Had to go with the wife to her family's house for a surprise birthday party for her uncle and cousin. He's an old Vietnam vet, as were most of the men there. So, the party goes on, and I find myself looking after my daughter more then being able to mingle. However, I did manage to see most of the guys using battered old Zippos to light their cigarettes. No bics or other cheapie lighters. These old timers carried Zippos. Cool. That in itself made my day. Then I noticed the knives. EVERYONE, or at least the guys, had pocket knives. The party boy was using his to open up the envelopes his birthday cards were in. He would leave it open right there on the table for all to see, and somehow, refreshingly, it didn't seem out of place. He had a Buck. Not sure of the number. 509 maybe? It's the small, one blade lockback. Looks like a tiny, pocket sized version of the 110? Anyway, that's what he had. I look, and I see alot of other one bladed lockbacks. Mostly Bucks, but some Master (?) knives as well. I had my Peanut. These knives were being used to open envelopes, to cut off the tips of cigars, open bags, everything. One guy used his (a toothpick, I think) to poke holes in his burger as he was barbequing. Singe bladed knives abounded. I think I was the only one with a multi blade knife. This was awesome. And then, before I left, I saw a P-38 can opener hanging off one of the men's keys. It felt like I was in the middle of one of Jackknife's stories. I was busy with my daughter, which is fine as she comes first, but I wish I could have been sitting at the table with these guys as they swapped stories while whittling by the fire. It was like being transported to a different time. A very folksy day indeed.
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A most folksy Saturday!!
- Thread starter Voltron
- Start date
Sounds like my kind of BBQ party.
It does not surprise me that single blade Buck knives would dominate in a group of vets. Buck knives and Zippo lighters were sold in the PX for a fraction of the price of in a civilian store off post. In Viet Nam, EVERYBODY had a Buck 110 on thier belt. If they went to the field, Half the troops had replaced the issue MK2 with a Buck Special or in some cases a Buck General. But the special was the most popular field knife. But the Buck 110 was THE knife of that generation of men. Having used a 110, my guess is they just went on to use a more compact version of what they were familiar with, like the 500 series.
In their later civilian life, these men would go on to use what had worked for then in country. Heck, I used my Buck knife right up to 199something. I still have my 5th army marked Zippo lighter that I use to stoke up my pipe. It's an old friend.
I do wonder how many old TL-29's there were in pockets of those guys. They were so common, I think everyone scarfed up a couple for just in case.
Of course, everyone had their P-38 for life. A vet never gives up his P-38.
It does not surprise me that single blade Buck knives would dominate in a group of vets. Buck knives and Zippo lighters were sold in the PX for a fraction of the price of in a civilian store off post. In Viet Nam, EVERYBODY had a Buck 110 on thier belt. If they went to the field, Half the troops had replaced the issue MK2 with a Buck Special or in some cases a Buck General. But the special was the most popular field knife. But the Buck 110 was THE knife of that generation of men. Having used a 110, my guess is they just went on to use a more compact version of what they were familiar with, like the 500 series.
In their later civilian life, these men would go on to use what had worked for then in country. Heck, I used my Buck knife right up to 199something. I still have my 5th army marked Zippo lighter that I use to stoke up my pipe. It's an old friend.
I do wonder how many old TL-29's there were in pockets of those guys. They were so common, I think everyone scarfed up a couple for just in case.
Of course, everyone had their P-38 for life. A vet never gives up his P-38.
Just what is it about the P-38 that makes it such a keeper? I mean, it's a can opener, and there are better ones at that. Is is a nostalgia thing? Is it useful for other things? I have heard more then one vet, from more then one war, say they are the army's greatest invention. What's the deal?
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We had a thread on in the WSS. Apparently, you can do a billion things with it besides opening cans. Look it up in the WSS or search for it through google.
God Bless
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cj65
Gold Member
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Nice thread. Do not worry about not knowing all there is to know about BF, there is alot. However, Traditional is the best subforum of the best forum. At least in my humble opinion.
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List of things to do with the p38 or P51 army can opener
# Can opener
# Seam ripper
# Screwdriver (Straight and Phillips)
# Clean fingernails
# Cut fishing line
# Open paint cans
# Window scraper
# Scrape around floor corners
# Digging
# Clean out groove on Tupperware lids
# Reach in and clean out small cracks
# Scrape around edge of boots
# Bottle opener
# Gut fish (in the field)
# Scale fish (in the field)
# Test for 'doneness' when baking on a camp fire
# Prying items
# Strip wire
# Scrape pans in the field
# Lift key on flip top cans
# Chisel
# Barter
# Marking tool
# Deflating tires
# Clean sole of boot/shoe
# Pick teeth
# Measurement
# Striking flint
# Stirring coffee
# Puncturing plastic coating
# Knocking on doors
# Morse code
# Box cutter
# Opening letters
# Write emergency messages
# Scratch an itch
# Save as a souvenir
# Rip off rank for on-the-spot promotions
# Bee sting removal tool (scrape off w/ blade)
# Spark Plug gap gauge
# Point gap gauge (for antique cars that have a distributor)
# Extract spent shells from a break-open shotgun after extractor breaks
# Stick in thumb notch to open slip joint pocket knife
# Open bubble wrap display card to get at your purchase
# Mark plastic pipe for cutting.
# Removing splinters
# Cut plastic sheeting
# Adjust carburetor (again, for antique cars)
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Not a Buck 55, was it? Great knife! But they're pretty new - I think they just came out about three years ago.
Think of the P-38 as a super hero thumbnail. An item that is just so handy for many things that it has to be used to be fully appretiated.
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Warms the heart; thanks for that.
The Buck 55 is the "miniature" version of the 110.
If you look closely at the bolsters, you'll see it more closely resembles the Buck 111 Classic.
There is another small folder the same size, but with a drop point, either the Squire or the Prince.
The Buck 55 is the "miniature" version of the 110.
If you look closely at the bolsters, you'll see it more closely resembles the Buck 111 Classic.
There is another small folder the same size, but with a drop point, either the Squire or the Prince.