TheSurvivalist said:
Well, as I grew up in a hunting and fishing family, with some members of my clan being proffesional watermen on the Chesapeke Bay I saw plenty of my older male family members wearing sheath knives in the 1950's and 60's.
My maternal grandfather took me hunting with him when I turned 10. He and his cronies were bird hunting fanatics untill deer season came in. Then the shotgun got put away and the old Winchester 32special came out.
Grandad had two knives he used for everything, like I mentioned in my earlier post. His main hunting, bird and fish knife was a Case little finn with about a 3 1/2 inch blade.
Down on the bay my uncle had his own crabbing boat, and he would oyster in the winter. Being a practicle man he wore a 4 inch knife from Canada called a Russells, or his old Finish pukko with about a 4 inch blade.
My dad came home from the war (WW2) and he had a kabar in his duffle bag, but I never saw him use it. Aside from his stockman he used a leather handle little kabar hunter that looked like my graddads Case. Dad also had an old stag handle hunting knife that had a slim 4 1/2 inch blade from Germany that was made by Anton Wingon. Its hard to read its so darkend and faint on the blade. It is only a little bigger than his leather handle kabar.
My own knives have run the gammut from the heavy duty ones you mention to the present pocket knives. When I was younger I used to collect custom knives and one of my favorites was the Randall model 15. I wore it in my young bold days, and never used it for anything that could'nt be done better by something lighter. I ended up selling of all of them down at A.G. Russells knife lists. I don't miss it or any of those big ego items.
I've went back to using what dad and granddad used. Real using knives like stockman and 4 inch utilitarian knives. If my mora or sak won't handle it, then its time to use the small hatchet in my pack. I've seen three kids through boy scouts and went along on many a camp assisting the scout master and I just never needed the big sheath knife you talk about. Even in my tour in Viet Nam I never needed it. We were combat engineers and we built roads, bridges, buildings and such all over that country. Most of the guys carried a Buck folding hunter because the PX had them for about 12 dollars if I recall. Just about everyone had a Buck 110. Some of the combat guys would have the Buck special. I never saw a single Randall or other big knife the whole time I was there.I dn't know what the knife magazines are talking about.
For the last thirty years my main working knife has been a Buck Woodsman. It's been my trout and bird knife, my camping knife, whatever. It cuts well, is small, light and handy.
So there you have it. I'm 64 years old, have been a camper, hunter, fisherman, backpacker(in my younger day before arthritus) canoe and kayak camper, assistant to the assistant scoutmaster, and raised three good kids as campers and sportsmen.
My most usefull knife has been the Buck woodsman.
But then I grew up in the 20th century.
And as far as men being men and women being women, I like the change. My wife of almost 40 years is my wife, mother of my children, but also my best friend, lover, confidant, and equal partner. I would'nt have it anyother way!
