I know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but to me your pictures of your 97 always show that it is a beautiful knife Dylan . Keep carrying it in good health my friend .
Harry
Thank you very much, Harry.
I've been following this thread with interest, partly because I think that the 97's are a beautiful knife to look at - although I'm resisting purchasing due to my self-imposed size limit.
Must...resist...big...honkin'...knives.
What makes it hard to resist, and another reason to follow is Dylan's
Pàdruig
photo skills! I leave this thread thinking I just might wanna reconsider my knife decision - and for some reason maybe breaking out some Lagavulin, Laphroaig, or maybe a Harpoon IPA.
Thank you for the kind words, my friend. It has been an immense pleasure sharing my experiences thus far - at least with those who are inclined to read. I can understand the size of the knife being a significant deterrent - I remember that being the case when these were first produced but like others have said, it carries smaller than it looks. Additionally, once the knife has been flushed and broken in, it is a real pleasure.
My maroon micarta came in a few days ago. Bought as a direct result of this thread. Absolutely zero regrets. It’s gorgeous and, despite its size, carries quite well. The spring tension on my example is a 5 if a typical SAK is a 6, with excellent snap, walk & talk. Also, this is far and away the sharpest factory edge I’ve ever received on a GEC.
The 97 is a total sleeper in my opinion. I’m glad they’re still on the shelves because I want to snag an ebony next. I will not post any pics to this thread so as not to muddy the OP (plus my pics are terrible), but my goodness it’s a pretty knife.
I am thrilled that these can still be found on shelves. It is one of the few GEC patterns where one has the luxury of being able to satisfy their curiosity without having to scramble for fear of missing out. If I remember correctly, the #97 run was particularly large - being an open order, there were a lot of pieces ordered by dealers. That is really good for those of us who are quite late to the party.
Please don't be shy about posting pics here - one of the purposes of this thread is to provide a place for fellow enthusiasts to share their experiences with this pattern.
Suggestion: Leave the 97 locked up in your vehicle or at home when you go in for Grand Jury duty.
Security with their walk through metal detector won't let you take it to the courtroom, conference room, or whatever that the case(s) are being heard. They may confiscate it, and not give it back at the end of the day.
(It would not surprise me in the least of one of the security who confiscated it drooped it into his pocket, after you are out of sight.)
I appreciate the words of caution. Interestingly enough, I live in a pretty rural county and COVID has everything a bit out of sorts. When I first reported for Grand Jury selection, I emptied my pockets of all bladed instruments, expecting to have to go through a metal detector or at least be searched/wanded. I was rather surprised when I was simply directed to sit in the court room and wait for the judge... After I was "fortunate" enough to be selected as a juror, we've been meeting once a week and will continue to do so until our two month term of service is over. We've been convening in an improvised conference room for the sake of maintaining some level of distancing - no bother about pocket knives at all.
Anyone know what the yellow rose 97 has for a pull strength? I can live with a 5-6, but a 4 would be a no go for me.
I can't help you with that specific one - yet... Before this experiment is over, I will have acquired every single 97 variant except for 2 or 3 hard to get ones that I will continue to hunt down. However, that said, I'll see if I can't assist you a bit in your decision:
I, personally, think it is difficult to compare the #97 to a SAK - for a couple of reasons. 1.) The 97 has a half stop where the SAK does not and 2.) The 97 is considerably larger than the SAK - which I think factors into the "feel" of things. After flushing my 97 and breaking it in with use and such, I would say that in terms of how it compares to a SAK, they are close - with the SAK being a touch heavier (not worth a full point difference, mind you - they are really close). However, the 97 is silky smooth and snaps with good authority into the open and closed positions - it is a satisfaction that I cannot get with a SAK, if I am being honest with myself.
Ultimately though, it never hurts to try and now is a better time than any before they become scarce and the prices subsequently inflated.
