what is the best pocket knife on the market and i am talking about blades that are made our of the best steel available? i like the trapper 2 blade style. i want to splurge and for once buy the best quality pocket knife i can get. any suggestions

I like Booker. German made.

That is a hard question since there are many good ones. I am very fond of German Eye knives

I like Case knives, rather have older ones, kinda how I like my S&W's. New ones are Ok though, IMO.
Greg

Check out Bento Box Shop and look for a blue-handled Paramilitary II with M390 steel. It is my EDC and no-one else has these knives. They are very limited to BBS only. I'm very pleased with mine. Well worth the money.

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Go big or stay home

I've always been partial to Spyderco knives. Their lineup is very broad and they have some terrific tactical designs that are not only functional but are also very seductive to look at. Everyone's suggestions above are seconded, as well.

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FBINA, 204th Session

Blue Grass Cutlery, through Smokey Mountain Knife Works, makes some of the finest carbon steel knife blades around, IMHO. I'm sure that they would have a Trapper with the scale material you want.

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SV,14,17,21,28,29,39,66,586

Quite a few good 2 blade trappers being made. As far as splurging and buying the best, that would be hard to determine.

Do you want a medium or full size trapper?
I prefer the medium size for every day carry, as they are about 3-5/8" and full size normally 4-1/4".
As refered to above Boker is good (Soligen Steel), Case is good, and some of the older Bulldog knives are good (Soligen Steel) also.
Then you get into some of the more expensive ones and the sky is the limit.
I would do some research before I decided if the purchase is going to be a one time deal.
I have many of all kinds and don't think its not addictive because it is.
Collecting knives is quite an addiction.
Just my 2 cents.


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James


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I carry a Spyderco Salt1
Made with H1 steel (Salt water is not supposed to rust it) So far it hasn't shown any signs of rust
Its light weight and stays sharp

Whats the Budget? Run of the mill stuff is pretty cheap but you can spend some serious money also. Diminishing returns IMO for sure. Tactical or traditional? If I have to ask Im guessing tactical. Check out Great Eastern Cutlery for traditional knives. Case knives are a great value also. Dont get caught up in the magic steel B.S.

I suggest wenger or victorinox they are the two companies that manufacture swiss army knives.

Anything by Queen Cutlery is great ( Queen, Schatt & Morgan, Robeson)
Canal Street Cutlery is pretty good.
GEC is great
Case is good
If you can fine an older USA made Schrade or Uncle Henry, they are very good.
AG Russell sells nothing but top end stuff (but a lot of it is Chinese now)

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

benchmade hands down made in the great u.s.a.

I carry an Eye Brand medium stag trapper. Good carbon steel blades and stays sharp. Pretty classic. For the money imho, Kershaw is the best out of the box. I have 3 Leeks, one is the discontinued rainbow finish and has stood up to 4 yrs of use without a scratch showing. Also have a cyclone, for a larger blade. It really depends on what you will use the knife for. I guess that's why I own 2 large handfulls of working knives. It can get to be quite a habit.

Hard to beat CASE.

Have carried Gerbers for years.....they hold an edge extremely well !

I'll add another vote for GEC (Great Eastern Cutlery) for traditional knives like trappers, stockmans, jackknives, etc. Made in Pennsylvania.

Most are 1095 steel, some are stainless. I like the 1095 knives a lot. I've got five so far, and all get used, and I want more.

Great patterns, handle materials (mostly natural materials like bone and wood), terrific fit and finish.

PM me if you want to know who has good selection and pricing for them.

One more vote for Great Eastern Cutlery. I own several of thier knives. Excellent quality, classic a handle (scale) materials, 1095 carbon steel blades and Made in the USA! Thier Scout lockbacks are top nothch and they have many old fashioned patterns to choose from.
I used to collect Case but got discouraged with a lack of quality and stainless steel blades. 1095 carbon is easily sharpened and holds a great edge, care is needed as they will tarnish, but a little maintanence and they will last a lifetime or two.
Queen Cutlery is good as well, again look for real bone scales and carbon steel. Makers Mark offers a good, heavy duty knife.
If you are stuck on Case (pardon the pun) get the old stuff, like S&W's old is better and will go up in value.
Blue Grass Cutlery makes alot of knives for various namebrands and are a good knife, again made in the USA.
Don't buy Chinese **** or Paki potmetal. Get a good knife and carry it proudly.

Great Eastern Cutlery | Quality, Traditional , Stag, Bone, Wood, Pocket Knives, Made in USA

RD

EDITED: Above I said "Makers Mark" offers good knives - they do not. Makers Mark makes excellent Bourbon but I don't think they know much about knives. I meant to say 'Moores Maker'. Perhaps a Freudian Slip.
RD

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Got a Phd from Hard Knocks U

EDITED: Above I said "Makers Mark" offers good knives - they do not. Makers Mark makes excellent Bourbon but I don't think they know much about knives. I meant to say 'Moores Maker'. Perhaps a Freudian Slip.
RD[/QUOTE]


Thanks for posting the link for GEC. I wasn't sure if that was allowed.

