Great Eastern Cutlery is wont to run by their own rules. Quirkiness is one of their most characteristic attributes, and both the boon and bane of collectors depending on the situation. One example of their unusual approach to knifemaking can be seen in their “parts” aka “special factory assembly” knives. This article will explain what these knives are, how they are purchased, and how they fit into the collector market.
My haul from the 2019 GEC Rendezvous
These knives are built using leftover parts from previous runs of knives. Sometimes they are made from recent runs within the same year, and sometimes they’re made with parts from frames that haven’t been used for several years (like this year’s #65s). They often feature different handle materials, shields, and sometimes even different blade or handle shapes than previous runs (from which they drew their parts). For example, at this year’s Rendezvous (2019) GEC had lots of knives built with parts left over from previous runs: #65 Ben Hogans, #85s in different configurations than the normal runs, #97s with the Tango guitar shield (which they haven’t used in a while), and even some stainless #74 Mustangs (I was lucky enough to snag one!). Due to being made in previously unused configurations with old stock parts, you never know what these knives are going to show up as!
The Special Factory Assembly aka parts knives for 2019
GEC first referred to these knives in question as “parts knives” but has transitioned into calling them the more official sounding “special factory assembly” knives. This change in nomenclature has happened over the past two or so years, in conjunction with a change in how they are sold. These knives are only available for purchase at the factory store. They are made for the annual Rendezvous (if you’d like to learn more about why the Rendezvous is worth attending, read my article linked here). Originally, up until 2017 or 2018, there was no restriction on the number of these knives that one could purchase at a time. However, recently GEC has restricted each person to one “SFA” knife per transaction / time through the line at the Rendezvous / day at the Rendezvous. This rule makes it more difficult for a large number of these knives to be concentrated in one person’s collection, therefore making them even rarer and more sought after on the secondary market.
Not technically a Special Factory Assembly, but definitely a parts knife. #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna, 1 of 27
These “special factory assembly” knives are sought after for several reasons. First, they tend to be made in low numbers. GEC has moved generally toward larger runs, so the fact that these parts knives are still made in runs of 4-40 knives makes them quite rare relative to other recent runs. On top of this, many of this year’s SFA knives were “S” models (I’ll be doing an article on what this means also, so make sure you subscribe via email for updates) which are less desirable due to their lack of warranty and supposed lower aesthetic quality. Beyond their rarity, the sheer fact that the SFA knives can only be purchased at the factory store makes them more difficult to purchase, and therefore more valuable. The “special factory assembly” knives tend to be highly sought after, especially just after the Rendezvous.
2019 Special Factory Assembly GEC #74 Mustang
I personally enjoy the “parts” aka “special factory assembly” knives because they’re just plain unique and interesting. I also enjoy that they’re a hallmark of and a keepsake from each Rendezvous. If you ever get a chance to pick one up, I highly suggest you do!
This past weekend Great Eastern Cutlery held their yearly Rendezvous. It’s a combination of several things: a gathering of GEC enthusiasts, an open house, and (since 2018) a small knife show. I’ve gone the last 6 years, and always look forward to the trip. If you want to know more about the Rendezvous in general, checkout my article here:
2019 is the second year GEC has offered tents and tables for collectors and vendors to set up displays, and this year I decided to set up as Knife Thoughts. I wasn’t sure that it was a good idea to set up a display, being that my collection and knowledge pale in comparison to that of many of the collectors who attend the Rendezvous, but I decided to go for it. I thought I could offer something worthwhile mainly by displaying the last 6 years (2019 inclusive) of Rendezvous Specials. In all the years I’d gone, I never saw any of the Rendezvous Specials displayed and I felt people would enjoy seeing them. I also wanted to display my Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association club knives.
2019 Rendezvous Special
2019 Special Factory Assembly
If you want to know more about the parts knives, subscribe for updates via email, as I plan to write a short article explaining them.
After waiting in line all night and getting my 2019 Rendezvous Special and a Special Factory Assembly, I set up my first public knife display! I used a very nice stepped display given to me by my wife to display the Rendezvous Specials, a magnetic kitchen knife holder to display some fixed blades, and laid out many of my traditional pocket knives in a semblance of order.
Knife Thoughts display the 2019 GEC Rendezvous (and a little shirt flair)
It turned out to be a great experience! I had many people stop at my table to discuss the knives and GEC in general. I also got to see some old friends from previous Rendezvous, and meet many new friends. I got to meet and talk with Mike of Collector Knives, Austin of C. Risner / Traditional Pocket Knives, and Jamie of JSR Sports & More. I also got to see and talk with Ken of Blue Creek Cutlery / Maher & Grosh, as well as Gary of Kifer Cutlery Classics, whom I’ve seen at previous Rendezvous. It’s always a treat to get to discuss knives with others who share your enthusiasm for all things cutlery!
The line to get in at 7am just before they opened the doors
The Special Factory Assembly aka parts knives for 2019
I also learned a few things in the process. First, I should bring knives I plan to sell and have their prices pre-determined. Pretty much everyone who came to my table asked if I was selling. Even the knives I was willing to sell, I didn’t pre-plan pricing which made it awkward trying to give an asking price. Second, it would be easier to have a table and still be able to look around at the other displays with a partner to help watch. Thirdly, I should have a Knife Thoughts shirt and/or banner to help distinguish and identify my display (rather than just stickers). So not only was this Rendezvous a fun time, it was a learning experience to help improve Knife Thoughts displays at future shows.
A Special Factory Assembly #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna
Every year Great Eastern Cutlery holds their Rendezvous at their factory in historic Titusville Pennsylvania. It is a 3 day gathering for fans of GEC to come together and show and tell their traditional knives (it’s not restricted to GEC, other brands’/companies’ knives are very welcome). There’s also a picnic on Saturday where GEC collectors and employees get together to eat and enjoy the company of fellow knife enthusiasts. You can find more information by following this link to Great Eastern Cutlery’s page for this year’s (2019) Rendezvous!
