I'm not exactly sure which was first. I'm pretty certain it's a red-handled Swiss Army Knife - the standard model predating the tweezers and toothpick - what they now appear to be calling the
Spartan (jeezus they've got a lot of different combinations now!) My dad gave it to me; I still have it and still use it, alternating between it and a couple others which are identical but in different colors and have the toothpick/tweezers.
He also gave me a couple pocket antique knives with mother-of-pearl handles which were
his grandfather's - they were unfortunately lost on a fishing trip when I was about 10, and to this day losing those knives is one of my biggest regret. I have nothing from my dad's side of the family, and nobody knows much about them, so they were significant in that manner. I could go to an antique store and pick one up for $15 or so, but it just wouldn't be the same.
My dad giving me those knives was and still is very meaningful to me, because he wasn't/isn't really a knife person. A knife, to him, was a tool - but being a kid, I had a real fascination with knives (no undue responsibility goes to my grandfather for that
). So, he gave me his own Swiss Army knife, and got himself another one. There was nothing wrong with the one he gave me; I think it was simply a matter of sentimentality.
The first knife I got which was just a bladed knife (no extra stuff) was an Schrade lockback with green (plastic) handles and brass bolders with a high-carbon blade. My grandfather bought it for me (while I was there) at a gun shop for $20; "we'll get you a real knife there," he'd said. The other one is an Old Timer Skinner with two blades and antler handles, which my grandfather also got for me.
I'm not sure how people wear out their knives; I've never done it, and I've always got one in my pocket. My grandfather always has a skinning knife in his pocket, and he's skinned a lot of animals and cleaned a lot of fish, as well. He's gone through 3 in his lifetime - one due to a broken blade.
I, like him, prefer the high-carbon blades - but they are very, very hard to find anymore. Though, unless I'm going to be doing some prolonged cutting or going out into the woods, it's unlikely that it'll matter enough for me to worry about - stainless holds a decent enough edge.
I don't know how some people function in today's world without a utili-tool of some kind in their pocket. Whether it's the blade itself or the extra tools, I seem to use my knife at least once or twice a day: tighten a screw, open a bottle, pull a cork, etc.
My son already has a knife of his own - it's a "swiss army knife" impersonation knife all in stainless. He's 3.5 years old. He doesn't use it yet except when I'm around, but it goes in his box of "special things". When he's a bit older than I was when I got my first knife (5 or 6, I think), and when he shows an interest, I'll give him one of my Swiss Army knives (if that's what he wants).
