What is good today in a "modern" Large Stockman?

S

Sid Post

Joined
Oct 14, 1998
Messages
4,706
I like the Victorinox folders but, not their soft blades. A Large Stockman is the one that attracts me right now. I want to avoid carbon blades too. While I want a good stainless steel, I also don't need or require a "super" steel either. Something like the Sandvik series of blade steels seems to be a sweet spot for me on the lower end of the options.

What are the basic price points of good, better, and best slip-joint Large Stockman these days? I don't want to break any rules regarding offsite vendors and similar things but, any recommendations for where to look and what to shop for will be appreciated!

I am typically shopping in the $50~$100 range but, the old "Rough Riders" seemed like good options for ~$25 a few years ago and, with inflation today, I may need to save up a bit longer to move upscale in my price range. Any slip-joint needs to be "safe" to use (no subpar construction) and the blades need good blade geometry and reasonable edge retention for appropriate "non-locking" pocket knife tasks. I surf fish so, carbon blades are a pretty hard no with better stainless options being preferred but, I also am not looking for exotic blade materials for saltwater use either!

TIA,
Sid
 
Buck 301 is American made with 420hc stainless and I personally love their stainless.

Buck 371 is the more economically priced, overseas made version, also in stainless and a nice knife in its own right.

Both about 4" closed.


The case large stockman is available in stainless and I've never had a complaint about their SS. It's a large for sure at 4.125". Definitely enough knife for any job. Lots of cover options.
 
SAK cutting blades are "soft", yet you like Sandvik stainless? 😳
I "thought" Victorinox (and Wenger, before taken over by Victorinox) used Sandvik, at least for the cutting blades, on all their Swiss Army Knives. 🤔

Rough Rider/Ryder still uses 440A with a good heat treat in their various RR stainless knives, and IMHO are still worth the asking price ... if not more.

Have you considered an offshore Schrade Old Timer 858OT (7CR15MoV ("440A equivalent" blade steel) or 858OTB (9CR18MoV "440C Equivalent" blade steel)? Both have an excellent heat treat. Mine will take and hold my preferred 10 degree per side/20 degree inclusive edge angle.

The Buck 301 is a good choice. Be aware that Buck runs their 425HC a point or two harder than Case runs theirs. (Case "True Sharp" is 425HC.)

If used is a viable option, a pre-2004 4" or larger Schrade+ bladed (440A) Schrade/Old Timer/Uncle Henry and/or Imperial Frontier DOUBLE EAGLE, or Stainless Camillus stockman would be a good choice. (Note: Only the Frontier Double Eagle was stainless. The regular Frontier were carbon steel.)
A Western USA S-742 stockman (Make sure the tang stamp is "S742" if you want stainless. The 742 without the"S" has their fantastic 1095 blades.)
I don't know if Western used 440A, 420HC, 425, or some other stainless, before the Coleman buy-out.
Any with a date code ("A" to "J") or a "Western USA" or "Western Colorado" or "Western States" tang stamp are pre-Coleman, later Camillus ownership.
 
Last edited:
If you can get a good one, I think the Case '75 4 1/4" stockman is tops in this area, in terms of hand feel and size. The sticky wicket is getting a good one.

Cold Steel makes this forgotten fellow - https://www.coldsteel.com/stockman/?searchid=3597773&search_query=stockman . It's pretty nice, it inhabits a space between the Case 75 and Schrade Lumberjack to me, really strong feeling folder. The downsize is the scales are pretty square, and there's an extreme amount of "billboarding" on the knife. It has double shields, plus a lot of CS stuff. Also, the handles aren't bone, but sawcut delrin.

The new Schrade Lumberjacks in bone are actually decent at their $25-30 street price point - https://www.theoldtimer.com/genuine...prefn1=knifeType&prefv1=Folding Knife&start=1 .

