Ode To The 07

[jerryd6818]

I don't have a wife to remind me what my name is but I do have my name in my phone so I know it's not "dumb a**" or "a**-hole", those are just affectionate names my friends call me.

Since you already told me I had posted the Tobacco Bone, I guess this one may not have been posted (I didn't go back an look). This is the Premium Select Mini-Trapper. It's pretty but the Tobacco Bone is a much better knife.

No more Mini-Trappers for me until March. I cleaned out my pocket book with that GEC #56 Bird Dog that's headed for Rockford. They say Tuesday delivery but it's only coming from the Dayton OH area so if the USPS doesn't lollygag too badly, it may be delivered on Saturday. It's already left Cincinnati. I've made that trip so many times, I know it only takes 6-6½ hours to drive it but passing through all the distribution centers between here and there slows it down to a crawl. And life goes on.

[QTCut5]

Personally, I enjoy looking at and comparing similar knives by different makers and this RR is a good looking mini trapper and a fine addition to this thread. Thanks for posting it.

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

Do you have RR's in your pile? If so, which ones (pictures please).

[QTCut5]

Do you have RR's in your pile? If so, which ones (pictures please).

I do not own any Rough Rider knives at all. I bought a few different RR patterns out of the SMKW catalog many years ago when I was more of an accumulator before I had settled on anything specific to collect. I loved their low prices but found their quality to be unsatisfactory. I suppose RR quality has likely improved somewhat since then; so, I may have to give them another chance. However, to be honest, with the exception of that Tobacco Bone Mini T with the acorn shield, I haven't seen any RR scale covers that really call out to me. I'm not a fan of synthetic handle materials but I might consider a RR Mini T with white bone covers; that's a staple handle material in my collection.

Here's my white bone Mini Trapper group:

L-R: two Case 07s, Parker-Edwards, Bear MGC

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

I love the jigged white bone with the red shield. It is soooo classy.


I'm so weak. I folded and ordered that Star Spangled Mini-Trapper. In my defense it was the best price I've seen for one on eBay, there was only one at that price and I was the only bidder. It's coming from Scottsdale AZ and should be here this week.

Stock Photo.

[QTCut5]

Thanks, jerryd. Congrats on scoring the Star Spangled Mini-Trapper that you've been wanting...and at a decent price to boot--that always helps sweeten the deal when you can get a knife you want for a good price. It will make a great matching pair along with your large (54) Star Spangled Trapper.

I too "broke down" and decided to take a chance on a couple of Rough Rider Mini Ts...one smooth and one rough white bone. Although I am never interested in adding POS knives to my collection (regardless of low price), in the end, I decided that even if they don't meet my basic minimum quality standard for functionality, at least they have acceptable aesthetic appeal and I've spent substantially more money on supposedly higher quality knives that were significantly less attractive. And, since these knives won't be carried or used, form trumps function. Besides, the worst that could happen is they reconfirm my preconceptions, but with relatively little financial risk. I'm hesitantly optimistic, but will wait until I have them in hand before passing judgement.

In the meantime, I also won the auction for a particular Case 07W that I've been wanting for years and rarely see come up for sale. That's always a thrilling experience. Now comes the hard part...


~Q~

[jerryd6818]

You're leaving me in suspenders. Come on ~Q~, steal the pictures from the sales and post them, especially the one you've been looking for.
BTW, I thought you would bow to the Tobacco Bone with the Acorn shield.

Hey, you can always get rid of the RR's in a POS Round Table.

[QTCut5]

You're leaving me in suspenders. Come on ~Q~, steal the pictures from the sales and post them, especially the one you've been looking for.
BTW, I thought you would bow to the Tobacco Bone with the Acorn shield.

Hey, you can always get rid of the RR's in a POS Round Table.

I actually started searching around for a RR Tobacco Bone Mini T but (as so often happens) got sidetracked and ended up buying the white bones instead. If I like them enough, I might still try to get the TB model...if there are any left by then. Surprisingly, the dealer sites I checked were all sold out of that particular model...apparently that one was very popular.

