Before I knew about knives

D

dogstar

Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
4,399
Before I knew anything about 440C, D2, S30V, Spydercos, Kershaws, Douk-douks and Sebenzas, there was a Victorinox Tinker in my drawer. If that was the only knife I ever had, I think I would have been well equipped for most of life's challenges.

Now I have more knives, and they are fun. If I had to choose blades to take camping or working, I still bring the Tinker and some other knife. It's just too good. Sometimes the journey takes you back to the start.
 
dogstar said:
Before I knew anything about 440C, D2, S30V, Spydercos, Kershaws, Douk-douks and Sebenzas, there was a Victorinox Tinker in my drawer. If that was the only knife I ever had, I think I would have been well equipped for most of life's challenges.

Now I have more knives, and they are fun. If I had to choose blades to take camping or working, I still bring the Tinker and some other knife. It's just too good. Sometimes the journey takes you back to the start.
Click to expand...

I know of what you speak. I have had a recent epiphany in this area, and found myself questioning some of my thoughts.

Carl.
 
dogstar said:
Before I knew anything about 440C, D2, S30V, Spydercos, Kershaws, Douk-douks and Sebenzas, there was a Victorinox Tinker in my drawer. If that was the only knife I ever had, I think I would have been well equipped for most of life's challenges.

Now I have more knives, and they are fun. If I had to choose blades to take camping or working, I still bring the Tinker and some other knife. It's just too good. Sometimes the journey takes you back to the start.
Click to expand...

I agree. Not long ago I bought an Alox Cadet, and while it is very cool and I carry it, it doesn't see nearly as much pocket time as my Tinker. It's just about the perfect SAK.
 
That's a really great sentiment. My dad doesn't "know anything about knives" but he's used the same pre-2004 Schrade since I've been a kid. It may be a "cheap" knife by bladeforums standards, but he farms and I'll bet his cheap knife has seen more real work than a lot of these expensive "better" knives have.
 
Ps, I have a Super Tinker and absolutely love it! I have currently misplaced it, otherwise I'd be carrying it right now. :(
 
dogstar said:
Before I knew anything about 440C, D2, S30V, Spydercos, Kershaws, Douk-douks and Sebenzas, there was a Victorinox Tinker in my drawer. If that was the only knife I ever had, I think I would have been well equipped for most of life's challenges.
Click to expand...

No doubt about it!
 
medicevans said:
That's a really great sentiment. My dad doesn't "know anything about knives" but he's used the same pre-2004 Schrade since I've been a kid. It may be a "cheap" knife by bladeforums standards, but he farms and I'll bet his cheap knife has seen more real work than a lot of these expensive "better" knives have.
Click to expand...

That's probably true. I feel as though I've "gone around the world" with knives. What's in my pocket right now? A Vic soldier, and a Rambler on the keychain. Less than $50 worth of knives, and I could probably live my life comfortably with that, maybe just one of them. I have a Vic Compact that gets pocket time too. I got the Compact for $2 on ebay, and the Rambler for $3, shipped. My knife needs, and more, have been met with just $5 worth of knives. Considering the vast amount of time and money in knives that have come and gone, high end and low end, it seems insane.
 
manowar669 said:
That's probably true. I feel as though I've "gone around the world" with knives. What's in my pocket right now? A Vic soldier, and a Rambler on the keychain. Less than $50 worth of knives, and I could probably live my life comfortably with that, maybe just one of them. I have a Vic Compact that gets pocket time too. I got the Compact for $2 on ebay, and the Rambler for $3, shipped. My knife needs, and more, have been met with just $5 worth of knives. Considering the vast amount of time and money in knives that have come and gone, high end and low end, it seems insane.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I've had high end customs, even some Randal's, and never really used them that much. But I just spent a week in Key West with nothing but a Vic recruit in my pocket, and it served admirably. Cut plastic tags off some souvenir t-shirts, opened plastic mustard packs for sandwiches, cut fishing line, trimmed off cigar ends, and did general pocket knife duty. It was all that was needed, and I actually could have go by with less. I think as knife knits, we tend to vastly overdo what we think we need.

Sometimes looking back on a life of knife accumulation, it's like I was in the grip of some kind of temporary insanity. Now I carry some basic pocket knives, but nothing fancy, anymore. A bantam and a Case peanut seem to do most of what I need to do.

Carl.
 
Its funny. I have 4 or so, some are hiding, saks. Biggest was a camping, which is...somewhere.

I got into flashlights maybe two years ago, and noticed some real nice knives on the 'post your edc' threads. I've recently gotten into knives. Bought a nice lockblade and am hoping to acquire a few more. But now i've come full circle and when researching multitools sought out a sak that had every implement i would want without ones i didnt. Vic cybertool 41 is on its way along with some dmt diamond stones and a fiskars hatchet.
 
When I got into knives, I bought a lot of them - from traditional to tactical knives - and tried to use them, but I kept returning to the few that were comfortable to use and carry.

