I think the really cool thing about the clasp knife is the simplicity.  Its a simple founding hunting knife.

Ron, Rough Rider make a fine Clasp knife, in all sorts of different handles. They are priced low, check them out. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks, Rob! That's an excellent suggestion. Plus, I have been meaning to try one of those RR's for the longest time. I have never even held a Rough Rider, let alone owned one. I'll check 'em out. Thanks!

Some nice old ones here

http://www.soonerstateknives.com/casevintagepatternknives.htm

Ron I just checked on my RR white smooth bone one.  Really walks and talks nicely.  Good snap opening and closing.  Really positive closer so keep the fingers out of the way if you like them.  If you really try you can get some blade wobble. But you really have to apply pressure.  Fit and finish is really nice. Very smooth, nice tight bolsters bone.  Could be polished a little better but over-all, excellent for the price.  Makes the 5 inch leg knife look puny.

The blade is absolutely razor sharp and ready rock. 

And it looks like a real good looker, too! Thanks, Tobias! I think you've just pushed me over the edge. It would be an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. I have wanted a big clasp knife for a while and I have also wanted to try a Rough Rider knife. Perfect!

Thanks, Tobias!

Here are a few of my Taylor Schrades.

I also have one Rough Rider clasp.

They are great, guys, I love them all. There is so much space on them, the makers can go wild with idea's, to dress them up.

I'm thinking you won't find too many in stag and those that are will probably be in sections.  It's a whole lot of handle to dress in stag.  All this talk is making me want to get a few more. Like I need more knives.  LOL.

I found one! SMKW stag Taylor-Schrade Clasp - 

I stand corrected!  Schrade has one!

LOL! It might be the last one!

Tobias,

I cant remember a time when I didn't need one more knife LOL

Sometimes I wonder if I need more knives or want more knives...........or both.

Below is a late Christmas present.  I received it from my aunt.  Apparently, when she was a teenager (over 50 some-odd years ago) my Father was and mother was visiting her. 

My Dad was in the US Air force at the time and was busy flying dignitaries all around.   One of his trips took him to India and while there he bought one of those cheap souvenir knives they sold in the market places.  

Shortly before Christmas, my aunt was going through her attic and  found the knife.  She felt it would mean more to me than any of her children.

Blade appears to be stainless steel.  Cross guard and hilt are brass.  Handle appears to be horn.  The scabbard is wood covered with the crushed velvet with a brass throat and and tip.

The first two inches of the blade were horrible bent by about a half inch.  After testing the the flex of the blade, I carefully straightened the blade with vice.  While it is still slightly bent, it now goes in and out of the scabbard easily. I know some people would never risk such an attempt.   But then you didn't know my dad.  Hw would've rolled over in his grave If I didn't try to straighten out the blade!

Looks very exotic! 

I'm sure that your father is smiling down and nodding his approval for your effort to straighten this memento from his life. Well done, mate!

Tobis...

I know what you mean. My Uncle traveled the world and a few times he bought me a knife from those countries.  I still have them 52 years later.

Some people drink when they get depressed.  Others eat.  Others crawl under the covers and wait for the sunrise.  For me I just  watch Tom O'Dell and company.  Some things always bring a smile to ones face.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWLYxlqc3gQ

LOL!

I remember when ceramic rod sharpeners came out. A guy I know was selling them, and he was telling all of us how durable they were and proceeded to drop one on the floor to show that it would just bounce but not break. Of course we all couldn't stop laughing when it broke into a hundred pieces! LOL!

LOL!

I had to stop watching that show long ago, some of the BS those guys were spewing was embarrassing.

One of my all time favorites, Toby.

What's wrong with this picture?  Cutlery Corner/Frost is pushing this "Combat Infantry Trapper" in this special gift box.  I know the picture is small but can any one tell me what's wrong with it?

Strange blades. Looks like they came from a Copperhead. A clip should be in front and a spey in back.

An interesting observation Craig, but I was thinking of something else that is wrong.  Any other guesses?

Ivars

  I hope you can show us a carving knife. A nice  carving knife  is needed for my collection too.

What's wrong with this picture?  The answer I was looking for.

The Combat Infantry Badge is awarded to Active Duty Soldiers serving in the United States Army  who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size or smaller, any time after 6 December 1941.  You actually need to be in a U.S. Army Infantry Unit  in Combat to receive the award.

Of all the pictures Jim Frost and Company could've chosen for this display box, for some reason they went with a an iconic photo of two Marines in active combat on Guadalcanal. These Marines are ineligible for a CIB as they are MARINES and not U.S. Army INFANTRY!

The Marines are awarded a Combat Action Ribbon.

A better view of the picture. Frost used.

So true Toby! I never looked at the picture that close! I was too busy looking at the darn knife!! LOL! And me being a WWII history buff too.....shame on me! LOL!

Speaking of military knives..........

http://www.iknifecollector.com/profiles/blogs/sharp-veterans

Ivars, real neat, buddy!

My new years resolution for 2013...

My globals (that is knives made in China, Pakistan, or other country by a US company) vs non-Globals currently is at 184 (global) to 144 (non global) This means my self imposed limit of buying  3 non globals to every 1 global has not been strictly adhered to. Curse you Rough Rider! 

Why such a limitation?  Because if I keep buying $10-15 globally made knives, I'll never save up for the Case/Victorinox knives I really want.  No more impulse buys. The new ratio is 6 non-globals for every global.  This time no excuses until I have an equal number of each then I'll go two non-globals for every global.  Let's see how long this resolution last! (And the answer is no!  I can not just give/sale 40 globals to so I have an even number. I must buy at least 42 non global knives before I can go to the 2/1 buying scheme)

Fortunately I have about 15 Victorinox Swiss Army Knife I'm looking at right  now and while they may be an imported knife, they are a product of Swiss company and are made in Switzerland so they are imported but not a "Globally produced" knife by my definition. 

