Looking for highish-end stockman

H

Hair

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Nov 9, 2005
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I am looking for a quality stockman. The steel must be good, and the scales should preferably be jigged bone with a nice natural color to it (but stag or figured wood are acceptable- not interested in mother of pearl, plastic, or abalone).

I want it to be the normal size for a stockman. Not a mini-stockman, and not a novelty-large one. I think about 3 inches is right.

$100-$200 please. If there are any standouts under $100 that have good fit and finish, please suggest them, but I would like my stockman to be fairly high-end-ish (I know there are many that go far beyond $200).

I have looked around but to my surprise finding a jigged bone stockman that appears to be quality yet is below $200 is tough. At least for someone that isn't knowledgable about slipjoints.

I am mainly into modern folders, so most of my high-end knives ($100-$800)are modern folders. I would like to expand my collection of higher-end knives (my less-expensive knives already show a ton of variety, but now I would like to carry that variety into my top drawer of knives). I already have a nice Queen Stag D2 Toothpick, but I'd like a nice stockman as well. I already have a couple Buck slipjoints (both of the Chinese wood-handled variety and the American plastic-handled variety) and would like something higher-end than that- especially in terms of the handle material. But I am not yet ready to spend more than $200 on a slipjoint since I am not really *that* into them.... yet. If you have a really standout suggestion about $200 that really fits my criteria, feel free to suggest it. Also, if there are any stockman with jigged bone under $100 that really look and feel nice and are a great brgain, feel free to suggest them too. I don't want it to look or feel cheap, though. My Queen is just barely above my "feels too cheap" line to make it into my "top drawer" (where all the knives want to go LOL)

My Queen was only $50, and I am happy with it, but I am willing to spend a bit more to get something a bit nicer.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hair said:
I want it to be the normal size for a stockman. ... I think about 3 inches is right.
Click to expand...

3 inches seems mighty small to be considered "normal size for a stockman."
 
Canal Street Cutlery makes a pretty nice little knife. I believe the steel is 420HC. A 3 1/4 stockman in bone and a 4 incher in stag, I think. I haven't handled the stockman but I do have the stag whittler and it is nice one.
 
three inches is a "junior" stockman, or a small stockman.
3 1/2'' to 3 5/8'' is a normal size, with 3 3/4'' and above large or very large IMO. A case 6318 or 6347 would be correct in size, but likely not high-end enough for you, unless you were buying an old one. A Case XX in nice redbone is a high end knife, in pure traditional handmade style, rarely seen in modern knives. I think that calls for a new thread!
 
waynorth said:
A case 6318 or 6347 would be correct in size,
Click to expand...

The 6347 is a 3 7/8" is that right? Like you I take it that 3 7/8" to 4 1/4" is a large stockman.
 
I am looking for 3 1/2'' to 3 5/8'' then. I just guessed ast the three inches by looking at my Buck stockman.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Schatt & Morgan makes some patterns in the size and quality you're looking for.
They're not pure traditional stockmans, but close enough.

Check out, for example, their Railsplitter. One great dealer is

www.cumberlandknifeworks.com

Wildcat Driller, and Reverse Gunstock too.

I guess you know that Schatt & Morgan is Queen's "premium" line, for
lack of a better word at the moment.
 
Here's the way I have always thought of stockman patterns:

Under 3 1/2 "Junior"
3 1/2 to 3 7/8 "Regular" or "Medium"
3 7/8 to 4 "Premium" or "Large"
Over 4 "Jumbo" or "Cattle King"
 
I think your list is more precise than mine, TLC.
I never liked that "cattle king" name much though. I prefer to use the term "cattle" with a Cattle knife, an equal ender. Also, it's one of my favorite patterns.
 
The Railsplitter stockman from Queen/Schatt & Morgan is my favorite pattern. You can see the full line at cumberlandknifeworks.com as indicated above. It's 3 5/8 closed. The price varies from about $80 (jigged bone) to about $110 (sambar stag).

You might check out Moore Maker as well. The bone and stag handled versions are made by Queen, and are very high quality. Also, the blades are 1095 carbon steel as opposed to 420HC which is what most Schatt & Morgan's have.

If you're willing to spend up to $200, there's very little among production slipjoints that's out of your range. Above that you're talking custom for the most part.

Glad to see you're exploring traditional slipjoints, Hair. :thumbup:
 
www.cumberlandknifeworks.com has a lot of great options. The sites I was looking at don't have as good of a slipjoint selection as Cumberland Knifeworks. I guess I was a little out of the loop on that one since I don't visit here often enough. I am still open to suggestions, but I have already found a few knives there are fit the bill nicely.

Thanks all.
 
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