You can get some good deals on Case knives on ebay, particularly if you don't mind Delrin handles.

The Moore Maker knives can be OK, but they job those out. Cammilus used to make them, and they were top notch, but now I think it's mostly Bear & Sons. It's a decent knife but nowhere near the quality of GEC or an older Case. I think Queen has made some for them but the problem is knowing which is which.

Here's a GEC Tidioute Scout, 3 3/4 inches closed--my favorite pattern of theirs--bone handles. It looks different now--it's been carried and used a lot and has a great patina.



Here are some Case jacks from '78 and '79 from ebay. I didn't pay more than $40 for any of them--all have Delrin handles. Great quality on these.

The bigger one is also 3 3/4 inches.



The address Smithhound provided will show a list of dealers for GEC.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Since you want a Trapper ---- Another vote for Queen Cutlery (Schatt & Morgan) knives. Most of these are D2 steel and show good to excellent workmanship. I have a stag D2 Canoe made by them and it's a good knife.

I bought a Hen & Rooster Trapper made out of "Soligen Steel" that was so soft it was worthless even though it was expensive. Stay away from those.

If you wanted a less traditional single blade, the Benchmade or Spyderco is tough to beat. I carry a Benchmade Griptilian or a Spyderco Wayne Goddard every day (along with a Victorinox Executive).

As many have said, the Great Eastern products are terrific, traditional knives. I like them a lot, and even had a chance to tour the factory. And while I will 'collect' a Great Eastern, Tidiotte(?), a Case, Queen or Boker (all terrific, I'm a sucker for a good Stag), I find I don't carry them. Lumpy in the pocket, key and coins mess it up, stuff gets in the way of access. Instead, I have gravitated to a pocket clip over the years mainly for comfort and ease of access. In this regard, I have settled on the Spydeco and Benchmade brands. Outstanding knives in terms of quality, design, purpose and performance. Both lines have a range of models, so you'll sure to find something you like in terms of cost, size and intended use. I've come to my conclusion after years of handling them (about 50 plus years of pocket knife use), gun shows and browsing dedicated knife shops; and what I naturally grab for in the morning. The different grades of steels do make a difference. Ease of sharpening, durability, holding an edge, etc. I'm not saying buy the most expensive...but for sure don't buy cheap. My current and perhaps all-time favorite is the Spyderco G-10 Dragonfly. Perfect size, lightweight, thin, exceptional steel (Japanese), and a small, strong wire clip to hold it to the pant edge. Can hardly be seen, handy to grab; and a rock solid locking mechanism. No accidents. They make a number of models in this pattern with different handles, steel, etc. This one is the Foliage Green color handles, AUS-8 steel....around $80.00 bucks. Have fun

There are lots of excellent knives out there, but if price is not an object, look into the custom knife makers. You can get an outstanding knife and one that will retain it's value and grow if maintained properly.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

The search for the perfect knife, pen, or gun, will be a lifelong search. When you think you have found "IT", you will eventually find yourself looking for better.

Best of luck.

I may be kind of simple, but I own a couple of Buck knives.

I got the kids Buck 110's for hunting, and I carry a Buck 55 with me every day. It's a smaller version of the Buck 110, which may be one of the most popular knives ever made. At 3 3/4" blade though it is too long for me to carry in a pocket, the Buck 55 has a 2 3/8" blade made from the same steel. Buck has a forever warranty and is made in the USA.

I also carry a Spyderco Tennacious G-10 when I wear carpenter pants and slide it in a side pocket. I love that little knife. It's big enough for self defense if required. Very sharp out of the box.

I got the Spyderco on sale for $25 and the Buck 55 for $33.

+1 for Buck, I still have my first Buck 112 I bought back in '79 and it still looks like new after good care and much use. Other reasonably priced and good quality are the Kershaws and Gerbers. Now for top money and bragging rights Randall, Benchmade, Emerson, Zero Tolerance, etc.

A couple years ago I set out to find the perfect pocket knife, I ended up buying a Puma "Gent" and making a small sheath. I have found that in most cases a "useable" pocket knife is in most cases too small for day to day use. A small sheath solves that problem on the same order as the old Buck folding hunter, althought the Puma is much smaller w/stag scales. For short time use in a pair of slacks I carry a vintage Cattaraugus Senator style, small enough to not stick out of my pocket. I prefer vintage knives and they are out there but you will pay the premium in the same way we do for nice early pistols. I like the early KA-BAR knives, a vintage (1923-51) KA_BAR Trapper with Bone or Stag scales will set you back 3-400 bucks but will be the knife you always wanted...JMHO. You will find dealers online if you begin by searching Ebay for "Vintage Kabar knives", be wary because many of the popular vintage knives have been reproduced by the company, particularly the "Dog's Head" knives.

