- Joined
- Dec 30, 2011
- Messages
- 1
(forgive me if I screw up BF posting protocols. I was once a regular, but haven't been here in well over a decade, and things have changed.)
My step-grandfather has recently lost my grandmother, and his generosity over the years, and strength through the recent trials and tribulations has really moved him into our hearts. He's the best man I've ever known.
Lately he hasn't been able to carry his (century?) old Macoy folder. It's a 3 blade cigar/canoe-type model, with about 1/3rd of the main blade sharpened/worn away. It's bulky in his pockets, and he hasn't been eating properly so his pants are loose. So the knife must be replaced. Weight & width are primary issues (with the knife).
We're doing the best we can with phone calls to him often, and the family members in-state are visiting him as often as possible. I know a knife doesn't make up for not visiting, but I'm hundreds of miles away, handicapped, partially paralyzed, and hooked up to oxygen myself.
I know knives & flashlights, he needs a new knife, and I'm going to make it happen ASAP.
Right now the 2 in the running are the BM 440 & 470. Both are under 2.5oz, have pocket clips, and don't have "plastic" handles.
He's a simple man who grew up in the Great Depression on a family farm, then worked as the fix-it guy for a University the rest of his life. He's carried Case-type knives his whole life, and I'm afraid any modern materials like the Delica's zytel or the BM 530's NorylGTX/Grivory handles are going to come off to him as "cheap plastic". I'd go BM 3550, which would be really easy for him to open and close with the single button, but he's so honest that I don't think he'd carry an auto, even though a near-centenarian in a town of 1500 is never going to be searched or hassled.
This is going to be engraved with "Grandpa (JohnDoe)" on the handle, so I imagine he'll be showing it off to his buddies at the coffee shop, so again, nothing the geriatrics would look at/touch and think "cheap plastic". I think g-10 would be okay, especially if worked right.
So far I've had to rule out the BM Shoki's because of lack of clip. Most of the Spydies because of handle material or weight.
I guess the Buck Vantage Small Pro/Avid works (what old guy doesn't love a Buck?). So that's still in the running. I guess the BM Sequel would work as well.
To those that have handled or own both the 440 & 470: how does the handle on the 470 come off? In the pics it looks like it's got a weird powdercoat on it.. kinda comes off looking like gritty cement. Is that what it's like in person?
I'm not keen on a liner-lock for Grandpa, most of us have a few nicks from learning the liner-lock, and he's never seen one- but the 440 is nice looking enough that I'm willing to overlook it. I'm not real keen on A/O, as most of us have scars on our thumbs learning not to over-extend our thumbs on an A/O, but the 470 does have the nice thumb-ramp, and he doesn't have the bad habit of swinging his thumb out from the pre-A/O days. I'm hoping the Axis-lock on the 470 is easy enough for fumbly old hands to pull back... if anyone knows differently, please speak up?
I've ruled out hundreds, maybe thousands of knives, over the past few weeks while I've been off work for the holidays. My mind's a mess. I may be seeing things in tunnel-vision, so I kinda need my fellow forumites to check my logic. I'm staying away from pure flippers because I'm not going to have time to tune-it up for him. I'm having it sent to my sister to have engraved & delivered.
So...
Needs to:
Like I said, the main 2 candidates are the 440 Opportunist or the 470 Emissary. Buck Vantage (small) is still in the back of my head, as is the BM 707 Sequel.
I need to know about the handles of the Emissary. If there's anything else anyone can contribute, or any other choices, please speak up.
Thanks.
(and sorry for the disjointed post. I haven't slept since I started this project. As you can imagine in an equation with a man, a knife, and a grandfather- emotions run high. Any two of those variables alone is enough to stress someone out, but all three... *sigh*)
My step-grandfather has recently lost my grandmother, and his generosity over the years, and strength through the recent trials and tribulations has really moved him into our hearts. He's the best man I've ever known.
