“Wait until you see this,” John Cammenga, Sr., founder and president of White River Knives, proudly teased me. It was peak summer, near the end of July, in western Michigan, and my wife and I were touring the shop near the company’s headquarters.

As if on cue, his son Matt set a folding knife on the counter before me. I picked it up — it felt lightweight and comfortable. Then I flipped it open, instantly noting the folder’s snappy action.

I recognized the blade profile right away as being the angular sort of drop point common among trapper models, though this only had one blade rather than the traditional two that extend in opposing directions. Curious, I turned to Cammenga Sr., but before the words left my mouth, he jumped in excitedly: “It’s our first folding knife, the Trailhead Trapper!”

Recently, White River was kind enough to send one over for review and testing. I’ve had it for a few weeks. Since it landed on my doorstep, I’ve carried it on hikes and trips to town. It’s been in my pocket, at the ready, while working in the kitchen or outside in the yard.

In short: White River Knives has a tremendous reputation for fixed blades, and it’s now turned all of its knowledge and experience toward the pocket-friendly Trailhead Trapper. A collaboration with Smith & Sons Knives, this is a high-quality folding knife that, in light of its premium materials, could easily be passed down to the next generation. But with a base price of $250, it may be an expensive option for those seeking a simpler option.

White River Knives Trailhead Trapper Review

White River and Smith & Sons have been longtime collaborators. For years, Smith & Sons did leather sheaths for White River, while White River did blades for Smith & Sons. The Trailhead Trapper is a new venture for both companies.

In fact, not long after my wife and I wrapped up our visit to the White River shop, Cammenga was headed to the airport to fly to the Smith & Sons headquarters in Louisiana. As he explained to me, while the deal was already essentially finished, it wasn’t truly done until the literal handshake. That’s class.

First Impressions

There’s just something about a well-made slip-joint knife. The Trailhead Trapper genuinely feels like a knife that your grandfather may have carried. It’s well-balanced, and from the moment you pick it up, you can tell it’s made for real-world use. It just happens to also look amazing while doing it.

This knife is precisely 7.5 inches long when opened. Closed, it’s 4.2 inches. The drop-point blade is 3.1 inches from the tip to the sharpening choil. That leaves 0.2 inches from the choil to the handle. It tips the scales at a very modest 2.4 ounces.

For comparison, that’s a little less than a standard deck of cards. So, this is definitely no boat anchor weighing down your pocket.

No sheath is provided for the Trailhead Trapper, nor is it equipped with a pocket clip. While some may consider the lack of a clip to be a strike against the knife, to me it makes perfect sense. A clip or other sort of accouterment would detract from the overall aesthetic.

Something that’s often missing from slip joint knives is a positive half-stop — not so with the Trailhead Trapper. It has one of the most secure half-stops I’ve ever experienced. This is important as a safety feature, as it allows you an opportunity to get your fingers out of the way before the blade snaps fully closed.

Materials

White River’s choice of S35VN for the blade makes perfect sense. This is a stainless steel that gets high marks for edge retention and overall toughness. After all, it’s a steel that was specifically designed for knives.

The blade arrived shaving sharp, which was no surprise; I’ve had White River knives that I felt could shave electrons from atoms. The blade has a 1-inch-long nail nick on the obverse or front side near the spine, giving you just enough grip to open the knife easily.

The scales on this one are Maple and Black Richlite. For those not familiar, that’s a resin-infused paper material that is exceptionally durable. It also happens to be sustainable, as it makes use of post-consumer recycled paper.

White River also offers this knife with Natural Burlap Micarta, Olive Drab Micarta, or Carbon Fiber Burl handles. I normally favor its Natural Burlap, but this Richlite looks amazing, too.

In the Field

I’ve used it for gutting and processing numerous cardboard boxes with nary a problem. Casual knife users may not realize just how awful corrugated cardboard is for a knife’s edge.

The glue used in manufacturing it hardens like a rock when it dries. Couple this with the dirt, dust, and other detritus that inevitably ends up inside those corrugations, it can almost be akin to slicing up sandpaper. The S35VN steel held a great edge and didn’t even need to be touched up afterward.

Our 2-year-old granddaughter was visiting for a bit, and she loves cheese and summer sausage. Out came the Trailhead Trapper to slice and dice. The blade sits at a slight angle to the handle, rather than being a straight 180-degree line from end to end. This happens to make it particularly adept at food processing chores.

The knife was also very handy when it came to cutting and trimming paracord. We have a popup sort of shed that a windstorm had really done a number on, so we had to improvise a new cover with tarps and cordage. The Trailhead Trapper was like a laser beam and made short work of the project.

A Single Complaint

Maybe not a true complaint, but a matter of personal preference: I don’t have a lot of experience with Richlite handle scales. Most of my knives are some flavor of Micarta.

While the Richlite scales look great, given a free and open choice, I’d have gone with Natural Burlap Micarta. The Richlite has subtle texturing, providing just enough traction for a secure grip. But it also feels sort of plastic-y to me.

Final Thoughts: Who’s It For?

The Trailhead Trapper is the first folding knife produced by White River Knives, and I’m confident it won’t be the last. It is an excellent option for someone who is looking for a slim folding knife that won’t weigh you down and will stand up to whatever you throw its way. It’s not cheap, but it’s going to last a lifetime and more with just minimal care.

White River Knives and Smith & Sons Knives are both family operations. It makes sense that they would both turn out heirloom-quality blades. One of my sons is already eyeballing mine.

But I might just save it for my granddaughter. She’s only two, but it won’t be all that long before she’s going to need a good knife for when we go camping and whatnot. Until then, it’ll be part of my regular EDC rotation.

The Trailhead Trapper is available now from White River Knives. As shown, it retails for $250. The price is the same for any of their Micartas, but jumps to $250 if you go with Carbon Fiber Burl scales.