"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

It's too bad, but I think the kids now are being raised a little too easy. Heck, my dad would get me in a head lock and rap his knuckles on my skull. He figured if I wanted out, I'd fight hard enough to get out. And then there were the older kids on the block. We learned to respect ALL our elders, if not betters. If kids did some of that to other kids now, there would be assault charges. But we learned to take it and dish it out. It was just part of growing up to get your ears boxed by an older kid who was cock of the walk on the block. If you didn't like it, you toughened up and made him respect you, or you ran away from home never to be seen again.:D

Do kids even get boxing gloves for Christmas anymore?:confused:

Never heard of anyone getting upset over a wedgy. What's gonna happen when he gets to junior high and gets a swirly?

Carl.
 
Carl,
Nowadays,its so different,you gotta watch what becomes of the "tough guy"

The other end of the spectrum.

Recently here,there was an older boy,than my son,who was egging him on bad at work,this older kid a bartender,my son a bus boy.My son was threatened by him
I told my son,either take it,or do something about it.But I told him,if you live by the gun,you die by the gun.You know,some kinda half a$$ed wisdom.
I told my son,from what he told me about this guy,there had to be something not quite right,with him.

Sure enough,about two or three months later,we find out,he & his buddies out drinking,go back to his house, (his parents),one thing led to another,in the middle of the night & he wound up taking out a rifle,to "clean it",and this kids best friend takes a fatal round.
Respect here for a few things,was not taught,over looked.

These days,you can't just cut your kid loose & say,be a tough guy. Its real different,these days.It's scary.

But I can relate & respect what others are saying here.

What really gets me sometimes & we see it.There may be a kid in our Scouts that does not have it so good in life & sometimes,it's those kids that are just the best.
-Vince
 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts guys. On a slightly related topic I'd like to share a story about my own nephew Mark, who incidentally is almost the exact same age as Alex (Mark is two days older). Mark is also being raised by a single mother. He is in not the most robust child as he was born four months premature. He is extremely near sighted (his last prescription was -12.0 IIRC, making him legally blind), has weak lungs, and was born with a large hole in his heart that has since been corrected with surgery. If you saw him you would think that this kid is a total weakling. You'd be wrong. This kid is fearless and from the time he could walk I would see him run everywhere with abandon. After a birthday party a couple of weeks ago I stuck around to help clean up. Mark was right there with me, excited to help once I asked for his assistance with the balloons. This of course meant that we had to pop the balloons at which point I pulled out my Bret Dowell swayback. You should have seen the way this kid's eyes got big when I told him that he could have the honors, provided that I guide his hand as he did his work. After we were done he asked me if he could get a pocketknife of his own when he got older. Little does he know that I already have three knives set aside for him.

This lad is all boy. Watching him play is a great source of joy for me and my entire family. Despite all the hardships he has already endured in his young years, you'd be hard pressed to find a happier child. He's tough and resilient, while being protective and compassionate at the same time. I love watching him play with my daughter, he watches over her like a hawk. It's children like him that give me hope for the future.

- Christian
 
Driving through the Northeastern United States, I am always amazed by the history. This trip through I am even more enthralled with it as I drive past names that I am more and more seeing in my quest for traditional cutlery.
Driving past places like Bradford PA, Tidioute PA, Utica NY, Camillus NY and many others that I have simply passed by in the past now have real meaning to me. Driving past the Crucible Steel mill today brought a smile to my face.
I often wonder if the people that live in these places even pay attention to them anymore?
 
protourist said:
I often wonder if the people that live in these places even pay attention to them anymore?
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I can't speak for everyone but I think people that know and respect the brands also have a respect for the history of these towns and businesses. I don't live near any classic knife builders but there are some local business and landmarks that I still get a nostalgic feeling about. The old Daisy BB gun factory in the town I currently work in (now a restaurant). The Eppinger Lure Co. (maker of the classic red & white Dardevel spoon) just a couple miles from my house and still cranking them out.

They're part of the local history and part of mine as well.

Chris
 
I love to go in medieval churches, castles and early industry period buildings. I love the atmosphere in there. I am lucky to live near one of the oldest cities in Finland, which has medieval castle, gorgeous Cathedral, old manilla rope factory, craftsmen quarters from the 19th century.

I love the old places.
 
Rupestris said:
I can't speak for everyone but I think people that know and respect the brands also have a respect for the history of these towns and businesses. I don't live near any classic knife builders but there are some local business and landmarks that I still get a nostalgic feeling about. The old Daisy BB gun factory in the town I currently work in (now a restaurant). The Eppinger Lure Co. (maker of the classic red & white Dardevel spoon) just a couple miles from my house and still cranking them out.

