There are little things in life that just bring a man joy. For some, that thing might be a fresh cut lawn, for others, it might be a well-worn pair of jeans that feel perfect. For me, that little thing is a perfectly executed slipjoint pocketknife; in this case, one from Grayson Jennings.
Grayson Jennings: Slipjoint Maker
Growing up, knives were held to impossibly high standards. My dad was in the Knifemakers Guild, and while he only built fixed blades, he held a well-built folder in the highest regard. Additionally, both of my grandfathers carried slipjoints every day. You could say knives were not only a part of everyday life, they were tools we had an understanding of.
A good slipjoint had to have a strong mainspring, non-stainless blade material, and ground so thin you could shave with it if need be. These men used slipjoints for everything from food prep in camp, skinning and quartering game animals, to cutting open the daily mail.
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After losing my dad a few years ago, I was cleaning up his workshop and found something hidden in a back cabinet, a brick of genuine Westinghouse micarta. You can’t get this stuff anymore, and it is literal gold. I knew exactly what to do with it.
The Tony Bose Panama Trapper Pattern
Grayson Jennings is a knifemaker in North Carolina specializing in traditional slipjoint designs. I sent him the vintage Westinghouse micarta and asked for a folder that was around 4in closed with two blades. His Bose-style Panama trapper fit the bill perfectly. I said I wanted A2 blade steel ground thin. To say he delivered is an understatement.
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The late Tony Bose designed the Panama Trapper. It’s typically a two-blade design around 4 inches closed, with a clip main blade and a big, wide skinner blade. Both blades are typically ground thin for slicing. This knife is true to the traditional pattern. The vintage Westinghouse micarta came out with a cream color that mimics aged ivory and is absolutely spectacular.
This knife is perfect. I do not say that lightly. There are zero gaps in the back springs. When the blades are in the open position, you cannot distinguish where the blade stops and where the backspring begins. This only happens on a knife that is fit well. The blades are ground perfectly thin and take an amazing edge that can be easily touched up on a ceramic Spyderco Sharpmaker.
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I wanted to truly test this knife. So, I brought it to Namibia on safari with Hunters Namibia. The Lamprecht family has operated Hunters Namibia for decades and offers a first-class experience for hunters and tourists alike. It is a special place with some of the best plains game hunting in all of Africa.
I carried this knife every day for two months leading up to this hunt. My everyday carry knife use ranges from the typical package opener and breaking down of cardboard boxes to peeling fruit and small food prep. But I was really excited for the real test.
The Grayson Jennings Slipjoint on Safari
It was the fourth day of our seven-day safari, and I hadn’t put anything on the ground yet. This was real hunting, spotting, and stalking with vintage rifles. Late in the afternoon, in a sea of golden grass, we spotted a herd of blue wildebeest in the valley below us.
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The wind was not in our favor, and the first two attempted stalks resulted in being busted by a combination of wind and lack of cover. These animals do not grow old by being dumb by any means.
Finally, the stars aligned and the wind changed. There was a single camel thorn tree between the herd and where I needed to be in position for a shot. We moved slowly for what seemed like an eternity. After getting into position beside the tree, I singled out an ancient bull about 60 yards away. I steadied the vintage Steyr Mannlicher in 30-06 with a fixed 4x Swarovski on the shoulder and fired.
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At the break of the shot, the bull ran 40 yards before stumbling and taking off again. I cycled the bolt and got off the sticks, making an off-hand shot at 90 yards, dropping him to a second shoulder shot.
Walking up to the old bull was incredible. He was so old, his horns were worn through to the core from fighting. This is what makes a trophy. Now that the bull was on the ground, the real work was about to begin.
I was prepared to zip him out on the spot. However, the team recommended that, because we could easily drive the truck to the spot, we save the processing for the skinning shed.
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Skinning the Wildebeast
The trapper made quick work of skinning the wildebeest. When one blade eventually got dull from the full skinning, I switched and used the spey blade for quartering meat.
Is a custom slipjoint of this size the perfect tool for this job? I would have certainly been more comfortable with one of my dedicated fixed blades for this. But that is not the point. The point is the knife was capable of it, and a 600-pound beast was fully processed. Nothing was wasted, and people who would otherwise go hungry were fed clean protein.
This was not another YouTube review, cutting rope and cardboard. This was cutting meat and membrane with bits of sand and dirt in the hair. The knife performed amazingly. When I got back to the room that night, and the knife was clean, I touched up the edge on my Spyderco Sharpmaker, and it was good to go. When edge geometry is maintained, it does not take much to get it back to hair-popping.
Another important note is that I keep a paper towel in my pocket when skinning. As the edge fills with fat and membrane, a quick wipe can remedy this. Bottom line, your edge might not be going dull. It is just filling up with material.
The Grayson Jennings Slipjoint is an Heirloom Piece
After owning this knife for 8 months, the blades have begun to pick up significant patina. I will never, for the life of me, understand why people struggle to prevent patina development. It is natural. These knives are not meant to be collector pieces. The patina tells a story.
One day, when I am an old man with grandchildren of my own, I will pull this knife out of my pocket and look at it. The patina will be a remembrance of adventures. I will probably keep using this knife in regular rotation for the rest of my life.
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