Recommend a good folding knife for farmer

C

Cyo

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Apr 13, 2009
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I have a good friend who has a birthday soon. He's basically a farmer. He does small scale organic farming/gardening so I want to get him a good tool he can easily carry and use. (He's not like a big commercial farmer--doesn't work on tractors--but does stuff like pruning, setting up trellis, cutting twine, ties etc.) Price range is under $100. I'm sure he's not going to be big on sharpening but certainly knows how to use a steel on his kitchen knives so he could do similar on this.

Ideas?
 
Absolutely a sodbuster. When I think of farmers, I think sodbuster :)
 
X3 on the case sodbuster, but I prefer the Jr as it's more pocket friendly and they don't come with a sheath.

However for the price you could get him a full sized sodbuster ( classic yellow delrin scales and cv blade cost less than 30$ ) and buy a simple leather belt sheath for it.
I'm sure one of the talented leather workers here could make a simple leather sheath for a reasonable price.
 
Buck 110, 112, 500, 501. Or a Case large or medium stockman or trapper.
 
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CA...kentucky-bluegrass-bone-sod-buster-jr-6137-ss

The case sodbusters would be a nice gift for sure

Or a hawkbill style blade because of the shape they are great for pruning and such.

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CA...onestag-hawkbill-pruner-4-18-closed-651011-ss

You also said that he is not big on sharpening or taking care of it to much a spyderco tasman salt in the hawkbill config would be a great choice because there is no way in hell it will rust.

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SP...ife-h1-plain-hawkbill-blade-black-frn-handles
 
Buck 102 (cocobolo) Woodsman; 4" is a good round-a-bout size, and classic bos/buck 420hc is tough w/ a solid warranty to back it. Buck rugged with just enough elegance in the wood handle, it's a good money purchase for anyone as a nice but not too nice gift.
Plus for the money Buck has one of the best leather sheaths available.
+ a $15 Boker Miner: basically a decent 3" pruning knife with a decent steel at a good price.

At Knifeworks.com you can grab both for $75, you can get the 102 engraved and add in a matching Boker Congress knife, (for yourself or him), and you get 4 more blades, still right at budget.
 
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If he wants a traditional to slip into his pocket that can double as a great work knife, but also has some heritage behind it. Look for a GEC #38 Orchard!

It was designed to be a great gardening knife, but it also works out great as an EDC option and is one of the best at opening packages.
Great for birthdays!
 
NJBillK said:
If he wants a traditional to slip into his pocket that can double as a great work knife, but also has some heritage behind it. Look for a GEC #38 Orchard!

It was designed to be a great gardening knife, but it also works out great as an EDC option and is one of the best at opening packages.
Great for birthdays!
Click to expand...

I like the look of the GEC and think that would be a good choice. To be honest any of the knives you all have said would be a good choice.
 
Just sent a message to Cyo stating that they can still be found for under $90 if you look rather quickly.
 
I have lived on a farm my whole life. I would go one of two ways.
1 - Real Steel Sea Eagle Carbon fiber scales for a folder and a Mora Stainless steel fixed blade(Or Schrade 5 inch blade Frontier 1095 steel If he want a tough beefy knife) For a fixed blade

2 - Ontario Rat 1 folding knife and one of those fixed blades above.

They are both fantastic choices IMHO. Personally I like the Real Steel Sea Eagle a lot!! Can't go wrong with either though!
 
I think a Great Eastern Cutlery #47 would be a good choice. Check out the GEC models. A lot to choose from.
 
If he's going to do a lot of cutting for non-organic stuff like 10-gallon bleach bottles, large PET bottles, pvc pipes, even aluminum and copper, it had better be a fixed or a tough folder. My backyard gardener friend has to routinely cut open 5-gallon PET bottles and those are tough. I recommended a buck 110 which he considered too expensive.
 
If you're a good buddy, you'd get him an Opinel 13, 23" long baby.

I just got one for myself actually. It's big and can probably cut heads. Always wanted one, so scooped it up when it came up for $50. Still new in box too. It's my birthday! Nah, it's not, still. Yeah, me
 
If he's not big on sharpening GEC is a terrible choice. I gave up on them because they couldn't hold an edge. If he's doing farm work he's going to have to sharpen a GEC daily, probably more.

If it were me, I'd get him a Spyderco Manix 2.
 
Hey cyo sent ya a pm letting you know I have both large and jr sod busters. Agian if ya never owned one you can borrow mine to see if it's something he might like. When done just ship back just let me know
 
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