A fine example of a GEC, a #53 Cuban Stockman, in its native territory of Western Pennsylvania
You get to see behind the curtain!
One of the best things about the Rendezvous is getting to see how all the knives are made. Throughout the weekend tours are given by none other than GEC President Bill Howard and his son Will. First off, the fact that the owner himself gives tours is a great look into the culture and workings of GEC. Bill Howard is a man who knows and cares about his products, machinery, and his employees. Second, it’s an incredible opportunity to see every step of the process (except bone dyeing and jigging, which is proprietary and not shown to the public) that goes into making a GEC knife. Let me tell you, it’s impressive to see just how much hand work goes into these knives. Third, it’s a chance to ask any of the questions you have about their production process. I know I’ve had many questions, and they seem happy to answer them. If you want a sneak preview of the tour you can check out a video tour below. It’s a great resource, but it’s not quite as good as in person!
Part 1, you’ll have to go to YouTube for parts 2 and 3
The people are great!
Meeting and conversing with the GEC employees and other Rendezvous attendees is definitely the highlight of the experience. Being that GEC is the most highly respected and sought after production knife maker in America today, the Rendezvous brings together a large and varied group of knife enthusiasts. Over the years that I’ve attended it has grown significantly. There is still the core group of hardcore knife collectors. These are the people who are basically walking encyclopedias of traditional knives, and it’s a treasure to get to discuss the history and nuances of all their knives. There are also now tables set up for people to display their collections and / or knives for sale. For example, last year the owners of the Maher & Grosh set up an extremely interesting display of vintage knives of that brand and also sold some GEC made M&G brand knives. As mentioned earlier, it’s also enlightening to get to know the people who make up GEC. Of course the knives are what makes us so enamored with GEC, but it’s certainly nice to get to meet the people behind the knives and see that they are (in many cases) as excited about what they’re doing as we are.
The #78 American Jack in Glitter Gold in the center is a 1 of 8 parts knife from the 2018 Rendezvous
Titusville has more to do than you think!
I often see people wondering what, if anything, else there is to do in Titusville. After all, it’s not your usual vacation location. I think the tendency is for people to assume there’s nothing to do, but that’s very much not the case! There is the annual Titusville Oil Festival. It is a celebration of the anniversary of the first oil well in the U.S. which was drilled in Titusville, and you can find more information at this link. There is also a craft brewery called the Blue Canoe that has classic food and good drinks, made right there on site. Speaking of the history of oil in Titusville, the site of the first oil well has a very interesting museum. It is called the Drake Well, and you can find more information about the museum at this link. I was always told by my dad, an avid fan of local history and himself in the natural resources industry, that the Drake Well was the first well drilled for oil in the world (and certainly some history books confirm this), but I’ve also read that oil wells were drilled earlier in China. Either way, it’s worth a visit if you’re interested in history. Another place well worth visiting, right next to the Drake Well, is Oil Creek State Park. Oil Creek State Park is a nice little park with some interpretive trails, hiking/biking, and some nice scenery. You can find a list of some good things to do at the park at this link. If you wanted to make a serious knife and history trip out of it, you could go to nearby Tidioute (where natural gas was found, and helped create the history of cutlery in the region) or relatively close by Bradford, where you can visit Case’s factory. Finally, there’s going to be a knife show the same weekend held as a replacement for the Queen show (that was always held on the same weekend as the Rendezvous). I know about this show because it’s being organized by a member of the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association, but I can’t find a website for it so I can’t provide much more information, though I’m sure once you’re at the Rendezvous it’ll be easy to find more info.
Retouched photograph of the Drake Well, from WikiPedia Media Commons
There’s some SUPER cool knives to be had!
Last, but not least, GEC makes some really unique and interesting knives for the Rendezvous. To start, they make a very limited run of “Rendezvous Special” knives. These are the knives made to commemorate that year’s Rendezvous. They make a fixed number, 50 the last couple years, and sell a fixed portion of that each day. You have to get there early to get one, but Friday and especially Saturday seem to be less busy than Thursday. They also make parts knives, knives put together with parts left over from previous runs. These parts knives often have unique handle materials that differ from those used in the normal run. They also often are made in even lower numbers than the Rendezvous Specials, so they’re quite desirable to collectors. Last year GEC only allowed each person to purchase 1 parts knife, and I have heard that they plans to restrict each household to 1 Rendezvous Special and 1 parts knife this year, but that hasn’t been confirmed. Either way, they do a good job of keeping it fun and fair. I’ve been happy to collect the Rendezvous Specials from all the years I’ve attended.
The Rendezvous Specials from the last 5 years
So, will you be there?
I have attended the last 5 Rendezvous, since 2014, and I’m more excited for this one than any other! I hope to see lots of new faces and get to know lots of new people. I have created a facebook group for those planning to attend. You can find the group and request to join by following this link, just make sure to answer the questions. Hope to see you in Titusville!
This year’s Rendezvous is August 8th, 9th, and 10th. It’s at the Great Eastern Cutlery factory at:
TL;DR? Here’s the Knife Thoughts video to accompany this article. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!
This article will tell you all you need to know about the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association 2019 club knife. To put it simply, the knife is a Great Eastern Cutlery made Northfield #97 Allegheny in Autumn Gold Jigged bone. It’s a unique knife and an extremely fine knife. This article will explain the details on how it came about, it’s makeup and quality, and my thoughts on the knife as a whole.
