"Well tell 'em you have a knife *sigh* finally!!"

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Between black coffee, and shiftn' gears
I got a knife *sigh* finally!!
<elbow to ribs>

Basically I have been a Rebel, something I have a knack for doing really well.
Lady friend and I have been having this running joke, razzing and teasing about me and my "set in his ways" and "pigheadedness".

Actually she agrees with me. Deal is, folks teach folks how to treat them, and I, being unhappy with manufactures and all...have been rebelling.

My deal is too much of the old ways , correct basic fundamentals and such, are not being passed on. These things were passed to me, therefore I intend to pass forward these things passed to me. I do not care what the latest marketing hype, fad, trend or whatever is - if it does not do what I and my Mentors believe in - I ain't doing it. A knife is supposed to cut.

Gimme a OLDer K frame, Bone stock Gov't model of 1911, Old Hickory Kitchen knife, Cast Iron cookware...you get the idea.

I have raised nineteen kinds of fits on knives. Truth is , If I am attacked by mutant ninja zombies, screw the knife, I am going for 12 gauge slugs.

One handed opening. Gee Willikers, I hate to break the news to folks , but even when I was a brat, born in mid Fifties, Everybody Knew [tm]....
y'all know what a kitchen match is? Yeah, stick one inside down onto back spring and the point is raised up just a tad and one can zip that puppy out in a jiffy.

Folks did this before I was born. Folks that came back from Wars and lost an arm and could not afford a "One Arm Jack knife" did this to a regular old pocket knife so they could open and close one handed.

This ain't rocket science folks.

I am fed up with "collector's knives" that will not cut butter. Collecting is fine and dandy, I once did...
Still a knife is a tool and if the damn knife won't cut - what good is it?

Me, being me I want a knife that is 1095, Chrome Vanadium or similar, that takes on Patina. See I like blue guns too. Bluing in controlled rust essentially. Patina on a knife blade is controlled rust, it protects the durn thing.

I want a knife that takes and holds and edge, and is easy to touch up. I like Norton India stones, I used them with carbon / tool steel hand tools for too many years. They work.

It took me years to accept Ceramic V sticks. I grew up using a Whetstone, a file, steel, leather, to keep a working knife sharp. I mean out in the boonies for 7 days I do not want a funky knife that will not cut and it takes a degree in engineering to use a sharpener that requires assembly.

Anywho...y'all can have malls and box stores, give me Feed/ Seed / Farm/ Ranch / Tractor store. They have real stuff that is proven and works as it has for a 100 yrs or more.

Lady friend been fussing ( running joke) about my Rebel ways. Every time we we went in , she nudged me toward the Case knife display. Every time I stuck a knife in her hand ( she thinking finally he is going to buy a knife") I did not - instead she bought one. :p

I "are" good. I really did give an Eskimo a ice cold bottle of water once.

For a bit now she has been loaning me various ones ( my fault she bought) - and I give one back and play with another one she has used after getting home with it.
"Damn Men!!" ( she said to share that sentiment, she is cracking up laughing btw).

New Years day and I have played with all the knives. Shared stories about various ones, and what I have used since I was a brat.

See I favor Trappers, Yellow handled Case knives with Chrome Vanadium blades. Sodbuster Jr. Trapper, Trapper Jr, and Bare Head Trapper my favorites. Peanuts are fine and Stockman's are okay.
I am pissed they do not make a knife with carbon blades - main blade, spey and all.

Until today I found this one :
Böker® Cinch® Rancher
Carbon Steel, main blade, spey and awl. Damn! At least somebody knows what a working knife is about!
http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_t...h_trapper.html

Lady friend is really really really interested in this knife *grin* give me time, I betcha "oomph!" ( seems *someone's elbow likes my side ).

I stuck a Bare Head Trapper in Steve's back pocket and did the "head tilt and nod" as he calls it.
It means he is going to carry this thing and he don't - and I will check to see if he does - if he does not- I am going to hurt him.

This one : Barehead Slimline Trapper #031 - 31048 CV
http://www.wrcase.com/knives/pocket_knives/browsefolding2.php?Family='Yellow%20Handle'&Folding='1'&Item='031'

This rebel is sitting here using this knife one handed and it does not have a match stick in it. Sitting down and getting it out, opening it, stealing a piece of cheese, closing it, and back in his pocket one handed! ( he is going to show me how he does this...
- Lady friend


Well...I like these Case CV blades and Yellow handles, they work and are proven by me over too many years, add others I know and their years of use.

