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

After reading the poem again I just got to thinking that it sure would be something if my old friend Charlie Daniels put that to music!
 
I'm off to Austria for a week of hiking in the Alps, guys (peanut in pocket, of course).

Hold down the fort while I'm gone. And if anyone shows up with a decent bottle of single malt, for God's sake, save me a nip.

-- Mark
 
Haven't been around much but wanted to let all my friends here know the following. Ash


As many of you know I have been without work since the end of March and well I started back to work last Wednesday. I'm working security at the same place I did just with the new company that took over. They were not allowed to hire any of us when they took over but I met with the captain a couple weeks ago and well he pulled some strings and I started classes last Wednesday.
 
Hi,

Good for you! I hope you like you new job and do well. It's good to be busy, just don't forget about us all together.

Dale
 
That's great Ash!

I was laid off for a time back in 1997, and I know how it can be a bit scary and daunting. I hope all goes well for you.:thumbup:

Carl.
 
Help!

I've seen numerous postings in the sharpening forum about getting aknife sharp. Somne of those postings are from members of the traditional formum.

What I would like to do, if somebody can help me with more technical know how than I have, is to make a little video that can be here on the traditional forum. Maybe a sticky in the part where you have my past stories. I'd like to show how, in the best Mr. Van way traditional way, to just hold a stone in one hand, and a knife in the other, and just sharpen the thing. No gizmos, gadgets or whatnots.

If anyone in the Washington D.C./Baltimore/central Maryland/eastern West Va area has a video camera, I'd drive to meet you and film a simple knife sharpening. The kind of knife sharpening that can be done sitting on a log in the middle of the woods, or anywhere.

I don't want to post this in the sharpening forum, but here in the traditional where I want to keep the sharpening traditional as well. I know we have some members in the area I mentioned.

Carl.
 
I started my knife habit a few years back, and when I did I wanted my first knife to be a Case, at that time there was no superior knife maker... at least for me. I was to young to afford even the cheapest model, so I had to work hard and earn the credit from my parents to get my first "good" knife. I worked at it and finally the day rolled around, it was time for a Case knife. I picked the cheapest one they had, a little plastic lockback, but I cherished that knife. I started carrying it everywhere I went, hunting, fishing, church, just about every place I legally could. I carried it until one day we were out squirrel hunting, it was my brothers turn to clean the game so I lent him my knife. A little while later he comes in and tells me the blade bent while he was cleaning the game, now my brother is better with a knife than I am, so I know he wasn't goofing off with it... it just bent. I was disappointed that a "quality" knife would do that. I was mad so I gave it to my brother.

I live on a farm with my grandparents, so I see them just about everyday. My Grandfather is a great fan of Case, and he helped the knife addiction my Mom started. I told them both that I wanted to collect Case knives, so pretty soon my grandfather was taking a few knives out of his box and giving them to me. A couple really nice knives, then he said with a smile on his face, "if you want anymore, we'll have to see about trading". So I carried one of the knives my grandfather gave me, an old whaler, it was a big knife, and an old one. It didn't take long for me to realize I needed a new knife to carry. I put the Whaler up and went without a knife for a while.

Then my birthday rolled around, I got a great antique felt lined display case for my new hobby, and a few knives to put in it. Then my grandparents handed me a little box, my grandmother mentioned that I was carrying around a "big old" knife, and it didn't fit me. I unwrapped it and read Case, this time the knife was in a box, instead of a clam pack, so I knew it would be better than my lockback. I undid the flap and the paper slipped out, with a heavy object tightly wrapped in side. My hands actually started to shake I was so excited, I undid the paper and found myself a little delrin peanut. It was perfect with the brown jigged plastic, the blades snapped open and were razor sharp, and ready for my pocket. My grandfather thinking I was disappointed with it's size said, "your grandmother picked that little knife out". My grandmother held her own and said, "he needs to be comfortable with a knife he's gonna carry". It didn't matter what anyone else thought, that knife was mine.

It disappeared in my pocket and I loved it, compared to the Whaler it felt like I had a couple loose quarters in my pocket. I started to carry this knife on a religious basis, it didn't matter if someone thought it was too small or not, it was perfect for me. I cleaned trout, squirrel, and my finger nails with this knife all the time. That knife never took a hit, the blades were always sharp, and it never played on me. Even when I wanted to carry another knife it was nothing for me to slip the peanut in another pocket. We worked well together and got by just fine, I did loose it in the sofa, and the wash a couple times, but we were always reunited. It held it's end of the bargain as a go to knife.

It was the day after Christmas 2009, we had spent the day at my uncles place and enjoyed a fine Christmas celebration. The weather had been perfect all day, but we were getting threats of a storm. It was getting late and the snow started to fall, so we knew it was time to go. I went out and got everything ready, it's my winter ritual. I cleaned the van off and got the heat going as my family said their goodbyes. Right before we left my uncle walked out and offered for us to spend the night at his place. We figured if we just took it slow we'd be fine, so off we went. I have a habit of slipping knives that I really like out of my pocket, I just play with them in my hand for a while, it passed time and keeps the mind going. We were still about 15 minutes from home, but the roads hadn't been touched so we took more time. Some guy in an a big ol' Ford started riding our butt, so we slowed down just a bit more, he got the hint and slowed back. The big ivory flakes blasted our view and at times you could only see a few yards ahead. We had plans on pulling over and letting the Ford pass us, but first we needed to find a spot. Pretty soon our few yards of visibility was filled with vehicle, we had no time to swerve at all. All we could afford was a light tap on the breaks. It was a pretty violent crash, but everybody was safe. Our van was towed, and we got a ride home.

It wasn't until I fully passed the shock that I remembered my little buddy wasn't in my pocket. I had him sitting in my lap when we recked, so I knew he wasn't on my person. I desperately tried to find him in our van, but I had no luck, he was gone. All the memories we had made together were somewhat lost now. I carried that knife all the time for about three years, longest time I ever stuck with a knife.

A year later my birthday rolls around and I get a little box from my grandparents, I have a special feeling. This time, adorned with harvest orange scales and mirror polished blades. Honestly we didn't connect like I did with my first nut, but this knife is ten times classier than my first nut. I'm trying to get that connection back again, but maybe that first nut was just special... we'll see though, I'm gonna give him a better chance. My birthday is coming up pretty soon, and I was asked what I wanted by my grandmother, "I think I'd like a peanut, maybe with some carbon steel". She said she'd take care of it.

I see a little box sitting on her table, I picked it up and gave it a rattle, I have a good feeling. :rolleyes:
 
jackknife said:
I don't want to post this in the sharpening forum, but here in the traditional where I want to keep the sharpening traditional as well. I know we have some members in the area I mentioned.

Carl.
Click to expand...

Carl, as we can't make guidelines exceptions only for certain members (and not others) and we don't want to establish precedents, if you do make the video we can post and link it with your compiled stories so it will have a permanent home here...however, the thread will be "closed" after posting it and not open for ongoing discussion (which belongs elsewhere on the site). Of course, discussion will be fully open in the "Maintenance" forum (or via email/PM) for any of those members who need further assistance.
 
Totally outstanding tale, Johnny!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

You never forget your first. That's unwritten law. It goes double if your first knife was a peanut. You're gonna love the CV.

Carl.
 
The peanut is my favorite pattern, great story! I always carry a peanut no matter where I go or what other knife I carry.
 
That was a great read, Johnny! I think I have one of those little plastic lockback Case knives.

Whatever is in that little box on your Grandmother's table, I hope you like it.

Thanks for a great read and Happy Birthday!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top