Old Timer Knife Review and Giveaway!

I love to go camping and hiking and generally being outside. I always have a knife of some kind on me whether that is a multi-tool or a single blade: the uses are endless. Well this year, I lost my trusty Gerber that my husband got me and feel naked without it. You know how a good comfy pair of boots or jeans are? That is the way it was with my knife. It was a smaller blade: perfect for my hand size and the stuff I generally use a knife for. And I cannot find the one I had anywhere. So begins the search for a new ‘perfect’ blade that makes the outdoorsy stuff we like to do much easier. I was telling my friend over at Tin Hat Ranch about it and he said he knew someone with Schrade who might be able to help. He jokingly commented about “a knife review from a woman’s perspective” and while he said it in jest, I thought it was a fantastic idea! Some may think it was sexist but honestly, how many women carry around a knife everyday? Yeah, not many in the ‘lower 48’ do. The percentage of women carrying some kind of blade in Alaska is much higher simply because of the environment we live in! Anyway, I went looking for something to replace the lost knife and knew it would be a tall order.

I had some very specific criteria:

• Fixed blade
• No longer than 9 inches total
• Well balanced
• No fancy handles or sheaths – I need functionality, not pretty
• Lanyard hole (optional but nice)
• No top blade feature. One bladed side only
• MUST be utilitarian. I need to be able to whittle hot dog sticks, fillet fish, skin an animal, cut rope, wire, and twine, and then cut up a steak with it in a single day. It must be able to serve me everyday and when camping, fishing, hiking – everything.

The Schrade line did not have what I was looking for. The style, intended use, and sizes were prohibitive to at least two of the criteria I had. Taylor Brands actually bought Schrade out and I learned they also carry Old Timer knives. I recall many an “Old Timer” knife being used when I was a kid. My uncle in Wrangell, AK carried one everywhere on his hip and used it so much that it was like an extension of his hand. The guys who worked with my mom at the fuel company had Old Timer pocketknives, too. I thought, Perhaps this is more my style, and went searching. I immediately clicked on “fixed blade” and knew THIS is what I wanted. Call me old fashioned but I really like wooden-handled knives. Especially when they are old and well used and you can see how the wood has been smoothed away here and there. In looking through the page, I noted that this line is definitely more for utilitarian use versus being showy. Simple, clean lines. Now, to choose!

I ended up with the Old Timer Pro Hunter Full Tang Fixed Blade. It is 8 inches overall in length and weighs about a third of a pound. When it arrived, Mister Dreamer surprised me at lunch and brought the package in to work so I could check it out right away. I tore into the package with wild abandon as my coworkers (all male, the other female was on vacation haha) gathered around me as I opened up the box and slid the knife out of the bubble wrap, the very first thing I noticed was how absolutely perfect it fit in my hand. The balance on it kept the back end of the knife in my hand and my fingers fit well around the handle. I gripped it and tested the weight. I hadn’t even looked at the blade yet and already this knife fit better than my old one did. When I did look at the blade, I was pleased with what I saw. In fact, the overall construction of the knife itself is very solid. I tested it to see if anything was loose or otherwise not up to snuff. The life this Old Timer knife was about to face with me was not going to be easy. I need a knife that will do everything I mentioned above and then yawn at me with boredom, if you know what I mean.

The sheath that comes with it, at first glance, isn’t so up to snuff. It certainly does not look like real leather and seemed flimsy. It seemed loose, cheap material, and like it would rip right off your belt loop if a kid decided to give it a good yank. Looks are deceiving! The knife sits down deep into the sheath and even though there is no lock to keep it in place, the design keeps it from sliding out as you are bending, kneeling, and moving around. Overall, the sheath works for the knife and would do well in an area not so inundated with rain like we are. Here, though, the sheath will wear out quickly in my opinion but that just gives me a great excuse to ask my dad to break out his leather working tools and make me another one. Win for me! Again, the sheath is just fine for 90% of the population. When you get 13 feet of rain a year, you learn quickly what stuff will last and what will degrade more quickly. I figure I can get a good year, maybe two out of it. Honestly, unless you have some kind of uber-sheath, those tend to need replacing more than anything on a well built knife does. Small potatoes.

I would recommend this knife to any person who is used to carrying one daily but especially to those adults who are just starting out. This knife will handle anything a beginner can throw at it and come out smiling. Within 20 minutes of opening the box, I used the knife to pry up old metal asset tags off ancient computers at the school district. I tried using a flathead screwdriver and ended up mutilating the tag. As soon as I had my new Old Timer knife, every tag came off with ease. Later that day, I used it for cutting twine to secure the cold frame lids, then cutting plastic sheeting to make some repairs. After that, I used it to shave down an edge on the doorway to the greenhouse so the door would close better. That was all within the first 6 hours of owning it and I have used it many times daily since. Yes, I recommend this knife!