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March 16, 2020March 16, 2020

Finch Knife Company Starts Strong with the Runtly

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 Company Runtly 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.

The Long Awaited Spyderco Native Chief is Here and it’s BIG!

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.

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.

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.

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

December 13, 2019December 13, 2019

3 Budget Friendly EDC Pocket Knives that Make GREAT Last Minute Gifts

Christmas is fast approaching, and if you’re like me then your gift list still has people without checks next to their names. However, at this point you might be getting a little tapped out. You’ve got lots of friends and family that you’re excited to give presents, but they don’t come free!

So, in this article I will recommend three great options of budget friendly knives that make great gifts. These are all modern knives with one hand opening, pocket clips, and locks. I have owned or handled several of each of these, so I am confident in their overall quality, especially considering they’re all under $30!

Byrd Cara Cara 2

The Cara Cara in a stainless steel handle is a great canvas for engraving

Byrd is Spyderco’s budget brand. They’re made in China with less exotic materials than the typical Spyderco, but they seem to be held to a high standard of quality control for their price point. I have actually examined 6 of these, and I’ve been honestly shocked at the consistent quality across all of them. They’ve all had smooth action, solid lock up, and good centering (not all 100% perfect, but none close to rubbing the handles). The Cara Cara 2 is the Byrd version of Spyderco’s well known and loved Endura. It has a 3.75″ blade, which provides ample cutting edge. It comes in several different blade shapes including the classic Endura-like drop point, a serrated sheepfoot, and a spear point with an Emerson Wave Opener. The handles are either fiberglass reinforced nylon, which come in several colors, or stainless steel. I particularly like the stainless steel, and it’s great for engraving. I find the handle to be very ergonomic; honestly it feels better in my hand than that of the Endura. The blade steel is 8cr13mov; lower edge retention and corrosion resistance than the VG10 of an Endura but still very capable and easy to sharpen. The Byrd Cara Cara is a great option if you like the Spyderco aesthetic and emphasis on utility, and offers a great value at around $30. You can find it at many dealers and Amazon, but there are a lot of options available at DLT Trading. There is also a smaller, Delica sized, version called the Meadowlark.

Ontario Rat 1

The Rat 1 with another classic, the Case Trapper

The Ontario Rat 1 is one of the most commonly recommended budget knives. It’s a classic that has been proven to be of high quality. I think I’ve had 3 through the years, and I’ve given at least 3 as gifts. They’ve all come well centered, with no blade play, and smooth. The Rat 1 has an almost straight backed drop point design with a lot of straight edge and an abrupt belly, at about 3.6″. This blade shape works fine for pretty much any usage, and is very similar to that on the classic Sod Buster pattern, although I do prefer blade shapes with less abrupt a belly. The blade steel is Aus8, on which Ontario seems to have really dialed in the heat treat. Mine have always held an edge extremely well, and I’ve seen them stand up to some real abuse. The Rat 1 is right around $30, although it can sometimes be found on sale for less, and most dealers carry it including Amazon. It is available at this link at KnifeCenter, where you can also find the smaller version the Rat 2.

Kershaw Thistle

The Thistle is an interesting model from Kershaw that I really enjoy. I have had a couple of these and have gifted a good several, so I’ve gotten to look over 7. They all had solid lockup and smooth action. 5 of them had perfect or close enough centering, and 2 were a bit off but nowhere near rubbing the handles. The Thistle has a somewhat unique modified liner lock where you push a button on the handle that pushes a bar across and unlocks the liner. This lock allows you to close the knife without putting your fingers in the path of the blade, unlike a normal liner lock. The thing I really like about this knife though, is its design. The handle is nice and simple with great ergonomics and a good bit of grippiness with Kershaw’s “K-Texture”. The blade is a very practical drop point with a good section of straight edge then a nice long sweeping belly. It fits a considerable amount of edge into the handle also, although it’s shorter than the others on this list at 3.25″. The blade steel is 8cr13mov, like on the Cara Cara. Another great thing about the Thistle is that it’s on sale pretty much everywhere! I got mine for Christmas gifts from Smoky Mountain Knife Works at only $9 each, but I think this knife is EASILY worth $30 and offers a similar value as the others on this list.

