In Praise of the Non-Tactical Pocketknife

[hso]

No problem.

Buddy of mine works in a "testosterone swamp" all day long (MSGT Air National Guard) and slips back into 6ft tall 13 year old behavior from time to time when he's at our place. I just remind him that he can act like a big boy when he's around adults.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Geoff
Who keeps a Leatherman and a SAK 41 Cyber in his work bag.

I have a Gerber Muliplier and a Victorinox Cybertool 41 in my latptop bag, too. The SWAK sees more use.

I've used the Cybertool 41 to take apart everything from laptops to a Nortel Passport 15000 ATM switch. It's exceptionally useful for computer/network geeks and replaced most of my toolkit.

 

[mtnbkr]

I guess the Chris Reeve is the most "tactical" but that would be a stretch. (that knife, btw, is one of the finest things I've ever bought. After a decade of daily use it's just as good as the day I bought it, maybe even better because I got to customize it a bit. And yeah, it was expensive but I've BEAT on that thing, the way it was meant to be.)

I have a Small Sebenza that has practically removed me from the knife hobby. For me, it's the pinnacle of folding knives. I bought mine about two years ago and haven't purchased another knife since.

However, I do find this compelling.

Chris

 

[mp510]

I addition to my tactical knife I EDC a Buck 373 Stockman and a Vic Spartan.

 

[1911 guy]

Winchester knife.

It's not marked with any other brand name, so it's probably a pakistani creation, but I carry this pocket clip folder everywhere. It's handy to not root around in a pocket for it and also open it with one hand. It's just a general use item, everything from cutting up grapefruit at work (lunchtime?) to opening packages to the bits of rope and zip ties that crop up.

For "personal" use I carry a 2" fixed blade, the TDI LE by Ka-Bar. It's been used exactly once. I forgot my folder in the car (changed clothes in a driveway at 6:30 a.m.) and had to gut a deer with it.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Bet if you inspect your Winchester carefully you'll find it's made by Taylor. Made in China, not Pakistan.

(Taylor also does the "new" Schrades and the Smith & Wesson knives.)

 

[sm]

For EDC,
technically, the only knife I have is a SAK Classic.
Don't ask, just Life is Life and and this one was a gift. There is SAK Spartan in the truck ( I hope).

hso and some others know, I am "debating" on what I want. Lady friend is razzing me a bit.

Yellow handled Case with CV blades are what I have been [strike] "play with these or I will kick your butt" - lady friend [/strike] suggested to play with today.
Sodbuster Jr. , Peanut and Stockman.

I want all Three.

See the deal is, lady friend is making fun of me carrying a Old Hickory Paring knife in a home made cardboard sheath [kitchen match box with electrical tape ] in my back pocket when walking the property, checking my back pocket while out and about [rolls eyes] and me using a carton cutter...

Internet perusing, nope, just one something to replace something in a emergency kit.
At the Feed&Seed store - nope, she has ended up buying these Case Yellow handled knives for herself and blaming me.

Sodbuster Jr. This is funny , she whipped that sucker out one handed, and got to doing supper...no thumb stud, no nothing, pretty darn cocky about it too...

Yellow handled Slim line Trapper : Well I wanted to play with it today too. Oh I want this one as well...
She would not hand that one over.
Might have something to do with when were getting some important stuff like cast iron skillets, and .22 shells, and pest spray...at the Feed & Seed store ( these places are great btw) ...
I handed her this Yellow Handed Trapper..."dang you, quit doing this" ( her to me) and ....she bought it.

I keep telling her I cannot take me anywhere - much less be out with someone else and not get into trouble or get Blamed for something.

"I carved the baked chicken, made baked apples, baked 'taters, cut a loose thread, sewed on a button, shaved my forearm, been whittling, opened boxes with strapping tape, sliced tomatoes, onions peppers, made a fruit salad, did a banana split, spread peanut butter...
...either I have to stay away from Case display cases, you, probably both [kidding] or just give up and give in..."

Pretty sure her last option is the best one.

I stay in trouble.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

RBM, here's my Case canoe with CV blades...

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/canoe.jpg

See how the blades don't open all the way? :/
IMO, that really sucks.

So there's only one thing to do... turn it into a "gunboat"?

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/canoe1.jpg

The spey and sheepsfoot blade blanks are being made from a Vermont American circular sawblade that happens to be the right thickness to match the original double ended spring. That steel is "8670-modified" the modification is twice the Ni and half the Mn of 8670.