I keep trying to find something better than this, and just keep coming back to this. It is the thinest knife I own after removing the clip. I love the blade design. It has assisted opening. If I loose it, it's not painful on the wallet to replace it. I have bought a many benchmades/gerbers trying to replace it, but I always come back to the kershaw.

For a good quality knife I really like the wood handled Benchmade, like the 690. Very well balanced and the fit/finish is excellent.

I also like Cold Steel, not because of their quality, but because of their price/value. If one walks away it is easy to replace. I have had two of those stolen [truck broken into and one from a desk]. But under $60 replaced each. They sharpen up nicely.

The new S&W assisted open knives are nice, hold an edge but are NOT lightweights. Too bulky for anything but jeans or thick work pants [not so good with business suit pants].

The Benchmade 690s, however do stand out.

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Over the years I have learned that I need a locking blade. I like Benchmade knives and a pocket clip keeps the knife where it can be reached and opened with one hand. One good locking blade beats two IMHO, if you need other tools a small leatherman is hard to beat.

My favorites....

Spyderco's Tenacious
and
Camillus Robo Heat

victorinox Centurion
best working knife I ever used very good steel !

I have two Trapper patterns, both by Carl Schlieper (Eye Brand). I like the shape of their clip blade better than most. These knives easily compare to the GEC and others mentioned above. I own one GEC and it's about on par with Eye, with some grind marks not polished out near one tang.

You asked about Trappers. But I prefer Stockman patterns in a standard knife, and mine are by Puma and the original Schrade Uncle Henry brand, which is rougher finished on the blades, but a good, solid knife. But it it is not as slick as the Puma and Eye brands. And I have a medium sized red bone Case that I like very much.

Whenever I carry anything else, I need some tool on a Swiss Army knife. The ones usually carried are the Executive or the Spartan. The Camper is the thickest that I wear in a pocket, and not usually in dress slacks. A SwissChamp in a fine leather SOS pouch goes in the briefcase.

I do not think anyone else does utility combined with a good price as well as does Victorinox. I have much more expensive knives, but carry them only occasionally.

I do wear a larger lockblade in a belt pouch, and that varies. Usually, a Benchmade Model 710 or a Puma that looks like a Buck Model 110, but with white Micarta handle.
I love the Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn, but worry that a cop will claim it's a dagger, so largely limit carrying those to my own premises.

Not sure if Schlieper (Eye) is still in business, but their knives often turn up at shows, and the last I checked, they were a lot cheaper than GEC or Canal Street and about as well made. Mine are stainless, which I prefer, as are my stockman knives. Swiss Army knives are also stainless. Pockets get sweaty in humid weather, and I grew tired of rust on blades, despite excellent care.

Oh: carry only a handkerchief in your knife pocket. Coins, keys., et al, really chew up a knife!

I have and have had lots of nice folders, mostly SOG, Buck, Kershaw and Gerber. They are all good knives for their purpose (every day carry).

However, I've recently gone to a fixed blade for EDC. I "splurged" and had a knife made of S30V steel forged and shaped down from a 1/8" thickness with rag micarta scales custom made by C.T. Fischer out of Elk City, ID.

With a well balanced blade and overall length of 3" and 6-3/4" respectively, its high corrosion resistance and its quick accessibility from the kydex sheath on my neck and weighing in at under 5oz sheathed, it's become my go to knife for every day carry. I do a lot of fishing in a salt water environment and with minimal maintenance, I've had zero rust issues. It hones to a razor edge and holds that edge very well.

Best of all, unlike a folder, it will never fail at a pivot point under duress.

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I carry several, but my favorite(s) are the Bill Harsey Lone Wolf (T2 & D2), made of CPM S30V. The T2 is a little smaller than the D2, but the D2 is an auto.

For those times when big is not needed,, a very light Titanium CRKT M16-01T.

And then there is my 1969 Camillus.. Heavy, fat, cheap, but I love it..

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Hard to beat the old USA made schrade 94OT carbon steel. If you can find one. I have a good collection of NIB USA Schrades.

I have quite a few knives,name brands & customs.I may have the only set of CHICAGO CUTLERY pocketknives left.Wooden slab handles & not goodlooking the steel blades are fantastic!
Jim

I don't really think there is such a thing as a "best" pocket knife. Too many options, materials, and designs that do different things well.

I tend to favor a good Case as they are a classic solid knife.

