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

[jackknife]

This is pretty much my philosophy as well. I like having (and using) only a handful of knives...and to be honest, if some of them weren't "dedicated" ones (scrubs knife, outdoors/hiking knife, etc) I would own even less. Also, sometimes I see something that I like, and then time (and use) makes me realize there's something else that I want more...so I sell the old one not just to get the money for the new one, but mainly because I know the new one is going to dump the old one in the drawer and that's a fate I don't want my knives to deal with. I'm glad I'm not good at collecting or accumulating
Fausto

I've been following this model since my first big downsizing in the late 90's/early 2000's. Once I cut down my gun/knife/tool/vehicle collections by gifting to family and selling off, I keep a handful on hand. If I can't hold my knife collection in one hand, then it's getting too big. For the white dwarf stage of my life, I only want real everyday users in all my stuff.

 

[mrknife]

I wish I could be more like this I think it goes back to my childhood. We were dirt poor so even the occasional 12 cent comic book was just out of the question most of the time and a new toy only came at Christmas. Now a days I am able to afford somethings and knives have become this old man's toys. So I buy them when ever I see something I like no matter if they are going to be used or not. I no longer will stand by the 'toy counter' daydreaming about what I see so if I fancy it I will own it. The other side of growing up like this is that I get great pleasure from sharing my toys with others and that is why I give so many knives away.

agreed, when we came to America in the 90s, we were pretty poor. i grew up loving canned spam. barely had spare change for juicy fruit so bazooka joe was usually the purchased gum of choice if we had change in our pockets. Not saying its a rags to riches story cause I didnt hit that powerball yesterday, but we are definitely doing much much better now. Back then a knife from the junk shop was the only purchase I could afford and that consisted of pakistani trappers or those zamack balisongs. Im with you on giving knives away, because now when I see something on the internet that I fancy, its just a matter of typing in the paypal/getting credit card (within reason).

 

[kamagong]

I've sold some, and given away others here, with little or no emotional effort.

Interesting you should say that. I've sold a few knives, but I've given many more away. I like making a present of a fine piece of steel, especially if it is going to someone who I know will appreciate it, but selling a knife has always been a a bittersweet experience.

 

[Jack Black]

I can relate to your post too Randy :thumbup:

 

[quattromori]

It's not the same thing of course...gifting a knife is nicer, and enriches your soul while selling is pretty much a "sterile" transaction.
Yet, when it comes to the emotional weight of separation, I live both situations in a similar way: I'm not concerned in what's going out the door...I'm focused on what is coming in
P.S.: hope you got my email

Fausto

 

[meako]

I was one of those kids too-and I reckon I was among the lucky ones.
I know there were families in my community that did it very tough-main reason was the alcoholic parents.
I was not among the "no lunch at school" or "no school jumper in the middle of winter" but nor was I in the "new bike every xmas" or "brand new colour tv when they first came out" crowds.
Bottom line for me is that if I hadnt given my 3spd roadster pushy away to a kid I knew after I'd grown up and finished with it I would still own it and it would be in gd cond.(the Brooks leather saddle alone now costs more than the whole bike did back then)
Unfortunately my benevolence has faded over the years and now I visualise my self as a kind Smaug-sleeping with one eye open on a mountain of beautiful knives hidden away in my cave. I say cave but it's really the wardrobe.

 

[Jack Black]

I visualise my self as a kind Smaug-sleeping with one eye open on a mountain of beautiful knives hidden away in my cave. I say cave but it's really the wardrobe.

You're sleeping in the wardrobe now?! :thumbup:

 

[meako]

Only because the sock drawer is full of empty knife boxes and tubes

Never sell Johhny. Never sell.

 

[Jack Black]

LOL! :thumbup:

 

[Peregrin]

I was one of those kids too-and I reckon I was among the lucky ones.
I know there were families in my community that did it very tough-main reason was the alcoholic parents.
I was not among the "no lunch at school" or "no school jumper in the middle of winter" but nor was I in the "new bike every xmas" or "brand new colour tv when they first came out" crowds.
Bottom line for me is that if I hadnt given my 3spd roadster pushy away to a kid I knew after I'd grown up and finished with it I would still own it and it would be in gd cond.(the Brooks leather saddle alone now costs more than the whole bike did back then)
Unfortunately my benevolence has faded over the years and now I visualise my self as a kind Smaug-sleeping with one eye open on a mountain of beautiful knives hidden away in my cave. I say cave but it's really the wardrobe.

Great description and you're man enough to admit it!

 

[quattromori]

Many of you folks might be familiar with a TV show/series named Masterchef.
Here in my country, as many of you might think, food is an incredibly serious matter so the show has quickly become very popular since the first season (bear in mind, there's a handful of food-themed TV channels here), and I do watch it when I can (along with the US, Australian, and Indian productions as well...yes I'm Italian and I love food and cooking ).
Now last week the contestants were taken to a small town named Orgosolo, in the deep heart of Sardinia, for their outdoor challenge: cooking typical Sardinian food for 60 Sardinian shepherds who would judge them. The episode raised some dispute here on the island but that's not what I'm willing to talk about
Instead, it was quite nice to see that, when meat was served, basically every shepherd cut it with his own resolza. Not that it surprised me the least (I know how common these knives are among shepherds here), but I thought it was an interesting thing to share here. I'm trying to cut the video and then I'll post it here so you can see what I'm talking about

Fausto

 

[quattromori]

So, here's the video:

[youtube]SyhJMXzaDbo[/youtube]

Fausto

 

[Raymond1000]

You're sleeping in the wardrobe now?! :thumbup:

Think of all that extra storage in Narnia.

