The Mini TrapPER DIEM -- Your Daily Mini Trapper

[Papa Bones]

I've wanted a Cripple Creek knife ever since seeing the ones made by GEC. I love the buffalo shield: Apparently Bob Cargill, creator of Cripple Creek knives, is an amputee, and the three-legged buffalo on the shield, as well as the Cripple Creek brand name, are not-so-subtle references to his condition.

Although I'm sure this knife was not made by GEC (looks more like a Queen product to me), the 3 3/8" Mini Trapper pattern fits my collection criteria perfectly. I have no idea what the blade etch refers to, but I would guess this knife must be a SFO for some kind of group, club or organization.


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Very good looking Cripple Creek Trapper. As for the blade etch, It could be for a Fishing Club or Kayaking / Canoe club.

Citico & Satapo were both Cherokee Villages In Tennessee that are now submerged (I believe) after Tellico Dam was built on the Little Tennessee River. It is on the route going from Lenoir TN to the back route to Pigeon Forge and Gattlinburg TN. There is also a Citico Creek and a Citico Creek Wilderness Reserve in that area. As for the "Ta Na Si" it could be a variation of the Cherokee word for Tennessee which was Te Na Si" I used to fish in that area many years ago.

[QTCut5]

Very good looking Cripple Creek Trapper. As for the blade etch, It could be for a Fishing Club or Kayaking / Canoe club.

Citico & Satapo were both Cherokee Villages In Tennessee that are now submerged (I believe) after Tellico Dam was built on the Little Tennessee River. It is on the route going from Lenoir TN to the back route to Pigeon Forge and Gattlinburg TN. There is also a Citico Creek and a Citico Creek Wilderness Reserve in that area. As for the "Ta Na Si" it could be a variation of the Cherokee word for Tennessee which was Te Na Si" I used to fish in that area many years ago.

Thanks, Smitty Knowing what the etch refers to makes the knife even more appealing to me. I will definitely put that info in my files for future reference.

[QTCut5]

Stumbled upon this 2001 Schatt & Morgan 052 151 Green Spalted Maple Mini Trapper (Dogleg Jack) while surfing the bay. Immediately realized it was a "must-have-in-my-collection-at-any-cost" knife...and, well...it would appear my instincts were accurate.

[Lansky1]

Q - impressive - that spalted maple almost looks like swirly acrylic - really interesting.

[jmh58]

Green is Good!!!
John

[QTCut5]

Thanks John & John

My Mini TrapPER DIEM for today is this recently acquired Case/Tony Bose Collaboration Wharncliffe Trapper.

T.B. 622013 Antique Bone Wharncliffe Trapper

I fear The Monkey has developed an unhealthy (financially speaking) fondness for this model.

How many is enough?

[Benton629]

Kershaw Gadsden.

A really nice trapper in a size that suits me perfectly.

[jerryd6818]

I finally received this one after a month delay and all kinds of BS. I had already requested and received a refund because the seller cancelled the auction and didn't ship the knife. What a shock when I received it a few days ago. So I had to write him a check and stick it in the mail. It's in factory condition. I don't know what the handles are made of. Phenolic???

This is the only picture I had to go on.

[jerryd6818]

Got this one in July and never got around to posting it.

[TPK]

I've wanted a Cripple Creek knife ever since seeing the ones made by GEC. I love the buffalo shield: Apparently Bob Cargill, creator of Cripple Creek knives, is an amputee, and the three-legged buffalo on the shield, as well as the Cripple Creek brand name, are not-so-subtle references to his condition.

Although I'm sure this knife was not made by GEC (looks more like a Queen product to me), the 3 3/8" Mini Trapper pattern fits my collection criteria perfectly. I have no idea what the blade etch refers to, but I would guess this knife must be a SFO for some kind of group, club or organization.

Beautiful find Q! Also an interesting background story about the shield & brand name.
Thanks for the Info.

[TPK]

1940-64 Case XX Slimline Trapper, Bone Handle...I think....

Nice looking HOK!

[jerryd6818]

This one came in today's mail.

[QTCut5]

Smooth Blue Mule, jerryd. You know how much I love the blues, yes indeedy!

Only seems fitting that I follow up with a blue Mini-T of my own.

2004 Schatt & Morgan "Dollar Knife Co." (#51)

[jerryd6818]

You could have a Blue Mule ~Q~ and the price is such that it would not even raise the eyebrows of the Mrs.

That blue S&M is a real sweetheart. (to me it looks more turquoise than blue but then I suppose turquoise is a shade of blue) I've never seen one with a "Dollar $ Knife Co" blade etch. Any history on that jewel?

[Ripster]

Q, second what Jerry asked, what’s the deal with Dollar knife Co. ??. Is that just a etch for etch sakes or a company ? Thanks for posting all the awesome cutlery you have Q, and Jerry and Papa B and the rest of you. Really nice stuff,have a good one out there .

[cody6268]

Bear and Son Small Trapper; which is 3" closed. It's right at the start of "just big enough" with me. A standard Mini Trapper, at 3.5" is a good size. Queen's take, at 3 3/4" is perfect. A standard 4 1/8" Trapper is a bit too big. I find one-blade models a bit more pocketable.

Mt. Ida, orange Delrin handles. "Factory Find" from Red Hill Cutlery. The name was scribbled on the label of the box, so this is, obviously, a non-standard model thrown together by Bear with parts the factory in AL had laying around. Fit and finish is really bad. Main blade has rough action, and the snap is just mushy. Hardly any. The nail nicks are way too small.