The spear blade is 50100-B (like W7) and can be hollow ground and reheat treated too so all the blades will be up there around 66hrc when I'm done.

Stockman and cattle knives are my favorites never even knew what a gunboat was until after coming up with the idea to get rid of that silly pen blade and replace it with the two little blade shapes I like best.

What do you think?

After a cold treatment the blades will be drawn at ~275F.
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/graphL6.jpg

I'll have to make a butt spring from 1095 or O1 and draw to a spring temper for the spear blade.

Anyboy else on here silly enough to do stuff like that?

Alvin in AZ

 

[sm]

Alvin,
Kinda.
I am not a knife maker or metallurgist. Chemistry was not my strong suit, it was the math and an anti gun Lecture Professor that drove me nuts...
Now the young good looking PhD lady I had for Chem lab, that liked to shoot ,and did I mention really young and good looking? ...I did real well in her class.

My industry - well I dealt with precious metals. I also made my own tools and used the OLDer proven designs, using proven metallurgy. I don't know all you and Joe Talmadge do, I cannot speak in the same terms.

I do know what works (as raised, in limited capacity) , what does not and the young bunch buying all the new-fangled stuff, in new metals - it did not work, much less last.

For example:
Old Mueller Carbon Steel Gravers for instance...they work. I shaped them and used a Norton India stone. I grew up with Norton stones.
I used "polish" emery ( various grits ) and used real Chamois leather alone, or with Semichrome to put polished , scary sharp edges on these gravers. I men touch the edge of a 44 flat graver, and like a razor blade not know you were cut, until the blood gushed out.

The edge? It stayed sharp, kept its edge, and used Wintergreen Oil on some things to keep the metal removed I was working "removed" and act as lubricate.
Cotton Swab with a few drops, touch graver to swab from time to time - continue on.

I kept one old Case CV knife "dull" on purpose, it was used dull ( Swedish needle file to dull) for some things I did - not cutting, just needing something to "pull".

I took a busted off Case CV blade off a Folding Hunter found in a Pawn shop, just the blade. Using a diamond drill bit, under water, I drilled holes as I had marked and had some Pecan Wood a wood working customer had given me.

See I had a Mentor that liked to "piddle with whittling" - his fun thing was making apple rings for his grandkids. He would carve chains, and ball in a cage...whittle peach seeds to make monkeys...
"I can do this and not be in momma's way in the house"

I left this knife with a l-o-n-g handle and "blocky". I harp about gun fit around here, and this Mentor did as well.
Handle is often more important than a blade. I knew this working with hand tools - I apprenticed, and this before Dremels ever came out. We had Foredom Flexshafts, and Buffing machines all with power, but I had to learn to do everything by hand first...even polishing.

So Mentor and I worked together on blade shape,and handle shape. Once done, I better attached handle to blade, did the last finishing "finishing out".

He used that personally made "Piddler Whittler" for a lot of years. It fit him to a "T".

When he died, that knife was nowhere to be found. We were out were we scattered his ashes, under a tree, and "sawdust" if you will was falling onto us from above.
Now some would say it was a squirrel...

Nope, we new Mentor was up above making "piddlin' whittlin'" with that knife he and I made, just a grinning , snickering, and having a good time messing with us old friends out paying respects one day.

 

[sm]

Alvin in AZ,

Some will say I am much more a curmudgeon than I should be at my age - actually I personally feel I am past curmudgeon-hood and have hit Reprobate.

Just me being me. Life is Life and Lady Friend is a bit younger and this a lady I instructed in shotgunning. She and I razz and cut up - still she is a bit [strike] concerned [/strike] curious as to why I have not gotten a knife to carry everyday.
I am rebelling against the "gotta haves" and "coolnewvirus". Sure there is place for Progress - then again sometimes I am not sure if society is progressing forwards, or progressing backwards.

Society has become more dependent on Gubmint. Society has become more dependent on Gee Whiz and Gadgets.

I can take game with a single shot shotgun, and clean it with a Old Hickory paring/ utility knife, Bare Head Trapper, Trapper, Sodbuster Jr, Peanut, Stockman...and the darn knife HAS to have Chrome Vanadium blades and Yellow handles are nice for outdoor work.

Been borrowing her Yellow Handled Knives with CV blades and each time we stand in the Feed&Seed Store with idea me getting a knife she ends up getting one.

My Mentors & Elders did this, they had me clean their guns too...I am just passing forward as I was passed to. I like this dimension in Life I am in.