They've gotten a little hard to find, but I'd honestly consider them 90+% of the quality the old ones were. I think people would be kinder to them if Schrade and China didn't come into the picture. Also the sheepsfoot blade on it is very ugly, like an edged rectangle.

I do have a Rough Rider copy of the IXL jumbo Texas Stock - https://www.roughriderknives.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RR1799.jpg .

Well made, but my hand doesn't like the feel of these, where the sheepfoot sits when folded, etc.....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, you might try Ebay for some old Camillus, Queen, or Schrade stuff. Lots of NIB stuff around at attractive prices.
 
Case's '75 stockman is my favorite, for a few reasons. Their blade geometry is hollow ground and thinner than most any other I've seen, like Buck's 301 or Queen's large stockman. And Case's 420HC blades sharpen up beautifully and easily on most any quality stone, which makes upkeep worry-free. It's true their heat treat takes it a bit less hard at HRC 55-57, as compared to HRC 57-59 for the Buck. But in EDC use, I've not found any significant difference in edge retention between them and Case's thinner edge grinds actually aid in retention of a still useful cutting edge after the apex dulls a little bit.
17r7xbS.jpg


I also have a Buck 301 and I like it. But I needed to thin its edge grinds quite a bit to emulate the cutting performance I've favored in the Case '75. The difference in hardness between Case and Buck, for their 420HC, means the Case will be better off with a medium grit edge finish around 360-400, as with a Norton Fine India, or around 600 as with a Fine DMT diamond hone. It'll hold that edge better than if it were taken to a finer or more polished edge. Great biting 'tooth' in an edge like that, which I'd think would be ideal for a knife used in fishing.

I have one of Queen's older large stockman patterns in D2. Great steel, but notoriously fickle in the methods one might choose for sharpening it. I've always heavily favored a diamond hone for those. But Queen's blade grinds & edge geometry were also notoriously thick & obtuse, which necessitated a lot of thinning/reprofiling to get them cutting well. That was a common complaint among many here who tried their D2 blades.
 
Last edited:
afishhunter said:
SAK cutting blades are "soft", yet you like Sandvik stainless? 😳
Click to expand...
I have had some Sandvik knives in the past with great edge geometry that were heat-treated exceptionally well. I had a much abused 1095 knife that was more rust-resistant than some of my stainless knives due to a mystical heat treat apparently.

Blade steel heat treatment makes a lot of difference, often more than the base metal used if comparing a lesser steel with superior heat treatment to a better steel with a lesser quality heat treatment.

afishhunter said:
I "thought" Victorinox (and Wenger, before taken over by Victorinox) used Sandvik, at least for the cutting blades, on all their Swiss Army Knives. 🤔
Click to expand...
No, I'm pretty sure it was a soft 1.1146 or whatever they call 440A except for their kitchen knives in the "sport" line.

afishhunter said:
Rough Rider/Ryder still uses 440A with a good heat treat in their various RR stainless knives, and IMHO are still worth the asking price ... if not more.

Have you considered an offshore Schrade Old Timer 858OT (7CR15MoV ("440A equivalent" blade steel) or 858OTB (9CR18MoV "440C Equivalent" blade steel)? Both have an excellent heat treat. Mine will take and hold my preferred 10 degree per side/20 degree inclusive edge angle.

The Buck 301 is a good choice. Be aware that Buck runs their 425HC a point or two harder than Case runs theirs. (Case "True Sharp" is 425HC.)

If used is a viable option, a pre-2004 4" or larger Schrade+ bladed (440A) Schrade/Old Timer/Uncle Henry and/or Imperial Frontier DOUBLE EAGLE, or Stainless Camillus stockman would be a good choice. (Note: Only the Frontier Double Eagle was stainless. The regular Frontier were carbon steel.)
A Western USA S-742 stockman (Make sure the tang stamp is "S742" if you want stainless. The 742 without the"S" has their fantastic 1095 blades.)
I don't know if Western used 440A, 420HC, 425, or some other stainless, before the Coleman buy-out.
Any with a date code ("A" to "J") or a "Western USA" or "Western Colorado" or "Western States" tang stamp are pre-Coleman, later Camillus ownership.
Click to expand...