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

November 19, 2019

What is the Great Eastern Cutlery #86 Oil Field Jack, and Why is it a Slipjoint Pocket Knife Worthy of Your EDC?

T(oo)L(ong);D(idn’t)R(ead)? Here’s my YouTube review of the #86 Oil Field Jack!

Recently Great Eastern Cutlery began producing its first run of the new #86 pattern. The #86 is a jumbo jack pattern, which basically means it’s an enlarged version of the classic swell end jack shape like that found on a #15 or #77. GEC has named this pattern the Oil Field Jack, and it’s a fitting name. This hefty pocket knife would be right at home in the oil fields.

The jumbo jack is a pattern that has been around for a long time, but isn’t as well known as others. It’s an enlarged swell end jack, usually over 3.75″ closed. The GEC version is 3.875″ closed. They tend to have thicker handles. This is in part due to the more rounded covers, and in part to the fact that they are most often two bladed. The blades can even be ground from thicker stock than a typical jack. For example, according to Charlie Campagna, the #86 tangs are about .1″ wide, whereas a GEC #15’s tangs are about .09″. Interestingly, vintage jumbo jacks tend to have spear point main blades with pen secondaries, but the #86 has a clip point main and slender sheepfoot secondary. All of it comes together in the #86 to make an unusually hefty jack knife that is inspired by, but not a direct copy, of vintage jumbo jacks.

The #86 compared to a #78, #77, and #15 (from right to left)

Great Eastern Cutlery is making the #86 in several iterations. They’re making them under both their Tidioute and Northfield in-house brands, as well as some Special Factory Orders. The Tidioute versions all feature a quite unique, and appropriate to the name, wrench shield. They are being made with Oil Sucker Rod Wood, Natural Canvas Micarta, and Oily Creek Bone. The Northfield version will come in Autumn Gold Jigged Bone, Tortoise Shell Acrylic, and Sambar Stag. There will also be an SFO for Gunstock Jack’s Knives in Bloodwood with Bowtie shield, and for JSR Sports & More in Burnt Chocolate Peach Seed Jigged Bone with Propeller shield. Finally, there will be two more unique (and difficult to get) versions of the #86. First, the traditional knives subforum of BladeForums has ordered their yearly club knife on the #86 frame with a single saber ground sheepfoot blade, African Blackwood handles, and Bomb shield. At this point the only way to purchase that version is through the secondary market, as all have been pre-ordered months in advance. Second, Charlie Campagna is having a Waynorth Cutlery Black Jack produced. It will have a clip point main with more emphasized swedges and a pen secondary, Gabon Ebony Wood handles, and a Banner shield. You still might be able to get one of these by emailing the dealers through whom Charlie sells his SFOs, a list of which you can find at this link. The Waynorth Black Jack will probably be the most sought after of the #86s. With so many exciting versions of the #86 pattern coming soon, everybody should be able to find one they want!

The “jumbo-ness” really shows in the thickness. It’s thicker, due to the rounded covers, than a Case full sized trapper.

The first released Oil Field Jacks seem to be selling quickly, but you should be able to get one in your preferred handle material. This will be a relatively large run in regard to production numbers. However, GEC has been shipping knives to dealers in batches. This practice is both good and bad; good because it allows for more chances to get the knife you want, bad because it causes more scramble and makes the knives seem more scarce. As of this writing, all of the Tidioute versions have been released but if you act quick you should still be able to get at least an Oily Creek Bone model. There are some Natural Canvas Micarta versions still arriving at dealers, and maybe a couple Oil Sucker Rod Wood stragglers. None of the Northfield versions have been released yet, and they can be purchased from any of the GEC dealers (which you can find a list of at this link), so there’s definitely still time to get one. I think both the Sambar Stag and Tortoise Shell Acrylic will look awesome on this jumbo jack pattern; the stag because the big wide handles will give plenty of room to show off the unique character of each piece, and the tortoise because I just like the somewhat bold and garish look of that acrylic style. I’m sure the Autumn Gold Jigged Bone will be nice also, I just don’t get as excited about that particular dye color and jigging as some. I am probably most excited about the Waynorth Cutlery Black Jack (aside from / along with the one I already have). Not only will it be the most similar to vintage jumbo jacks with its long pulls, swedges, and Gabon Ebony Wood handles, it will also have that particular styling that Charlie brings to his SFOs that have made them so popular amongst collectors.

