The $100 Traditional Knife Collection—2019 Edition

[gaj999]

To be fair to you, a statement’s falsehood doesn’t necessarily make it a heresy.

No it doesn't. Heresy is thinking for oneself. The rightness or wrongness of the thoughts are irrelevant.

 

[5K Qs]

Greg, thanks for "re-booting" this idea; I enjoy reading other folks' thoughts on the question, and it's fun to think about what my current answer would be.

I'd have no objections to sticking with the 2 options I suggested 3 years ago, except for the fact that prices have increased in the intervening years (my description of how I actually spent my first $100 in the thread 3 years ago was based on purchases made more than 5 years ago). So I'd have to decide how to shrink the sets of knives I proposed in the original thread. But I certainly support the idea of spending the available money on a variety of "American" traditional pocket knife patterns from Rough Ryder to get samples of many types of traditional knives to try.

But for this new thread I'll go a different direction to reflect what has become an important part of my knife holdings. I'm very glad to have several knives from outside the USA that I think of as inexpensive work knives. So I did a little research on current prices and put together a list comprised of several such knives. Of course I also feel an obligation to proselytize for the canoe and sowbelly stockman patterns, so I included an example of each.
France: Opinel #7 ~$12.50


Germany: Mercator Black Cat ~$25.50


Japan: small Higonokami ~$12.50


Portugal: 4" MAM sheepsfoot ~7.00


South Africa: Okapi Baby Sable ~$9.00


Spain: 3.25" Joker Horn ~13.50


That's $80 so far (and you could do some "trading" such as pay a few dollars more for a linerlock MAM Iberica in place of the MAM sheepsfoot, but spend a few dollars less for an Okapi Biltong instead of the Baby Sable; or you could get a Douk-Douk instead of the Opinel for about $8.50 more).

I'd then add a Chinese Imperial sowbelly stockman for $8.50 and a Chinese Imperial canoe for $8.00. That brings my total to about $96.50, and I'd use the remaining $3.50 as "seed money" for saving up for the $16 Vic Recruit I'd get next.



- GT

 

[dsutton24]

Easy...

 

[Storm 8593]

You're a man who knows what he likes I see Mr Sutton

 

[Storm 8593]

Feeling quite jealous of these low prices I see posted here. In nz , I'm generally looking at around double, and the shipping is sometimes more than the knife !
Anyhow, I'd be picking and opinel no. 9 $40 ,for single blade food / larger slicing jobs , and a victorinox tinker $45 for everyday utility

 

[WhittlinAway]

Greg, thanks for "re-booting" this idea; I enjoy reading other folks' thoughts on the question, and it's fun to think about what my current answer would be.

I'd have no objections to sticking with the 2 options I suggested 3 years ago, except for the fact that prices have increased in the intervening years (my description of how I actually spent my first $100 in the thread 3 years ago was based on purchases made more than 5 years ago). So I'd have to decide how to shrink the sets of knives I proposed in the original thread. But I certainly support the idea of spending the available money on a variety of "American" traditional pocket knife patterns from Rough Ryder to get samples of many types of traditional knives to try.

But for this new thread I'll go a different direction to reflect what has become an important part of my knife holdings. I'm very glad to have several knives from outside the USA that I think of as inexpensive work knives. So I did a little research on current prices and put together a list comprised of several such knives. Of course I also feel an obligation to proselytize for the canoe and sowbelly stockman patterns, so I included an example of each.
France: Opinel #7 ~$12.50
View attachment 1189636

Germany: Mercator Black Cat ~$25.50
View attachment 1189640

Japan: small Higonokami ~$12.50
View attachment 1189641

Portugal: 4" MAM sheepsfoot ~7.00
View attachment 1189642

South Africa: Okapi Baby Sable ~$9.00
View attachment 1189650

Spain: 3.25" Joker Horn ~13.50
View attachment 1189651

That's $80 so far (and you could do some "trading" such as pay a few dollars more for a linerlock MAM Iberica in place of the MAM sheepsfoot, but spend a few dollars less for an Okapi Biltong instead of the Baby Sable; or you could get a Douk-Douk instead of the Opinel for about $8.50 more).

I'd then add a Chinese Imperial sowbelly stockman for $8.50 and a Chinese Imperial canoe for $8.00. That brings my total to about $96.50, and I'd use the remaining $3.50 as "seed money" for saving up for the $16 Vic Recruit I'd get next.
View attachment 1189652
View attachment 1189658

- GT

A fine collection, GT! Thanks for taking us along on your Grand Tour.

Feeling quite jealous of these low prices I see posted here. In nz , I'm generally looking at around double, and the shipping is sometimes more than the knife !
Anyhow, I'd be picking and opinel no. 9 $40 ,for single blade food / larger slicing jobs , and a victorinox tinker $45 for everyday utility

I hadn't thought about the disparity in prices for the same knife in different countries. Anyone should feel free to use US prices if that'd be more fun.

Still, though, I quite like your plan for a collection. I have an Opinel No. 10 that I take camping and on road trips when I'm not sure the places I'm going to stay will have a properly sharp knife for kitchen use. I bet the No. 9 is just as handy.