I think I was a knife nut at an early age. My first real knife was an "official" boy scout knife that my dad gave me when I joined a local scout troop. It was a highly treasured item and I took very good care of it. But it started me down a long road. By my teens, I was accumulating knives. A Mercator K55 from the Army-Navy store down the road, a Camillus TL-29 from the same place, and some no name imported knives. I can't recall where I got it, but I found a magazine article on Randall knives, and they became my grail. A few years would go by before I got my hands on one, and then I was serving in the army. Enlisting not long after high school, I wanted to see the world.
A lot of knives have come and gone in the past 60 years, and I have noticed one thing. That things change. The knives I was interested in while in my 20's and 30's, are not with me now. LIkes and dislikes have changed greatly. Maybe because as humans we still are evolving as we go through life, learning from our experiences, and adding to our overall make-up. But then, age has a way of doing that. A lot of what I held dear in my younger days now means very little, while other things have come to be very important.
Once upon a time, I would never have thought to venture out the front door in the morning without a large folder on me, and if hiking or backpacking my Randall number 14 that was my woods knife was on my hip. Now I'm happy with a SAK or other modest size pocketknife on me. Along with getting older, there seemed to be less need for "stuff" in general. Sort of a "the more you know, the less you need" kind of thing. In middle age, I started to question, 'did I really need all this "stuff?" And I had accumulated a lot of stuff. For a while I was bit by the survivalist thing, the forerunner of the prepper movement. Guns, large quantities of ammo, food, and supplies in general to survive the end of the world, or at least my favorite team loosing the super bowl. By my 40's I had a basement that could arm a Marine rifle company. For knives, some of Gengis Khan's folks could have had a good shopping day. Then, like a slow dawn breaking, came a sort of awakening.
I'm not really sure why, but it was like waking up from a deep sleep and a weird dream. Kind of like coming out of a temporary insanity. I looked around at all the "stuff" and wondered why I had it all. Maybe age, maybe some kind of waking up to reality, but I ended up doing a huge downsizing. Most all of it went. What my kids wanted they got, a couple nephews and nieces, the rest got sold off. The guns at gun shows, and the knives shipped down to A.G. Russell to be brokered off. The Randall collection made me some money, but not that much. The other customs maybe broke even as they were some of the old guys that were not as well known anymore. George Stone, Ralph Bone, Rudy Ruanna and a few others. Some of the makers that were hot in the 60's were almost unknown by the late 80's. But they all went as they just didn't mean anything to me anymore. I had long since given up hunting, and I didn't need a large bowie for fishing. The knives I kept were all modest size pocket knives. The money I got for all the knives paid for the better half and I to take a second honeymoon. Had a great trip around the country for a month, camped out at Custer National park, Badlands NP, Yellowstone, Bryce, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde. Memories for a lifetime.
I do know that the one big thing that changed was being a family man. People in my life became way more important to me than inanimate things. Raising my kids was the most important job I ever had. But, I learned that our kids will not necessarily take to our own likes and dislikes. They will be their own people. I kept a handful of knives, a few guns, one tackle box and two fishing rods. A more simple life. And I noticed that with way less knives and guns, the few that made the final cut became much more appreciated and used. After I retired and had way more time for fishing, and woods walking with my wife of 40 years, I actually needed a knife more with all the outdoor activities. Yet I found less was more and used what I had. And I loved having the chance to give my stuff to the kids and family while I was still alive and around to see them use the stuff I had once treasured, but now didn't find satisfying to own. Of my three kids, only one is a knife nut, and he's into the traditional old pocket knives. My other two are die hard SAK enthusiasts. So it's not like I had people to leave a large knife collection to.
So, here I am after a lifetime of being a knife nut, only to be carrying the knives I started out with as a kid. A scout type of knife made by Victorinox, and a few old time slip joints. If they are not enough knife for the job, then I just use the small machete in the car truck, but that is very rare. At my age I'm not under any illusions that I am going into any deep wilderness again, so I don't need the heavy duty survival knife. But then, back when I was back packing, I never found use for the Randall 14 or 15, or any other large sheath knife. YMMV. But, still being an old knife nut, I won't think about walking out my front door in the morning without something sharp in my pocket. The one and only time in my life I did actually need a knife in a life and death situation, the 2 inch sheep foot blade of a Buck 301 stockman did the job. It cut a seat belt of a large woman hanging upside down from a jammed belt in the drivers seat of an over turned and burning old Datsun 210. A well sharpened SAL classic would have done the deed as well.
I remember my dad had a saying anytime I was a little doubtful about his Case peanut. He always said that a knife didn't have to be big, just sharp. I have a little regret that it took me to middle age to really appreciate what he was saying. Now as a senior citizen, I want a knife that doesn't take up a lot of room in the pocket. Leaves room for that RONCO pocket defibrillator in case of a vapor lock, or the other stuff an old fart finds needed in his aging lifestyle. I've come from a large knife to a peanut in a watch pocket and I'm content.
