robust due to his growing up in proximity to the automobile industry in Michigan. So he came into this venture with the ability to create digital models of knives, but without the knowledge on how to actually design knives. That’s where Enrique came in, providing invaluable guidance on the particulars of knife design. From talking with Ben, I can glean that Enrique has dialed in the drafting process to a level that allows for many designs to be created based on a common set of core design characteristics.
Using that knowledge Ben created several different models, currently including prototyped examples of the: Vampire Jack, Low Drag Jack, Sharp Shooter Jack, K9 Jack, Venom Jack, Laid Back Jack, and Little Bro Jack (with several more designs already on the way). All of these designs are influenced by long standing traditional patterns, just with screw construction and titanium and micarta (rather than the traditional steel and bone or wood). I was interested to know how he decided on which patterns to bring to Jack Wolf Knives, and he said that it was influenced by what patterns are popular from other brands (e.g. the GEC #47 Viper), what patterns other companies hadn’t done much of (e.g. coffin jacks, like the Vampire Jack), and simply what patterns he prefers for himself.
Aside from the knives, one of the things that sets Jack Wolf Knives apart so far is the unique branding Ben has built. Each knife has a corresponding tube art. Yes, they come in tubes like some other brands, and Ben even put thought and care into making sure they are high quality with embossed screw tops. The art for each knife relates to the model name and involves the character “Jack Wolf” in a recognizably comic book like art style. The art is actually done by a comic book artist who has worked for Marvel, Sean Tiffany (Instagram, website). Ben said he looked hard to find an artist that matched his vision for the brand but who he could trust to leave to their own style and artistic vision, and that he landed with just that. In fact, the idea to have the “Jack Wolf” character across all the art originated with the artist.
I think these details like the tubes and art are important, because when someone buys a slipjoint in this price range they’re not just buying the knife but also the story and accessories that go with it. Jack Wolf Knives comes to the market with a story, and a palpable excitement from its leader, that will only help its chances of success.
My favorite of the art so far, for the Low Drag Jack
Low Drag Jack and Laid Back Jack Tubes
Low Drag Jack info sheet
What does the future hold for Jack Wolf Knives?
Ben previously hoped to have knives available for purchase by Q4 2021, but recently got disappointing news that the manufacturer received a massive order that will now delay production on Jack Wolf Knives into 2022. While I think this news initially took some air out of Ben’s sails, he plans to use the additional time to improve the business overall: design new models, get more artwork done, explore distribution options, and hone the overall business and marketing model.
Once production does start he hopes to keep a consistent production schedule that can be communicated to customers in advance. He also plans to use a direct to consumer sales approach, but is open to selling through dealers also. Particularly, he mentioned the possibility of creating exclusive variants to be sold through dealers, though I think that was just a seed of an idea.
While Ben has certainly jumped into this venture head first in a competitive market, I think his enthusiasm will take him far. Talking with him at the Rendezvous I got the sense that Jack Wolf Knives comes from a place of genuine passion as a traditional knife aficionado. Ben has said that he doesn’t want to just release a few knives; rather he wants to start and maintain an established knife company.
As for now, none of the knives are available but he does have branded merchandise that can be purchased at this link. I, for one, am looking forward to watching Jack Wolf Knives grow and am excited to see the knives come to fruition!
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
One of the most important factors in how a knife functions is how it is put together. Among folding knives the three most common methods of holding the parts of a knife together are pinning, riveting, and screwing. Each of these three construction methods have their own merits and downfalls. In this article I will discuss the characteristics of each construction method and my opinions on them.
Pinned
Pin construction is probably the oldest and simplest of the three types discussed here. It involves a cylinder or tube, usually of some kind of soft metal like brass, being placed through consecutive holes in the handle. The pin transects the covers, liners, and usually a backspring or lockbar of the knife. The pin can either be held in place with glue, as often seen on fixed blades, or by the act of peening. Peening is when each end of the pin is hammered to create expansion, which holds it in place against the handle material.
Pin construction is most often seen on slipjoint knives, and is highly associated with “traditional” aesthetics. The only modern (i.e. one hand opening, locking, pocket clip) knives I can think of that have pin construction are Spyderco’s stainless steel handled knives.