They're part of the local history and part of mine as well.

Chris
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Today I worked on this house,on the waterfront of this small town on the North Fork of LI, New Suffolk .Across the way,in between my viuew of the water,was this restaraunt,now closed down.It is said it is the site of one of the first sub marine boat launches.

http://www.sid-hill.com/top/history/nsuffolk/nsuffolk.htm

It was a gorgeous hot day,all I could think about was jumping in the bay.I got One more column to replace tomorrow,to finish If I remember I'll take my camera & snap a shot.There is alotta history around here.
-Vince
 
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thejamppa said:
I love to go in medieval churches, castles and early industry period buildings. I love the atmosphere in there. I am lucky to live near one of the oldest cities in Finland, which has medieval castle, gorgeous Cathedral, old manilla rope factory, craftsmen quarters from the 19th century.

I love the old places.
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I can't even imagine what it would be like to see the historical sights in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. I read a lot of historical books and novels and dream a lot though.
 
I don't know if anyone has ever read Disappearing Delmarva Portraits of the Peninsula or Friends, Neighbors and Folks Down the Road by Ed Okonowicz, but they are both great books about the "folksy" people of the Delmarva peninsula, what Marylanders call "the eastern shore". I have Disappearing Delmarva, and should pick up the second one. Disappearing Delmarva is a collection of interviews and accounts of different people on the shore. Old (age of the establishment, not the person ;)) time post office clerks, old time barbers, old beergarden owners, fisherman, crabbers, ferry boat captains etc. Great book.

Got me thinking. I would love to see a book devoted to the everyman and woman of America, that only have one knife, and used that knife for their everyday tasks. Definitely traditional knives, but maybe a page or two about the knife they use, and an interview. I always enjoy reading about the old timers in this part of BF, and the articles in Knife World.

Might not sell well, but I would like to see it nonetheless.
 
"Cuttin' Kate" by Yvonne Hollenbeck

She had come in from the country for supplies, and stopped to eat;
when a city slicker spied her and he slid right in the seat.
He said that he was lonely and he hoped she'd let him stay;
he would gladly buy her dinner...it sure would make his day.

He flirted with this lady who had come in from a ranch,
and asked a stupid question that soon killed his only chance.
As they both looked at the menu, he must'a thought her dumb,
'cause he asked her if she knew where mountain oysters come from?

She looked at him with anguish, and then began to speak;
said she had gathered more of them than he could ever eat.
And then went into detail how the harvesting was done.
Of all the jobs she had to do, she thought this one was fun!

She told him she had castrated many calves and colts;
some pigs, and cats, and chickens, and a couple billy goats.
She said she'd pro'bly cut at least a thousand head of sheep
and she fixed a cheat'n husband once when he was fast asleep!

She pulled a knife out of her purse and opened up the blade
saying she would show him how it's done if he had time to stay.
They say the color left him as he leaped upon his feet
leaving skid marks on the carpet as he made a fast retreat!

Katie ate alone, although he left her with the tab,
and she later told her husband 'bout the lie she told that lad
that is holed up in his Town House with a mind that's full of scars,
and will never go near women found in restaurants or bars.

They call her "Cuttin' Katie" tho' she doesn't have a clue
how the castration's done...it's something she don't do.
But the moral of the story is to help protect your wife,
make sure that she knows how to lie, and always packs a knife!
 
Does anyone know, or possibly be able to find out what a Case Medium Trapper w/ Mammoth Ivory Scales is going for or how much I should expect to pay? ....cause I found one today and really wanted to get it but it seemed slightly pricey even though it was near mint and very good looking in every way. Thanks everyone.
 
bbabear01 said:
Does anyone know, or possibly be able to find out what a Case Medium Trapper w/ Mammoth Ivory Scales is going for or how much I should expect to pay? ....cause I found one today and really wanted to get it but it seemed slightly pricey even though it was near mint and very good looking in every way. Thanks everyone.
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Ok so sorry everyone I found them at the Case Knife outlet. Sorry for back to back postings just thought I would save you all some time in answering.
 
I am wondering: Few years back, I carried Victorinox Alox Soldier. It was my jack of all trades... These days I carry: Heavy working knife (Gec #73 or 72 or most likely Queen Dan Burke small barlow. I also have started to carry a tad smaller knife for food knife, peeling and cutting apples or opening letters. My choice: Case Sway Back Jack.