Things change.
A lot of knives have come and gone in the past 60 years, and I have noticed one thing. That things change. The knives I was interested in while in my 20's and 30's, are not with me now. LIkes and dislikes have changed greatly. Maybe because as humans we still are evolving as we go through life, learning from our experiences, and adding to our overall make-up. But then, age has a way of doing that. A lot of what I held dear in my younger days now means very little, while other things have come to be very important.
Once upon a time, I would never have thought to venture out the front door in the morning without a large folder on me, and if hiking or backpacking my Randall number 14 that was my woods knife was on my hip. Now I'm happy with a SAK or other modest size pocketknife on me. Along with getting older, there seemed to be less need for "stuff" in general. Sort of a "the more you know, the less you need" kind of thing. In middle age, I started to question, 'did I really need all this "stuff?" And I had accumulated a lot of stuff. For a while I was bit by the survivalist thing, the forerunner of the prepper movement. Guns, large quantities of ammo, food, and supplies in general to survive the end of the world, or at least my favorite team loosing the super bowl. By my 40's I had a basement that could arm a Marine rifle company. For knives, some of Gengis Khan's folks could have had a good shopping day. Then, like a slow dawn breaking, came a sort of awakening.
I'm not really sure why, but it was like waking up from a deep sleep and a weird dream. Kind of like coming out of a temporary insanity. I looked around at all the "stuff" and wondered why I had it all. Maybe age, maybe some kind of waking up to reality, but I ended up doing a huge downsizing. Most all of it went. What my kids wanted they got, a couple nephews and nieces, the rest got sold off. The guns at gun shows, and the knives shipped down to A.G. Russell to be brokered off. The Randall collection made me some money, but not that much. The other customs maybe broke even as they were some of the old guys that were not as well known anymore. George Stone, Ralph Bone, Rudy Ruanna and a few others. Some of the makers that were hot in the 60's were almost unknown by the late 80's. But they all went as they just didn't mean anything to me anymore. I had long since given up hunting, and I didn't need a large bowie for fishing. The knives I kept were all modest size pocket knives. The money I got for all the knives paid for the better half and I to take a second honeymoon. Had a great trip around the country for a month, camped out at Custer National park, Badlands NP, Yellowstone, Bryce, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde. Memories for a lifetime.
I do know that the one big thing that changed was being a family man. People in my life became way more important to me than inanimate things. Raising my kids was the most important job I ever had. But, I learned that our kids will not necessarily take to our own likes and dislikes. They will be their own people. I kept a handful of knives, a few guns, one tackle box and two fishing rods. A more simple life. And I noticed that with way less knives and guns, the few that made the final cut became much more appreciated and used. After I retired and had way more time for fishing, and woods walking with my wife of 40 years, I actually needed a knife more with all the outdoor activities. Yet I found less was more and used what I had. And I loved having the chance to give my stuff to the kids and family while I was still alive and around to see them use the stuff I had once treasured, but now didn't find satisfying to own. Of my three kids, only one is a knife nut, and he's into the traditional old pocket knives. My other two are die hard SAK enthusiasts. So it's not like I had people to leave a large knife collection to.
So, here I am after a lifetime of being a knife nut, only to be carrying the knives I started out with as a kid. A scout type of knife made by Victorinox, and a few old time slip joints. If they are not enough knife for the job, then I just use the small machete in the car truck, but that is very rare. At my age I'm not under any illusions that I am going into any deep wilderness again, so I don't need the heavy duty survival knife. But then, back when I was back packing, I never found use for the Randall 14 or 15, or any other large sheath knife. YMMV. But, still being an old knife nut, I won't think about walking out my front door in the morning without something sharp in my pocket. The one and only time in my life I did actually need a knife in a life and death situation, the 2 inch sheep foot blade of a Buck 301 stockman did the job. It cut a seat belt of a large woman hanging upside down from a jammed belt in the drivers seat of an over turned and burning old Datsun 210. A well sharpened SAL classic would have done the deed as well.
I remember my dad had a saying anytime I was a little doubtful about his Case peanut. He always said that a knife didn't have to be big, just sharp. I have a little regret that it took me to middle age to really appreciate what he was saying. Now as a senior citizen, I want a knife that doesn't take up a lot of room in the pocket. Leaves room for that RONCO pocket defibrillator in case of a vapor lock, or the other stuff an old fart finds needed in his aging lifestyle. I've come from a large knife to a peanut in a watch pocket and I'm content.
Things change.
. Not that I can say I only buy what I need, but at least I only buy what I use or will use, especially gear! I am a very 5S guy, if I can say something like this 