Oh I know it does not have multiple blades, and all - still this one is light, easy to tote and proven by me and others to work. Heck it was the only knife I had for days and nights on a survival dealie for few times. I have done the same with the two blade Trapper, Trapper Jr, and Sodbuster Jr. ....and in the old days when Camillus and Shrade-Walden (later Shrade) Betram (Hen & Rooster) Queen were doing carbon (1095 and similar steels)

Whittling is something I have been doing, oh sure I know a "whittling knife" is better, still Lady friend and I made fuzzies for a fire , and carved a bar of Ivory soap to make a boat....these float being Ivory soap.

Now to find the Norton pocket size India Stones...

Thanks Babe
You are welcome Babe



S
 
How in the heck can that be a knife?

It doesn't have a pocket clip, a locking blade, a lanyard hole, carbon fiber handles, hollow grind blade, blood grooves or a special one-handed-opening-thingy. I'll bet it's not made from japanese steel and didn't even come with a video showin' some hotshot usin' it to cut big pieces of meat hanging from a string!

I think ya been cheated! :D
 
Son, if'n it ain't black coated and has 1000ppm titanium/vanadium added to the steel, it ain't tacticool! Yep, and if it didn't come with a DVD you really got taken. :D

I still take good carbon steel over anything. I found real quick making knives that I can get them way sharper than SS ones. Scary sharp and holds an edge - yep we better get rid of that! :)

In 10 days we're moving from this 'hole to Pahrump, which has a Feed Store with gun store in the back. Can't wait!
 
Y'all just jealous is all :D

Shaving thin ham , 'mater's scratch biscuits, my famous scrambled eggs , fresh "squoze" orange juice. made using a glass juicer.

One is better aware if'n one eats right - defensive trick :)

Other Defensive Tricks include:

Motel/ Hotel and making a door stop out of a bar of soap, or stick from out in parking lot. Whittle/ Carve ( using a knife that will cut mind you) and shove under door. Added Security just in case someone "forgot" to return the room key or change the code on the electronic one at the desk.
[And you forgot to bring a door stop].

Sharpen a "real" No. 2 pencil . Don't make me explain what a No. 2 pencil is for in defensive use.

Survival:

Here ya go, let us say you have oranges or grapefruit. Eggs from a hen house, but how you gonna cook 'em ?
No problem!
Cut orange/ grapefruit in half and eat the fruit leaving rinds intact.
You made a fire using closed Knife, using spine to hit a magnesium and throw a huge spark to make that fire ( carbon steel does this real well!)

Crack eggs into each half of a rind, set onto coals and cook eggs in the rind. :)
Biscuits, well if'n you have box of Bis-Quick, water, make biscuits, slap onto a rock facing coals and they will bake, just slice off rock , and eat.

Handy , light weight sharpener:
Emery board. Carbon Steel don't take much and let us say you need more touching up than stropping on jeans, or the leather belt you are wearing, no ceramic coffee cups handy to use the bottom of...
Emery Board works great! These new larger ones, spongy feeling with a different grit each side are more versatile and don't break near as easy.
Like using sandpaper on a mouse pad.


Practical , Persistent, Pig-headed me...;)
 
I'm sitting here with a Bare headed trapper from Old-Timer with brown Delrin scales in my back pocket, a SAK tinker in my left front pocket and a brand spanking new Case Canoe in my right front pocket. The tinker is a utility knife, with blades, screwdrivers, and can-opener. The Trapper is my working knife, it does a great job with that Carbon blade, a touch on my belt will bring that edge right back. The Case Canoe is my Show knife but it has Carbon blades, Real pretty till I need to cut something then does its work well. Looking for a good Peanut and a nice Old-Timer Sharpfinger(made in USA)
 
Brian

Sharpfinger, damn good knife!

Camillus shows one on their online store being carbon steel. In fact they may actually have been the folks making them for Shrade ( not sure, would not surprise me though).
Better hurry, as Camillus is having problems. Call Camillus to make sure it is carbon, some of the last of the Shrade line right before Taylor Cutlery bought them and went to China made, was Shrade + - meaning steel , not carbon.
Look at the Grandpa line too.

