All About Pocket Knives

Most any traditional with a single blade (unless the blade is a Wharncliffe of course). My sweet spot is two blades.

Lockbacks even though I have a few. What a pain to close especially if the spring is really strong.

Barlows even though I have a few.

Stockman, again even though I have a few.

Oh yeah and I'm not enamored with the big knives like the pocket hunter.

There must be one or two patterns that don't suite your fancy. Unburden your soul. Tell us about it. There's no such thing as one size fits all (unless it's a Camillus 72).

Fishing knives, even though I have a few. Must be because I don't fish.

Any knife called a “trapper” that doesn’t have a spey blade.

I didn’t use to like barlows, but changed my mind on that.

Don’t like fish knives, either.

I thought Opinels were clunky and weird. Now I like them. Same with Okapis.

I also don’t care for hunters.

I don’t like liner locks, except on the screwdriver blade of an TL-29.

I’m good with single blade lock backs. I don’t carry them though. I used to carry a Camillus #2 lockback religiously, and the number 3 with a Turkish clip is a great field dressing knife.

I don’t like mini trappers or very small stockman. The concept makes no sense to me.

Any SAK bigger than a Recruit. Bantam & Recruit...literally the only two I like.

Coke Bottles. I just don't care for the shape but I'll buy them if the blade is interesting.

Trappers. I don't like two long blades that pivot on the same end. Oddly enough, two long opposing blades doesn't bother me as much.

Whittlers. I don't like two small blades that pivot on the same end either.

Opinels. Tried one and they just don't do anything for me.

Jerry,
You may have meant Folding Hunter. The Pocket Hunter, if you're referring to the Case pattern, is only 2 3/4 inches closed.

All knives deserve love; although I don't like:

Peanut patterns.
Canoes even though I had one I wish I did not sell because it had a unique shield.
Warncliff blades.
I used to not like sow bellies but now I do.
Toothpicks.

I’ve never cared for Wharncliffe blades (unless on a farmer’s jack).

Not keen on the Seahorse whittlers (see above) but I love all other whittlers. (I like the 72 but it’s not a whittler, regardless what Camillus marketing says).

I don’t like little knives (under 3 inches) except the Case tadpole. For some reason it seems to me to be a big little knife.

Not a fan of Swiss Army Knives, but I have several.

Don’t ask me to explain any of that. It’s irrational, I know!

And I can’t stand the Case Russlock. But that’s not irrational.

Ken

CamMan21 wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 11:24 pm I don’t like liner locks.

It took me at least a decade to completely accept liner locks.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:26 am I don’t like little knives (under 3 inches) except the Case tadpole.

Knives of any size might find their way into my collection. For carry, however, I like both a large and a small one. Large knives seem more workmanlike and sturdy, and fit the hand better...but sometimes a little knife is the better choice (i.e. using it around non-knife people, especially those who are terrified of any knife that isn't a butter knife).

Restricting things to traditionals, the only pattern I haven't warmed up to is the Barlow. More broadly, I dislike anything that looks like it was purchased at a Pilot and/or pilfered from the set of a zombie apocalypse movie.

Almost any pattern designed after the 1950’s, although I have such in my pocket right now, but I didn’t buy it.

Charlie

I accumulate almost any knife, but some that I don't like very much are:
Tactical knives.
Fishing knives.
Swiss Army Knives (nor their various knockoffs)
Most single-blade lockbacks.

I still own a few examples of each, though!

Oh, don't get me started

- Stockman's without a sheepsfoot (i.e. the 087 pattern) - whats the point ... just insanely useless to me. Substituting a spey blade where the sheepsfoot should be is an atrocity. Still remember the anguish / disbelief the first time i saw one ... first thing I saw was a pen blade where the usual spey is & I thought ... awesome, its a nice size EDC stockman & they finally got rid of that $%#@%^ spey blade. Then I see they had the gall to put a spey where the sheepsfoot is supposed to be. I still recall the total moment like it was yesterday.

- Sodbuster - just don't like the blunt upswept clip style blade - too close to an Opinel blade design for me.

- Toothpick - I do like the pricey 5" large version single blade frame for cleaning fish, but the multitudes of tiny toothpicks that clog up eBay just annoy me.

- Doctors knife - what good is that unsharpened spatula blade. That pattern should have been put out of its misery when Doc's quit making house calls.

- Russlock - uh no, just no.

- Teardrop jack - blade stops way short of the end of the knife - blade could be at least 3/8" longer in that frame with a better designed end cap. Sorry TB, not your best.

- Seahorse whittler - nope, looks like it isn't the sharpest tool in the shed & came up a bit short.

- Saddlehorn - that bizzarro secondary blade with such an odd swedge grind is a headscratcher - just too weird for me.

Now stay off my lawn

Reverand wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 1:29 am I accumulate almost any knife, but some that I don't like very much are:
Tactical knives.
Fishing knives.
Swiss Army Knives (nor their various knockoffs)
Most single-blade lockbacks.

I still own a few examples of each, though!

I'm in the same territory, Reverand. Nothing wrong with those. But carbon, bone & stag, around fifty years old or more, still amuse me very much.

Toothpicks and muskrats

Nothing under 3 1/2”

The CASE Seahorse has to be the ugliest knife I’ve ever seen. Even the Russlock looks better than it!