I just returned from a 3 week camping trip in Sweden en Norway and I rarely needed more than the Farmer in my pocket. I still love knives, but do not feel the need to buy all of them anymore.
 
Harayasu said:
" … I still love knives, but do not feel the need to buy all of them anymore."
Click to expand...

I am starting to feel inklings of the same thing myself. I am realizing that I do not NEED that next/new knife just because I really want it (for whatever combination of subliminal motives … ) …

~ Edge
 
Harayasu said:
When I got into knives, I bought a lot of them - from traditional to tactical knives - and tried to use them, but I kept returning to the few that were comfortable to use and carry.

I just returned from a 3 week camping trip in Sweden en Norway and I rarely needed more than the Farmer in my pocket. I still love knives, but do not feel the need to buy all of them anymore.
Click to expand...

It's a strange feeling to get to that point. I got there some years ago, and stopped buying knives. I got to the point where I could stop and admire a knife, but felt no need to buy it because it wouldn't do anything my edc pocket knife didn't do. I ended up giving away most of my knife collection to family and friends. Now I only keep a few old favorites on hand to rotate in carry. Just having spent several days in Key West on vacation kayaking, fishing, and knocking abut, a Victorinox recruit was all I needed. Another lightbulb moment.

Carl.
 
My first SAK was a Tinker. I bought it at retail price at my college store some 21 years ago ($26). I've always had it on my person until recently when I lost it :(.

I've since purchased a Small Tinker which is now one of my EDCs aside from my SAK Compact. I may go up the chain and get the Super Tinker w/scissors and hook. That pair of scissors comes in pretty handy.
 
There is a bit of Zen to "coming full circle". I started out with a simple Victorinox knockoff as a kid, I moved on to flea market junk, I got educated and started checking out better brands, I got involved with the fine folks on the board when I was in college, I've been absolutely privileged have input on some of the makers designs (just like everyone else posting).

I have amassed quite a few very nice knives over the years. Some of expensive pieces of super steel. Some are hand turned customs made by men whom I am proud to call friends. Some come from Colorado, some from Japan, some from the dirt floor of a shop in Nepal. I appreciate them all. Most have a good story behind them. Some are simply priceless to me.

At the end of the day, I get along just fine with a SAK in my pocket or multi-tool on my belt. I have no doubt that I could easily live out the rest of my days sporting just a simple rugged tool. For my day to day, I have rarely found myself in need of the "right knife for the job", but I have often been lucky enough to have the right tool.
 
Man, I'm lovin this thread. :)

Question for you guys though, would you rather have the Recruit or the Bantam?
 
That's a tough call for me. I love the bantam, but I also love the recruit. I' ve carried both, and used both extensively. The bantam rides just a tiny tad better in dress pants, but it's a small margin. The recruit give me a spare knife blade, and I like that from my background of loving traditional pocket knives like stickmen and jacks.

Since I don't live my life in dress pants, the recruit gets a slight nod over the bantam for the extra knife blade and thicker tools. I just had a vacation in Key West with only a recruit for a pocket knife, and it worked out just fine.

Carl.
 
jackknife said:
That's a tough call for me. I love the bantam, but I also love the recruit. I' ve carried both, and used both extensively. The bantam rides just a tiny tad better in dress pants, but it's a small margin. The recruit give me a spare knife blade, and I like that from my background of loving traditional pocket knives like stickmen and jacks.

Since I don't live my life in dress pants, the recruit gets a slight nod over the bantam for the extra knife blade and thicker tools. I just had a vacation in Key West with only a recruit for a pocket knife, and it worked out just fine.

Carl.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the speedy reply.

I love the small blade on SAK's even though most people think it's superfluous. I just really admire the control that it gives the user of the knife. That said, I also love the combo tool. In my experience, it makes a better can opener than the traditional one.

I'm about to buy either a Bantam or a Recruit (nylon of course because of its rugged toughness), and that is my dilemma. Haha. :)
 
I got along very well with a Bantam until I lost it. I moved on to a Waiter as I have been burned more than once at a party where there is no corkscrew to be found. I never go to a social engagement without a corkscrew now:D
 
For nearly 10 years, until around 1997, I carred an old-style Spartan (with harder plastic handles and no tweezers/toothpick). I had bought it for my dad for Xmas in 1981, but he gave it to me when I moved to live in Taiwan for several years. During that time, it was my only knife. I didn't baby it, and I really didn't take very good care of it, either. It got a lot of gunk in it due to the high humidity and sometimes dirty environments I used it in. The only maintenance I did was occasionally oiling the pivot areas, and wiping off the large knife blade if I cut fruit or some other edibles with it.

I also carried it after I returned to the States. I finally got around to cleaning it up, and even the walk and talk was restored to some of the blades that I thought had permanently lost it! Other than the usual wear/tear, scratches, a slight crack on one handle scale, it operates almost like new to this day, although I've retired it in favor of other models.

Jim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top