Compared to some well known knives, the Ontario Rat 1 and Case Trapper.

I got the Oil Sucker Rod Wood #86 Oil Field Jack. This is a knife I knew I had to check out as soon as it was announced. I already really have and enjoy a few other knives with the Oil Sucker Rod Wood covers. The Oil Sucker Rod Wood is reclaimed from the area around Great Eastern Cutlery. An oil sucker rod is part of the oil drilling process and the piece of equipment that pulls the oil up out of the well (you can find a video on the process at this link). Steel rods are used now and have been for a while, but in the early days of the oil industry wooden rods were implemented. One interesting quirk of this handle material is that, because it is reclaimed wood and there’s no record of what wood species was used for the wells from which the wood was reclaimed, one can’t be sure what wood these handles actually are made of. Some, including my dad who’s been in the industry for over 40 years, say that it’s likely Ash. Either way, it has a green hue from the crude oil that soaked into it during its previous life as a working sucker rod. The crude oil in the Titusville region is a particularly bold green color. I remember my dad having a little bottle of crude oil from the Drake Well, the first commercial oil well in the world (by most accounts) that is right outside of Titusville and only a couple miles from GEC, and it was just the same color as the handles on my Oil Field Jack. Finally, the wrench shield hearkens to the hard manual work put in on those early oil wells (not to say that hard manual work isn’t also put in on the modern wells!). All of it seems to reach back and connect the Oil Field Jack to local Pennsylvania history, making it much more than just an extremely well made knife.

Three knives in Oil Sucker Rod Wood. #18 Beagle, #15 2014 Rendezvous Special TC One Arm Barlow, and the #86 Oil Field Jack

Speaking of its build quality, my Oil Field Jack in Oil Sucker Rod Wood is impeccably made. It has smooth transitions between the covers and bolsters. The shield is fitted tightly, which is a feat on such a complicated shape as a double ended wrench. The blades are tight with no blade play. The action is great with nice snap and walk and talk, and about a 6 out of 10 pull (a little stronger than a swiss army knife) on both blades. Both blades are also well centered. In a huge relief to me, as these are the two most irksome and common issues to be found on GEC knives, neither blades came with proud tips or blade rap.

The Oil Field Jack is jumbo compared to other swell end jack knives, but it’s much smaller than some of GEC’s other large patterns. From left to right: #45 Lumberjack, #46 Whaler, #86 Oil Field Jack, #97 Allegheny, #98 Texas Camp Knife

I actually accidentally ordered two of these, and I have to admit that one was sent back. Sometimes you read or hear of someone “accidentally” ordering a knife, and you think “how can you possibly order a knife on accident?”. Well, I emailed two of my favorite dealers about this knife and, I thought, only heard back from one. So when I got a PayPal invoice for this knife, I just paid it. Later, when I got another, I realized that both dealers had emailed back confirming my reservation of this knife and one of their emails had gone to my spam folder! Anyway, the second one I received came with what I considered to be a poorly fit shield. There were noticeable gaps between the shield and wood that had been filled in with glue, which I find to be ugly. It also came with some rust / pitting on the main blade backspring, which was actually a first for me from GEC. Maybe chalk it up to the wet and cold weather. Anyway, as always, Ken at Blue Creek Cutlery provided incredible service and rectified the issue quickly and completely; he even refunded my return shipping, which went above and beyond my expectations!

The example I’m keeping is from Jamie at JSR Sports & More, from whom I’ve also received quality service. Despite one of my examples having some unusual issues, the Oil Field Jack I’m keeping is another great testament to Great Eastern Cutlery’s ability to make an heirloom quality pocket knives that are also ready to be put to real use.

