Whats your favorite traditional knife brands?

JM2

JM2

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Growing up I had a schrade USA knife, and I aspired to buck and case. These brands have always been the ones I took the most interest in, and cherished when owned. For some reasons they speak to me more than others.

Case was the premium pocket knife brand and Buck was the premier hunting knife. And schrade USA was the do everything working man and boys knives. Cheaper, not as refined, but just as good.

What’s y’all’s favorites?

https://imgur.com/VQSDPPG
 
Current or including the past? Going back I really like the New York Knife Co, Schrade Cutlery Co, and Joseph Rodgers knives. Current production is limited so I guess I will go with Buck and GEC since they are the vast majority of my knives offered by companies still in business.
 
Yeah, current or past only? I tried many current serial manufacturers and found that GEC offers the best aesthetic and quality wise knives.
 
In the past, it was Schrade. Specifically their Old Timer brand.
Currently, it is Case Cutlery. Although I wish they'd bring out newer stuff more often.
Making the exact same knife in 100 different cover materials gets kind of old after a while.
But I do think they make a great pocket knife at a reasonable price... not as good as others, but certainly more affordable.

While I would love to include GEC on the list, at their current prices and availability, I cannot... but they make fantastic pocket knives.
 
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I tend to gravitate toward Case pocket knives and Buck fixed blades.

In the past few years I’ve really become fond of Helle fixed blades.

If we include now defunct companies I would add Schatt& Morgan. I currently only own one and kick myself for letting a few nice stag trappers go a few years back.
 
Don't really have a favorite, but have been trending more Case and Boker. Have more Case than anything else. Liking the more recent Boker Barlow offerings quite a bit, their Integral Copper Barlows have taken it up a notch IMHO.
 
Interesting replies. It’s open as to whether new or old. Schrade USA is no more but still in my rankings, I just buy secondhand.

I guess if moms boyfriend had of had a Randall instead of an uncle Henry 173, and a Queen instead of a case pocket knife, I’d be a Randall and queen nut.

Sure I recognize GEC as great fit and finish. But they are new, they don’t do it for me much. I’d rather have a vintage knife, or atleast with case and buck, a vintage company behind the knife.
 
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I like traditional knives that are still produced by the original makers or their successors, with the intention that they are useful tools that still prove their worth in modern life and have a place in today’s market.

Opinel, Victorinox, MAM, Mora, Cognet, Otter, Okapi, and Pallares all seem to be good examples, maybe Mikov also.

It is OK if the maker produces a variety of styles and materials to appeal to different tastes, or if marketing the aesthetics comes into play, I just don’t like it when collectibility and nostalgia seem to be the primary reasons for the knife’s production.

I don’t want replicas like GEC, or limited runs like Case does, or customs.
 
Don't hate me. Funds are low. ☹️
That I like, but do  not necessarily own:

"Expensive" (new or vintage) and easy to find/buy if/when the funds are available:
Buck (301, 110 folding hunter and pre-1960 110 fixed blade, 112, 103, and a couple of the offshore 37x/38x slipjoints.)
Old Timer/Uncle Henry/Schrade slipjoints and fixed blades
(vintage) Ulster
Anything/everything Sheffield, England and Solingen, Germany.
(vintage) Robeson, /KYKC/Hammer Brand, Utica (Barlow, Stockman, and some toothpicks/fish knives)
Russel (Barlow)
Case

"Affordable"/"Inexpensive" (*working their way up to "expensive" ☹️)
*Rough Rider/Ryder
*Marbles
*Opinel
MAM
*Toferner historical Celtic fixed blades with "as forged" blade finish
Szco/Rite Edge Barlow
SARGE (Barlow, and large stockman)
(vintage) Some (but not) all "US" and "Made in USA" branded slipjoints.
Colonial Barlow, Stockman, (and some military issue slipjoints which are light years away from being "affordable")
Imperial Barlow and Large Stockman (Prov. R.I. or Ireland, with carbon steel blades)
Cold Steel Kudu, Kudu Light, and Eland
Victorinox (some are in the "expensive" category, however.)

Fixed blades:
Old Hickory and Russell Green River with carbon steel blades and wood handle scales.
Ontario 499 and 498
Western L66/W66/F66
Imperial 4~5 inch fixed blade with fake stag or fake jigged bone scales
*Mora (I also like other Puukko's, but they are so far out of my budget, they miteswell be in another galaxy.)
Cold Steel FINN BEAR
 
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Alex.Y. said:
Oh, and of course the Opinel. Affordable, light, warm handle, efficient cutting - an absolute all time classic. But you all know that already. :)
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I don’t, I ain’t had the chance to try one yet.
 
JM2 said:
I don’t, I ain’t had the chance to try one yet.
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😲
Drop $18 on a #8 in carbon steel to experience a true classic.

It may seem very strange at first, coming from the world of American slipjoints - I will be honest and admit I hated the first one I got in 1988, and immediately broke the tip off opening a can with it (I know, I know…). I’m not 100% sure what became of that knife, but a few years ago I got another one and found it to be far more robust than I had remembered.

The very comfortable handle and slicey blade make it excellent for removing lots of material when roughing-in a carving project, stripping bark, etc.

If you don’t like it, throw it in a toolbox or kitchen drawer and use it for things you wouldn’t want to use your EDC for.

DnCnIBN.jpg
 
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A couple folks mentioned Victorinox up above. I would add them to the ones I mentioned. It’s funny as a kid a had a little classic. I never owned a regular size one until I bought an alox farmer back in 2017 and then a alox cadet in 2018.

Through the years I gifted a lot of Victorinox but didn’t own one myself until 2017. Their red plastic knives I personally think are hard to beat for the price.
 
Case i have a lot of, Tree Brand/Boker I have a few, Schrade/Camillus (US originals, not Taylors) I have several, Queen (originals) I have two, and Victorinox I have a quite a few. Buck may get my attention in the future, but I don’t think I actually own any and will be fine without buying any. I’ve got a few singletons from other brands, like a Kissing Cranes trapper & a Remington Bullet, but I don’t actually seek them out.

The only other folding knife brand I have many of is Spyderco, and I am a devotee of those.
 
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