Superbly built and classic looking
First off, what is the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association? The AMKCA is a knife club that meets once per month to show off knives, discuss current events in the knife world, and share the passion for knives. The membership is made up of collectors who, for the vast majority, primarily collect vintage knives. Some of the members are also interested in modern knives, but traditional slipjoints and fixed blades dominate the display boxes and knife rolls. Even with a relatively small regular attendance, at around 10 members, it’s always a treasure trove of incredible knives to “chicken eye and coon finger“. The members have also welcomed me with enthusiasm each time I’ve been able to make it to a meeting, despite my attendance being often irregular. The long time members are well acquainted with Great Eastern Cutlery, despite focusing their collections on vintage knives, and some even seem to be personal friends with Bill Howard (the owner of GEC). AMKCA was founded in late 1982 and has ordered a club knife each year since 1983, and the list of their yearly club knives is a sight to be seen for any traditional knife enthusiast. I first heard of the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association, funnily enough, by seeing their logo on a cornhole set at the GEC Rendezvous. I also met and spoke with a couple members at one of the Rendezvous I’ve attended, maybe 2016. However, I didn’t become a member until early 2018. Since then I’ve attended meetings as regularly as possible (as the meetings are the real value of being a member), including bringing my fiancee to the club’s very nice Christmas party, and I’ve also purchased the yearly club knives for both 2018 and 2019.
AMKCA Annual Knife List
This year’s club knife has an interesting, and somewhat confusing, story of how it came about. At the end of 2018 the club discussed getting a 2019 knife in stag on one of GEC’s new patterns, the #97 or #29. I wasn’t able to make the January meeting due to a vacation, but at the February meeting the liaison between the club and GEC said that Christine (GEC sales manager) had suggested the new #97 Allegheny large coke bottle pattern in Smooth Yellow Bone, due to a shortage of stag large enough for that pattern, and that the club needed to decide ASAP. Due to this suggestion, and the genuine fact that GEC is very accommodating in allowing the club to order a small number of knives each year (in comparison to GEC’s recent knife run quantities), the members voted to go ahead with the #97 Allegheny in Smooth Yellow Bone with the AMKCA blade etch and bear shield on Northfield trim (the Northfield trim on this pattern included polished blade and bolsters, a saber ground blade, double pull, and lined bolsters). A little while later the president of the club messaged me to let me know that GEC had offered jigged yellow bone for the handle material, and to see what I thought of that. I was all for it, as I don’t have a jigged yellow bone handled knife.
It’s not a small knife, as this comparison to the Spyderco Native shows, but like other large coke bottles it feels great in the hand
However, soon after that GEC posted a picture of the AMKCA club knife with Autumn Gold Jigged bone handles. Now, one of the things that you get to know about Great Eastern Cutlery after following them is that Bill Howard isn’t afraid to do things his own way, and their naming of handle materials, colors, and jigging patterns can be both redundant and random. For example, they often make a handle material called Antique Yellow Jigged bone that isn’t what most people would recognize as yellow (although a little yellow peaks through where the bone meets the bolsters). Still, Autumn Gold is not Antique Yellow, let alone plain yellow. So I checked with Christine and she confirmed it was Autumn Gold, but then a few days later I got the club newsletter shown below which seems to suggest that the knife would be plain yellow bone jigged! So I was very confused. Going into this month’s meeting (5/5/19) I was excited to see what version actually came to fruition.
GEC’s image showing the AMKCA 2019 club knife ready to ship
AMKCA newsletter / order form for the 2019 club knife
What I’d expect based upon the AMKCA 2019 club knife order form / newsletter above (this image seems to have originated on eBay, if it’s yours please let me know if it’s okay to use it)
As it turned out they are handled in Autumn Gold Jigged bone after all, and wow did they turn out great! First off, despite the confusion, I like the Autumn Gold color and the jigging pattern a lot more than I expected. I don’t always love jigging, particularly when the jigging pattern is uniform rather than random, but I think the large jig marks and side to side pattern fit the knife and look traditional. The color is also more caramel malty than plain brown, as some of the Autumn Gold bone I’ve seen has been. Although I still don’t think it would be my first choice, I am really happy with how the Autumn Gold jigged bone looks.
Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association 2019 Club Knife, Great Eastern Cutlery Northfield #97 Allegheny in Autumn Gold Jigged Bone with Pin
The fit and finish of this knife is plainly incredible. There are no visible gaps between the backspring and liners, even when held up to the light. This is not an easy feat to accomplish on a traditional knife, and even GEC made knives (the best production knives you can get) sometimes have small gaps. The transitions between the bone and bolsters are smooth with no catching, another area that really demonstrates the care put into hafting the knife. The backspring is flush with the liners in the open and closed positions. All three of these attributes are areas that collectors look at to assess the quality of the construction. One thing that some of the collectors at the AMKCA dislike about GEC is their “sunken pins”. Sunken pins are those that are spun and countersunk, rather than being flush with the handle and held in place by hammering the face of the pin to expand it creating a press fit (a process known as “peening”). Most vintage knives are peened and have flush pins. I started out by collecting GEC knives, so sunk pins are what I’m used to and don’t bother me.
With another saber ground clip point hunter, a Queen Hunter rehandled in Canvas MicartaShowing the double pull and front grindsThe pile side might be even better lookingLook at those swedges!