 

[kamagong]

Nice looking resolzas. I didn't see many blades with patina though. I guess the shepherds prefer stainless steels?

 

[quattromori]

Christian,
most knifemakers now tend to use stainless steels (mainly 420 and Sandvik) for resolzas for ease of maintenance

Fausto

 

[kamagong]

Christian,
most knifemakers now tend to use stainless steels (mainly 420 and Sandvik) for resolzas for ease of maintenance

Fausto

Makes sense. But a resolza with patina is a thing of beauty. My favorite remains that old knife of your father's that was lost and forgotten in some drawer, and later rediscovered by you.

 

[quattromori]

Fortunately, quite a share of knifemakers here (even young ones) like to forge now and then, so carbon steel isn't over here yet. I assume that the prevalence of stainless steel for these knives is dictated by the fact that many knives are gifts that see virtually no use and reside in drawers. I bet that many real users (like the shepherds in the video) aren't really concerned with maintenance. When I was a kid, I was told the one and only rule for maintaining knives (carbon steel was much more common) by my father.
Keep the blade dry.
Same thing that I'm doing with the knife you're referring to

Fausto

 

[pertinux]

I just wish my knives could get back to normal.:grumpy: Meaning?? Lately it's turned violently cold: -29.6C the other morning...:barf: As the temp plummets the moisture vanishes, indoors it gets hot from central heating and 4 pane windows, moisture becomes extinct. I got a humidity reading of 9% this afternoon. This is less than kind for knives, Mr Stag, Bone, Wood and Horn don't like it one bit and begin to draw into themselves. They shrink away from liners or bolster, occasionally alarmingly so. Even with a powerful humidifyer on that pumps out 5 litres in about 5 hours I only get 30% humidity. Until it gets warmer outside my knives suffer, when the humidity returns they all rejoice and get back to normal. It's not so nice for humans either, the skin and throat get dry, the eyes too, water is the element of life it seems.

Oh, my word-- that's really intense. I am sorry about your knives, but I really hope you aren't trying to tend any guitars, or any other wooden instruments...? I worry enough about mine, in much more temperate conditions.

Needless to say, I cut into my new furnace duct work to install a drum humidifier.

"Needless to say..."?

You say so easily, like someone like me has the least notion of what you're talking about! This makes me laugh.

Going to comment here instead in the thread from which this was taken.

Now, now, let's not get too carried away.

I was taught that everyone is a lady or a gentleman until proven otherwise. Your posts have repeatedly shown you to be a great lady.

Well, then.

(I joke all the time that "I ain't no lady," but humbly receive your compliment in the spirit intended. Thank you.)

~ P.

 

[Ryouchijtx]

I never owned more than a few knives at a time. I sold when I saw something different that interested me, never getting too far down the rabbit hole.

Agreed Jerry, I keep a pretty tidy collection. I think my collection/rotation is at 20 knives total at the moment. Several of those knives are also gifts and I'm getting close to the point where there's nothing I want to or would let go anymore. If I want something else..I've got to sell something within to fund it. I don't like adding more funding from the initial amount I started out spending within the first half year and I've stuck to it.

As a lover of the Resolza Fausto, this was awesome to see.

 

[Catherine_Montana]

What Quattromori and JackKnife said is what I can relate to when it comes to Stuff in life.

Especially when I don't have a large house and rural property to take care of. (Back east - former house that I built with my late husband as a young couple.)

I built a smaller house on a smaller piece of land here in Montana. I am in town for now. And I may (?!?) build an even 'smaller' house/cabin when my husband retires too. (I am looking at land again now.)

My husband is downsizing a few more things in his 'stuff' again too. Maybe two more knives and a few more firearms - caliber consolidation as we did previously. Go to even less calibers even though he is pretty close there now.

I asked him what HE would TAKE with him if 'we' lived on a boat too. Grin.

News flash - film at 10PM. Man sinks his boat with his few knives, downsized collection of firearms and reloading equipment.

Jack Knife,

What Traditional Fixed and Pocket/Folding KNIVES did you finally decide to KEEP since you made the move to Texas? What did your wife decide to keep in her knives? I hope that this is not too personal to ask you here. You said what knives could fit in your hand or hands?

You and your wife already downsized a lot when it came to your Stuff in Maryland before your last move as you stated here above and previously. From one house in MD to another house in MD from what I gather.

I did the same thing in my former state after my late husband died. Much more downsizing though. I only took what FIT in my former SUV and in my former Coleman pop up camper.

But we were doing a LOT of downsizing even before his cancer discovery for his 'future retirement' that never happened. We lived thirty plus years in the house that we built.

My knives for now:

Buck Ranger Skinner #113 FB Knife


Buck Woodsman #102

Buck #119 Special

Buck Vanguard

2 Buck PakLite Skinner Knives

Ka-Bar #1211 Knife

Estwing Camp Axe

Sog Fasthawk

I do plan on getting 2 BUCK small paring knives and 2 BUCK large paring and/or steak knives for our kitchen. We were going to get something for the kitchen anyway.

I figured out that my TOP favorite BUCK knives are the #113 Ranger Skinner and the #119 Special!

Those are my top favorite Buck knives even though I love my few other Buck knives. I do love the Ka-Bar #1211 fixed blade knife too. (I keep that one by my bed.) I would keep my 2 Sog 'hawks and my Estwing camp axe. Camp and outdoor use.

Blessings to you and your wife. I am glad that you did not get any damage from the storms in your new home in Texas.

Sincerely,

Cate