Thrifty Thursday... Cheap Traditional Knives

Looks like I missed last week and didn't even realize it until now! o_O

This week I'll post a canoe that was usually listed by sellers as "XYZ Brand canoe". The tang stamp (HCOA LTD) and the shield suggest "Handyman Collectors of America" and the etch (and "velvet" bag in which the canoe arrived within its box) mentions "America's Trades" (although the pile side tang stamp is CHINA). It's a very solid canoe, as far as I can tell, and used to be sold for low single-digit dollars.
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- GT
 
Thrif-T Thursday specials for today:
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2 thrifties
COLT CT609 Canoe.
Rough Rider RR1569 Moose (I don't know what the Colt number was.) EDIT: I asked SMKW. A web search confirmed: The COLT model number was CT572
Black G-10 covers, Ti Coated T-10 blades.
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(The Moose was originally a Colt offering. The Colt Black G-10/Ti Coated T-10 series (and a couple others; the "Buckshot Bone" Series, for one.) were moved to the Rough Rider line in 2015, when COLT exited the cutlery market.)
 
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I sometimes wonder how many of us would never have experienced the joy of holding our own pocketknife in our hand as a kid, if it wasn't for thrifty Imperial and Colonial knives. Pitting, staining, and a slight bit of shrinkage aside, this is a solid little knife - with half stops. It walks. It talks. It cuts. And in my book, it even looks good. Made in U.S.A. too.

This Colonial jackknife has been in my pocket, off & on, for the past 3-4 weeks while I polish it up a bit. It's coming along nicely.
Also posted in the Colonial Knife Co Providence R.I. thread.Colonial Knife Co Providence R.I.

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DirtDawg said:
That white handled Jack in the bottom of yur photo looks lot like the Colonial I just posted. Good lookin' outfit.
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It’s actually yellow - just poor light in the photo. The knife is unbranded, but the USA stamp on the main blade looks much like the one on the pen blade of yours, and overall construction looks the same. The blades on mine are only ground on one side. I always assumed it was made by Colonial or Imperial.
 
Just Tom. said:
It’s actually yellow - just poor light in the photo. The knife is unbranded, but the USA stamp on the main blade looks much like the one on the pen blade of yours, and overall construction looks the same. The blades on mine are only ground on one side. I always assumed it was made by Colonial or Imperial.
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Yes, mine has a yellow tinge to it too. Blades ground one side only... Hmm, that sound like how some of The Ideal knives were made. I couldn't say if Colonial ever made any that way or not. Not to say that Imperial hasn't made them that way, but I don't recall having seen any Imperials of that blade grind. Oh well, good lookin' knife, no matter.
 
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I've missed a couple weeks here! Here are two thrifty knives that came today to make up for lost time.

Some of these late Camillus knives are just a steal. I don't think this hawk ever cut anything and the blade etch is really cool. Channel lock is straight up the interstate and I've been using their pliers since I was a wee dude.

On the MAM, I did shell out two extra dollars for the oak handle and lock, so not entirely thrifty.
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A while back I was trying to fill the small work fixed blade role and bought two thrifty knives. One was a rough rider leather stacked skinner and one was this marbles small skinner.

I'll give you a rundown on the rough rider next week, but it is not a knife. It's a piece of mild steel kinda shaped like one. Completely opposite from their fantastic folders.

This Marbles, on the other hand, is a perfectly good, attractive and well built knife.
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The leather stacked handle is nicely done and all the pieces and parts are finished well enough. The mirror polished blade has some jimling and originally had a blade etch but it was removed when I sanded off the mirror polish.

The leather sheath is some sort of highly processed leather product. It is sturdy but I haven't really beat it up too much to give it a good test.

The steel is generically listed as stainless, but it SEEMS like decent enough 440 or equivalent. Holds an edge just fine.

It's about 7 5/8" overall. Guard to tip is 3 3/4". Width of blade is between 5/8 and 3/4. Blade stock looks like 1/8". Maybe a hair under.

For $15-$20 you can't go wrong.
 
Just Tom. said:
Thrifty and hardworking - 2 things nobody has ever accused ME of being 🤣
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Tom, you showed that Klein in another thread and I set off to find one. It's bigger and badder than their normal little coping knife. Thank you for that. Nothing better than a good heavy sheepsfoot.

Managed to find a wrecker with an "S-2" tang stamp and got it all apart yesterday. Work in progress. Got it all de-rustified yesterday.

Klein is definitely a good, thrifty choice for a hardworking knife.

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RickHuf said:
Tom, you showed that Klein in another thread and I set off to find one. It's bigger and badder than their normal little coping knife. Thank you for that. Nothing better than a good heavy sheepsfoot.

Managed to find a wrecker with an "S-2" tang stamp and got it all apart yesterday. Work in progress. Got it all de-rustified yesterday.

Klein is definitely a good, thrifty choice for a hardworking knife.

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It’s definitely a beast - I can’t wait to see what you do with it. Are you going to get rid of the liner lock or keep it?
 
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