Online, on BladeForums and the like, many people had complaints about light springs and off center blades on the #97s. In their earlier years GEC was known for having bear trap springs, with pull strengths between 6 and 9 out of 10. However, recently some of their runs of knives have had significantly lighter pulls. My #43 Oregon Trapper had a light pull strength, but great walk and talk and snappy action. The same can be said for my #97 Allegheny. It’s spring is closer to a 4 than a 6, and definitely lighter than most GEC knives I’ve had, but it has superb walk and talk with snappy action and buttery smooth opening and closing. If you want to get a better feel for the action, make sure to watch my corresponding video review linked here and at my YouTube Channel (and don’t forget to subscribe!). My blade is nearly perfectly centered, and certainly nowhere near an issue. The knife also has absolutely no blade play. I was slightly concerned that there might be blade rap (the edge hitting the backspring) because larger knives like this sometimes overtravel when closing, but as far as I can tell there’s none to be seen on my Allegheny. Overall, the attention to detail and immaculate fit and finish make this one of the best made knives I’ve ever received.
2018 club knife #46 Whaler in Abalone with the 2019 club knife
The only issue I’ve found is a small one and could easily be missed; the blade etch is slightly doubled, as if the stencil moved minutely during the etching process. It’s difficult to see, but the bases of the letters and the bars/lines are doubled just enough to perceive when you look closely. This is definitely more of a nitpick than an issue, and not something that would matter in the least in use, but I try to be as honest as possible and don’t hide any negatives. The fact that this is the only issue with the knife honestly just gives more credence to its overall excellence.
Barely visible double etch
One last point about the knife’s construction that came as a surprise to me; the AMKCA bear shield is glued. The Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association has used a unique bear shield that resembles Bob Cargill’s three legged buffalo shield for decades. I like the look of the shield, but in checking inside this year’s club knife I noticed that there seemed to be no shield pin through the liner. I knew this meant that the shield was not pinned, but rather glued. I strongly dislike glued shields. In fact, GEC’s usual habit of ALWAYS pinning their shields is one of the things that signals their dedication to making knives the right way. Glued shields are a sign of a shortcut taken, as it’s much easier and less work intensive to just glue the shield into the handle material than to take the time to drill the hole, place the shield just right, and peen it into the handle liner. There’s just something less secure and classic feeling to a chemical bond holding the shield on rather than a mechanical bond. Now, I don’t think GEC did this as a shortcut; they had to do it, as there was no way they could pin the shields. It just so happened that another member of the AMKCA had a previous year’s club knife (also from GEC) with him that’s shield had fallen out! Upon further inspection of that dislodged shield, I found that the bear shields were not manufactured with pins. Aside from showing that GEC couldn’t have pinned the shields even if they’d wanted to, it also confirmed my dislike of glued shields. Heck, a glued shield is okay on a $10 Rough Ryder but it’s kept me from buying a $50 Case and it’s downright unacceptable on a $100+ GEC. Although I do like the look of the bear shield that AMKCA uses, I really dislike the fact that it must be glued and that fact honestly cheapens all the knives with that shield in my opinion.
All of GEC’s coke bottle patterns: #06 Pemberton, #45 Lumberjack, #97 Allegheny
All things considered, I’m very happy to have this knife in my collection. I really enjoy the coke bottle pattern, and this completes my trio of GEC coke bottle patterns they’ve made so far. If you’d like to learn more about the coke bottle pattern you can check out my article on the GEC #06 Pemberton. It’s a rare, unique, and extremely well made knife. It also represents the time I’ve spent at the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors club. I have decided to collect the GEC Rendezvous Special knives and the AMKCA Club knives, and I’m glad this club knife came together so well despite the confusion. If you’re interested in a Coke Bottle Hunter pattern knife, you won’t go wrong with a Great Eastern Cutlery #97 Allegheny. If you’d like to get one for yourself you can find several versions at a few of my favorite knife dealers: Blue Creek Cutlery, JSR Sports and More, and Traditional Pocket Knives. These dealers all have given me great customer service. I’m not affiliated with them, but you can let them know you heard about them on Knife Thoughts… can’t hurt! Unfortunately, if you’d like to get this specific AMKCA version you’ll have to get it on the secondary market, and even that would be difficult. I hope this article has painted a full picture of the 2019 AMKCA Club Knife Great Eastern Cutlery Northfield #97 Allegheny in Autumn Gold Jigged Bone for you, and has gotten you as excited about it as I am!
It would be difficult to argue that any aspect of a knife is more important than the blade. The blade is the soul of the knife; it influences how the knife is best used, the cutting style and effectiveness of the knife, the overall aesthetic of the knife, and it can even determine the handle shape and lock style on a folding knife. Knives and knife like tools have been made for well over a million years, but the first tools most people would recognize as knives were probably made around 2,000 bce. Both stone age and early metal knife blades were usually in a dagger or leaf shape, but in the 4,000 years since man began forging metal into blades a myriad of other styles have risen to meet the innumerable cutting needs of humanity. In this article I’ll define and discuss some of the most recognizable blade shapes.
TL;DR? Check out this corresponding video from my YouTube channel!
Curved Edges
Spear Point
An extremely classic and widespread blade shape is the spear point. Spear point blade shapes can differ greatly in overall aesthetics, but they do have some specific hallmarks. The edge and spine should both curve toward the point nearer to the tip than the handle, and not continuously (like on a barong or leaf shaped blade). The curvatures of the edge and spine should be very similar, although either can be slightly more pronounced. The point should sit at or near the center line of the blade. Spear point blades can range from extremely tall or “fat” with an exaggerated curvature of the edge and spine, all the way to being extremely slender with a parallel edge and spine up until an abrupt curve to the point. I personally really enjoy the spear point for its general utility; it usually is ground to slice well but can still pierce effectively, and it offers both straight and curved edge portions. I also appreciate the relative symmetry of spear points and resulting aesthetic.
