- Joined
- Sep 28, 2005
- Messages
- 4,527
One major factor in my slipjoint appreciation I owe to a specific modern clipped folder, and it isn't my love of the wharncliffe- I have no idea how that obsession developed! If you will sit back and get comfortable I will tell you a story......
Almost 20 years ago, a well intentioned, fresh faced farm lad (that would be me by the way) came across a knife magazine in a drug store while killing time during a spare block in school. As this young man (still me) grew up in a farm household, with hunters for family members, a father who worked as a butcher for years, had 20+ guns on his bedroom wall, and a kitchen drawer dedicated to just knives, the magazine drew him in like nothing else outside of school. It was great- showed off a new world of handle materials/steel types, designs. What is a Beck Tracker and why do none of the local shops carry one?
It was a new world that I plunged into head first. I had already discovered offshore knife like objects, and knew enough to stay away at that point. I read every detail, obsessed over every article and waited for the next issues to come out (remember the days before the Internet? If not you are lucky!!)
One article on fish processing knives caught my attention. I earned the right to own a knife by filleting fish, so I wanted to see what was used. If memory serves me correctly (the issue was 'removed' from my possession some years ago) there was at least one stockman, an Ed Fowler bird and trout, and the main blade that caught my eye- a David Boye dendritic folder. My curiosity was aroused as I read about the dendritic carbides that allowed for greater bite. I am a fan if a courser edge on most knives, and at the time was disappointed at how quickly the razor sharp (and somewhat slippery) edge would dull on new knives, while my coarser edge wouldn't glide as nicely but would cut much longer and more efficiently through the day. Another magazine published an entire article testing the knife, and my heart was firmly set.
Heart wanting a knife does not always mean the wallet is cooperating however, and as a university student from a poor family the knife was not on my horizon, until my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) decided that half of the knife would be my birthday present. I saved, and took some student loan money away from food, and got the money put aside for my new knife!!
My first 'custom' knife! I was excited to say the least! Now for options..... I know that the blade is soft, so I added the marlin spike as it would increase versatility of the tool and prevent me from being tempted to use the blade for abusive tasks. Plus if I was getting this I might as well go all out, except for serrations as I wanted this as a wilderness companion foremost. Cobalt blue handles and it was time to wait.
I got the knife in my hands and couldn't have been happier. It sliced like a toothy dream, held its edge and performed beautifully. After university I used it daily working in an oilfield warehouse, and the spike was great at removing staples, both paper and industrial sized, minor prying/scraping/using to dislodge small items etc.
But times change, and so do tastes. My wife got pregnant, so I bought "one more purchase". Because of this forum I was curious about Case knives in particular, but slipjoints in general. So I got 3 or 4 Case knives of different types and a SAK electrician. The slipjoints did not impress me greatly, but I did take to the SAK, and it immediately became clear that the awl was the major reason. After using one on my Boye knife so frequently it became a regular part of my knife usage. I kept my eyes open for knives with punches after that, grabbing them when I can afford them, and wishing I had more.
I actually break one of my personal rules by carrying two wharncliffe knives daily, as I do not care for redundancy in blade selection, but the little wharncliffe with punch is so small and useful as more than just a cutting tool that I can't bear to choose something else.
So that is my confession. Against all odds, a modern clipped folder has positively affected my tastes in traditional slipjoints. Not because I found out what too thick was, not because I tired of blocky handles, but because it showed me what I want on basically all of my knives!
Showing reverence to the pater familias:
My current EDC:
Now to find a RAT stockman with punch, and get a wharncliffe main blade with punch made some day.....
Has anybody else found that they were positively influenced by non-traditional choices?
(Thanks for reading my rambling)
Almost 20 years ago, a well intentioned, fresh faced farm lad (that would be me by the way) came across a knife magazine in a drug store while killing time during a spare block in school. As this young man (still me) grew up in a farm household, with hunters for family members, a father who worked as a butcher for years, had 20+ guns on his bedroom wall, and a kitchen drawer dedicated to just knives, the magazine drew him in like nothing else outside of school. It was great- showed off a new world of handle materials/steel types, designs. What is a Beck Tracker and why do none of the local shops carry one?
It was a new world that I plunged into head first. I had already discovered offshore knife like objects, and knew enough to stay away at that point. I read every detail, obsessed over every article and waited for the next issues to come out (remember the days before the Internet? If not you are lucky!!)
One article on fish processing knives caught my attention. I earned the right to own a knife by filleting fish, so I wanted to see what was used. If memory serves me correctly (the issue was 'removed' from my possession some years ago) there was at least one stockman, an Ed Fowler bird and trout, and the main blade that caught my eye- a David Boye dendritic folder. My curiosity was aroused as I read about the dendritic carbides that allowed for greater bite. I am a fan if a courser edge on most knives, and at the time was disappointed at how quickly the razor sharp (and somewhat slippery) edge would dull on new knives, while my coarser edge wouldn't glide as nicely but would cut much longer and more efficiently through the day. Another magazine published an entire article testing the knife, and my heart was firmly set.
Heart wanting a knife does not always mean the wallet is cooperating however, and as a university student from a poor family the knife was not on my horizon, until my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) decided that half of the knife would be my birthday present. I saved, and took some student loan money away from food, and got the money put aside for my new knife!!
My first 'custom' knife! I was excited to say the least! Now for options..... I know that the blade is soft, so I added the marlin spike as it would increase versatility of the tool and prevent me from being tempted to use the blade for abusive tasks. Plus if I was getting this I might as well go all out, except for serrations as I wanted this as a wilderness companion foremost. Cobalt blue handles and it was time to wait.
I got the knife in my hands and couldn't have been happier. It sliced like a toothy dream, held its edge and performed beautifully. After university I used it daily working in an oilfield warehouse, and the spike was great at removing staples, both paper and industrial sized, minor prying/scraping/using to dislodge small items etc.
But times change, and so do tastes. My wife got pregnant, so I bought "one more purchase". Because of this forum I was curious about Case knives in particular, but slipjoints in general. So I got 3 or 4 Case knives of different types and a SAK electrician. The slipjoints did not impress me greatly, but I did take to the SAK, and it immediately became clear that the awl was the major reason. After using one on my Boye knife so frequently it became a regular part of my knife usage. I kept my eyes open for knives with punches after that, grabbing them when I can afford them, and wishing I had more.
I actually break one of my personal rules by carrying two wharncliffe knives daily, as I do not care for redundancy in blade selection, but the little wharncliffe with punch is so small and useful as more than just a cutting tool that I can't bear to choose something else.
So that is my confession. Against all odds, a modern clipped folder has positively affected my tastes in traditional slipjoints. Not because I found out what too thick was, not because I tired of blocky handles, but because it showed me what I want on basically all of my knives!
Showing reverence to the pater familias:
My current EDC:
Now to find a RAT stockman with punch, and get a wharncliffe main blade with punch made some day.....
Has anybody else found that they were positively influenced by non-traditional choices?
(Thanks for reading my rambling)