I occasionally search for used knives but, finding the needle in the haystack, or unicorn, is often difficult due to unclear listings and is a search of frustration most times.
 
I missed the stainless preference, so then the Buck 301 is a good option.

A super large internet retailer has Buck 301’s with Delrin covers for $49.00, and if you wait a few months the new Ebony Buck 301 should be available for less than $100.

My Buck 303 in 420 HC is razor blade sharp with that hollow grind.

Delrin and 420 HC is pretty indestructible especially with the one piece bolsters and liner construction Buck uses.
 
I'm certainly with Obsessed with Edges Obsessed with Edges with edges here, I go for CASE 75 for the reasons he points out- he knows a lot about cutting abilities too :cool::) Buck knives are fine, but the sabre type blades are not for everybody.

The CASE 75 is easy to find, perhaps you have a physical knife shop near you to examine one? I know of a good dealer on the Bay but can't mention him here and you don't have the messaging option. Interestingly , CASE offer this pattern in a wide range of scales including Micarta which might suit your demands/needs ? Don't forget durable and visible Yellow Delrin either.

1749157097076.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Will Power said:
I'm certainly with Obsessed with Edges Obsessed with Edges with edges here, I go for CASE 75 for the reasons he points out- he knows a lot about cutting abilities too :cool::) Buck knives are fine, but the sabre grind is not for everybody's taste.

The CASE 75 is easy to find, perhaps you have a physical knife shop near you to examine one? I know of a good dealer on the Bay but can't mention him here and you don't have the messaging option. Interestingly , CASE offer this pattern in a wide range of scales including Micarta which might suit your demands/needs ? Don't forget durable and visible Yellow Delrin either.

View attachment 2893219
Click to expand...

Saber grind on a pocket slip-joint ... 🤮

Delrin and I have had some differences in the past with early cracks and failures from pocket carry so, not a top pick for me.

No knife stores other than Walmart near me so, I must rely on people like users here to make an informed decision.
 
Will Power said:
I'm certainly with Obsessed with Edges Obsessed with Edges with edges here, I go for CASE 75 for the reasons he points out- he knows a lot about cutting abilities too :cool::) Buck knives are fine, but the sabre grind is not for everybody's taste.

The CASE 75 is easy to find, perhaps you have a physical knife shop near you to examine one? I know of a good dealer on the Bay but can't mention him here and you don't have the messaging option. Interestingly , CASE offer this pattern in a wide range of scales including Micarta which might suit your demands/needs ? Don't forget durable and visible Yellow Delrin either.

View attachment 2893219
Click to expand...

Where have you seen a saber grind on a Buck 301? Every one I have seen is hollow ground. Unless you go all the way back to the 80’s or earlier when they were flat ground.
 
1000001577.jpg
Here's my Canvas Micarta 75 after nearly 1½ years of riding in my pocket organizer almost daily. I'd wager the 75 can outwork most slipjoints and more than its fair share of locking folders.
 

Attachments

  • 20250605_182242.jpg
    20250605_182242.jpg
    370.9 KB · Views: 2
L lambertiana Naturally, you are correct, I was using the term wrongly. However, as Hickory n steel Hickory n steel points out this was my foundation for saying it; the blades on Buck Stockman being non krinked and having 3 springs are suited to having thick stock. This gives the appearance of a kind of scandi or sabre blade and is very apparent on the smaller models. This kind of arrangement is not to everybody's taste-they are all brass free though so this is a plus point where corrosion may impact.

I like the Yellow Delrin models very much, pity they stopped, and use this 303 as my car-knife. It's a sturdy little knife, thick and the 5 pull suits those seeking light springs. But it's no great slicer, too thick and small.

1749206560802.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top