Lots of slipjoint spear points, from thin and straight to tall and bulbous
The spear point name comes from the shape of a traditional western style spear with a point protruding in line with the handle and an equal curvature of both the edge and spine (or to both edges) to the point, but that specific blade shape has become more commonly known as the dagger blade shape / grind. The dagger blade shape is more of a sub-category of spear points in which the blade is ground toward both the edge and spine (or both edges) from the centerline. Although double edged knives were ubiquitous for most of the history of humanity, they have become less common with restrictive knife laws and therefore the dagger grind has also lessened in popularity. A dagger shaped blade is more often a single edged knife with the spine side only partially ground to a false edge. Another reason for this blade shape’s falling popularity is that its grind is less well suited to the daily needs of the modern knife user, which consists more of slicing cardboard and less of fighting off attackers or wild animals. Still, the dagger blade shape is a timeless design and I find it calls back to the romanticized trappings of knights and the middle ages.
Frank B Stiletto, Cold Steel FGX Balisong, Kershaw Hinderer Decimus
Another sub-category of blade shapes that has regained popularity with the rise of Spyderco is the leaf shaped blade. I say regained because what Spyderco, and now most of the industry, calls a leaf shaped blade is very similar to the traditional barong knife and many of the lithic knives used by humans for tens of thousands of years. The leaf shaped blade differs from the spear point in that it has a continuous curve of the edge and spine, rather than a more abrupt curve toward the tip end of the blade. The leaf blade shape lends itself to many uses and is one that I have used and enjoyed quite a bit, but I don’t currently have any great examples to show.
A final sub-category of spear points is the pen blade shape. The pen blade is basically a spear point as a small secondary blade. A pen blade is always a secondary blade, and can be found on many different kinds of traditional patterns. As a secondary blade the pen blade is always smaller in size than the main blade, but they can vary in size and shape across patterns.
A group of pen blades showing a wide range of variation
Drop Point
The drop point is a blade shape with an edge that curves upward to the point at a much more pronounced angle than that at which the spine curves downward to the point. If you’ve ever heard the term “belly” used in reference to a knife edge, this pronounced curve is that characteristic. The drop point is well suited for hunting and other outdoor tasks, so many traditional American fixed blades have this blade shape. Many modern one hand opening and locking knives are drop points, although in the last few years other blade shapes including those with straight edges have gained popularity, probably because modern one hand opening and locking knives developed in large part as a more convenient replacement for carrying fixed blades. On traditional knives the drop point blade shape is most often a main blade, as on the A.G. Russell Rancher shown in the picture below, or on many of GEC’s larger trapper patterns like the #73 and #23 but it can also be a secondary blade, as on the GEC Northfield #82 stockman shown in the picture below, as well as some other traditional patterns like small jacks and whittlers.
A few drop point blades on slipjoints
A few drop points on modern folding knives (the Kershaw Thistle is a modified drop point / sheepfoot)
A couple drop point fixed blades. A modern, Steel Will Roamer R300, and a traditional, Blind Horse Knives Woodsman Pro.
Clip Point
The clip point is a widely recognized blade shape because it has become the symbol of iconic characters such as Jim Bowie, Crocodile Dundee, and Rambo. It has a curve of the edge toward the tip end of the blade, but it is characterized by a “clipped” section of the blade on the spine side from the tip toward the handle side. The curvature and length of the clipped area of the spine can vary and, along with the degree of curvature of the edge, can make for a wide range of clip point blade shapes. There are classic clip points, slender clip points, and several other variations including saber ground clip points. I like the look of clip points and have several of them. They just look plain classic to me; it’s tough to explain but they just hit me the right way. I also find them to be quite utilitarian. They offer a solid amount of belly, but still have a very useful point due to the clipped portion. However, they’re not for everyone; my fiancee HATES the look of clip points!
A variety of clip point style blades
Hawkbill / Talon / Pruner
Another very traditional blade shape that has several different names and variations is the hawkbill. The hawkbill blade shape is characterized by a concave edge with a downward pointing tip. There are many traditional knife patterns with similar blade shapes such as the pruner, karambit, and talon knives. An interesting aspect of these knives is that they often originated as agricultural tools, with the concave or downward curved edge being suited for pulling cuts commonly used in farming, gardening, etc.. However, they have come to be associated more with self defense due to their use as improvised weapons by those who didn’t have access to implements purposefully designed as weapons, such as farmers who couldn’t afford swords using sickles as weapons.
My only hawkbill blade, the Spyderco Reverse, with its superb DarkStar Gear sheath
Straight Edges
Wharncliffe
A wharncliffe has a straight edge and a spine that curves gradually down to meet the tip. Due to the more gradual curve of the spine to the edge, a wharncliffe tends to have a finer point than the proceeding two straight edged blade shapes. A wharncliffe is often a secondary blade on multi blade knives, but can also be a main blade especially on its own as a single blade. The wharncliffe is a great blade for fine work and pull cuts, and I usually prefer it as a small secondary. I like pen style two blade knives with a straight edged secondary, and a wharncliffe is probably my favorite in that role of the three listed here.
A sheepfoot has a straight edge, but the spine has a straight portion that angles downward to the tip with a rounded area connecting the two spine portions. I’m not sure I have done a great job describing that well enough that you could picture it accurately based on the description alone, but thankfully I have lots of examples to show! The sheepfoot is a well liked blade shape. It is often a secondary blade, especially on stockman patterns, but can be a main blade even on multi bladed knives. My first GEC, the knife that got me back into traditionals, was a #15 TC barlow with a single sheepfoot blade. I’ve found it to be extremely practical, despite its lack of a fine point and lack of a curved edge. I also think it looks great when manufactured with the right proportions. The sheepfoot can also another great option of a straight edged secondary blade, like on the GEC #35 Churchill or the GEC #98 Texas Camp Knife.
