The Mini TrapPER DIEM -- Your Daily Mini Trapper

[jerryd6818]

Surprise, surprise. I knew I had a few Coleman's, I just didn't realize that two of them are Mini-Trappers. I guess I was focusing on the brand and not the pattern.

I found the one made in China.

The Coleman CM Stag Mini-Trapper, Made in Japan is eluding me. It's here someplace, I just can't find it. Oh well, I'll find it and until then I have the pictures.

[QTCut5]

That's some nice stag on your Coleman CM, jerryd...beautiful. Any chance I could convince you to show a photo of the pile side? (assuming you've found the knife, of course).

When it comes to stag, I often hear the comment, "nicely matched," or "well matched" with regard to the mark & pile side scales. In the case of the Midnight Stag Mini T I posted on DAY 17, I feel the scales were NOT well matched at all. The mark side was unusually colorful and interesting (IMO) but the pile side was not only quite plain and uninteresting to me, it was even more uninteresting than the vast majority of stag covers I've seen on most Case knives. In fact, I feel it kind of resembles that ugly stag that was used on a lot of Parker knives and some relatively obscure brand knives (United, Star) in the 1970s & 80s. (Fortunately, I store my knives mark side facing up, so unless I take it out of the storage case, I only see the pretty side most of the time!)

Pile Side of my Case Midnight Stag Mini Trapper

United Gunboat Canoe

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

I almost always take pictures of both sides so here ya go.

[QTCut5]

See, now that's what I would call "well matched" stag...VERY NICE! I'm envious

(Please be sure to let me know when you're ready to let that one go...I'll give it a good home here with its Coleman Cousins.)

~Q~

[QTCut5]

DAY 19

Winchester...the gun that won the West (unfortunately, it wasn't due exclusively to shooting buffalo). Tang stamp says it was made in USA, but like the Remington, it leaves something to be desired in the overall quality department. It's an OK knife by most standards, I suppose, I mean, it opens, it cuts and it closes, just like a pocket knife should do. However, the devil being, as they say, in the details, when the blades are closed a sharp corner on the ricasso protrudes that I have very nearly cut my finger on a couple of times...most annoying. And, although I'm not a big fan of synthetic handles, the Delrin on today's Mini TrapPER DIEM is actually not so bad.

Winchester 29009 Jigged Brown Delrin Mini Trapper

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

Winchester, the king of the long guns. Yours was most likely made by Queen in the later '80s - mid '90s.

The king of the handguns was Colt. This one was made in China but it still fits your theme. Meh, it's okay. Nothing special and should be going for a few dollars less on eBay (or anyplace else).

[QTCut5]

Of the myriad things monkeys are renown for, primarily mimicry and flinging feces, I am going to engage in the former and play another little game of Monkey See, Monkey Do by following jerryd's lead and showing my (nearly) identical Colt Mini Trapper. Lest anyone think I am violating my own 'One-Mini Trapper-Per-Day' rule, however, it must be noted that monkeys are notorious for breaking rules (thus their proclivity for feces flinging).

I must also confess that having previously owned a Colt brand knife (which was of such poor quality it would have been pathetic if it weren't so absurdly comical), I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this knife. Perhaps that's because for the grand total of $21.65 shipped, I did not exactly have high expectations for something on this level. But, hey...it is the "platinum" version after all (whatever that means), so maybe, just maybe, much like other brands being made in China, the learning curve is starting to even out a bit and the Chinese factories are starting to figure it out.

Anyway, I just wish to emphasize that by showing this knife, I am NOT personally breaking any rules...I blame it all on the monkeys.

Colt CT 310 Smooth Black Bone Mini Trapper

Pile side looks almost like Black Appaloosa

~Q~

[QTCut5]

DAY 20

Going with another Winchester again for today's Mini TrapPER DIEM. But, despite being the same brand, this one is in another category entirely when it comes to quality. Not only is it larger than yesterday's Winchester (sitting right at the top end of the Mini Trapper size range at 3 7/8"), but it has genuine Rogers Bone scales (not synthetic Delrin), superior walk & talk (snaps like the crack of a rifle shot in a silent forest on a crisp Fall morning) and the fit & finish reminiscent of a finely crafted, precision engineered Swiss timepiece. In fact, about the only thing my two Winchester Mini Trappers have in common other than the name etched on the blade is the fact that they're both Mini Trappers...the similarities pretty much end right there.

Oh, and also they were both made in USA. According to one knife expert, my Delrin Mini T was most likely made by Queen sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s (and not being a knife expert myself, I have no reason to doubt him on that). According to the man who sold me this Winchester (also a well-known and highly respected knife expert), however, this larger model Winchester Mini Trapper was made by Bluegrass Cutlery in 1989 in the same factory on the same machinery using the same frame that Case Classics were made with (and being the owner of several Case Classics to which I am able to compare this one, I tend to believe his assessment is correct as well).