I still carry multi tool too: Victorinox Alox Soldier / Tinker or Yeoman MK III or Victorinox Spirit X. My still most favorite SAK is Alox soldier / pioneer. Its tools are same as Scout Pattern.

Still, I like to keep my multitools knife shaving sharp (with victorinox steel its easy job) but I still rather use something else for cutting and keep multitool for its tools.

I still work area where I really don't need heavy work knife. Though I admit those pesky zip ties are hard to cut without proper tools and heavier knife is better in those. Still, when under desk with poor light trying to cut those pesky zip ties, I do thank for my Barlow. D2 holds admirably working edge.
 
I've found the pen blade on a Case peanut does a great job on zip ties. Really. Just lever the blade in there and keep up a steady pressure till it pops.
 
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Hi,

I had the most fantastic class yesterday. It was on birthing babies and complications in EMS. Or as it's better known as, "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies".:D

What made this class so special was the lab we got access to. It was designed and built by Laerdal. It can be set up to give training to everyone from Cub Scouts earning a first-aid merit badge to making top surgeons pull their hair out. I was told the whole setup cost $1.5 million. The dummies run a bit over $100,000 each. The 4 hour class cost $3000 for 12 of us.

The training "dummies", (which are far from dumb), can talk and respond properly to your questions. The eyes blink, chest rise, heart beat, all radial pulses, IV points, the pupils react, and they can bleed, sweat and cry. They know what drugs you might give them and whether it's correct, enough, too much, or not enough. And then react to it for better or worse.

When I did my delivery, the instructor set us up in the back of the trailer on a cot like in the ambulance. And then made it bounce like we were driving on a gravel road. I said let's pull over and stop, but he laughed and said nope. It made for an interesting birth. The little bugger was very slippery as he came bouncing out. Then his respirations crashed. We got him back several times as we frantically tried to suction his mouth out and keep him bagged properly. My partner and me were both sweating bullets as if it was real. (For those who might be interested, the instructor pushed the problem until the "newborn" died). It was amazingly as close to real as you can get without actually killing someone, so to speak. Never have I learned so much from a single class about my possible patients and myself as I did yesterday.

Dale
 
I grew up in the rural midwest. I am crowding 60. These facts are not important to my question but may help to set a time and place as far as demographics may be concerned. I have traded things my entire life. Cattle, horses, gun dogs, guns, knives, cars, watches, you name it and if it has value to men I have probably traded it. I was around 5 or 6 when this started. I was not unusual in this regard, all the boys I grew up with traded there possessions around and it just continued into manhood in my case. Something I learned from my grandfather and father about trading was the bonding of the deal for lack of a better term. The obligatory handshake was always there but something else was frequently added along with the handshake, particularly when the items being swapped were of higher value and it was an exchange that could not be consummated on the spot, such as cattle, real estate, dogs and so on. This added bond along, with the handshake, was the exchange of pocket knives. This is a practice I have witnessed and participated in many times. My grandfather taught me to always carry two. Your trusted one, as he called it, and one to seal a deal. These were obviously to be off much lesser value. To get caught without that second knife was to put your trusted one at risk as everyone carried a pocket knife and it was considered to be a lack of good faith to not make the switch when one of the parties suggested it. While I have observed and participated in this ritual many times throughout my life I have never observed it outside of this part of the country.

My question is have any of you experienced or observed this in other parts of the country? Or similar behaviors.
 
I hope that this is an appropriate post in this thread, but as always, if not then moderator please strike it down. I was having a conversation with one of my subcontractors the other day and upon leaving he handed me a new business card. I didn't think anything of it at the time and simply threw it on my desk with the others. This morning as I was sifting through them I noticed something new on the back of it that made me chuckle. I think it is his comical way of illustrating that when things are good, they're good, and when they're not so good. . . well, there's a fix for that too! The card read:

TO MY CUSTOMERS

Due to my independent
position as a FRP Contractor,
I have decided to limit my time
as best suited to my own convenience.

At the present moment, it pleases
me to make my estimates
for my customers on
Tuesdays and Thursdays between
the hours of 2 and 4 p.m.

It will also permit me to devote my
mornings to rest and recreation.

NOTE: The above regulations
apply only as long as business is
good. After that, I will be around
kissing your ass as usual.​
Hope it makes you chuckle a little too. . .

Chuck
 
Knife Crazied said:
Is it normal to like traditional knives, modern knives, automatic knives, and butterfly knives? Am I weird of just crazy about knives. It seems I go through stages of traditional to something else then back and forth. Am I normal?
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No. I should know since I have the same disease. :eek:
 
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