A coping blade is very similar to a sheepfoot, but with the connection of the two spine areas that come together having a sharp angle rather than being rounded. Coping blades are almost always secondary blades. Coping blades are often found on whittler and congress patterns. Although they can work well for small fine cuts in whittling and other similar tasks, I have often found that the angled spine of a coping blade can decrease the ergonomic comfortability of a knife, especially on a heavy user. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have a coping blade to take a close up picture but the Queen Railsplitter below has a secondary blade that is on the coping side of a sheepfoot.
Queen Railsplitter with Coping secondary blade
Tanto
The tanto blade shape is essentially the same shape as a coping blade, but with the spine and edge sides switched. A tanto has a long straight edge, sometimes with a slight continuous curve, starting from the handle that meets at an angle with another shorter edge that is angled upward and connects with the spine to form the tip. The tanto blade shape originated in Japan and was slightly different than it is commonly made now, with a less hard angle at the intersection of the two edges and an upward curved spine. The now more well known “Americanized tanto” usually has a straight or downward curved spine and a very hard angle at the intersection of the two edges. A tanto often has a hollow grind on the long edge and a flat grind on the shorter edge, for increased strength at the tip, but this is not universal. I like the tanto blade as a utility knife. It excels at opening boxes, using the angled intersection of the edges, and push cuts like those done while breaking down cardboard.
Cold Steel Micro Recon 1, Kershaw Cathode, Outdoor Edge Chasm 2.5, with varying degrees of “Americanized” tanto blade shapes
Americanized Tanto Fixed Blade, Cold Steel Kobun
Traditional Tanto, DCL Knives Kwaiken
Outliers
There are many traditional blade shapes not discussed in full above, and an endless continuum of variations between and upon the traditional blade shapes. Modern knife makers have also designed many modified versions of traditional blade shapes. A. G. Russell has contributed a great deal to the knife community over the years, and they offer an incredible resource in their Blade Shapes Encyclopedia. Although I don’t use the exact same terminology or definitions as them across the board, their site has a huge amount of helpful information.
Several blade shapes that span more than one traditional pattern or are modified from a traditional pattern
Blade shapes are designated by specific traits and how they relate to each other: edge shape, spine shape, tip height, and sometimes spine and edge angles. However, many of these traits and their relations to discrete blade shapes work more subjectively and on sliding scales, rather than as clear cut absolutes. Some of the most common curved edge blade shapes are the spear point, drop point, and clip point. Some of the most common straight edged blade shapes are the wharncliffe, sheepfoot, and coping blades. Still, sometimes a blade won’t fit these general categories and you’ll have to just look at the knife and categorize it based on its overall design and aesthetic. Yet again, another aspect of the knife hobby comes down to “you know it when you see it”!
The question of what the “right way” to express enthusiasm for knives is one that shouldn’t need answered. I find it silly and overbearing for anyone to suppose that they should or can tell another the best way to enjoy a hobby. Still, I have gone through several phases in regard to the idea of keeping knives as collection pieces in contrast to keeping them as using tools, and I think others have had similar shifts in perspectives. In this post I’ll describe my progression through those stages and how my current collection looks… but no guarantees it won’t change again!
A tasteful knife display, the stand a gift from my fiancee
I, like many, started with having only one knife that I used for everything. I didn’t even really consider the idea of having knives as collection pieces, and probably would have scoffed at the idea had it been suggested. Still, I was what I would consider a knife enthusiast though, as I appreciated the knife not just as a tool but as a piece of mechanical workmanship that elevated man’s most ancient tool to a higher level. I think there is a silent but quite large population of people who fit this category; they appreciate a good knife and see it as more than a disposable tool, but they don’t venture further into the hobby with more knives and deeper research.
I store my modern knives in a cheap single layer tackle box
Most of my modern knives, all users to varying degrees
A desire to know more about a particular knife brought me to the next step in the knife hobby. I don’t remember exactly what I was looking up, but in the process I found BladeForums and my eyes were opened to the wide world of the knife hobby. As I read, watched, and listened I grew more knowledgeable on knives, the knife making process, and the knife community in general. At this stage I began to purchase more knives beyond one user, but the number stayed relatively low and all were used regularly. I think this represents another distinct stage in the knife enthusiast scale, as it is a step out of appreciating knives as an individual separate from any other enthusiasts, and into the larger knife community. I stayed at this stage for a while, buying and selling and trading knives as I learned. During this stage I never amassed a significant enough number of knives that any would go unused for long. I think this is a stage that a lot of people also stay in and don’t move deeper into the hobby from, but fewer than the previous stage.
I store most of my user traditionals, sharpening gear, and random EDC stuff in a multi layer tackle box
Some of my user traditionals
The final stage is reached when you have more than enough knives to use, but you keep buying them anyway! Often, I think people reach this stage also because they start to realize their preferences and build coherent collections. This is when knives accumulate to the point that some don’t get used. Another thing that often happens before this stage is you start to accumulate knives that are rare, have sentimental value, etc. that make them less likely to be used. This stage probably has the widest variation in expression; some people might have one knife they use all the time and 100 (or 1000) that they never use or carry at all, and some might have 100 knives that they carry and use in a rotation and only 10 (or 1) that they have as a non user collection piece. I fall somewhere on that spectrum closer to the latter end.