Sharpfinger: http://www.camillusknives.com/1mainframe.htm?camillus/index.shtml~main

Grandpa line: ( look familar?) -
http://www.camillusknives.com/1mainframe.htm?camillus/index.shtml~main
Scroll down a bit - and for instance-
http://www.camillusknives.com/1mainframe.htm?camillus/index.shtml~main
 
OK... Step away from the coffee...

OK, I get your point, but some improvements are actually improvements. Sure things do, and are, carried to their extremes, often in the name of marketing, but some of those things are good. Sure, a Buck folding hunter or a Case lock back will do the same thing as any other knife. But I’ll never give up my Benchmade CQC7. That thing is, IMHO, the best pocket knife ever made. I have carried one almost every day for almost ten years, and I love that thing. Say what you want, but having a one handed knife that is always in the same place, and locks solid is a blessing.

PS, I love blued guns too.
 
I have nothing against "improvements" - what I do have a problem with is folks:
buying skill and targets.

Folks not learning the correct basic fundamentals.

Folks not being raised right, not being parented, not having adults passing forward what it RIGHT.

We have folks not being parented, or no adults, or refuse to listen - instead all they know is TeeVee , Movie, Video Game - computer enhanced crap.

Had one neighbor, second year in college, and the power was out. Just a whining and carrying on she was hungry, and knocked on my door with a can of tuna fish. Snow/ ice and not really safe to get out. I handed her a cup of coffee :scrutiny: and a hand held can opener, and she honest to goodness did not know how to work it.

<light bulb> "How did you make coffee?" :p

Just fired up the grill, made coffee in a steel camp percolator and she stood on my balcony as I fixed bacon , eggs toast more coffee and later on I cooked other food, and pot of tea.
Power came on 3 hours later.

Set this lady up with some other ladies that knew how to camp, hike, shoot, use a knife and whatnot. Her parents did not have time for her - keeping up with the Jones.
She made straight A's in school...she wanted street smarts, and real world smarts.
Her first real knife was a Old Hickory and then later a Old Timer Stockman.

Her first gun - Used Police trade in Model 10, later a single shot .22 rifle to learn correct basic fundamentals, and then later a pump shotgun.

She learned about cast iron cookware too...

So excited when she went camping and cooked on a campfire for the first time...

Pass this stuff forward I say...
 
I feel ya

Folks not learning the correct basic fundamentals.
Click to expand...

This IS a major problem.

Buying skill?

I assume that you are talikin about tacti-cool, not paying for instruction. In this regard, I agree, but I do love the trend. I can’t even tell you how much good stuff I got on the cheap from someone who drops a lot of cash on something and then the next coolest thing comes out and the thing that they have is no good any more. Make friends with these people, they are good to know.
 
Nothing wrong with much of the newer stuff - I have 2 Striders and 2 Emersons myself. There just something about old-time carbon steel that gets us going. :)

My buddy lucked out when I became a knifemaker - all them knives gotta go somewhere! :p
 
well said , pass it forward . Even though I consider myself a mostly modern bladesteel kind of guy , I do like 1095 a lot , I like old cars , old guns and old tools. There are some modern stuff that I do like but a lot that i dont.

your posts make for some great reading.
 
Lady friend and I walked the property today. It started out cool, then warmed up nice.
Yes I had my Barehead Trapper, and yes she checked to make sure I did.

I toted an old single shot .410, she toted a single shot 28ga. Just for the heck of it, snagged a empty bleach bottle, tied a pc of cord to bottle and the other end to a small tree on the bank of a farm pond.

Braided fishing line, hook and lead sinker - chicken liver for bait, tossed this out, and let it be while we walked the property and watched the dawg. Imagined we shot - just pulled up with a empty gun and whisper bang...

Piddled and later checked on the pond and the bleach bottle just a dancing. Pulled in about a 4# catfish.
Found a nail and nailed it to a tree with a rock. Used my new knife to slice around , and used pliers to skin.

Fillet it using the new Trapper, and tossed remains back into pond.
Nice size fillets, and knife just sliced so easy and fine...and stayed sharp.

Washed and dried my Trapper, applied a bit oil to joint. Took a plain piece of cardboard and stropped it. Now even more razor sharp!

Plain cardboard mind you , nothing on it, and showed her how to do this on hers.