Plus I have at least 20 Case knives I'm looking at including that new sodbuster in Amber bone.  And then there is that New Camillus Bushcrafter, and then the Ontario TFI,  the Beck Necker,  the Buck Punk... you get the idea.  Too much steel, not enough dough! And definitely not enough dough if I keep spending on inexpensive (albiet, well made) global knives.

I hear'ya Toby! I love my new Case and Queens. Everything is going for them....not enough for everyone.

Tobias, it is great to have a plan. I have a plan, it is based on the patterns of the knives I collect. Although, some others sneek in, I think to have a plan or direction of the knives you want, will end up helping to have a better collection. I am not positive about this, it's just what I think is the best way to go about collecting. There may be some more seasoned collectors that have a better plan?

Well, Robert I consider myself pretty seasoned....serious collector for almost 40 years....and all of my well laid plans usually go out of the window sooner or later! LOL!

Agreed, Robert.  While I listed a bunch of fixed blades, for the most part my pattern is camp/utility followed by rigging/marlinspike and then large toothpicks.  

As I've just about got every globally made of those patterns and SMKW refuses to  bring out  a single new  house brand any of those patterns so I think I'm safe from temptation. (of course that new half-hawk in the Rough Rider line is probably six knives away from purchase)   Focus, Focus.  Put on the blinders, save your money, and enjoy the anticipation of a new knife.  Instant gratification is for losers. LOL

Toby, I hear you about the global knives. I have been trying to buy the better USA/ German made knives lately which has resulted in a lot less knives for my dollars. The upside has been mostly better quality knives. The downside is fewer bangs for my buck.It is awful hard to resist the Rough Riders. It seems like I have been buying more Colts lately for the imports.

I am one of the few that collect fixed blades also. The majority of collectors, collect folders. I collect both. It's hard to have a plan and stick to it, so many other nice knives popping up all over the place. Temptation, it's hard to resist.lol

Robert...

I hear you Robert.  I have a small collection of old used fixed blades.  The vast majority of the fixed blades I receive as samples I give away to law enforcement and military for use in service to their city/county/state or military units.  However, I like the folders better.

I enjoy fixed blades. They are actually where my collecting habit of knives began.  Nest in line were SAKs and then traditional pocket knives came along.  No doubt, these days, traditional pattern pocket knives make up the bulk of my collection.

All told I have around 40 fixed blade knives plus about 7 blade blanks I'm making into knives.  The good news among my fixed blades, only about 15 are globals.  and over half are made in the United States.

I very wary of global fixed blade knives.  After winging up with two Pakistani made Colt Fixed blades, I stopped  buying Globally produced unless I know exactly where the knife is made.  I have no problem with a Condor made in El Salvador or a Rough Rider from China. but I'm not paying $30-70 for 420 steel or low grade Damascus out of Pakistan when I can pay another $20 for a similar USA made knife.

I've never had that many fixed blades. Another failed plan so far is to get more fixed blades! I just got another. I hope to make myself get one here and there with my knife orders. Well, that's the plan.

Plans, plans, plans it's the stuff that dreams are made of.LOL I love fixed blades the most and when I add one to my collection, I really want it to be special. The deal with knives from countries other than the USA, I have found that, you must judge the knife or brand and not the country. A person can't say that every knife made in the USA is great and they can't say that every knife made in XXX is a bad knife. I am sure there are alot of fine knives made in some of the countries, ya'll have spoken of. We must jugde each knife or brand by it's quality not from whitch country it comes from.

You are so right, Robert.  There are brands I don't give a lick for.  Some of them even make excellent knives but not knives I collect. Others charge too much because of reputation not quality.  My conscience effort to but more American or non global is an effort really to buy more "Quality" and less quantity. 

I try to buy USA knives because I want to keep jobs here. I do own a few global knives. All in all quality is real important no matter where they are made. Wish my redneck farm tool would get here.

Tobias, that's what we all should want in our collection, "quality". I am sure you and alot of other collectors have found that quality can be all over the place and buying from one place, one brand or one country does not guarantee quality. When I find quality knives, I am likely to buy more from that source. Please, don't take my advise as the right way to buy, but just the advise of an old Cajun knife collector...LOL

That's why I'm very happy with my buying lately. I'm less concerned with how MANY knives I can get for my buck.

Good for you, Craig.

I have always stuck by...buy what you like and you will be happy with your collection.  We have knives made all over the world.  I agree that we do try to buy more US made, simply because we want the manufactures to stay in business and employ folks here in the US.  But even a US made, if I dont like the knife (fixed or folder) I am just not interested in spending my $ on it

I try to buy US made, but the thing is, Victorinox doesn't have a US factory, and quite frankly, the quality of their knives and the quality control measures they take make them probably the best bang for anyone's buck.   I'm utterly amazed that when it comes to Swiss Army Knives, the blades close so close together that you can't fit a sheet of paper between them and there is absolutely no blade rub.  Blades remain absolutely tight with no wobble for years on end.  Yet, if you buy a Case Stockman, or Canoe, you're told blade rub is accepted as just part of the pattern. 

I feel sorry for American Cutlery companies if Victorinox ever starts using clip blades as a primary blade on some of their knives.

If anyone has never tried Swiss Army Victorinox  it is an source of amusement to just how something can be close to perfect.  Most of us can get a Rolls or even a Rolex, but you can enjoy  one of the fine things.

  I studied quite a bit of economics and where ever something is made, the economic man in his head owes it to himself the best value for the dollar. Foreign trade is  a source of wealth and it is  a strange patriot who wants me to spend this Veteran's dollar on a shoddy or over priced product  who claims I owe to him out of allegiance .