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

mblackfu said:
...everyone was asking who had Bladey Mae (his stag handeled congress). Out of all the property, money and other things of value, the kids wanted to fight over who had a knife. To the this day, it has never been found (wink, wink), but i am sure it is safe.
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Thanks for sharing that family history with us and for taking good care of Bladey Mae. If there's a heaven above I'll bet someone is smiling down and winking right back at ya. :thumbup:
 
The night before my grandfather passed, he was admitted to the hospital and gave everything on him to my mother. After he died she tried to give it to my grandmother and she said for my mom to keep it because he gave it to her. As the fussing and search for Bladey Mae started, my mom just played along with it and acted as if she didn't know where it was. It presently resides in Richmond Ky in my fathers safe along with his collection of knives.
 
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mblackfu said:
It presently resides in Richmond Ky in my fathers safe along with his collection of knives.
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I think the secret is safe with us here. (And if you ever get the chance I'll bet I'm not the only one that would love to see her.) :thumbup:
 
when i get a chance to open up the safe, there are alot of knives with alot of history.My dad opens it up about once a year to show off his collection- When he does i will take pictures and post on a new thread
 
mblackfu said:
when i get a chance to open up the safe, there are alot of knives with alot of history.My dad opens it up about once a year to show off his collection- When he does i will take pictures and post on a new thread
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Thanks. I'll look forward to it. Shoot me an email down the road if you need any help.
 
That's a nice story. The memories we have of family are the most precious memories. I'd love to see those knives too.
 
I haven't been able to get out to shoot in a while, so I decided to get my fix by cleaning my firearms. I don't have many guns -- a couple of ARs, a couple of 1911s, a Browning Hi-Power, a Ruger 22/45, and a bolt action CZ. Nothing in the bunch is especially valuable, no Purdey shotguns, no Holland and Holland rifles, or even an old family heirloom, but they're all good guns that shoot true.

The guns fall into two groups. The first contains the Ruger and the ARs. In addition to being made from steel, these guns also contain plastic and aluminum. They are reliable tools, and I value them as such. But as good as they are they leave me a bit cold.

On the other hand the 1911s, the BHP, and the lil' .22lr CZ are older designs made from wood and steel. They are heavy compared to newer designs, and require a bit more upkeep. I must be a bit daft though, because I treasure these guns. I don't mind maintaining them because they'll last for generations given a modicum of care. Not to mention that wood has a warmth and beauty that black polymer just can't replicate.

I don't think this is a revelation to any of you as good guns and good knives go hand in hand.

- Christian
 
I haven't been this excited for while. Next month, I will put order one the holy grails of my life: Real Deal, hand forged Tommi-puukko. I've drooled one even before I was blade nut and since actively drooled it for 3 years nearly every day...
 
mrrampro said:
With my boys I have the safe knife handling and blade basics but have added some thing extra. My experiences with traditional knives and I hope they look back with there kids and remember the carbon steel bladed knives I carry with me now. I still carry other one hand openers with awesome blade steels and advanced materials but always have a traditional blade as well. I hope you guys do the same with your children and that my grandkids are writing things like this one day with other knife enthusiasts.
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Nice post! I sort of do the same, but no one-hand openers with awesome blade steels and advanced materials for me.

-- Mark
 
Voltron said:
For years Jackknife has sang the virtues of the old TL-29s, how they were beloved during the war, and for many years afterwards. How they were MUCH better then the all steel "Demo" knives. I never listened. For some reason, I was always smitten with that all steel scout knife. I always thought it was a tank, indestructible. Jackknife always warned about the history of spring breakage, that the Victorinox Soldier or Wenger SI were much better as well. Still I didn't listen. I wanted a traditional scout knife, and it doesn't get much more traditional then something used by our military years ago.
Well, today, the spring holding the can and bottle opener did just as Jackknife said it would. It broke. I took it out and was looking at it (I haven't carried it in a little bit), making sure the blade was sharp, etc. I open the can opener, it snaps fine. Then I open the bottle opener, and realize it is extremely lazy. Then I notice it won't stay shut. i turn it over, and there it is, a broken spring. How can such an indestructible feeling knife be so weak in such a key area!!! UGH!!!!!
RIP my old Camillus. And Jackknife, you told me so. You were right, these knives seem pretty unreliable.
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Even way back when I was in, these things had a nasty reputation of doing that. Being a combat engineer outfit, our supply room had both on the list of will issue as needed. But more often than not, when you went to get a new TL-29, there were more on order, but there were plenty of the MLK knives in the box. There was so many of the MKL's on hand, because the supply clerks had trouble giving them away. So the supply clerks started issuing them to the newbies who didn't know better yet, and saved the TL's for the old hands who had been waiting for some to come in.

How bad can it be, when you can't give away a pocket knife? :D

There's a reason you see so many TL's still in active duty in peoples pockets. They may be worn, stained, wobbly, but they still hold together and get it done. It maybe the best service issue knife ever made.

Carl.
 