Simple works.

s
 
There's a passel of good knives here, including WW's Sabatier and Henkels kitchen knives.

Among mine are a couple Pumas, a few Bucks, some Gerbers, a Camillus K-Bar that followed me home from SEA, and some Cold Steels. The Recon Tanto is a marvelous heavy duty knife and the Voyager in my pocket is goodnsharp. There's a Helle that has a laminated steel blade that does dressing duties. After I dressed 5 deer or so with it, i wimped out and touched up the blade.

Some old family knives are here also.

All these vary from goodnsharp to scary.

On the scary end are two of the family knives.One is a small Western two blade penknife that was my Grandfather's. It's thinned down a little from honing and keeps a fine edge on both blades. Grampop died in 1953.

The other was Pop's hunting and dressing out knife. It's a Case, made in the early 50s, with a chromed 6" blade and a handle made from leather washers. Last I looked, Case still offered it. The steel's a little soft, but nothing here gets as sharp.

I find it interesting that 50 years of technology hasn't given us better knives, just more rust resistant ones.
 
I find it interesting that 50 years of technology hasn't given us better knives, just more rust resistant ones.
Click to expand...
There's some food for thought. I don't agree 100%, but I think that there's a good bit of truth there.
 
John,knives are simple tools. One part cuts, another enables one to use the tool without bleeding most of the time.

Most of the innovations in knives in the last half century boil down to gimmickery or refinements of older stuff.

Serrations are quite old, older than our own species. Look at a handax crafted by Homo Habilis a half million years gone by,or an Ishi point that is both art and tool.

Tanto points date from a thousand years back, and serve less well on stuff not armored than a clip point.

One hand opening and lockblade knives are more of the same ol' same ol'. I will grant that not many lockblades were around before the Buck 110, but they existed.

I grant Zytel handles are new, some of the steels are also, but how crucial to advancement are they?
 
I think the knives are much stronger now as compared to 50 years ago , especially in folders. Some may not embrace the new tech stuff , some may not like it , it may not appeal to some , but to say the folding knife hasnt been improved in 50 years is false. While I do like the older traditional stuff , when I really need something to lock up , give me a framelock or axis lock ( that is if it cant be a fixed blade.)
 
sm, while I love my non-stick cookware and my polymer pistols, I have to agree with you on today's knives. I'm tired of belt clips and half serrated blades and crappy stainless steel blades that don't hold an edge.

Like you, I was raised on a whetstone not ceramic or diamond doohickeys with guides to ensure you have the right blade angle. I'm sorry, different blades with different steel and different uses need different angles.

The only knife that I have bought in the past 15 years is a second generation Ka-bar. I won't buy a knife that doesn't say Ka-bar, Queen, or Case. Good northern steel in those older knives, they hold and edge. In fact I used to have a great uncle that worked for Case.

I made the local baitshop special order me a Case fillet knife. I was tired of the cheap, stainless steel garbage he kept in stock that was dull after one redfish. Once the Case came in and I showed him how much better it was he now keeps them in stock and most of the old timers have mentioned that it's about time he got quality knives in and that's all they'll buy. Sure, he makes more money on the cheap ones because they just buy a new one when the old one gets dull. Seems sharpening a knife is becoming a lost art.

Nope, knives of today don't impress me much.
 
Sad and Sentimental.

Older couple down the way the other day were outside doing some piddling in the yard. They had this "look" and something was wrong.
Seems his wife had dropped her Old Old Imperial pen knife with the Mother of Pearl imitation handles.
This was a gift way back in their many years of marriage. He carries one like it with a black handle.

I parked my truck and assisted in finding this knife. Undid the bags of pine needles, some other yard stuff and I spied it near the front steps, on the ground.

You would have thought she had won a million dollars in the way she reacted when I walked over to her with this knife. I could FEEL the years and all the things that knife, and his knife too...with all these knives had seen, done, and been through. Character and Soul.

They have put these up, part of the deal is, when they die , they get buried with the other one's knife.

They were out of town visiting some folks and hit pawn shops and found some old pocket knives (Shrade) to replace these old Imperials. For yard and all the piddling they do, they bought two new Old Hickory small Paring knives, did a cardboard sleeve to carry and tote them in as I do.

I do not see folks wanting to be buried with these new knives made with handle materials and steels.

