Good Thing I have two Pockets

 A couple of knives just arrived, and I admit I've been waiting for them.

The first is a collector’s knife from CobraTec.  Their auto Trapper with a hidden bolster release has been out for a while, but they just released one with Abalone scales.  The deep, iridescent color jumps out at you and draws you in.  This Trapper has been upgraded from D2 to a 154 CM blade.  The 3.1-inch blade is 0.11 inches thick at the spine.  The blade has a high shoulder, with a saber flat grind and a saber clip point.  This is one of the more useful grinds for a pocket knife.

Abalone grips

The stainless steel clip makes the knife suitable for deep right pocket carry, but in all honesty, I don't expect anyone to make this their EDC knife.

CobraTec Trapper with hidden release

The knife is 0.48 inches thick (excluding the removal Clip) and weighs in at 4 ounces.

The blade is released by sliding the checked front bolster sideways.  The bolster moves slightly and the knife opens.  The same action unlocks the blade so you can close the knife.  There are other bolster-release knives, but CobraTec claims they have applied for a patent on this mechanism.

The opening /unlock mechanism is activated by sliding this bolster towards the knife's spine

It's a nice knife.  I really love the amazing display of unearthly colors.  I only wish both bolsters had the same appearance, one is checkered and the other polished.  Some knives don't need a lot of extra glitz.  They benefit from not distracting you from their one amazing feature.  This is one of them.  You can find it on the market for $130.

You can get yours at https://cobratecknives.com/collections/hidden-release/products/trapper-hidden-release-abalone-with-154cm.

This is a knife you'll be passing on to your grandchildren.

 

 

Boker's Slike

I've seen advertisements for Boker's Slike, and it just arrived.  The Slike is a light-weight sliding dagger.  The double-edged blade manually slides out of the handle.  The blade locks in three positions.  Fully closed, fully open, and half-way.  The lock is controlled by a raised button located in the butt end of the blade.  The release button is spring-loaded and needs to be depressed to slide the knife blade in or out. 

Slike's clip. 

The knife is a sandwich consisting of a metal back (aluminum?), the D2 steel blade, and a G10 top.  The knife's overall weight is less than 1.3 ounces.  The dagger blade has a fuller on both side that makes the dagger really pop!  The G10 has an attractive light texture.  The blade is very thin, measuring 0.087 inches thick at the fullers.  The frame, excluding the clip is 0.2 inch thick.  This is a light duty knife so don’t expect to use it with abandon.

The Slike has a lock/stop that allows you to partially extend the blade

The knife is assembled with Torx-X screws, and it looks like you might be able to move the wide, open frame clip to the other side.  Frankly, I don’t know if this will void your warranty.

One of the problems with out-the-front knives is that retracting the blade brings dirty stuff, food, blood, you name it, back into the knife.  This material will find its way onto the blade's track.  The open handle will allow the crud to fall away from the blade and help keep the track clean.  It appears the knife can be washed clean and blown dry when needed.  I wouldn’t use anything but a dry lubricant, like a moly disulfide/graphite powder, to lubricate the track. 

Clip side of Boker's Slike

 What do I think?  I like it with some reservations.  It’s a gent’s knife.  (But I associate daggers with women!) What are most of our cutting needs?  We could open sealed snack packages, cut articles or coupons out, and slice pizza.  You could open cardboard packages with it, but I wouldn’t expect to be able to reduce the cardboard shipping box to nibbles with it.

Yes, you could defend yourself with it.  The blade is just under 3 inches in length and Boker knives are out of the box sharp.  But it wouldn't be my choice when I go off the pavement.

Get yours at https://www.bokerusa.com/slike-01bo411 for $84.

Roper Trapper

One classic pocket knife pattern is the trapper.  This pattern seemed to have originated in northeastern U.S. in the early 20th Century.  Almost all manufacturers of slip joint knives have or are making a trapper-style knife.  Most have two blades, but a few rare ones have three.

Roper Trapper

Trappers traditionally have two blades hinged on the same side.  The blades, of almost equal length, are clip and spey pattern blades.  The blades were designed for specific needs. 

“…I want to comment on the trapper name. Whether the pattern was created for the purpose the name implies is unclear. Whatever the case, I can testify that the size and patterns of the blades make trappers well suited for dressing and skinning small animals.”  Gary Zinn

While most of us don’t need those functions on a daily basis, the trapper has a long following of fans and collectors.

