An old man's thin blade.

Another winner, Carl! Thanks for the read!
 
AusLoX said:
Exactly. Some people don't always view knives a "just tools". Sometimes it's an art piece and they enjoy the look more than the functionality.
Click to expand...

And sometimes said knife has the capability to cut through aluminum garbage cans or a car door just in case you ever need to. :D I'm guilty of carrying ridiculously large knives sometimes when I get a new one, just because I can. I always have a practical knife with me as well, so the larger one is typically just pulled out occasionally and admired.

Fun read Jacknife!
 
I hope that there was some truth to that story as it illustrates many of the problems many young people have today whether it be working, respecting their elders, learning about life, or choosing a knife.

Every kid needs a supportive uncle to explain the things they won't listen to their father tell them. Respect and the feeling that the mentor doesn't want anything.

Now you know why I usually choose a traditional with two blades.

I spent several summers and Christmas vacations working in factories in the shipping department. Glad that is past me, but it was wonderful experience for a young person.
 
Last edited:
22-rimfire said:
I spent several summers and Christmas vacations working in factories in the shipping department. Glad that is past me, but it was wonderful experience for a young person.
Click to expand...

UPS seasonal jumper/warehouse worker and retail management, including my current employer of the past 15 years, I've been fortunate enough to have people mentor me, most of them out of the blue. Every single one of them told me they saw a man that knows learning never stops, was very respectful of everyone regardless of who they were and had a sense of humor (especially about myself).
 
When I was a kid, I thought that the thicker,bigger ,heavier knives cut better and were better any way imaginable.While visiting my grandfather,which was a hunter,and owned 2 farms,he had few huge beautiful bowie knives that were sitting on a shelf,untouched,and some were getting rusty too.It was obvious that they were not used at all!,What my grandfather , uncle and other members of family were using ,and they used knives every day were mostly butcher knives(some carbon steel,some made with solingen stainless steel,) with thinner blades,and also thin pocket knives with carbon steel blades that were easily sharpened on coarse stones.My grandfather told me back then that bowies were useless for the work he was doing,and that he has no use for them.When he would go to the mountain,he would carry an axe,and smaller knife or pocket knife.That was it.Many years later I came to the same conclusion that thin knives cut way better,are easier to sharpen and all around more useful. btw,Jackknife good story!
 
lonestar1979 said:
When I was a kid, I thought that the thicker,bigger ,heavier knives cut better and were better any way imaginable.While visiting my grandfather,which was a hunter,and owned 2 farms,he had few huge beautiful bowie knives that were sitting on a shelf,untouched,and some were getting rusty too.It was obvious that they were not used at all!,What my grandfather , uncle and other members of family were using ,and they used knives every day were mostly butcher knives(some carbon steel,some made with solingen stainless steel,) with thinner blades,and also thin pocket knives with carbon steel blades that were easily sharpened on coarse stones.My grandfather told me back then that bowies were useless for the work he was doing,and that he has no use for them.When he would go to the mountain,he would carry an axe,and smaller knife or pocket knife.That was it.Many years later I came to the same conclusion that thin knives cut way better,are easier to sharpen and all around more useful. btw,Jackknife good story!
Click to expand...

The common butcher knife was more popular than most people realize. In 2000 I was getting out of motorcycling after a life time of it. But I had never done a real coast to coast ride. A trans-contentental trip. I loaded up the saddle bags, and put a T-bag on the back of the Sportster and went from Maryland to the Oregon coast. I ride out on a pier at bay City Oregon and then came back.

I made two stops on the ride. At Grand Junction Colorado I stopped at the mountain man museum, and between Trinidad and La Junta Colorado I visited the fur trade museum at Bents Old Fort. Both had lots of stuff on display from the mountain man era, and the knives were mostly all large thin bladed butcher knife patterns. Lots of tomahawks and hatchets, and butcher knives. It seemed like many decades before Kephart and Nesmuck, the old mountain men had it all figured out to carry the right tool for the job. A chopping tool and a cutting tool. These guys headed off into wilderness areas with a single shot muzzle loading rifle and a butcher knife and tomahawk. At Bents Old Fort, they had some folders on display that looked like they could have been related to the Opinel.

Something to be said there.
 
lonestar1979 said:
When I was a kid, I thought that the thicker,bigger ,heavier knives cut better and were better any way imaginable.While visiting my grandfather,which was a hunter,and owned 2 farms,he had few huge beautiful bowie knives that were sitting on a shelf,untouched,and some were getting rusty too.It was obvious that they were not used at all!,What my grandfather , uncle and other members of family were using ,and they used knives every day were mostly butcher knives(some carbon steel,some made with solingen stainless steel,) with thinner blades,and also thin pocket knives with carbon steel blades that were easily sharpened on coarse stones.My grandfather told me back then that bowies were useless for the work he was doing,and that he has no use for them.When he would go to the mountain,he would carry an axe,and smaller knife or pocket knife.That was it.Many years later I came to the same conclusion that thin knives cut way better,are easier to sharpen and all around more useful. btw,Jackknife good story!
Click to expand...

But unless you have a thick heavy blade on a folder, how can it go "thwack" when you open it? I agree with the bowie comment made by your grandfather. That doesn't stop me from buying such, but I have next to no use for fixed bladed knives with over 7" blade (excluding machetes). Yes, Beckerheads, the BK-9 is included with that comment. :D When I want something larger, I generally go much larger although I do like the 10" Condor Kumunga as an in-between knife for the woods for chopping (but it seldom gets used other than around the yard).

If I didn't say it already, Jackknife, I enjoyed the story.

I recall my Dad smiling when I showed him my SAK. He was not a SAK guy. He also smiled when I showed my my Schrade 250T (large two blade folder similar to Buck 110). He didn't carry or use big knives. He was a slip joint guy with thin blades. What goes around comes around.... I started with smaller knives and have been slowly moving to smaller knives yearly.
 
I enjoyed that, thank you.
I generally skim over stories here on BFC but I really read that one. It held my interest.
Cheers and Happy Holidays
 
Hey Jackknife. You do these stories very well. Always enjoy reading them. Maybe you could start a single thread for "jackknife's stories". It might be a little overwhelming as you have done quite a few over the years.
 
Hatchet or axe is really usefull in wilderness, you can get by just with a hatchet or axe and small pocket knife.
 
ps.axe is also more usefull as a last choice against wild animals...at least in my opinion,id rather have axe than a knife.
 
Granddad carried a old timer 340 , an Ax ,bow saw and shovel camping .The cooking box had a 7 inch Old Hickory Cabbage Knife in it. Kept it all sharp on a Case Moon Stone.
 
AusLoX said:
Exactly. Some people don't always view knives a "just tools". Sometimes it's an art piece and they enjoy the look more than the functionality.
Click to expand...

I second that, I should know... I'm one of them. Some people simply don't get it, but that's ok, it takes all sorts to make the world go around.

... and I liked jacknife's story... there is wisdom in it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top