-

I already have witnessed how the family of the deceased views getting a Polymer gun or synthetic gun. I have witnessed the disappointment, or wanting to "fuss" over who got a Glock 26 and who got the Colt Detective Special, Model 36, Model 10.

"Mom, dad, grandpa....etc...don't leave me any plastic stuff I want to remember you the way you are and how you did stuff..."

I know one husband and wife, that got rid of Glocks, and Tacky knives , upon hearing the kids talking to Granparents. They went back to 1911s and Steel Revolvers, and real knives.

For the children - for sure.
 
very good post. I like the way your threads provoke thought and great discussion.

There is something to be said for heirlooms , my oldest son , 13 , has a bone stock mint series 70 gov ( blue ) , that was passed to him from me , though it remains in the safe till he is off age. I asked my wife to bury me ( when that day comes , no rush ;) ) with either one of my daily carry knives UNLESS one of my sons asks for them.

To me in 30 years or so , I am confidant my sons will feel the same way about the knives they see me carrying and using daily , Striders , Blackwoods , Rinaldi's and of course my Kershaw Double Cross and a couple Case and Barlows. The customs will mean much more to them as they have met and shook hands with the men who have made them , a few have had dinner with the family at our house.

I think the important thing , rather than what material it is made from , is to teach youth the correct way of using , sharpening , caring for and respecting a blade of any make ( and firearms as well ). And hopefully I can bestow some knife making knowledge onto my sons , my oldest very well may finally decide to step up to the Bader and make his own fixed blade this summer.

I like 1095 , 5160 , and 01 , I also like ATS34 , bg42 and S30v. I like stabilized wood scales but also like micarta and CF as well. Nothing wrong with mixing it up.

I like old school , I like new school , I like old guns , I like a few newer guns , I love old cars & I like new cars ( though I do like the modern conveniences they have , I hate wrenching on them :D ).

For awhile i was a techno gadget junkie , carried a cell phone , blackberry and a PDA... about a year ago I got rid of em all ( made more room for knives in my pockets too ! ) , perhaps I am subconsciously going back to grassroots ? not that it would be a bad thing come to think of it.
 
Yep, just "won" Sharpfinger on Fleabay for the princely sum of $44.95, 'cause it is carbon steel, Made in USA with a Leather sheath. Won't tell the prices on the others but one is a 1980 Stage Peanut single blade with a bail and the other is a new Case trapper with Amber Bone scales and CV blades.

c414_1.jpg
5f08_1.jpg
 
Dave,

While your points are well taken, I'd say that stainless steel and pocket clips are significant improvements. (I know not everyone LIKES knives with those features, but they can be very useful. ;) )
 
John, I've seen Revolutionary War era "Soldier's Knives" with a belt hook like an oversized pocket clip, They were similar to the belt hooks on some martial pistols of that time.

I like pocket clips. I also like knives that don't rust. IMO, these are tweaks rather than breakthroughs.
 
Not real keen on pocket clips.
Just me and how raised , but I like to think I observe, read folks, and read situations. This all before tactical knives and pocket clips.

For example
I notice the ink pen, that Cross Pen has a logo on it, and I recognize the logo.
Same pen the Bank Mgr uses at work, and off work he is using the same pen.

The Bond Daddy into nose candy, Sporting the Two Tone Rolex with the blue dial...that blonde is his "date" sporting a gold razor blade and /or coke spoon as a necklace, or charm on a bracelet. Both with long pinkie fingernails.

Keys, the person watching me, has a certain vehicle key, with remote...I can scan the lot, and see where such vehicles are, in relation to where I am parked...

Car wash, and lady upset about a scratch on her car. Discussion taking place, with a Car wash mgr. Scratch is same height as the pocket clipped knife the car wash attendant is wearing as he was drying off that side of vehicle.

Pocket watch Fobs...class key hanging out, now is there a pocket watch that actually works, or not...maybe just a knife. Nope, fella is wearing a Omega Seamaster and he used the gold knife to open his package of crackers.

Laynards, now that fancy tied set up tells me there is nice fancy knife in that pocket and sure enough it is a expensive custom knife.
Paracord and most likely a SAK - and sure enough a SAK .

What guns? What knives? Guns are bad and " excuse me, may I borrow your scissors, or do you have a knife?" ;)

Undercover officer sees My Zippo on the table with smokes - coast is clear. No lighter...he keeps on walking...;)
 
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