I really like GEC’s Oil Field Jack on the #86 Jumbo Jack frame. It feels really ergonomic in the hand with the thick, rounded handle. The classic clip point blade shape offers a usable tip for penetrating tasks, but also provides a very practical amount of both straight edge and belly for push and pull cuts. The slender sheepfoot secondary will work great for smaller cutting tasks like opening mail, cutting strings, etc. The Oil Field Jack’s heft makes it feel like a knife that would be a great every day carry user, but that would also be more than capable as a work knife. I also really enjoy the extra touch of the wrench shield. I think all of these Oil Field Jacks are going to look great, but the history and local authenticity of the Oil Sucker Rod Wood made me choose it over the others… So far! If you need a Jumbo Jack in your life, I definitely suggest trying one of GEC’s new #86 Oil Field Jacks!

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

August 19, 2019December 14, 2019

What Makes the CollectorKnives WarHorse by LionSteel a Successful Mix of Modern and Traditional?

T(oo)L(ong);D(idn’t)R(ead)? Here’s the accompanying video review.

The WarHorse is a modern slipjoint made by LionSteel for CollectorKnives. It’s one that I’ve been looking forward to trying for a while, as CollectorKnives announced it on their Early Reserve page early this year. I had previously tried the CollectorKnives Shuffler, which is the single clip blade version, and liked it other than the handle material. The main reason I decided to get this knife is a bit convoluted; Mike at CollectorKnives had an SFO made by Great Eastern Cutlery in 2014 of a #77 NorthField barlow with clip point and wharncliffe full sized blades. I decided not to get one and wish I had. When I saw Mike was doing one of his modern barlows with the same blade combination I decided to check one out.

Two big full blades, clip and wharncliffe

The WarHorse is an interesting mix of modern and traditional. First and foremost, it is a slipjoint. It is non-locking, and uses a backspring to stay open and stay closed. It also has the hallmarks of a traditional barlow; an elongated bolster on a jack frame. Additionally, it’s a two hand opening knife that uses long pulls. Finally, on the traditional side, the clip point and wharncliffe blades are traditionally shaped. However, that’s where the traditionality ends. Rather than being pinned, the WarHorse is held together with torx screws. It also has a pin that the blade kicks fall upon when closed, eliminating the risk of blade rap. Finally, rather than the blades pivoting directly against the liners like on a traditionally built knife, the WarHorse has phosphor-bronze washers between the blades and liners.

The grip is comfortable enough with either blade open due to the width of the handle

LionSteel did a great job making this knife. It came with nice action; great walk and talk, healthy snap, and a nice 5.5ish pull (just a little stronger than a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife). The blades are nice and tight, with no play or wobble, and they’re both centered dead down the barrel. The fit is different than on a traditionally made knife. Since the knife is held together with screws, the transitions between handle cover and bolster and liners and springs can’t be polished flat. Instead, all of the edges are nicely rounded so that they come together smoothly. The washers help to provide extremely smooth action without any blade play right out of the box, but they also create small gaps between the blades/springs. The blades seem to be ground quite thin, for good slicing capabilities, and evenly. The long pulls (which, unlike on the vast majority of traditional slipjoints, are on both sides of the blade) are a little more rounded than I’d prefer. A traditional long pull has a square / angled inside upper edge which allows the fingernail to catch securely, whereas the WarHorse long pulls are radiused. This radius can sometimes lead to my fingernail slipping off the blade, especially on the pile side wharncliffe blade. Although the WarHorse is not traditionally built, it is certainly built well.

One of the WarHorse’s biggest drawing points is its high end materials. It comes in several different handle materials including olive wood, ram horn, ebony wood, and carbon fiber. I went with the carbon fiber, because I think it really fits with the traditional meets modern aesthetic. Knives have been handled in synthetic materials for around a hundred years, like micarta and celluloid, but carbon fiber is a new age material and I felt that it represented the mix of modern and traditional in the overall WarHorse. It is handsome carbon fiber, with no noticeable voids and a nice even weave. The blades are M390 steel. M390 is a recent super steel that is well liked for its high performance across all categories: edge holding, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpenability. Finally, the liners and bolsters are a nice tumbled titanium, for strength and lightness. The materials on the WarHorse are high end, but I do believe (if the WarHorse was made with pin construction) the materials do not exclude it from being a traditional knife. I really appreciate the high end materials that make up the WarHorse, especially considering super steels are so rare on production slipjoints.