Roper Knives is one of several brands owned by the American Buffalo Knife and Tool Company out of Sweetwater, TN.  My eye first caught the Laredo Stag Trapper in an A.G. Russell catalog.  The wood and stag handle just spoke to me as did the shield inserted in the stag. 

The clip and spey blades are 3.25 inches long and made from 1065 carbon steel.  While hardness isn’t mentioned, I suspect they have an RHc of around 56 to 58.  Don’t let that discourage you.  This is sufficient for almost all your cutting chores.  Just remember what noted knife guy Ernie Emerson says, if I can paraphrase him: softer blades are flexible compared to hard blades and a bent blade is still a knife but a broken blade is just junk.

I’ve read of people ‘patina-ing’ their blades with ketchup or stabbing the blade deep into an acid fruit to produce a lovely patina of gray, but I prefer the bright shiny blade myself. A little food safe oil and these blades will stay nice and shiny for years.

While I find the two-blade pattern interesting, especially the spey blade, I only wish they were locking.  Yes, I know that would complicate the knife and increase the cost, but I have a fundamental distrust of slip-joint folders.

You can find your Roper Laredo Stag Trapper at https://abktinc.com/.  After all, there is a little cowboy in all of us!  Whoopee-Ti-Yi-Yo!

Wood Duck

I’ve always admired wood ducks.   According to the ODNR they are sexual rabbits having two broods a year as compared to the rest of the waterfowl slackers.  That’s not why I like them.  They seem just too icey to me. 

My friend Leonard had a wood duck decoy with a ‘collectable’ knife inside.  After I moaned and kvetched enough he sold it to me just to get rid of me. Thank you, Leonard!  Every day I look at that duck and it makes me smile!

Inside is a United Cutlery 1993 Wildlife Series Limited Edition Trapper.  Limited to 7500, that is.  Mine is 2189.  It has the two typical blades found in a trapper, a spey and a drop point.  Under the clear plastic handles is a copy of original art by Larry Duke.

The knife, to my surprise was made in the USA.  Most of the UC knives are made somewhere else.  Frankly, I don’t consider then to be very high quality.

There’s another on the market today, but the wood duck isn’t nearly as nice.  The knife?  Well, let us just draw a charitable vale of silence over it.

I have a little insight for you, but you know this stuff,  

One:  There is no regulating body, any police or force of law that prevents a manufacturer from producing a second limited production run of the same product.

Two:  Mass produced limited editions seldom have real value and market growth potential.

Having said that, I’m really glad to have my wood duck!

Truck Driver Trapper

I don’t have a type.  I mean there are virtues and disappointments everywhere, but this one must have been singing my song because I heard it loud and clear.

The knife has been carried, but never used or resharpened.

It’s a trapper pocket knife with a coal truck embossed into the jet black handle.  Trappers typically have two blades and mine is no exception.  It sports a traditional 3 inch clip point blade and a funky 3 inch spay blade used to neuter stock animals and occasional bad guys in novels.

You can see the tang stamp on both blades

The clip point is etched in red with “American Coal Haulers.”  Both blades are tanged stamped with a crown and the reverse is stamped “Hardin Germany.”

It’s a well-made knife.  Separate springs for each blade with no half open stop but a positive inclination to close and snap when the blade opens.  The liners are brass and even the springs inside the knife are mirror polished.  The blades don’t have any wiggle and whoever owned it before me took good care of it.

Who made it is a more complex story.  It seems there is no knife company called Hardin nor is there any town in Germany which goes by that name.

Tang Stamp

One of the knife forums suggested the crown logo is the key to unlocking this mystery.  It appears the crown is the trademark for the Friedrich Olbertz Knife Company in Solingen Germany.  It was founded in 1872 and produces brands such as Bulldog, Fighting Rooster and Eyebrand.

Still in existence, they are a knife jobber specializing in small knife lots.  The current management team is fifth generation family members.  The current minimum order is 600 units. 

Their Facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Commercial---Industrial/Friedrich-Olbertz-GmbH-Co-KG-213979525305864/

So who is Harden? That took a little more work.

They are Harden Wholesale located in Kenova WV.  I called them and the staff remembers the knife as being ordered by George Smith in the 1980s, but nothing else.  I tried the phone number given to me, but Mr. Smith remains a mystery.  Maybe the phone number and name is just good old boy WV humor.

Hardens Wholesale appears to be a seller of dry goods.  The photo I found showed plastic flowers for grave decorations, Carharrt clothing and Wolverine work boots.  I’m sure a trapper pocket knife celebrating any aspect of the WV coal mining industry would be a hit.

In any case, I’m happy to have it.