As a self-diagnosed carrier of some form of OCD, I have a strong compulsion to want to categorize, classify and organize everything in my world based on judgments that satisfy this compulsion and make some kind of sense to me. I'm sure we've all heard the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover," and here we have two knives, both Mini Trappers sharing a common brand name, yet these two knives are light years apart in nearly every other respect. An interesting and valuable lesson on the wisdom of judging a knife (or anything, really) based exclusively on brand name or even outward appearance, i.e., the "book cover" alone. Could this concept be applied on a broader scale to include, oh, I don't know...say, people as well, perhaps? Food for thought...

Winchester 2904 1/2 Rogers Bone Mini Trapper

Setting aside my OCD for a moment, can you understand why I still might not be inclined to put these two knives anywhere near each other in my Mini Trapper collection despite the common brand name?

~Q~

Going to add the dealer's photo here because mine don't show the Rogers Bone as well (photo credit: MichaelWayneSexton):

[jerryd6818]

Since I don't have any more outdoors related M-T's to carry on the theme, for day 20 I think I'll break out yesterday's arrival. As I opined in another thread, it looks better in hand but we'll have to take it as we get it. (I think the red background was a poor choice for this knife. It may have overwhelmed the colors in the handles. )

[QTCut5]

Dazzling swirl of colors nevertheless, red background notwithstanding. I wonder what it would look like under a black light or a strobe light...or a under black strobe light on a block of dry ice floating in liquid nitrogen? The possibilities are endless.

Despite my less-than-enthusiastic attitude towards synthetic handles, if Case ever started putting Wharncliffe blades on their Corelon Mini Trappers, I think that would probably be the coffin nail in bankruptcy for me (and almost certainly instigate divorce proceedings by my otherwise very patient, long-suffering wife).

Full disclosure, though...I finally did break down and order a synthetic handled Case Mini Trapper just yesterday. I just pray that Kirinite doesn't prove to be my Kryptonite!

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

There doesn't seem to be as many options in Kirinite as there is in Corelon so you may be safe.

[jerryd6818]

Ahh. Much better. IMHO

[QTCut5]

Same Mini Trapper...different background...big difference in appearance (and no rules were broken...multiple shots of the same Mini TrapPER DIEM are allowed). Well done, jerryd.

I, on the other hand, just received a notice from goodplace2shop that the Kirinite Mini T I ordered yesterday had been shipped, but they did not include a tracking number. So, I sent them a message asking for the tracking number. About an hour later I got a message from them saying that my order had been cancelled and my payment refunded AT MY REQUEST! So, I contacted eBay to find out what the heck was going on since I didn't cancel the order, all I did was request a tracking number for the item they said had already been shipped. Forty-five minutes later I ended up just as dissatisfied as before and twice as frustrated. Looks like the Mini Trapper Monkeys have foiled me again (or perhaps they're just protecting me from the evil synthetic handles I've been so hesitant to embrace...who knows?) Oh well, I guess I could always order one from another seller (of course, if I buy from another seller I'll not only have to pay more for the knife, I won't get the free shipping and the 67 Hardware T-shirt).

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

What did you order? The only two I see they have available are the Patriotic and Cranberry. Maybe they discovered they sold something that was not in stock. That happened to me recently with another seller.

[QTCut5]

I ordered the Silver Stardust with the red shield. At the time I ordered it, the seller's listing showed that they had two in stock...so, I guess I must have been third in line when it came time to fill the orders.

Still, it seems kind of strange to get a notice that the item has been shipped and then an hour later to get another notice saying that the order had been cancelled. But what really irks me is that the reason they gave for the cancellation was "Order Cancelled At Buyer's Request" which is a blatant lie but it protects them from me leaving negative feedback; since the order was completely removed from my purchase history, there's no order to leave feedback about. The only proof that I even placed an order is my payment and subsequent refund (which they say could take up to several days to show up in my account).

Anyway...it's their loss and I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. It was kind of an impulse purchase anyway and I can always order one from another seller if I must have it that badly.


~Q~

[jerryd6818]

Great Brands, digital_freaks and deadwoodknives all have the knife and all of them are priced within a dollar of each other. I think Dead Wood is my favorite seller of the three. They and Digital Freaks both have in excess of ten in stock.

I had that one on my watch list for quite some time and finally decided I didn't really want it. That's my litmus test when I'm shopping. If I see something in a store the seems to light my fire, I'll pick it up and wander all over the store with it. When I get ready to check out, sometimes the fire has gone out so I just take it back where I found it (it's rude to just lay it down anywhere and walk off). Guess I didn't want it all that bad anyway.

