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The Trapper!

I'm probably the last person who should start a discussion about the Trapper pattern! I don't collect them! But seeing as it is the most collected pattern in the world (according to companies that make the them) then someone must collect them! I've managed to accumulate a few.

The traditional or standard Trapper is a essentially a two blade jack knife 4 and 1/8 inches (appx 105mm) in the closed position. The primary blade is a 3 3/8 inch (appx 86 mm) clip blade and secondary spay blade of the same length. The standard will normal have bolsters at both ends and the two blades will be separated by a full spacer. The nail nicks on both blades will be on the shield or front side of the knife. The knife gets its name as it is said to be the knife of fur trappers. The spay blade, while it is often used to castrate animals is also an ideal blade for removing skin without puncturing internal organs due to the shape of the tip.

I have very few Standard trappers but have many knives made on the trapper frame. The frame I like. The blade choices, not so much. Still when you collect as many knives as I do, then you will accumulate your share of Trappers. Here is probably my favorite Standard Trapper. It is a Remington R12 that was made by Camillus. Blade etch reads First in the Field. And no, those scales are not Frost Wood! Jim Frost wasn't the first person to come up with laminated woods of different colors!

This one is about as Standard as a Standard Trapper gets!

Lets show off some Trappers! Standard or otherwise!

6 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Max McGruder on March 28, 2015 at 16:56

Man, Charles, what a cool gift! Someone is watching over you!! and they have good taste! Very Nice!

L. Lantz , I don't force patinas either whatever happens, happens! But got to say I like it when it has the look! and that one of yours does!

Permalink Reply by tim payne on March 28, 2015 at 18:55

great deer hunter trapper charles

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on March 28, 2015 at 21:44

Thanks Leo, Max, and Tim.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on March 29, 2015 at 14:45

Kissing Crane KC5300 Trapper

Permalink Reply by tim payne on March 29, 2015 at 18:28

very attractive kissing crane Charles, thanks for sharing

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 29, 2015 at 19:05

That KC "He is Risen" Trapper is beautiful, Charles. Even I, a non-trapper guy would've bought that one!

I'm curious, however, why they don't make more Christian knives on like a Carpenter Whittler's frame or on Fish Knives. After all Jesus was a Carpenter who told Peter and Andrew that he would make them Fisher's of Men!

Permalink Reply by Max McGruder on March 29, 2015 at 19:31

Wow, great question! I like the fishing knife idea!

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on March 29, 2015 at 20:23

One of the things I am going to do soon is have Matt. 4:19 (Follow me and I will make you fishers of men) engraved on a Case fish knife.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 29, 2015 at 21:08

I don't have many traditional Trappers but i have several trapper hybrids. Here is my Robert Klaas Hoof Pick Knife built on a 4 1/8 inch trapper frame. I really like the file on the hoof pick and then serrated sheepfoot/hoof blade! The stag bone handles are nothing to sneeze at either!

Permalink Reply by Max McGruder on March 29, 2015 at 21:16

Charles that is a grest idea!!

Tobias thsts a great hybrid!!

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on April 7, 2015 at 23:00

Well, my photos won't be as nice as most of the above, but here goes. This is my current favorite trapper, from Pride Cutlery, (yet another Frost knife). After receiving it I surprisingly found it to be quite a nice, well-built knife, despite the low price. One cool feature I didn't notice until I got it was the guitar on the shield. As a now-retired professional guitar tech/musician, it seemed like an appropriate knife for me to have. Smooth opening, tight non-wiggly blades, both centered well, no gaps above, below or sideways, bone handle is nice & smooth. It has all the hallmarks of a quality knife, and at the price I paid it was a real bargain. Can't go wrong for the money.

Conversely, I recently received a much more expensive, tiny USA Buck 305 with wiggly, sharpish, poorly centered blades right out of the "Made In The USA" box. Right or wrong, the Chinese are catching up, (and in some cases surpassing), and unfortunately that's not hard to prove nowadays. I think Buck and Case have some stiff competition ahead of them.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 8, 2015 at 4:44

Syd, Pride Cutlery wast not a Frost brand but is was associated with the Frost empire in some way. The TM was owned by Panther LLC which is a marketing and developing company. I see the Pride knives sold on Cutlery Corner, and primarily on Ebay via KY Knives (ZIX). For a Time I thought the TM might belong to Garry Yokum or the guys who made up U.S Classics. But the actual owner is elusive, Who knows? Maybe Tom O'Dell owned it!

I've bought a couple Pride knives due to pattern selections. The quality is around that of a Steel Warrior. The TM is defunct so I suspect they will be getting scarce. I love the shield on that one.

Pride, The Bone Collector, Duck Brand USA, are just a few brands that show up on Cutlery Corner Network that seem to be re sold almost elusively on Cutlery Corner but are not actually Frost Brande! Bone Collector USA is really a tricky one because there is another Bone Collecotr out there that makes high end knives and has nothing to do with the ones sold on CCN!