EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Over the past few months, stag handles have really won this knife collector’s heart.
They conjure up a nostalgic feel and make me think of the type of pocket knives that my grandfather would have carried around his property in Washington state when I was a boy.
That brings me to one of my favorite knife brands, RoseCraft Blades, which really opened my eyes to this type of handle material.
RoseCraft has a reputation for making high-quality traditional slipjoint knives (no lock) with a mid-range price point.
The Tennessee-based knife company really finds a nice middle ground with their stag handles.
You can see that each individual knife is truly unique – like a snowflake. But they aren’t so hefty and thick that it feels like you are carrying around a big, old block.
Let’s take a look at two of RoseCraft Blades’ traditional offerings with stag handles – the Loosahatchie Jack Stag and the Savage Creek Gunstock Stag.
Note: I got both of these knives from the RoseCraft pass-around group and only had a couple of days to check them out. This is more of a first impression-type column than a full-on review.
Both are made from genuine stag material, which as you get from above, I absolutely love.
Let’s start with the Savage Creek Gunstock Stag.
The first thing you notice on this one – its handles slightly flare out toward the end away from the blade, giving the knife the look of a rifle, if you use your imagination. Hence, the name “gunstock.”
I’m not a gun guy, but I can see why some people like this pattern.
This knife comes with a 2.8-inch D2 steel clip-point blade. The knife is small but handy – 3.625 inches when closed, 6.4 inches when open and weighs in at 3.1 ounces.
As you expect from any RoseCraft knife, the craftsmanship is excellent. The handles, the pins, the bolster, everything just flows together almost perfectly.
The blade has a nail nick for opening. My usual complaint with slipjoint knives is how difficult some can be to open.
Not this one. This one opens just fine without feeling like it’s “loose” or poorly constructed.
It also makes a nice “snappy” noise when you close it up.
Next up is the Loosahatchie Jack Stag. Again, the stag handles really stand out, giving this one the feel of something from my childhood.
This one features a 2.875-inch D2 clip-point blade. It is 3.625 inches closed, 6.5 inches open and weighs 3.3 ounces.
Again like any RoseCraft knife, it blends exquisite craftsmanship, functionality and price into a total package.
Everything I said about the gunstock stag, you can say about this jackknife and more – great construction and craftsmanship, firm but not too difficult to open, great snap when it closes, useful blade, all that.
Both of these knives are little guys, with razor sharp blades. I am a little biased here, but I love single-bladed knives when it comes to traditionals.
And both of these check off a bunch of my personal preference “boxes.”
At the RoseCraft website, the Loosahatchie Jack Stag goes for $79.99.
At the same site, the Savage Creek Gunstock Stag goes for the same price, but is currently out of stock. You can sign up for an email notification when they get some more.
You can use the code BIGREDEDC from my friend at Big Red EDC to get 10 percent off when ordering from RoseCraft.
At C. Risner Cutlery, the Savage Creek Gunstock Stag is available for $79.99. Here is a link.
The same site also has Loosahatchie Jack Stag, also available for the same price. Here is a link.
On this website, you can use the code BIGRED10 for 10 percent off on RoseCraft knives too.
Overall, I like both of these knives and think either would be an excellent addition to any knife collection. However, I lean more toward the Loosahatchie Jack. Just love a good single-bladed jackknife, ever since I was a kid.
Here are some YouTube channels on knives and EDC gear that I watch and can recommend.
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