I store my non user knife collection in a Pelican case
Top Row: GEC #46 Whaler AMKCA 2018 Club Knife, GEC #46 Whaler 2018 Rendezvous Special, GEC #38 Special 2017 Rendezvous Special, GEC #74 Mustang 2016 Rendezvous Special, GEC #74 Improved Trapper 2015 Rendezvous Special, GEC #15 TC One Arm Barlow 2014 Rendezvous Special Bottom Row: Queen Copperhead, GEC #53 Cuban Stockman, GEC #82 Dixie Stock Knife, Victorinox Spartan Costa Rica
However, I don’t believe those stages tell the whole story of knife collecting. For me, being a knife collector is about enjoying the hobby. For some people, that means having and using one knife till the wheels fall off. For others, that means buying every trendy or appealing knife that comes out and keeping them pristine. For me, it has come to mean many things. First, it means enjoying the knives I have. While I do keep some knives as pristine as possible, I try to enjoy them by displaying them and showing them at knife club meetings and shows. Other knives I enjoy by carrying and using them. I find that using a knife is the best way to enjoy it. It just feels right to use a knife as a tool, and doing so seems to confirm its value and place as the most fundamental human tool. So, why not use all my knives? For a long time, I didn’t think I had a satisfactory answer to that question. I had valuable knives, both of the monetary and sentimental type, but I thought that if I didn’t use them it was a waste to keep them. However, that led me to sell knives that I later wished I had kept (which will be the subject of another article). Now, I’ve become comfortable with the idea that some knives are better kept in good condition whether it be because they’re valuable, part of a set, or meant to be an heirloom. I have a small collection of knives I don’t use. Some of them are the Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous Specials. These are knives made in small numbers for the gathering GEC holds in Titusville every year and only available at the gathering. They’re usually unique knives in some way. They’ve become the main part of my non user collection, as they’re easily the most coherent and rare set of knives I have owned. I actually did use the first couple of these initially, but later decided they were better kept in good condition to form a recognizable and consistent set. I also have a Queen Copperhead that is the best Queen made knife I’ve ever seen that I don’t use because Queen has unfortunately gone out of business. I plan to add some more Queen knives to my non user collection, as I want to have some examples from Queen as one of the most historic cutlery companies in the U.S. and they’ll only get scarcer the longer its doors have been closed. I also have some knives that have been given to me as gifts from friends, family, and loved ones. Despite it seeming silly to not use knives as tools like they’re inherently intended, some knives are worth maintaining in good condition for posterity.
Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous Specials on the knife stand from my fiancee, top to bottom: #46 Whaler 2018 Oily Heart Pine Wood, #38 Special LVS Paua Abalone 2017, #74 Mustang Primitive Bone 2016, GEC #74 Improved Trapper Tortoise Shell Acrylic 2015, GEC #15 TC One Arm Barlow Oil Sucker Rod Wood 2014
Thanks to my fiancee for the idea for this article and the inspiration for the title! In her words “Your heart wants to use all the knives but your head says you should keep some nice”. I can’t thank her enough.
The blog hasn’t had a new article in a bit now, so I wanted to update my horde of loyal readers on the status of things at Knife Thoughts.
Spring is Sprung: Possum Skinner with some Crocus Flowers
Spring has arrived, and with it a myriad of things to take my attention momentarily away from blogging. I am helping plan a wedding and honeymoon, work has picked up as we move into a new facility and start a new schedule, and I had a birthday to enjoy. Still, rest assured that although I haven’t published a Knife Thoughts article recently, I have been thinking knife thoughts… lots of them!
All American Made EDC
I have several articles currently in the works. I’m writing topical articles on gifting knives, knives I wish I’d kept, and user versus collector knives. I’m also planning some knife specific reviews. In the meantime, you can check the recent posts page at this link and make sure you didn’t miss any articles, or check out my YouTube channel at this link.
The Spyderco Endura 4 is a great work knife!
I’ve also been receiving some great feedback and suggestions on Knife Thoughts articles! I want to make sure that Knife Thoughts stays relevant and engaging to its readers, so I’m always open to feedback and suggestions. Don’t forget to subscribe by entering your email, and feel free to reach out to me through the contact page which can be found at this link.
The GEC Tidioute Lumberjack from the 2016 Rendezvous
This article will be less of a review of a particular knife and more of an overall look at a general knife pattern; the Trapper. The Trapper pattern has a long history and has become well known, or at least recognizable, to most Americans who are familiar with pocket knives. Whether you’re a fan of the pattern and want to know some of its history and specific characteristics or if you have no idea what a Trapper is and are picturing a knife with two spring loaded jaws for capturing small critters, this article will tell you all you all you need to know about the Trapper!
The Case Large Trapper in Yellow Synthetic is a great exemplifier of the Pattern
First, the Trapper is a pattern with a somewhat obscure history. The claim is often put forward on knife blogs and forums that it’s a pattern that’s been used since the frontier days of America when rugged mountain men trudged into the unknown mountains to live out their lonesome and hard, but proud, lives trapping for furs and fortune. Obviously, a knife pattern called the Trapper must have originated from its namesake profession. Unfortunately for the romantics out there imagining Jim Bridger and John Colter comparing their personal Trapper knives in the 1800’s, the Trapper pattern as shown above is a 20th century invention. Like many traditional knife patterns, the Trapper evolved from older types of knives into its own unique pattern in the early 1900’s during the so called Golden Age of American cutlery. In the early decades of the 20th century there was a multitude of cutlery manufacturers that were staffed by cutlers transplanted from the old European knifemaking centers of England and Germany. These companies and cutlers took many older patterns that were brought from Europe and modified them into their own unique American patterns. The Trapper is a great example of that process. The predecessor to the Trapper was probably a slim dogleg jack with about a 4″ handle and a clip point main blade and pen secondary blade. This type of knife was made as far back as the 1880’s, and sometime in the ensuing 4 decades some companies changed the pen secondary to a full length spey blade to make a slimmer version of the classic Trapper as shown above. It seems the beefier trapper with two full length blades probably didn’t appear until the 1920’s. It was probably first made by either Case or Kabar. In this period many knife manufacturers made knives to be branded and sold by other companies. Even more confusingly, many companies, including Case and Kabar, were connected through family ties. These circumstances can make it difficult to pinpoint the genesis of a particular pattern. The Trapper remained a relatively minor pattern until after WWII. Since then pretty much any knife company that makes traditional slipjoints has produced one or more variations of the Trapper pattern, and it has become a mainstay of the American pocket knife market. Speaking of variations, what exactly is (or isn’t) a Trapper?
