- Joined
- Feb 25, 2001
- Messages
- 6,675
This ought to spice things up here a bit. I'm sitting with a handful of slip joints (formerly known as pocket knives before the tactical craze) in front of me. There are a virtual myriad of different blade styles amongst them. Ive got clip blades, spay blades, sheeps-foot blades, Wharncliffe blades, drop point blades, the list goes on. Who can tell me what blade styles are best for what type of cutting? Im assuming of course, that there is a reason for having three different blades in a stockman, and four in a congress. I have to admit that that tiny spay blade looks utterly useless to me at the moment. 
Why am I asking this? Well, Im kind of tired of tactical folders. Slip joints just have so much character to them that its hard not to carry one. I want to read peoples thoughts on them, even if theyre just mine. Okay, Ill say it. I carry a boring old slip joint, and Im proud of it!!!!! Have I come full circle, and ended back where I started with all this knife stuff? Did I get lost somewhere along the way?
And while Im on a rant, whats up with the sharpening systems out there? The Lansky wont take a small slip joint, and the SharpMaker .. Most modern slip joints ship with a noticeable absence of any edge whatsoever, and the SharpMaker takes forever to profile an entirely new edge. Somebody give me the very best and easiest way to sharpen up your average skip joint!!!!!
Now Im on a roll here. If you are man enough to admit to carrying a slip joint, what kind do you carry? Ive got a small Buck Cadet in my pocket, ready to handle small cutting and whittling tasks. I have to admit though that the Kershaw Double Cross I have on order; will probably give it some serious competition.
Now Im losing it, competing with all of the whiner and toughest lock threads. Skilled knife users dont whine about there knives, and they sure dont need a lock for 99% of their cutting. Who wants to see a separate slip joint forum, dedicated to people who arent in any hurry to whip out their knife? I want a forum for the average guy who sits on the porch at night, just whittling away the worries of the day. Doesnt anybody relax around here? Has the pocketknife-carrying individual died away like the dinosaur?
Do yourselves a favor. Go grab an old stick out of the not so perfectly manicured section of your back yard, and pull out your pocketknife. Just whittle for an hour or so, and see what it feels like to actually use a knife for a change. Heck, Ill even let you pull off your ties and suit coats while doing this little exercise. Go crazy and actually rub the wood sap off onto your old faded blue jeans!!!
This is the elixir of life my friends. This is why my father didnt go gray until his sixties. He took the time to unload the burden of the day on an old piece of pine or maple . or (ghasp) . Cherry!!! He actually found a way to relax with a knife. And dont give me that I live in an apartment, and itll scare the neighbors away kind of line. You must have a town park with a shady tree to sit under. :barf:
Im I going crazy? Nope. Im just to breathe a little life into an otherwise Didnt I read a thread just like this one this morning? kind of place. Try something different. Do what your dad did, and your granddad did, and your great-granddad did. Relax and cut. Keep the strokes smooth and controlled. Dont do anything stupid like cut towards the thumb. Long strokes pointed away from you are the way to go. Send the worries of the day away from you my boy. The world will look a whole lot better when youve carved that toothpick.
So share a little of what you know about slip joints. I'm betting that plenty of people will find the tiniest bit of info about them to be intriguing enough to possibly even try an honest-to-goodness pocketknife!!!!!

Why am I asking this? Well, Im kind of tired of tactical folders. Slip joints just have so much character to them that its hard not to carry one. I want to read peoples thoughts on them, even if theyre just mine. Okay, Ill say it. I carry a boring old slip joint, and Im proud of it!!!!! Have I come full circle, and ended back where I started with all this knife stuff? Did I get lost somewhere along the way?

And while Im on a rant, whats up with the sharpening systems out there? The Lansky wont take a small slip joint, and the SharpMaker .. Most modern slip joints ship with a noticeable absence of any edge whatsoever, and the SharpMaker takes forever to profile an entirely new edge. Somebody give me the very best and easiest way to sharpen up your average skip joint!!!!!

Now Im on a roll here. If you are man enough to admit to carrying a slip joint, what kind do you carry? Ive got a small Buck Cadet in my pocket, ready to handle small cutting and whittling tasks. I have to admit though that the Kershaw Double Cross I have on order; will probably give it some serious competition.

Now Im losing it, competing with all of the whiner and toughest lock threads. Skilled knife users dont whine about there knives, and they sure dont need a lock for 99% of their cutting. Who wants to see a separate slip joint forum, dedicated to people who arent in any hurry to whip out their knife? I want a forum for the average guy who sits on the porch at night, just whittling away the worries of the day. Doesnt anybody relax around here? Has the pocketknife-carrying individual died away like the dinosaur?

Do yourselves a favor. Go grab an old stick out of the not so perfectly manicured section of your back yard, and pull out your pocketknife. Just whittle for an hour or so, and see what it feels like to actually use a knife for a change. Heck, Ill even let you pull off your ties and suit coats while doing this little exercise. Go crazy and actually rub the wood sap off onto your old faded blue jeans!!!

This is the elixir of life my friends. This is why my father didnt go gray until his sixties. He took the time to unload the burden of the day on an old piece of pine or maple . or (ghasp) . Cherry!!! He actually found a way to relax with a knife. And dont give me that I live in an apartment, and itll scare the neighbors away kind of line. You must have a town park with a shady tree to sit under. :barf:
Im I going crazy? Nope. Im just to breathe a little life into an otherwise Didnt I read a thread just like this one this morning? kind of place. Try something different. Do what your dad did, and your granddad did, and your great-granddad did. Relax and cut. Keep the strokes smooth and controlled. Dont do anything stupid like cut towards the thumb. Long strokes pointed away from you are the way to go. Send the worries of the day away from you my boy. The world will look a whole lot better when youve carved that toothpick.

So share a little of what you know about slip joints. I'm betting that plenty of people will find the tiniest bit of info about them to be intriguing enough to possibly even try an honest-to-goodness pocketknife!!!!!