Remington R-131. I've had it two years. This is a good knife. Almost as good as a Camillus/Schrade. Handles are walnut, same as used for Remington shotgun stocks, albeit not as nicely finished. In fact, they have no sheen. This one has appropriatlely sized long pulls on both blades that allow me to easily get the blades out. Snap is great.

I bought the Remington discounted down to $10, expecting there was something major wrong (in truth, I think it was because Bear had just lost the Remington license to Buck). However, it's the $18 Mt. Ida that's got problems.

[QTCut5]

Q, second what Jerry asked, what’s the deal with Dollar knife Co. ??. Is that just a etch for etch sakes or a company ? Thanks for posting all the awesome cutlery you have Q, and Jerry and Papa B and the rest of you. Really nice stuff,have a good one out there .

You could have a Blue Mule ~Q~ and the price is such that it would not even raise the eyebrows of the Mrs.

That blue S&M is a real sweetheart. (to me it looks more turquoise than blue but then I suppose turquoise is a shade of blue) I've never seen one with a "Dollar $ Knife Co" blade etch. Any history on that jewel?

Thanks guys.

I'm not a knife historian by any stretch, but this much I know...

The original Dollar Knife Corporation was started in the early 1920s in Oklahoma. It didn't last very long but during it's short lifespan it did some contract work for Schatt & Morgan (this would've been before S&M was purchased by Queen in 1933). My #51 was made in 2004; so, obviously it's not an "original" Dollar Knife Co made knife. I believe the "Dollar Knife Co" etch on my #51 is simply commemorative of the early 20th century relationship between Schatt & Morgan and the Dollar Knife Co. If you look closely, you'll see that what appears to be a dollar sign ( "$") is actually two intertwined letters: "S" and "M" (for Schatt & Morgan), which I think is pretty cool.

[jerryd6818]

If you look closely, you'll see that what appears to be a dollar sign ( "$") is actually two intertwined letters: "S" and "M" (for Schatt & Morgan), which I think is pretty cool.

Well I'll be dipped, so it is. Thanks for pointing that out for us obtuse individuals (me). And thanks for the history lesson on the Dollar Knife Company. It's all appreciated.

[Ripster]

Q, second what Jerry asked, what’s the deal with Dollar knife Co. ??. Is that just a etch for etch sakes or a company ? Thanks for posting all the awesome cutlery you have Q, and Jerry and Papa B and the rest of you. Really nice stuff,have a good one out there .

You could have a Blue Mule ~Q~ and the price is such that it would not even raise the eyebrows of the Mrs.

That blue S&M is a real sweetheart. (to me it looks more turquoise than blue but then I suppose turquoise is a shade of blue) I've never seen one with a "Dollar $ Knife Co" blade etch. Any history on that jewel?

Thanks guys.
Q, thanks for the info on the Dollar knife co. And there involvement with SM. Have a good one .
I'm not a knife historian by any stretch, but this much I know...

The original Dollar Knife Corporation was started in the early 1920s in Oklahoma. It didn't last very long but during it's short lifespan it did some contract work for Schatt & Morgan (this would've been before S&M was purchased by Queen in 1933). My #51 was made in 2004; so, obviously it's not an "original" Dollar Knife Co made knife. I believe the "Dollar Knife Co" etch on my #51 is simply commemorative of the early 20th century relationship between Schatt & Morgan and the Dollar Knife Co. If you look closely, you'll see that what appears to be a dollar sign ( "$") is actually two intertwined letters: "S" and "M" (for Schatt & Morgan), which I think is pretty cool.

[jerryd6818]

[QTCut5]

Love that Chestnut Bone, jerryd. In my experience, the true richness and depth of that handle color is nearly impossible to fully capture in photos; it must be experienced in hand to fully appreciate.

Update RE the S&M "Dollar Knife Co" #51:

I just received this email from Bob Welch at Queen Cutlery History. My info was pretty close but not quite perfect.

This is definitely a modern issue of a Queen / Schatt & Morgan knife and it does appear to be based upon the Queen #51 pattern. As a Schatt & Morgan knife though it should have a 6-digit pattern number but I don’t see any such marking in the photos. It has not appeared in any catalogs or flyers we have accumulated which leads me to think it may have been a special order or limited production item.

The Dollar Knife Corporation was owned by Schatt & Morgan which manufactured and marketed such branded knives from 1922 to 1928, as a separate brand. My colleague, David Clark and Dr. David Krauss published a booklet “The History of the Dollar Knife Corporation” in 2005. You could still find copies for sale on the web.

I've sent your photos off to some of our team to see if they can add any further info. When I hear from them I’ll pass on any additional info.

Regards,

Bob Welch

[jerryd6818]

Gettin' down to the bottom of the barrel again. Just this and maybe two more, for now. Hopefully there will be more later. Time will tell.

[doglegg]

Looks better open.

[jerryd6818]

Oh, stop it.

[QTCut5]

The guys at Queen Cutlery History sure have been helpful. I just received more info on my S&M #51 "Dollar Knife Co" #51 from David Clark, co-author of History of Schatt & Morgan Dollar Knives


I have not seen that particular knife before but it looks like the #51 pattern that the Queen’s Own Club produced in 1999 and then with the etch from the New Dollar Knife produced in limited numbers in 2003. Krauss and I wrote about the history of the Dollar Knife in a small book that you could buy here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/History-of-Sch ... 2249973035