Case knives tend to have traditional pinned construction, with the pins even with the surface of the cover material. Many traditional knife enthusiasts prefer the look of true pinned knives over other construction methods, because it gives a cleaner overall appearance.
Unfortunately, pinning is probably the least maintainable of the three methods discussed here. If a pinned knife becomes loose you’ll have to rehammer the pin, which can be both delicate and imprecise. Since friction is the only force holding the parts in place, the pieces of a pinned knife can move more than those in riveted or screwed knives.
Despite pinning’s practical downfalls, I still love how a pinned knife looks. There’s something indescribably classy about a pinned construction knife.
Pin construction knives.
Riveted
Riveted handles are often confused as pinned, but there’s an important difference between the two. A riveted handle has heads that actually form an overhang, or structural barrier, upon which they rest. This makes a significant improvement in durability over pinned construction, because the overhang precludes gradual development of space and play. While riveted handles are even less maintainable than pinned handles, as they can’t be taken apart without extensive work, they generally don’t need any maintenance when made correctly. That said, it’s important for riveted handles to be done correctly, with the end user in mind. When done so the action can be extremely smooth but still solid and without play.
Spyderco sometimes uses rivets. Particularly, some of their “lightweight” and plastic handled knives are held together by rivets. On some, like the Manix 2 Lightweight, the pivot is held by a screw so that it can be adjusted if necessary. I have had several riveted knives from Spyderco and have never had an issue arise from the riveted construction or its impedance to disassembly, and have found them to rarely need maintenance.
Interestingly, Great Eastern Cutlery made knives are often not only “pinned” in a traditional sense but also “spun”. That means that some of the pins are expanded via spinning, rather than hammering, which creates a rounded surface to the pins that isn’t level with the covers. I would consider these to be riveted. Some traditional knife enthusiasts dislike the look of these spun rivets, but they certainly provide more rigidity to the knife’s construction.
Victorinox excels in their application of riveted handles. From the exposed rivets on their Alox models to the hidden ones on their plastic handles knives, Victorinox makes solid but smooth knives with a consistency that’s arguably unparalleled in the industry.
For me, the durability of riveted handles far outweighs the difficulty in disassembly and maintenance, when they’re done right.
Riveted construction knives. The Northwoods Heritage Jack on the left with combination pin and rivet construction and Spyderco Manix 2 Lightweight with rivet and screw construction.
Screwed
Screwed constructions is most common in modern knives, but has growing prevalence in slipjoint knives also in recent years. Most modern, i.e. one hand opening and locking, knives are made with screwed construction.
Screw construction uses screws that can, generally, be adjusted and even removed using the appropriate bits. There are several variations on how screws are used, but they often either screw into a tube from both sides of the knife or have a “male” and “female” screw on either side of the knife that screw directly into each other. I find screw construction knives typically require removable threadlocker to remain solid and not loosen through use. That said, they definitely offer much easier disassembly and more maintenance options.
While screw construction is ubiquitous on modern knives, more and more slipjoint knives with traditional influences are coming to market with screw construction. CollectorKnives / LionSteel, Benchmade, Spyderco (which has had their SlipIt line for a while), Rough Ryder, and many other brands are bringing more knives to the market with traditional aesthetics and slipjoint mechanisms but foregoing traditional construction for screw construction. I love to see more people become familiar with slipjoint and traditional knives and, though I don’t like the look of screw construction on them as much, I appreciate the accessibility that screw construction offers through its greater adjustability.
Screw construction knives.
When it really comes down to it, I believe all three of these construction methods are valid and acceptable. Certain knives work better as one method than the other, whether from an aesthetic or functional standpoint. I think the main factor that determines if a particular construction method works for a particular knife is whether that method is applied correctly to a high quality level and with consideration for the knife’s overall aesthetic and intended use.