Lately he hasn't been able to carry his (century?) old Macoy folder. It's a 3 blade cigar/canoe-type model, with about 1/3rd of the main blade sharpened/worn away. It's bulky in his pockets, and he hasn't been eating properly so his pants are loose. So the knife must be replaced. Weight & width are primary issues (with the knife).
We're doing the best we can with phone calls to him often, and the family members in-state are visiting him as often as possible. I know a knife doesn't make up for not visiting, but I'm hundreds of miles away, handicapped, partially paralyzed, and hooked up to oxygen myself.
I know knives & flashlights, he needs a new knife, and I'm going to make it happen ASAP.
Right now the 2 in the running are the BM 440 & 470. Both are under 2.5oz, have pocket clips, and don't have "plastic" handles.
He's a simple man who grew up in the Great Depression on a family farm, then worked as the fix-it guy for a University the rest of his life. He's carried Case-type knives his whole life, and I'm afraid any modern materials like the Delica's zytel or the BM 530's NorylGTX/Grivory handles are going to come off to him as "cheap plastic". I'd go BM 3550, which would be really easy for him to open and close with the single button, but he's so honest that I don't think he'd carry an auto, even though a near-centenarian in a town of 1500 is never going to be searched or hassled.
This is going to be engraved with "Grandpa (JohnDoe)" on the handle, so I imagine he'll be showing it off to his buddies at the coffee shop, so again, nothing the geriatrics would look at/touch and think "cheap plastic". I think g-10 would be okay, especially if worked right.
So far I've had to rule out the BM Shoki's because of lack of clip. Most of the Spydies because of handle material or weight.
I guess the Buck Vantage Small Pro/Avid works (what old guy doesn't love a Buck?). So that's still in the running. I guess the BM Sequel would work as well.
To those that have handled or own both the 440 & 470: how does the handle on the 470 come off? In the pics it looks like it's got a weird powdercoat on it.. kinda comes off looking like gritty cement. Is that what it's like in person?
I'm not keen on a liner-lock for Grandpa, most of us have a few nicks from learning the liner-lock, and he's never seen one- but the 440 is nice looking enough that I'm willing to overlook it. I'm not real keen on A/O, as most of us have scars on our thumbs learning not to over-extend our thumbs on an A/O, but the 470 does have the nice thumb-ramp, and he doesn't have the bad habit of swinging his thumb out from the pre-A/O days. I'm hoping the Axis-lock on the 470 is easy enough for fumbly old hands to pull back... if anyone knows differently, please speak up?
I've ruled out hundreds, maybe thousands of knives, over the past few weeks while I've been off work for the holidays. My mind's a mess. I may be seeing things in tunnel-vision, so I kinda need my fellow forumites to check my logic. I'm staying away from pure flippers because I'm not going to have time to tune-it up for him. I'm having it sent to my sister to have engraved & delivered.
So...
Needs to:
- be under 3oz, the lighter & thinner the better.
- have a pocket-clip. (he can't carry his Macoy when he has his keys and too much change in his pocket- a clip might solve this)
- not have "cheap plastic" handles (we know they're space age materials resistant to every threat, grumpy old men just feel plastic)
- be engrave-able (company logo needs to be off to a side, blade geometry needs to be flat enough for laser or actual engraving)
- be a folder.
- be under $160 street price
- not bite old fumbly hands
- be something he'd be proud to show his coffee clutch buddies
Like I said, the main 2 candidates are the 440 Opportunist or the 470 Emissary. Buck Vantage (small) is still in the back of my head, as is the BM 707 Sequel.
I need to know about the handles of the Emissary. If there's anything else anyone can contribute, or any other choices, please speak up.
Thanks.
(and sorry for the disjointed post. I haven't slept since I started this project. As you can imagine in an equation with a man, a knife, and a grandfather- emotions run high. Any two of those variables alone is enough to stress someone out, but all three... *sigh*)
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