Camillus Remington Master Guide, Case Large Trapper, Queen Utility, Rough Ryder Trapper, GEC Northfield Improved Trapper, Great Eastern Cutlery Mustang
The Trapper pattern covers a huge range of sizes, blade shape combinations, and even handle shapes. The above picture is a great example the ways in which the size and handle shape of the trapper can vary. Although the Trapper pattern developed from a slim dogleg jack (like the Queen Utility third from the left), it can also have a banana shaped frame (like the Camillus made Remington Master Guide on the far left or the GEC Northfield Improved Trapper and Great Eastern Cutlery Mustang both on the far right), and is probably best known as a beefier dogleg jack (like the Rough Ryder Trapper third from the right) sometimes with a swell on the blade well side of the handle (like the Case Large Trapper second from the left). As you can see, the Trapper’s frame can be one of several different handle shapes with variations possible even within those general shapes. Also, although they tend to stay within the 3.5″ to 4.5″ range, Trappers can land anywhere from the Case Tiny Trapper at 2.375″ closed to the Remington Master Guide at about 5.375″ closed.
Spear and Pen, Clip and Spey, Clip and Spey, Clip and Wharncliffe
The Trapper pattern can also have just about any blade shape style and combination you can imagine. However, the classic configuration is two full size blades with one being a clip point and the other being a spey blade. The clip point is a great all around blade because it offers a pointy tip (although Case knives, like the one below, often come with rounded tips), a solid amount of curved edge, and some straight edge also. The spey blade is historically designed for use in castrating animals, as the abruptly curved belly and lack of a significant tip make it a good blade for slicing and push cuts but not good at piercing (wouldn’t want to stab your livestock when they start kicking, which they will do if you’re using the spey blade for its namesake…). It’s possible that the spey blade was added for outdoorsmen (hunters and TRAPPERS, get it) to use as a skinning blade with less chance of piercing the guts, but my guess would be that it was added just as a novelty to have two full length blades and without much more specific reason than that. Still, it does make for a useful blade combination as it can be nice having two full length blades. I tend to use the spey blade for food prep and the clip point for everything else. Like the shape and size of the handle, the blade shapes on knives considered to be Trappers can go far beyond the classic clip and spey. There’s the Slim Trapper with a single turkish (slender) clip point, the Pen Trapper with a main blade that is most often a clip or drop point but can sometimes be a spey or spear point with a small/secondary pen blade, the Improved Trapper with a clip point and wharncliffe blade, and the Single Blade Trapper with one main blade (usually a clip point, but it can also be a drop, spear, or spey).
Clip Point blade
Spey blade
So, what is a Trapper knife? Considering all the variations laid out above, it might seem that there’s no real definition of what is or isn’t a Trapper. Well, a Trapper definitely is a jack knife, meaning the blades fold out of one end (unlike a pen style multiblade knife, in which the blades open from different ends), and the end the blades come out of should definitely be smaller than the butt end of the handle. A Trapper definitely doesn’t have a straight edged blade, like a sheepfoot or wharncliffe, as its only main blade. Within those parameters, a wide array of knives can be considered Trappers. Kind of like some other things, it’s something that’s difficult to define but you know it when you see it. Another great way to know if a knife is a Trapper is if the company that made it calls it a Trapper!
A great knife to use while camping or to cut hot dog sticks for a fire
The Trapper pattern is somewhat nebulous, but even still it holds a significant place in the American cutlery tradition. Every kind of Trapper has been made, even at least one modern flipper opening version! If you like traditional pocket knives you’re sure to be able to find a Trapper that suits your particular aesthetic and practical tastes.
A couple single blade Trappers
If you’d like to get yourself a Trapper I have some suggestions. If you’d like the nicest production Trapper you can get currently, and don’t mind carbon (non-stainless) steel, you should go with the Great Eastern Cutlery #48 Slim Dog Leg. Great Eastern Cutlery made knives tend to sell out relatively quickly, but they’ve been doing larger runs to try to better meet demand and there are a good number of these left on dealers’ sites. You can find some at Blue Creek Cutlery, my most often patronized GEC dealer. Ken is a good guy and has good service, don’t hesitate to ask him any questions you have before purchase. You can also find some, including some other handle materials, at DLT Trading. Those Trappers from GEC are USA made in small batches in Titusville PA and heirloom quality but also great users. If you’d like a more modern stainless steel (although not a super steel, using 8cr13mov) and don’t mind your knife being made overseas, the Sowbelly Improved Trapper from A.G. Russell is also a great option. These have a little less character and might not be quite as well finished but they are still really well made and good looking knives, and they’re less expensive than the GECs. If you’d like a less expensive option than the GECs but want to stick with good ol’ Made In U.S.A. quality, Case knives are made in Bradford Pa and aren’t quite as well fitted or finished as GEC but still make great using knives (and many people also collect them). Case offers a multitude of Trapper options: Full Size Stainless Steel, Mini Stainless Steel, Large Stainless Steel Single Blade with Clip and Thumb Stud, Slimline with option for Stainless or Carbon Steel, Full Size Carbon Steel. Another good option that’s really easy on the wallet is going with a Rough Ryder. These are made overseas and sometimes have some issues, but they’re definitely high enough quality to make good users and often are really nice looking for the price, which is significantly lower than any of the above options. Smoky Mountain Knife Works owns the Rough Ryder brand and carries a wide variety of Trappers in different shapes, sizes, and handle materials. Finally, if the modern style trapper I mentioned piqued your interest you can the Boker Plus Urban Trapper at this link.
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