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
There has been a Great Eastern Cutlery knife that I’ve always wished I could get, but never thought I would. It was a particular #23 Pioneer Trapper from the first run of knives GEC made in 2006 with smooth white bone covers laser etched with “GEC” and oak leaves (the oak leaves to match the Great Eastern Cutlery brand’s acorn shield). I always understood these to be a small run within the overall first run made at GEC’s inception, and the first knives that went to consumers. A picture of a paper had been circulated online that designated the knife as being a small run of 25 knives given to friends and family. It also is the first knife that had laser etching on the handle, which GEC has done a few times since. On top of all of those things that made it special from a collector’s standpoint, I also just like the smooth white bone and laser etch from an aesthetic standpoint.
These knives never seemed to become available until, for some inexplicable reason (cough the insane secondary market??? cough) the last month of 2020. In less than a week I missed two: one on eBay because it sold for more than I could bid, and one on AAPK because it sold before the buyer got back to me with pictures showing the condition. So I posted in search of it, and within another week had multiple offers to my great shock and excitement.
I took one of the offers and was really happy to finally have a true grail in my collection. That said, I did sell a couple knives to help with the transaction including the 2006 #23 from the below video. Also, the knife has some gaps between the backsprings and center liner, but I’m happy with the deal because it’s still a great knife and I knew about the gaps because the seller was upfront about them. After getting the knife, I decided I wanted to get the full scoop on its history and reached out to Great Eastern Cutlery.
Unfortunately, their reply wasn’t what I had hoped. They said “there really is no story to it”, it wasn’t made for friends and family, and he doesn’t recall a paper going with the knife. I was relatively deflated by this news, and decided to do some digging to find the paper I had seen posted in relation to the knife. As you can see below, the actual paper is not related to this specific knife but looks to be a general advertising flyer from the early days of GEC. It does have a handwritten note from Ken Daniels, once co-owner, that claims it is part of a 25 knife run given to friends and family. Unfortunately, since it’s not anywhere close to an official document and from someone who left GEC early, I don’t think it can be taken as reliable information. So it seems that the history of this knife was not what I had believed, and it provides a good lesson to not always believe what you hear on the internet.
Screenshots from Bill McGuire
This knife was a grail for me for a long time, and I won’t deny that I’m disappointed it doesn’t hold the history and significance I had thought. I also am disappointed that the 2006 #23 I sold to buy it was actually, presumably, an earlier made knife (due to its serial number and how they did serialization in the first run). They also said that they would prefer not to fix the gaps because they would have to mark it as repaired and “it is worth more the way it is”. While I understand that that’s true, I am not sure I wouldn’t rather it be made perfect for my own enjoyment even if it had to be marked as repaired and lose value. That said, the knife is still a great piece. I enjoy the laser etch, and have always loved GEC’s smooth white bone. It will also go better with my 2007 #73 in Casein than my previous 2006 #23 did. So although it’s not what I had hoped, it’s still a knife I’m happy to have in my collection.
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I’m happy to share news that any Great Eastern Cutlery fans should be glad to hear; Charlie Campagna has announced on BladeForums that there is a run of his Waynorth TC Barlows coming soon!
In the post linked here Charlie made the exciting and heartfelt announcement. Since then the news has spread to the Facebook groups and likely anywhere else traditional knife enthusiasts converse.
Charlie’s post included this beautiful photograph of the knife in question
In the post we learn some interesting details: the knives are shipping to dealers soon, they have a spear point blade and saw cut bone covers like the first run of TC Barlows, and there will be 500 made. Charlie did say he didn’t know if this will be the last run, and he didn’t mention a retail / dealer price.
These will be some of the most sought after GEC Knives ever. If you want one you should contact your favorite Waynorth dealer, a list of which you can find at this link, and subscribe to their email newsletters as soon as possible.
I am very glad to hear this news. My first GEC was a TC Barlow. It’s one of my favorite and most heavily used knives. I’m also happy to hear it because I think it’s good of Great Eastern Cutlery to show support for Charlie Campagna, as his designs have definitely played a significant role in GEC’s rise to popularity. I’m sure the news of GEC no longer doing Special Factory Orders came as a blow to Charlie, and I’d guess this run of TCs might serve as a sort of silver lining.
I wish you all the best of luck in getting one of these great 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
