I had a very busy year of knife buying and selling, as it has been my first excursion into traditional pocket knife collecting. I'm a user more than a collector, though, so I keep my collection small and pass on the knives that don't make it into the rotation often enough. I've learned a lot about traditional pocket knives, learned a lot about what I like and don't like, and best of all I've met a lot of interesting and generous folks on the Porch.
One obvious candidate for knife of the year may be the scout I won in
@Campbellclanman's giveaway:
This knife has OUTSTANDING stag handles and it is the first scout knife I've ever owned. It is exquisite, but I don't carry it during the week because I'm usually wearing slacks, and this knife is a bit hefty for every day carry for me. Still, it is a gem.
A second candidate could be the knife I bought twice this year. I scored a nice 77 Yankee Jack and then sold it to pay for a 77 barlow I won in Mike's early reserve lottery. I ended up not liking the two-bladed barlow as much as I'd hoped, so I traded it to
@Buzzbait for a single blade 77 barlow. He ended up throwing in a old barn chestnut navy knife as lagniappe, which I'll talk more about in a second. That barlow was sweet and I used it well, but for some reason the barlow just wasn't as precious to me as it seemed to most folks who are into them, so I ended up selling it. I saw another 77 Yankee Jack but wasn't able to score it, but in a fit of nostalgia I asked
@afultz075 if I could buy it back from him. He graciously sold it back at the same price as I sold it to him. Here's a picture of that knife (with my Perceval Le Francais):
As much as I love that knife (I know, most folks must be wondering why I'd prefer that plain-jane jack to a barlow, but I just do for whatever reason), it isn't my knife of the year either.
It has to be one of these three:
My flock of lambsfoot knives. You'll see the old barn chestnut and recognize the former Navy knife I got from buzzbait.
@traumkommode modified it for me after I'd seen one of his own modifications and asked him about it. It is a sweet slicer. The micarta was also a Navy knife that traumkommode modified to look like an "ancient" complete with long swedge, and sold on the exchange. I got lucky to pick it up quickly. The middle is, of course, Ashley's Choice. It is the smallest I think I'll be able to enjoy, but the thickness and shape make it sink right into my fingers. The stag has great character and is a great worry stone.
But which one of the three reigns supreme??? I could probably change my mind each day on these three because they are so pleasing to me. But, since the rule is to choose one, I choose:
It was a generous extra gift, it was modified by a pal, and it has the looks of a well-worn, tough critter. AND it slices like a lightsaber.
. So something that I could throw in my pocket that would cover as many bases as possible, that will cut stuff of course, but also open bottles etc. Other scouts and SAKs have worked very well in the past, but I had high hopes for the saw scout. It functions perfectly in this capacity. 