Peanut knives

Fish knives

Barlows. I have never liked barlows. The size is just wrong, they’re clunky, and the angle at which the blades come off the frame is just weird to me. I appreciate the history and nostalgia, but I really don’t like them. Although I’d pack one before I packed a seahorse whittler.

Kershaw Leek. I know guys rave over how sharp they are etc... I’ve NEVER had a Kershaw knife that was remotely sharp out of the box.

Victorinox knockoffs. I love my Vics, but I’ve never had a knockoff that was any good.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 11:26 pm
Jerry,
You may have meant Folding Hunter. The Pocket Hunter, if you're referring to the Case pattern, is only 2 3/4 inches closed.

This is the one I'm talking about.

Boys, this is going to be an interesting thread!
I've had my feeling hurt already reading some of these early posts! How could any one not like a folding hunter? Jerry, y'all have struck it deep in this ol' redneck's heart and I saw muskrats mentioned, too.
An old pastor at Blue Lake Baptist Church used to say, "It'd be a dull world if everyone only ate vanilla ice cream."
Now let me hurt someone's feelings, not only do I not care for Russlocks, I loath them. I ain't going to buy a new one, might get one on a trade but I'll get rid of it pretty quick.
Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 3:41 am Boys, this is going to be an interesting thread!
I've had my feeling hurt already reading some of these early posts! How could any one not like a folding hunter? Jerry, y'all have struck it deep in this ol' redneck's heart and I saw muskrats mentioned, too.
An old pastor at Blue Lake Baptist Church used to say, "It'd be a dull world if everyone only ate vanilla ice cream."
Now let me hurt someone's feelings, not only do I not care for Russlocks, I loath them. I ain't going to buy a new one, might get one on a trade but I'll get rid of it pretty quick.
Treefarmer

Philip, I stewed over the Russlocks after I first saw them. They looked good to me until I bought one and got it in hand. Ewwwww
I sent it on in one of the early pass arounds.

I still have pictures of it.

I don’t like Barlows and I don’t know why.

Camillus 72’s? My favorite knife when I was a kid. Now it seems too small, and I hate that the master on mine got so thick after all the sharpening.

Any lock back that’s not a Buck 110 is an atrocity to me.

Knock offs of anything, but especially SAK’s I’m not even that fond of SAK’s to be honest.

eveled wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:26 am I don’t like Barlows and I don’t know why.

For me it was childhood memories of cheap clamshell nailbusters...

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 2:28 am Victorinox knockoffs. I love my Vics, but I’ve never had a knockoff that was any good.

Ain't that the truth...

Jody744 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 2:24 am Toothpicks and muskrats

With you on the toothpicks. Muskrats are perfect for what they're intended for....but not much else.

Off the top of my head.. Muskrat, Whittler, RustyLoc.. Maybe a few more..

Yinz guys are killing me that dont like SAKs..
John

treefarmer wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 3:41 am Boys, this is going to be an interesting thread!
I've had my feeling hurt already reading some of these early posts! How could any one not like a folding hunter? Jerry, y'all have struck it deep in this ol' redneck's heart and I saw muskrats mentioned, too.
An old pastor at Blue Lake Baptist Church used to say, "It'd be a dull world if everyone only ate vanilla ice cream."
Now let me hurt someone's feelings, not only do I not care for Russlocks, I loath them. I ain't going to buy a new one, might get one on a trade but I'll get rid of it pretty quick.
Treefarmer

Brother Phillip, I think me and you must be cut from the same bolt of cloth! Folding Hunters, Muskrats, big ol Stockman knives.....and no Russlocks!

It must be the overalls, because them folding hunters ride real nice in overall pockets.

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 3:16 am

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 11:26 pm
Jerry,
You may have meant Folding Hunter. The Pocket Hunter, if you're referring to the Case pattern, is only 2 3/4 inches closed.

This is the one I'm talking about.

Now that’s a pair of knives right there! That sure is some pretty bone on that hunter.

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 1:06 pm

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 3:16 am

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 11:26 pm
Jerry,
You may have meant Folding Hunter. The Pocket Hunter, if you're referring to the Case pattern, is only 2 3/4 inches closed.

This is the one I'm talking about.

Now that’s a pair of knives right there! That sure is some pretty bone on that hunter.

I'll bet you have one just like it.

The Russlock has to be the most useless knife ever produced.
I've got a Seahorse but it's pretty ugly.
Peanuts are on my list also. Folding hunters and Muskrats are some of my favorites.

I don't care much for trappers and stockmen, or anything with a pearl handle. Also shell handle knives and Barlow's unless it has a Wharncliffe.

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 10:35 am
Philip, I stewed over the Russlocks after I first saw them. They looked good to me until I bought one and got it in hand. Ewwwww
I sent it on in one of the early pass arounds.

I still have pictures of it.

I like the Russlock with the Drop Point blades but have never been fond of them with what they call a spear point. I think the spear point is two thin. Most of the ones I've purchased is the Drop Point. I'm just used to it.

As for other patterns I am not fond of, I've never cared much for the Case peanut or Case Flippers. And I detest any of the novelty knives that was produced that tries to look like pistols with a blade or the ones that were produced with AK or AR Rifle pattern knife handles.