As I'll soon elaborate in a future blog posting, I'm rather fascinated with knives.
What I'd like to mention here is knife sharpening in specific. You see, knife sharpening is a fairly detailed procedure with many variables to consider. Is the blade hollow ground or flat ground? Is there a microbevel? What angle does the edge meet at? Chisel ground or not? Are there any serrations with which we'll have to accomodate with special techniques?
There are devices out there to simplify the process. The one I had in mind when coming up with this was from Columbia River Knife & Tool. The Slidesharp system.
Link
This system, to a degree, essentially eliminates the skill and knowledge needed to sharpen a knife. It's probably obvious to you what the benefits are, for now most anyone can get a keen edge on their blade with little practice and foul-ups. However, there is a saying that there are always two sides to a story, and it's that second one I'd like you to consider.
If you began your knife sharpening experience using this system and never used a plain, flat stone and developed your technique, you would be robbing yourself of a skill. In today's world, knife sharpening is a rather trivial skill for most people to know, though it does have its uses. This is where my analogy comes into play. Contemplate if you will how many devices such as this modern living offers us, then consider all the various skills we might be depriving ourselves of developing. Let's list a few modern devices just to exemplify this point.
Dish-washers, lighters, mechanical pencils, velcro shoes, calculators, sewing machines, automatic cars, electric ovens, digital cameras.....
Alone, these things can seem petty, but add them up and you might come to realize how much knowledge a modern person may in fact lack. Many people don't even know how to use some of these modern devices, much less can they display proficiency in the skill they're intended to replace.
My point in this elaboration is not for you to throw away all your useful modern devices, but to simply analyze yourself as a person and decide what skills you may be lacking. There are practical aspects to knowing how to sew or to do basic arithmetic, how to make a woodfire and cook over it. There is also knowledge and pleasure to be gained in mastering these things. If you're anything like me, which I'm led to assume you are, you'll find yourself learning more about yourself and your world through this simple process.
Enlightenment through learning.
This is one of the main philosophies that fascinates me with primitive living. Another future topic for your reading pleasure.
[Further contemplatation: Now that we've isolated the skills neglected by inanimate objects, begin pondering the many services offered to you. Do you know how to roof a house? Cook General Tso's chicken? Set a broken bone? Give yourself a fashionable haircut? Fix faulty plumbing pipes?]