We were out and wanted a Coke. We go into a Store and No Dr. Pepper - ended up with a Coke, and she got them in the bottle with a cap.
Outside she said " Okay smart guy, open these.

She thought she had me. Green post as the city uses for signs, be it Stop, Speed Limit, etc. Insert the cap into the "U" and if do a "twist-wrist" motion - the lid pops off.

"Okay, now open this one another way smart britches" - she said.
Bus Bench , edge of lid on the wood and hit my hand with the other - "pop".

Since then she bought a six pack of bottle Coke, for the sole purpose of me showing her various was opening one - including using a regular old knife blade to lift.

She and I were looking at Camp knife, the Case Camp knife [Scout]. It is hefty , which I like. Drop that into a sock, or handkerchief and hit someone up the side of the head, and they will know it.

To me, the Camp knife is sturdier and more hefty. Personally that knife - without all the tools, just a main and one smaller blade is a great knife. Some would call it a Canoe, Ranch, or Cowboy knife.

She complained her Stockman, bugged her with the Sheepsfoot blade sticking out a bit.
I grew up with Norton India stones, carbon steel, and CV. To Me India does the best job of sharpening these steels.
I used her Norton to ever so slightly take down the kick, and lower it just a tad. It is now more comfy for Her hands.

Stockman to me, should have an Awl, seems to me growing up - Stockmans, used around Tack, farms, ranches, cows, horses - had a Clip, and Awl and it depended on knife if it had a spey or sheepsfoot.


I returned the Yellow Handled Case knives with CV blades in return am using a Bare Head Trapper of hers.
Handle is nice, most folks do not put much into handle, instead the blade, shape, steel , how fast they can open it...
Like gun fit - handle fit is important to a user that actually uses a knife - IMO.

I like the Two Blade Trapper and Trapper Jr ( yellow or amber bone with CV), still the Bare Head is light, fits back pockets, even casual / dress pants, even for ladies.
She carried this knife in these type pants for a bit...she had to check to make sure it was there.

Funny, I used a Bare Head Trapper, just one blade, and MY only edged knife for two days, two nights on a "survival" thing my Mentors had me do as a brat.
Just stick me out on the back of the property and a single shot .22, and "think" and "just do what need to still be around when we check on you".

Remember them Cokes with lids I mentioned earlier? Lady Friend now has the Nifty Fish scale remover there ever was....
Bottle Cap screwed onto a piece of wood .

Yes it removes fish scales, and now perhaps some will think back to seeing Bottle Caps nailed/screwed to a piece of wood while at Grandparents, Uncles, Relatives, ...hanging in the Fish hut near farm ponds with the cane poles.

Yes a boy can survive two days, two nights with a Bare Head Trapper, single shot .22, cane pole, braided line and whatever his brain could come up with.
Mentors said to think. I was allowed to root, scheme and even steal eggs out of the Hen House...hubcap from a Willis Jeep is a fine skillet for fixing eggs, and Fish and Eggs are great for breakfast.

Hubcaps I miss, especially metal ones. I wonder how well these Bling Bling Wheels do for Scrambled eggs?

Practical, Curmudgeon, Reprobate- call me hard headed, even a Rebel - everyone else does...Seems to fit me just fine.

I used to visit with the Hobos down at the train track and get fussed at for doing so. Still my Mentors would go down there, and one day I was down there with them and a hobo said:

Folks do not own possessions as much as possessions own them. -Hobo.

I bet I make it through another day with a Yellow Handle Bare Head Trapper with a single CV blade...

Steve

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Cool posts, Steve.

 

[sm]

Alvin,

It is that thanks you, and many like you. I mean this sincerely.
I speak of Mentors & Elders, men and women, like yourself. I was raised right, even they did carry a Case, Old Timer knife.

At 51, I ought to a real hoot in 20 more years.

031, Case Bare Head Trapper, Yeller handle, CV blades is what I "borrowed" and will be giving back sometime today.

Cut a heater hose to assist an elderly neighbor, slice ham, carrots, 'taters, fixed another garden hose with a splice, repaired a lamp with a new cord. Defensive use, as this lamp will be on a timer, so folks will think someone is home.
Fruit salad, Veggie salad, and two roses of all things in this winter weather all by themselves , cut, and stuck in a Coke bottle - who says I ain't got Couth or Class?
Lady friend a bit surprised "Roses, this time of year?"

Cut boxes, tape, and who knows what else I did with that Single Blade Trapper.


Proven