A quest for my ideal Stockman

Thanks, Cal! Jstrange, I know the newer #47 patterns have three springs, as this one in Damascus from 2014.

CKSoKJH.jpg
Thanks. That’s a real beauty.
 
The Stockman pattern offers a lot of variations, but I'm not so keen on three thick ones or very high riding Sheepfoots.

I do like the Winchester Black Box version, round bolster and fine bone.

Up3O4jU.jpg


Although the OP preferred round bolster, this CASE with Pen instead of Spey is another great option-Chestnut Bone never a bad choice.

cbL47No.jpg
 
Last edited:
The Case 6318 is a medium Stockman; most of them have the Turkish clip main blade you don’t like, but the Pocketworn redbone handled variation of the 6318 has two backsprings and has the standard clip blade. A few other 18 patterns do from time to time, but most have the Turkish clip main. OH
 
I’m at a crossroads on the clip blades that Case uses in their stockmans. I love the look of a nice full clip blade with swedge. But after extensively using the 6318 style Turkish clip, it really does work remarkably well. It’s an outstanding blade for cleaning trout. It also has a wonderfully thin grind. Not too much upsweep at the tip either. Case somehow even managed to put the nail nick decently far down the blade, so it isn’t too terribly hard to open. The 6318 Turkish clip is functionally outstanding.

My personal favorite is the 3318PU punch stockman in yellow Delrin with CV clip and sheepsfoot blades. I pretty much like every Case stockman I buy, but the Case punch is really, really nice.

B3ccJl7h.jpg
 
I really like the strait spey on that #47, humpback spey blades are a real turnoff for me.
I think my ideal stockman would be on the same frame as the mini Texas jack, with offset blades, a sheep's foot that's not sitting really high, and anything but a humpback spey.
I think you’ve just described the 6332 stockman, clip sheepsfoot and pen blades on the Texas jack 32 frame, they did it in the chestnut bone cv series some years ago

I’m at a crossroads on the clip blades that Case uses in their stockmans. I love the look of a nice full clip blade with swedge. But after extensively using the 6318 style Turkish clip, it really does work remarkably well. It’s an outstanding blade for cleaning trout. It also has a wonderfully thin grind. Not too much upsweep at the tip either. Case somehow even managed to put the nail nick decently far down the blade, so it isn’t too terribly hard to open. The 6318 Turkish clip is functionally outstanding.

My personal favorite is the 3318PU punch stockman in yellow Delrin with CV clip and sheepsfoot blades. I pretty much like every Case stockman I buy, but the Case punch is really, really nice.

B3ccJl7h.jpg
My favourite too, unobtrusive in the pocket great in the hand, and the Turkish Clip is wonderfully manageable when cutting being short edge to spine you can steer it very well.
The punch is great for scraping poking and other dirty jobs that would destroy a good edge
 
The Stockman pattern offers a lot of variations, but I'm not so keen on three thick ones or very high riding Sheepfoots.

...

I agree Will. I have a Case Medium Stockman (square bolster) 6344 and it has the clip blade that I think the OP is after and on this one, the sheepsfoot doesn't sit too proud. And given it's size, I don't really grip it too tightly so I don't notice it much. But on my Large Stockman 10375 it sits up quite high and the "hump" digs into my middle finger. It's frustrating as the size of this knife lends itself to a little harder use but that high-riding sheepsfoot precludes me from bearing down much at all. I've even been pondering rounding it but not sure there's enough there to accomplish what I want and not compromise the blade/nick. If I open the sheepsfoot along with the clip, the grip is fantastic, dare I say, ideal. That might lead some to suggest removing the sheepsfoot but for me, that's the exact draw of the knife. I love the clip and sheepsfoot combo.

I think I'd like a Cattle pattern or some of the others that offer this combination but I prefer stainless soooo... My quest for the ideal combination of these blades continues. :)
 
Last edited:
My ideal stockman has a punch in place of the spey, like the Case 6318PU, because I find I almost never use the spey. Come to think of it, I rarely even use the punch, so I guess my ideal stockman is the 2018 forum knife, a Buck 303 with just the clip and sheepsfoot.

Even better is the Hawbaker, with a full-length sheepsfoot, but those are expensive and hard to find, so my ideal stockman would have to be the Rough Rider Improved Muskrat.

EC8687A8-86C3-4731-913E-4B690AA6075E.jpeg 8F33B2DA-C8C8-45A3-A3F7-A902364AE18D.jpeg
 
The original poster's questions have been answered, I think, and now we've moved on to stating criteria for our own ideal stockman patterns (perhaps hoping to "convert" the OP? ;)).