[QTCut5]

Yup...totally agree with you on that buying strategy, jerryd. That's why I can't thank you enough for introducing me to GIXEN (dagnabbit but you seem to have some kind of unholy influence over me when it comes to buying knives). Sometimes I'm not sure exactly what you are: a devil or a saint (at the moment, I'm leaning more towards saint). No pressure; but, regardless of whether I'm right or wrong in my personal assessment of you, hopefully you can continue to maintain your well-earned saintly image. It would be an egregious error on your part to underestimate the influence you have on the AAPK community at large. Make no mistake, your "shadow " reaches far and wide. After having some time to think it over (forced time due to the cancelled order, I will admit), I have come to the realization that I really didn't want that particular knife anyway. What I really wanted was to buy another Mini Trapper because, as any collector understands, when you're addicted, almost anything will suffice, even [gasp] a synthetic handled model that I would otherwise eschew without a second thought as I have done on countless occasions (think Corelon, here).

Mahalo for your sage wisdom. Because, truth be told, jerryd, buying synthetic handled knives like Corelon Sapphire Swirl only proves you're human, subject to ethereal shiny objects just like the rest of us.

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

You give me waaaay too much credit ~Q~. At the end of the day, I'm just your average everyday knife addict. Sound familiar? I have the last one for the month of September in the mail. The only reason I bought it was for the shield. There are three more waiting on my watch list for a new credit card billing cycle to start (Oct. 1st).

[royal0014]

didn't know magpies would drink kool-aid ......

[QTCut5]

DAY 21

Although I was raised in a family with an extensive culture of hunting tradition, personally, I was never really all that interested in killing other living creatures (jack rabbits excepted) even when it was done out of necessity for the survival of my family. To his credit, not only was my father an expert hunter and marksman, he taught me how to field dress the game we killed (which, not unsurprisingly, was the part I most enjoyed because it required the use of knives) and how to preserve and/or utilize every part of the animal, while simultaneously demonstrating gratitude to the animal for sacrificing its life for our family's survival. My father considered the life of every animal to be sacred; therefore, he always properly acknowledged, appreciated and respected the animals we took and made sure that very little of their physical remains went unused.

Although the majority (well, OK, I'll be honest...ALL) of my "big game" hunting, i.e., Deer, Elk, Antelope & Moose was done with other brands of guns, my favorite gun to shoot was my father's Ruger .22 semi-automatic pistol. I suppose it probably had more to do with my adolescent fascination with WWII movies and James Bond novels than anything else; but, I really enjoyed emptying clip after clip of that pistol every chance I could get. I even spent numerous hours in my dad's basement shop breaking it down and meticulously cleaning every part of that gun with Hoppes #9 in exchange for the privilege of shooting it.

So, to wrap up this week's theme of Mini Trappers associated with hunting and gun manufacturers, for today's Mini TrapPER DIEM I present this Case 6207 Dark Molasses Jigged Bone Mini Trapper with the Ruger Arms logo shield.

2007 Case 6207 Dark Molasses Jigged Bone

~Q~

[jerryd6818]

We're down to the wire and besides one done in hunter green barn board, the only one I can find that stretches far enough to fit the current theme is this Case LT207 SS Camo Case Caliber. The Camo handles and Caliber name will just have to do.

Just for you ~Q~, a Ruger MK-1 made in 1981. I had another one I bought for my Dad for Christmas one year, but my son ended up with it (Dad died in '89).

[jerryd6818]

didn't know magpies would drink kool-aid ......

Used to make that for my grandkids because it was cheaper than soda pop. Besides, I liked it too.

[Meridian_Mike]

I am really enjoying this thread. Q and Jerry, y'all have some really nice Minis.
(I really like that MK 1 Jerry, Only think I ever had against that pistol was the mag release... Thankfully, Ruger fixed that.)

Mike

[jerryd6818]

I am really enjoying this thread. Q and Jerry, y'all have some really nice Minis.
(I really like that MK 1 Jerry, Only think I ever had against that pistol was the mag release... Thankfully, Ruger fixed that.)

Mike

The mag release and then the mags are a B-I-Double Zitch to load. The follower latch works, most of the time, but it's a pain in the a^^. Quite frankly, I prefer my old three-screw Single-Six.

[Meridian_Mike]

I am really enjoying this thread. Q and Jerry, y'all have some really nice Minis.
(I really like that MK 1 Jerry, Only think I ever had against that pistol was the mag release... Thankfully, Ruger fixed that.)

Mike

The mag release and then the mags are a B-I-Double Zitch to load. The follower latch works, most of the time, but it's a pain in the a^^. Quite frankly, I prefer my old three-screw Single-Six.

Revolvers are my #1...
If I can't hit it with six...... Well, I recon I could always do like in the old Westerns and throw my pistol at 'em.

My old Lightnin'...

I think ole Doc Holiday liked to tote one of these....
(I like 'em too)



SO.... now back to knives!
LOL