All this talk about Peanuts got me thinking.....

HOLY CRAP, Carl, did you just referance Miyamoto Musashi?!?! The famous Ronin (masterless samurai)? I am speechless. You are my new hero.
 
ElCuchillo said:
HOLY CRAP, Carl, did you just referance Miyamoto Musashi?!?! The famous Ronin (masterless samurai)? I am speechless. You are my new hero.
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He spent the years 1642 to 1645 writing his works. Untill his death at the age of 62 from an illness, not battle, he studied Buddisim and was a deeply spiritual man. He was a staunch advocate of a simple life. As was Mohadas Gandhi. The writings of both men are very enriching. both of them in later life felt a powerfull impulse to divest themselves of material belongings.
 
Oh, I'm well aware of who he is..... his troubled youth, his participation in the battle of Sekigahara, his correspondence with the monk Takuan, his famous battle with Kojiro, his 61 victories, and his retiring from battle later in life. I've studied his works for years. I'm just shocked and impressed that you would whip him out of nowhere. Awesome.
 
True. He himself carried plain, generic swords, and mostly used his wooden one in battle. Hmmmmm......
 
jackknife said:
I have a cadetII and I like the knife, but it has never become one of my favorites. It's light, slim, gets lost in the pocket of my jeans, and does all things that a pocket knife is supposed to to, and does it well. It has a low sheeple alert, and it can be used in public,...
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That's pretty much how I feel about my Cadet. It seems lifeless, but I put in in my pocket when I head out the door for work and take it out when I come home. I have an old red alox Pioneer in a drawer, it was a knife I carried for many years. The red has faded and rubbed off in places, the blades have seen a lot of use, the liners were gouged and dinged up, until I deburred them a little. I've retired the knife, but I get it out once in awhile to handle it. I can't say whether or not it has soul, but it sure seems to have mojo. I can't remember when I got it or how, but I bet I put it in my pocket and reluctantly carried it because of the thin, aluminum scales that seemed characterless. When I open up my drawer with old stockmans and pen knives, it's the Pioneer that radiates and draws my attention.
 
I think it's the fact that the Cadet has a very sterile, plain, silver face. I mean, it is very elegant, but the fact that the scales are basically indestructable, don't really rub away, scratch, dent or tarnish just does not lend itself to having alot of character. It always looks new, and things that have history to them have scars of SOME type. Even though it is still a SAK, my Super Tinker has ALOT more character to it, since the scales are plastic and show some use. Bone scales, stag scales, delrin scales..... all these materials not only look good, but eventually start to show the use given to them. Alox, while probably among the STURDIEST of materials, is just too..... plain.
 
I’d say my Cadet has plenty of soul. It calls out to me to be carried and is really my first pick. It has a plain Jain character, definitely not the romance or sex appeal of my slipjoints with scales and bolsters. But soul? You bet ya.
 
Personally, I like the Vic Small Tinker. I think it's just like the regular tinker, except minus the pliers. This makes a big difference in thickness and weight while still giving me that great phillips screwdriver instead of a corkscrew. I carry it all the time.
 
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