My ideal stockman should have round bolsters, a low-riding sheepsfoot (with its tip nestled BELOW the top of the liners), and sunk joints (or nearly so). One example, though not from Case, is the US-made Schrade 897UH (thanks, Dean). It has the slender clip blade,
XROR3i9.jpg

but just admire that svelte profile!
YJPiIhM.jpg


Another stockman pattern I'm drawn to is actually the sowbelly stockman. It has a regular clip blade, but almost sunk joints, and an incredibly attractive shape. Here's a jigged bone example from Rough Rider:
vSTDZ3n.jpg


XYJk3Wc.jpg


- GT
 
The original poster's questions have been answered, I think, and now we've moved on to stating criteria for our own ideal stockman patterns (perhaps hoping to "convert" the OP? ;)).

My ideal stockman should have round bolsters, a low-riding sheepsfoot (with its tip nestled BELOW the top of the liners), and sunk joints (or nearly so). One example, though not from Case, is the US-made Schrade 897UH (thanks, Dean). It has the slender clip blade,
XROR3i9.jpg

but just admire that svelte profile!
YJPiIhM.jpg


Another stockman pattern I'm drawn to is actually the sowbelly stockman. It has a regular clip blade, but almost sunk joints, and an incredibly attractive shape. Here's a jigged bone example from Rough Rider:
vSTDZ3n.jpg


XYJk3Wc.jpg


- GT
I also have that same sow belly by rough rider.Feels good in hand and during use.Also rides in pocket well.It's a very very good example of stockman pattern.Ans the rr is 3 3/4 closed where others are at 4 inches closed.
 
I agree Will. I have a Case Medium Stockman (square bolster) 6344 and it has the clip blade that I think the OP is after and on this one, the sheepsfoot doesn't sit too proud. And given it's size, I don't really grip it too tightly so I don't notice it much. But on my Large Stockman 10375 it sits up quite high and the "hump" digs into my middle finger. It's frustrating as the size of this knife lends itself to a little harder use but that high-riding sheepsfoot precludes me from bearing down much at all. I've even been pondering rounding it but not sure there's enough there to accomplish what I want and not compromise the blade/nick. If I open the sheepsfoot along with the clip, the grip is fantastic, dare I say, ideal. That might lead some to suggest removing the sheepsfoot but for me, that's the exact draw of the knife. I love the clip and sheepsfoot combo.

I think I'd like a Cattle pattern or some of the others that offer this combination but I prefer stainless soooo... My quest for the ideal combination of these blades continues. :)

I certainly hear you about the high rider Sheepfoot on a bigger Stockman, gives a very awkward in hand feel, for me anyway.

You might like to consider the GEC 35 Churchill (bottom knife) that has a very good sized Clip master and Sheepfoot secondary all on one spring.

AYPCN7q.jpg


If you want Clip/Sheepfoot combo in stainless then look no further than the 2018 Forum Knife from Buck in Elk or the 2015 Forum Knife from Canal St. in Bocote, Shadow.

Even take a look at the recent GEC 82 Skinner, a 2 blade, Clip/Wharncliffe single spring knife derived from their 82 Dixie Stockman pattern.
 
Last edited:
The Buck 301/303 "solve" the high riding sheep's foot by their blade configuration.Their spey ic on the master clip end.Where most put the master and sheep's foot on same end,gives a way different feel.That's a dividing line from the older Camillus contracted 300 series to when they switched to in house construction
 
The Buck 301/303 "solve" the high riding sheep's foot by their blade configuration.Their spey ic on the master clip end.Where most put the master and sheep's foot on same end,gives a way different feel.That's a dividing line from the older Camillus contracted 300 series to when they switched to in house construction

Thank you.
 
I am partial to the Case large stockman myself.
I also love my GEC 98 texas cattle knives.
Ideal for me would be a GEC 98 Texas cattle knife with four blades. Clip, sheepsfoot, spey and punch.
Who knows....maybe one day
 
Lots of good info here. Thank you all.

For you folk that do not like 3 spring Stockman knives, why is that? I am learning as I explore here.

I have 2 Tidioute Calf Ropers, 3.5" closed with 2 springs. Both of them have a weak spring for the sheepfoot and spey blades. The same for a Queen. And several Cases.

The Case with 3 springs has a noticeably stronger spring, though I would not say it is very strong. The sheepfoot and spey blades are thinner at the hinge than a common spring arrangement but they do not feel flexible. I would think that since those blades are not bent or asymmetricaly tapered in order to overlap they would tend to be more stable during hard use.

It does seem as if the 2 spring configuration is slighty narrower overall.
 
Some folks don't like the thickness of the three spring knives. Personaly I like em, but they are rare.
 
Back
Top