Recommendation? Starting to get into traditionals, what are good entry level brands?

Tradition knives? For me, only exist Case, GEC and NW!! SAK is another category.
:)
 
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=rough+rider+knife&_sacat=0&_sop=15 > RR on Ebay ! Starting @ Burger & Fries money !
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=case+knife&_sop=15 > Case on Ebay
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...cat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=case+knife&_sop=15 > Schrade on Ebay ( starting with Chinese made schrade )

Lot's still out there , just got to Troll Ebay ! Put in some bids @ levels you like and you might pick up a small collection . ( That's what I did 20 years ago )
 
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Rough rider has a huge variety, for low cost and they work and look fine.
Buck also has some nice models as well as Case, for US made.
Do not give up on GEC as some of their models do not sell quickly and are easier to get.

Older US knives are widely available, but they will generally be used.

If you want to expand your horizons, why not try something from Victorinox or Boker, or MAM, or Joker, or ICEL, or OKAPI, or Antonini, or Opinel and so on.
 
Definitely case.
The sodbusters, and the 54 pattern trapper are model very popular models that they're known to have down pretty well with generally good quality.

The 08 pattern half whittler is about my favorite from Case, and in my experience they have this model down very well.
The 62032 Texas Jack is another staple from case that they do very well.

You can't beat Buck either, especially of you want lockbacks Buck is the best in that regard.
The slipjoints well they only have the 301 and 303 stockman right now, they're good but less old timey if you will with no bone or carbon steel.

If you want to try something really small go on Ebay and get a Buck 305 lancer.
 
I would say Case for a moderate price option, or Rough Ryder for cheap. RR and Old Timer knives are great to just try out a pattern. Gor all 3 of the brands I would get one in person so you can try it out, especially with RR, but I've also seen Case QC issues. I usually check for blade wobble/movement, the flushness of the springs and liners, and spring weakness issues specifically with RR. The cheaper Bokers don't seem bad from my experience.
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
Boker makes some nice traditionals.
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Yeah, I was looking at some of them in the ~$50 range and they say that they are made in Germany, but on some threads they said that they are made in Germany from parts manufactured in China. I felt like at that point I might as well just buy a RR but I don't know.
 
calm said:
Rough rider has a huge variety, for low cost and they work and look fine.
Buck also has some nice models as well as Case, for US made.
Do not give up on GEC as some of their models do not sell quickly and are easier to get.

Older US knives are widely available, but they will generally be used.

If you want to expand your horizons, why not try something from Victorinox or Boker, or MAM, or Joker, or ICEL, or OKAPI, or Antonini, or Opinel and so on.
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Yeah, I'm definitely interested in European knives too, I guess I should have stated that earlier. I have a couple Vics, don't love em or hate em. Gonna look into some of those other brands now. Thanks!
 
Thanks to the OP for asking this question, I’ve been pondering pretty much the same things, and thanks to all who have answered.
I am not a collector and I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole, but I am and have been very interested in getting a good traditional knife or 3 in the near future.
 
erudite cricket said:
Yeah, I was looking at some of them in the ~$50 range and they say that they are made in Germany, but on some threads they said that they are made in Germany from parts manufactured in China. I felt like at that point I might as well just buy a RR but I don't know.
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Any Boker that has the word Solingen on it is manufactured solely in Germany (from my understanding) and are generally the ones that are highly regarded. If it doesn't say Solingen, it could be made or have parts from virtually anywhere. Hope this helps. Still don't have a Solingen Boker in my collection.
 
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erudite cricket said:
Yeah, I'm definitely interested in European knives too, I guess I should have stated that earlier. I have a couple Vics, don't love em or hate em. Gonna look into some of those other brands now. Thanks!
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I recently got an A Wright lambsfoot that I'm quite happy with. It's above the rough ryder price range, but in my opinion good bang for buck. Worth checking out.
 
As for Case modern knives, quality on those I have run from "how did this pass even the most basic quality check" to "this is as close to perfect a production knife as you can get", with a whole bunch in between. IMHO, if you can find a place where you can handle and check the knives before purchase, do so. Or use an online shop with a good return policy. I really miss quality knife stores.

I haven't been able to find any good deals on anything old in the last decade or so. Doesn't seem to matter if it's old photo gear, old stereo gear, or older knives. Shops I've been able to visit have priced these things like they are collectables, even when they are certainly not. Others on the board have been able to find good knives and good deals, so good luck with your search for classics.

lithicus said:
Any Boker that has the word Solingen on it is manufactured solely in Germany (from my understanding) and are generally the ones that are highly regarded. If it doesn't say Solingen, it could be made or have parts from virtually anywhere. Hope this helps. Still don't have a Solingen Boker in my collection.
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I was about to post something about Boker. As stated above and IIRC, Boker Manufaktur Solingen are the manufactured in Germany knives, and specifically state "Solingen" on the blades. Boker Manufaktur are assembled in Germany, parts may be sourced from other places. Boker Arbolito from Argentina. Boker Plus from China and Taiwan. Boker Magnum from China.

Haven't had anything other than Boker Solingen for traditional folders.

I have two Boker Plus fixed-blades, and they seem to be decent knives for the money IMHO. Of course my days of putting knives to hard use are long gone, so take that into consideration.
 
As others have said, check out pawn shops and Thrift stores. Older Bucks can be found for less than $20USD usually. I'm especially fond of the Buck 307 stockman. Have fun, let us know what you find.
 
A Buck 301 wouldn't be a bad place to start. When checking vintage, don't forget to look up Queen knives - many are still inexpensive.
 
erudite cricket said:
I'm starting to get into traditional knives, and I was wondering what brands would be good for entry level. I was looking at Case, but I've heard a lot of mixed reviews of them. I would prefer USA made, but the Rough Ryder Reserve series looked kind of promising.
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Case is not super expensive after all, you only get like two rough riders for one Case. I’ve bought a lot of RRs but have switched to Case. Quality is not top notch, there is blade play et c, but they are made in the US and that’s worth a lot also for a European like me. That my RRs are made in China is a bit annoying ☺️

You reside in the US?
Then flea markets would be a great opportunity I guess. Over here it is unfortunately very rare to find a US traditional folder at flea markets so I’m stuck with a few online retailers, meaning I don’t really have the opportunity to try the knives before I buy them…
 
I suggest buying a case in person. They have displays at hardware stores and various other places. Blister pack case knives aren’t bad either. Get a case and don’t look back. Preferably with carbon or cv blades but their stainless is okay too.
 
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