Here's a teaser of the one I had been looking for for a long time (ever since I first saw it in this Case Select catalog that came with a Select Copperlock I bought a number of years ago).

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

[treefarmer]

Jerry, That's a nice one!
Treefarmer

[QTCut5]

Mission Accomplished!

Case SELECT Peach Seed Jigged Bermuda Green Bone Mini Trapper 6207W SS (w/Nickel Silver Liners).

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

~Q~, any background on those Select knives? How do you tell when they were made? There must have not been a ton of them made because I don't recall seeing any in my wanders. If I did, I didn't notice but maybe it's because I wasn't looking for them.

[jmh58]

Q.. You are rolling along with some real fine 07s..
jerry.. I really like the coloring in thatun!! How about a side by side shot of the 54 and 07?? NICE!!! John

[steve99f]

Great looking mini's guys. Q does the Select mini trapper have nickel silver pins as well? Hard to tell by the pictures.

[jerryd6818]

Q.. You are rolling along with some real fine 07s..
jerry.. I really like the coloring in thatun!! How about a side by side shot of the 54 and 07?? NICE!!! John

My what a difference 5/8" makes.

[jmh58]

jerry.. WOW!!! Thanks!! And those are AWESOME!!!! KOOL!!! John

[QTCut5]

~Q~, any background on those Select knives? How do you tell when they were made?

Case began making the SELECT series knives in 1998 and has continued to release a limited number of chosen patterns (approx. 15) every so often ever since, but I do not know if it is done regularly every year on a consistent basis. Because the knives do not carry the usual date tang stamp, it's not easy to determine the date of manufacture of a particular SELECT model. Without the original box bearing the ID label, probably the only way to be certain of the date would be to contact the Case Historian.

Great looking mini's guys. Q does the Select mini trapper have nickel silver pins as well? Hard to tell by the pictures.

Yes, both the liners and pins on the SELECT series knives are nickel silver.

~Q~

[steve99f]

Thanks Q!

[QTCut5]

Although there's no date tang stamp on the Case SELECT Mini Trapper, both blade tangs are pattern stamped.

~Q~

[QTCut5]

Here are the Rough Rider Mini Ts I decided to try. They're OK, I guess...certainly not as nice as a Case knife, IMO, but for the money, it's hard to complain too much. They're super sharp right out of the box, no doubt about that. I especially like the locking clip blade on the jigged white bone with the battle axe shield...first and only time I have ever seen a locking mechanism on a Mini Trapper...so, that's pretty cool.

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

Thanks John.

These showed up today.

Left to Right:
Rough Rider RR098 Mini Trapper
Rough Rider RR280 Mini Trapper (red)
2017 Case LT207 SS Mini-Trapper (camo handles)
2014 Case 6207W SS Mini-Trapper Hunter Green handles and Worked Bolsters

[QTCut5]

A few Mini Trappers of various brands I've acquired recently.

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

~Q~, what a fine group you've rounded up there. Have you always gathered tang stamps other than Case or have the Case 07 varieties pickin's become so slim you've been forced to branch out?

[DR_MAGOO]

Nice showing everyone.

Picked this one up a couple of weeks back

[QTCut5]

~Q~, what a fine group you've rounded up there. Have you always gathered tang stamps other than Case or have the Case 07 varieties pickin's become so slim you've been forced to branch out?

Thanks, jerryd. Actually, my Mini Trapper collection was originally limited exclusively to just Case 07W models; unfortunately, Case doesn't make enough of them to satisfy my voracious insatiable collecting obsession. So I was forced to expanded my collecting parameters to include regular 07 models with handles I liked (there's certainly no shortage of those). Once I started down that slippery slope, it wasn't long before I began adding Mini Ts of other brands besides Case...which, I might add, had never occurred to me until you planted the seed in my head with your Rough Riders. Very glad you did, too, since it has opened up a whole new Mini Trapper universe just waiting to be explored.

~Q~