Quality, affordable slipjoints...?

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Dec 14, 2000
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Besides the venerable SAK, I'm curious what affordable, but still well built slipjoint manufacturers there are. I'm leery of the vague nature of Case's descriptions of the steels they use, that kind of avoidance usually seems to hide cheap materials. Is their 'chrome vanadium high carbon steel' a decent high carbon steel? And the Tru-Sharp Stainless is rumored to be 420JC...I guess what I'm asking is: is Case any good? Are there other companies in that price range that are better?
 
If you don't mind delrin handles, then Schrade has a nice selection of slipjoints. Their Old Timer line is 1095 carbon steel and the Uncle Henry line is, I think, 440A. Both lines are good, solidly built knives, and take and hold good edges.

Bucks slipjoint line doesn't have as many models to offer, but they are great knives. Their construction is unique in that they use nickle silver liners that are one piece with the bolsters, and all the blades of theirs fold in straight, no bending like most other's knives have to do. They use 420HC, hollow ground blades. Take and hold a great edge, although it is harder to sharpen than Schrades steels.

Camillus slipjoints are good too, although all my Camilluses are older, discontinued models. Solid construction, and lots of history behind the company.

Case tru-sharp doesn't seem to be very good. Very attractive looking, but not very usable, according to most who have reviewed it. I have a Case Copperlock with tru-sharp, but I don't use it very often. I do have it really sharp, but I just don't know how well it holds an edge. Their CV is pretty good, I have two with it and I really like it. Case has an annoying habit of super polishing their blades, which means there are no squared edges, and the tips are always rounded. Very irritating.

If you look around, many of the German models (Boker, German Eye, Buck Creek, Bulldog...) are great knives. Queens are supposed to be the best quality American line, and AG Russels catalog has several excellent quality slipjoints, although the prices are a little higher.

If you don't mind used, check out E-bay and antique stores. I have good luck with both, especially with antique stores.

Hope this helped. I'm not an expert, I just like slipjoints. I'm hoping to add some of the ones I mentiond but don't have yet to my collection in the next few years, as time and money allow.
 
Greetings, You should check out Discountknives.com They have alot to choose from and the prices are pretty darn good. I picked up one of the new Camillus carbon series Stockmans. Decent knife for $18 plus shipping! There is lots to choose from here.
Good luck.
 
I strongly recommend Queen as the best slipjoint manufacturer in the U.S.A. and maybe the world. I strongly recommned any Queen or their other titles like Robeson or Schatt & Morgan. Queen has recently come out with models in D2 steel and many of their ATS-34 models are still available.
 
I have one and only slipjoint - a Case Wharncliff Stag-Handled Whittler in carbon V that is a terrific blade. This one was about $100, so I don't know if you call that affordable.

I have one other slipjoint coming in the mail. A Corsican Vendetta from Coutellerie Fontenille Pataud. The steel will be Sandivk 12C27. I hope it is as nice as the Case is. Again, the cost is a little over $100, but it has a filed spine, stainless bolsters and letterwood (snakewood) handles. Also, at a bit of 3.5 inches of blade (12 cm), it is a very large slipjoint and can handle a lot of tasks.
 
Case makes great knives. They're not the best, but they are good. Many people collect Case primarilly because they offer so many patterns, but quantity doesn't necessarily mean a loss of quality.

I second the thought that Queen is the best in the US (right now). Moore Maker also makes quality slip-joints (from what I hear), but I also believe some of their work is done by Queen.

-Al-
 
I am not a member of Knife Forums, but used to read their posts about slipjoints. It was there where I have learned, that Moore Maker does not produce, only markets their pocketknives.
Most of their knives are produced by Bluegrass (the same company, which makes the Whinchester traditionals), and some by Camillus, and only a few by Queen. Some MM stockmans bear striking similarity to some of the stockmans produced by Queen: almost identical handle shape and size, bolsters, the sheepfoots blade size and the orientation of the nail nick on it, the thickness of the brass spacers etc. But it could be an accidental similarity too.
 
With Case, go for the yellow handles. The large stockman is a pretty decent user. I'm pleased with the quality I got for my measley $30, and the CV blades really sharpen up nice.

I've noticed that my yellow handled stockman has a nice sharp point on the clip blade, while the fancier bone handled Copperlock with the tru-sharp blade has a tip that couldn't be rounder. (It's almost like they know which ones will be used and which ones are for display!)
 
There are many fine slipjoints out there for very reasonable prices. I have just received a Moore Maker trapper and it is a very good knife. I also very much like the Schatt & Morgan, Bulldog and Queen knives. I do not own any but have heard the Hen & Rooster knives are very good as well. They are now made by Robert Klass, also makers of the Kissing Crane knives.

As to the vague descriptions of the steels used by Case, I find that a lot a manufacturers do not like to tell you the actual name of the steel they use. They seem to like to come up with their own names for these steels. This is certainly not rare in the industry.
 
the stuff coming out of Titusville is the best, Queen/Schatt/Robeson and all the other names farmed out to them.
 
If you want a super-quality slipjoint for a bargain, check out A.G. Russell's site in the seconds area. He has a Cattaraugus rope knife that is unbelievable for the price - $40.

I bought one, then immediatley bought another after the first arrived. Better quality than some of the $100+ slipjoints I own, and you cannot tell it's a second.
 
Just got this Schatt & Morgan Pearl Gunstock this week. It has the most fiery, lustrous pearl I have ever seen on a knife. The liners are nickel silver. The whole package is amazing for a knife under $100.
 

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Sure is a nice one Architect!
Know what you mean about the S&M pearl. From the very first ones they reproduced, they have always used some higher quality mop.
 
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