Overall, I think the WarHorse is a knife that the slipjoint market needs. It brings to the market a knife with high end materials and newer build technology while retaining a respect for and homage to the traditional knives from which it draws inspiration. I don’t think it has the same spirit and soul as a traditionally made barlow, if I’m being honest, but it offers more muscle and utility to even things out. The WarHorse builds a bridge between the modern and traditional knife segments, and hopefully will continue the trend of production knife companies making knives with traditional designs.

Compared to some recent GEC patterns, the #29 and #97

The WarHorse is a CollectorKnives exclusive. You can get one for yourself from CollectorKnives.net (they are in stock as of 8/20/19). You can find all of the different versions for between $162 and $172 at this link. Tell Mike you heard about the WarHorse on Knife Thoughts!

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

June 17, 2019June 17, 2019

Father’s Day Knife Thoughts

Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the lessons handed down from our dads, grandfathers, and whomever we’ve been privileged to have as father figures. One of the things my father passed on to me is an appreciation for knives.

My dad is an avid outdoorsman. He was an Eagle Scout, fishes regularly, has gone on many extraordinary hunting expeditions that border on survivalist outings. His interest in knives stems mostly from the fact that they’re essential in those kinds of outdoors activities, as well their usefulness in everyday tasks. He isn’t a collector, though through the years he has accumulated a good number of knives. As a non-collector, he doesn’t often keep his knives in great shape and tends to get a replacement when his current carry breaks down. He originally used traditional knives and I remember him using them when I was younger, but he switched to assisted opening modern knives sometime in the 2000s. Due to his tendency not to hang onto knives like a collector, I haven’t been able to check out many of his older knives, especially from before he switched to modern knives.

However, while visiting him this weekend I stumbled upon an old gem; his old fishing knife. The knife is a Case #48 Slimline Trapper. I knew right away from looking at it that it was Case’s classic Slimline pattern, and Case’s pattern number list confirms (linked here). It’s a knife that Case has made for decades and continues to produce today. It’s a great utility pattern; easy to carry because of the thin handle, good amount of belly for skinning and such, useful tip, and a long edge for the overall size. I am sure that the handles are jigged synthetic, but Case’s handle designation number system (linked here) only confirms that it’s either jigged synthetic, laminate, or bone. My dad said he bought it about 50 years ago and used it all the time as his fishing knife. I took a look at Case’s tang stamp dating system chart (linked here) and he wasn’t too far off; it’s a 1974 6 dot normal “s” model.

Case XX U.S.A. (normal “s”) 6 dot stamp
61048 pattern designation

It’s pretty dang cool to not only be able to look over a knife used by my dad for years, but also to confirm its identity and age. For a well used 45 year old knife, it’s in admirable shape. Sure, it has some blade play and lots of patina. Even some gaps around the scales and spring. But it has great action with snappy walk and talk, and a nice even grind and sharp edge. This Slimline Trapper is a real testament to the fact that a well made slipjoint knife can be used hard and last for decades. The knife below (bottom knife) is a Queen #11 Utility Trapper. It’s not called a Slimline Trapper because that term belongs to Case, but it’s the same pattern. It was a gift from my dad. I’ve used it many times while hunting and fishing, including on some trips with my dad. It already was a knife I’ll keep forever, but I appreciate it even more now knowing that my dad carried an extremely similar knife. Like lessons, our fathers can also pass down physical items like knives that are imbued with meaning.

As an interesting post script note, upon looking closely I realized that the shield is not pinned even on this 1974 Case! So the glued shields must not be a new development for Case. This is very interesting to me, and I plan to do more research into when Case stopped pinning their shields.

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Byrd Cara Cara 2

Ontario Rat 1

Kershaw Thistle

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