Spyderco Delica, light enough to carry all the time, strong enough for any job.

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Loyalty Above All.. but Honor

S&W, Gil Hibben, Benchmade, KA-BAR, Boker

With enough $$$, there are no boundaries...

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Jorge

By the time from you OP. You could have gone to a school and learned to make you own knife. Just sayin! Listen to what some of these knowledgable people are saying. Have you bought one?

Howdy,
If you have your heart set on a trapper you should check out Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Random search them and enter "Trapper style" once at their site.
It will bring up a lot to look at and think about.
I have a brother in law who likes trappers and I have gotten him several by Remington, Colt, S&W, Schrade over the last several years that are nice knives for not a lot of money.
I just got a catalog and it is loaded up as I thought of him while peeking through it.
Good luck
Mike

The Remington Bullet Knives From the 1980s Were really well made and hold an edge. Bought A bunch of each kind, used a couple for gutting and skinning purposes for the last 30 years.
The others I have put away to me, they are priceless, and turned out to be a great investment for my Grand Kids. Better investment than buying FACEBOOK STOCK !!!!!!!! THESE WERE AMERICAN MADE , not some fancy garbage from Pakistan , India , or China .
They fit in you pocket and were useful & handy. People who run around with these futuristic looking knives, what good are they in a GUNFIGHT !

First I always carry a Swiss Army knife, one with the sissors.
Other pocket knives that I have and still do carry, that I have cut a lot of game and other Utility stuff with are Puma, Boker, Carl Schelleppler [sp], SOG and Cold Steel.

Benchmade,
Kershaw
Own several of each brands,can not go wrong with either brand, look for assisted opening feature, pocket clip stndard on most modles Also the one with the half serated blades are the most pratical.Pay attention to the weight, I prefer a heaver knive when I wear jeans and a lighter one with dress pants
Sold them for years at the old store.
Penmon

I've been carrying a Buck pre-110 folder since about '66.
It's still nice and tight.
Recently, I got a new 110, as I like the blade shape a
little better. Also got a Buck 55, for little jobs.
There are so many great knives available, I wish I had
time and money to check them All out! TACC1

Is Soligen Steel the same as long as they have the knife stamped "Soligen Steel" regardless of the manufacturer? I have some cheep knifes with this steal. others are stamped 440 stainless steal. Is one better at holding a edge ? George

A "Made in the USA" Kershaw Blur works for me.

$55 at Amazon. Not too expensive, and a very good knife.

Not all of Kershaw's knifes are U.S. made. You can go to their website for a list of the knifes that are.

If you haven't noticed there is a distinct trend for Spyderco, which is also what I would recomend. As for a specific model they vary from year to year but the Endura and Delica are a year to year classic. My peronal favorite is the Delica but I would suggest you hit their web site and take a look at the current catalog, I have no doubt you'll find something that works for you.

Is Soligen Steel the same as long as they have the knife stamped "Soligen Steel" regardless of the manufacturer? I have some cheep knifes with this steal. others are stamped 440 stainless steal. Is one better at holding a edge ? George

P.S
Just trying to learn something here.. I have some Soligen Steel knives that have a Pakistan stamp on the blade.

George,

Soligen is a town in Germany that was/is known for producing a high quality type of carbon alloy steel. Because of it's particular properties, it has become a well known and popular steel for making edged weapons and tools (knives, swords, chisels, saw blades, etc).

But not all "Soligen Steel" marked blades are the same, this is kind of difficult to explain but, Soligen is not a type of steel unto itself, it is a location where a particular type (formulation) of steel is produced. There are a number of steel manufacturers in Soligen, and they can each have a slightly different alloy formulation. It's kind of like the difference between "Southern Fried Chicken" versus "Kentucky Fried Chicken" versus plain "Fried Chicken"... they may or may not be exactly the same, but they are all fried chicken.

Not eveything marked "Soligen Steel" is the real thing, because Soligen has become synonymous with a higher quality steel, it is not uncommon to see cheaply made knives from offshore sources being marked that way to represent themselves as being made from a better quality steel than what they actually are. An unscrupulous maker can stamp anything they want on a blade or anything else for that matter.

A knife being made in Pakistan doesn't automatically mean it's an inferior blade, it all depends on who made it and whether or not they are known for making a good quality blade.

I've bought a few Damascus steel knife blades from various U.S. knife making supply houses, that where of Pakistan origin, and they've been well made, but I've seen others at knife shows that are plain junk.

Is one type of knife steel better at holding an edge than another... absolutely, but it just doesn't stop there.

There a lot of different alloy steels being used for knife blades because of their particular characteristics.

Here's a link to a webpage at a knife making supply website explaining the types of steels and their characteristics: Knife Blade Steels Knives at Knife Supply

Hope this answers your question.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222