Best Old School Pocket Knife? Who would it be?

D

djmundle

Joined
Aug 26, 2006
Messages
47
Hello Everyone,

I imagine that most of us started out with some type of old school pocket knife as our first. Would that have been an Uncle Henry, Old Timer, Buck, or Case. I imagine that they were all U.S.A. made at that time. I had a pocket knife as my first knife and I would say that this old pocket knife holds a special place in my heart as much as my latest Benchmade or whatever brand of tactical knives many of use carry today. I am not suggesting that the tactical versions don't offer a more unique feel but do they offer the daily carrier a more useful knife. We as knife carriers don't use our knives in a tactical role but we carry them to open a package or just cut something if needed throughout our day.

I would like to know what brand of pocket knife would you carry or do you carry today? What model and if you've got a photo post it.

My favorite knife would be the Old Case my Dad gave me. He carried it everyday and that is more important to me that any expensive tactical knife I own.

Thanks for the sharing of your experiences!
 
Schrade carbon steel stockman. I have several. Used to carry them when I worked in a warehouse. Nice knives.
 
When it comes to traditional folders, I've found Opinel to deliver a great knife for the money. I carry my 06 Opinel very frequently.
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djmundle said:
I would like to know what brand of pocket knife would you carry or do you carry today? What model and if you've got a photo post it.
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I'm partial to, in alphabetical order, Boker, Buck, Canal Street, Case, Great Eastern, and Queen. There are lots of good traditional knives being currently produced. I'm particularly partial to stockman knives such as those below.
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Forum member MINK.

Great Queen knife. I remember having a Barlow styled knife as a kid. What a great all purpose knife.
Great chose for a EDC.

Thanks for the comment and pic.
 
There are so many old brands that are no longer around. I like old knives. I have a fair number of custom ones, but the more I look around the more I see knives built 50-100 years ago that are far better than anything many makers can produce today. So I often carry a old knife; because that's what they were made for.

Get away from the Case/Buck/Gerber (etc) of the last 20 years (although they do make good knives) and see what true American/Old World craftmanship produced. The knives were cleaner, sleeker, better fitted, and just plain nicer than anything the factories kick out now days.

When was the last time you saw sunken joints on a factory knife? Blades fitted so close they don't leave room for a piece of paper between them and yet they don't rub? Thin blades you can bend 45% (or more) and they don't set or break? There was a time when this was common.

Here's a Robeson from the 1950's. Notice how nice and low the blades are when it's folded? Not a single sharp edge is exposed unless you open it up.

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Here's a Wadsworth that flat out blows away the stuff you'll find in todays shops:

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This little Federal is not much thicker than a Half-Dollar piece (remember those?) and yet it has two good blades.

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These names are not familier? I'll bet you Grandfather would recognize them. Back in the days when every boy carried a knife there were a lot of world class companies out there. Like this Remington:

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A lot ofthe names were contracted (built buy one company with another name on them). But every kid knew names like Keen-Kutter, Primble, New York Knife, Queen (the old one), etc. Pocket knives have been built in this country for over 200 years. picking a company to represent that history shouldn't be limited to just those still in existance. Thank God the products lasted longer than the makers, and let's all strive to do as well.
 
For me, a small two or three blade knife gets the job done. Can't choose between an old Camillus carbon steel peanut or an Old Timer 34OT. While I prefer the size of the peanut, there's just so much knife in the 34OT, not to mention that wonderful sheepsfoot blade.
 
The congress pattern knife is a very old pattern, useful in the office, for cutting cigar ends and a chew from a plug of tobacco. That is probably why another name it goes under is tobacco knife. The curved handle facilitates an "edge towards you" cut. Levine claims it is primarly a southern pattern though President Lincoln died with a six bladed congress knife in his pocket. http://cutlerynewsjournal.wordpress...knife-and-the-president-of-the-united-states/

I think the 5474 pattern the most useful, the pen knife blade I most often use opening envelopes, the spear point for coring apples, the sheepsfoot for cutting leather . The 5974 pattern is about as useful. Boker USA knives go up to the end of the 60’s, the Boker Soligen period after that. These are all high carbon steel blades and take an outstanding edge. Current Boker chinese congress knives are indistinguishable from chinese Rough Riders so I would advise not paying three times more for the brand name.

50’s-60's Boker Bone Handle 5974 Congress

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1960’s Boker Delrin Handle 5947 Congress

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70’s Boker Solingen 5474 Congress

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My favorite is my grandpa's old 112. the blade is so loose I can open it with a flick of my wrist, and it locks up with almost no blade play.
 
My first old school pocket knife was a Victorinox boyscouts of america knife. I'm not sure what model it was. I haven't seen the thing in years. Im pretty sure my dad has it somewhere. Victorinox continues to be my favorite too as well. I end up using one of them over my Spyderco Paramilitary 2 most of the time as well.
I want to get a few case knives sometime as well. There is a few styles that I like.
 
Buck 110 has to be that knife, or if you want to go older (more traditional) anything from Case/GEC(Northwoods)
 
I went through high school with an Uncle Henry Trapper in my pocket.

I am 70, but this is one old timer who isn't nostalgic about the old patterns. I think that today's knives are superior in design, steel, and locking mechanisms. My current EDC is a LionSteel SR 2 when a smaller knife is appropriate and the larger SR 1 for jeans carry.
 
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