Don't have time for the video just now but Sonny Boy II ("Rice" Miller) is one of my all time faves big time. :thumbup:
 
Well, to start off, no. But bear with me.

I have been edc'ing a rough rider jigged bone barlow. Its actually nothing special BUT every time i swap it out with another knife, i miss it and regret it as soon as i get out of the house and the thing gets put back in my pocket as soon as i get home.

Its, hard to explain. Its 3 3/8' long closed which is just long enough to get a good comfortable grip on the handle (unlike the peanut which i fear would be too small for my largish hands). But its so comfortable, when i use the the knife the butt of the handle sits in the palm of my hand making using it so comfortable and pleasant. More than any other knife it just seems to fit me.

as to why its not "the one" is basically mental. Its 440A steel manufactured in China. You cant beat the price (think i spent about $12 shipped) but its solid and i cant actually complain about it at all, just bugs me that its not American made and I am still making sure the 440A will hold up over time (i suspect it will for my uses hold up just fine :D)

I always see folks (especially Carl) going on about how they find a knife that just appeals to them, that just feels right and i think I finally found mine. Unlike alot of folks on here who have a father/uncle/grandfather that carried and used knives on a daily basis, I never really did, my father used his old army p38 for ALL his cutting needs so I had to learn and start from scratch :p. But its a good feeling

So I thought i would share with everyone
 
That Rough Rider was my first barlow and it was the knife that convinced me that the barlow was my favorite pattern. It's a good knife. And I have a peanut story to throw in the mix. SilentHunterStudios and I met this evening to do some knife talking and swapping. Lo and behold, the first knife he pulls out of his pocket is a peanut. Neither one of us is one the small side and the peanut is so small that at first I thought he was showing me a colored piece of pocket lint. He said Carl talked him into getting one. When I die I'll probably know where Carl has been because all the angels will be carrying peanuts LOL
 
popedandy said:
That Rough Rider was my first barlow and it was the knife that convinced me that the barlow was my favorite pattern. It's a good knife. And I have a peanut story to throw in the mix. SilentHunterStudios and I met this evening to do some knife talking and swapping. Lo and behold, the first knife he pulls out of his pocket is a peanut. Neither one of us is one the small side and the peanut is so small that at first I thought he was showing me a colored piece of pocket lint. He said Carl talked him into getting one. When I die I'll probably know where Carl has been because all the angels will be carrying peanuts LOL
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Dang, if I knew you all were there, I'd have come up for a drink. Karen and I go to Johanssons and O'lordans for lunch on a lot of our rides. Not unusual for us to end up in Westminster. We also hit the doughnut shop up the street.

Bless you, my son.:D

Carl.
 
Picked up four nice slipjoints in a trade with popedandy (thanks man, good to meet you). Queen Dan Burke barlow, big daddy barlow, Schatt and Morgan jack, and a Vintage Knives moose. Also a Vic officer SAK and a lanyard.

thejamppi, I can see why you love this small barlow so much.
 
Rsmith_77 said:
I always see folks (especially Carl) going on about how they find a knife that just appeals to them, that just feels right and i think I finally found mine. Unlike alot of folks on here who have a father/uncle/grandfather that carried and used knives on a daily basis, I never really did, my father used his old army p38 for ALL his cutting needs so I had to learn and start from scratch :p. But its a good feeling

So I thought i would share with everyone
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It's a good feeling when it happens. You'll know when, because you will actually start to loose interest in other knives, and knives in general. Oh, you'll still like to look, but there's a weird feeling of contentment. Kind of like looking at the girl walking down the street, but you always go home to the better half of long standing. Then you notice that you never carry anything but "your" knife anymore. The day comes that you start giving the rest of you knives away to family and friends, and not missing them. Instead, there's that weird feeling of lightness, that it's all over and it's okay.You walk out your front door in the morning, and you just have "your"knife in the pocket, and there's no second guessing of "should I have taken my (fill in the blank). It's a great feeling. Kind of like the end of a long search for something. Like finally not having that itch anymore.

Carl.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
Picked up four nice slipjoints in a trade with popedandy (thanks man, good to meet you). Queen Dan Burke barlow, big daddy barlow, Schatt and Morgan jack, and a Vintage Knives moose. Also a Vic officer SAK and a lanyard.

thejamppi, I can see why you love this small barlow so much.
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Aye, its wonderful knife. Its thick D2 blade ispain in the neck to profile into 20 degree per side with stones but I did it. Its only knife that I have two or more (besides SAK pioneer / old alox soldier). Its my only more expensive ( $90+) knife that I have two. My user was bit worse than my very fist one. It had itty-bitty blade play, flat spot in bevel (hence the reprofiling from Queen original factory edge 25 degree per side into 20 degree per side) and tiny pin brick gap. Then I hammered carefully bolsters with rubber hammer and fixed bladeplay without affecting walk and talk. The prime one is wrapped on wax paper in its box. No, its not safe queen, its a spare. When I die and if I get decent burials I put in my wish that this Barlow is stuck into pocket of whatever I am wearing in coffin :)
 
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