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

xbxb, have a great time man. I need to get down to the NMAI in the next year. If you can, there are a couple knife shops to check out in the area. Email me through the system if you are interested.
 
Is it usual to take a look at your one handed openers, and think "Hey, I could trade this and so for a couple of slipjoints!"

One handed openers just aren't doing it for me. After carrying my peanut for a while, and cutting the big one handed openers out (for the millionth time), I have gotten quite comfortable with something like my Case humpback stockman, Queen Dan Burke small barlow or Schatt and Morgan Heritage jack.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
Is it usual to take a look at your one handed openers, and think "Hey, I could trade this and so for a couple of slipjoints!"
Click to expand...

Not for me. I like traditionals but I still value my Spydercos, Benchmades, Al Mars, Striders, etc. I use each type for different situations. If I'm climbing a tree or ladder I want a knife I can open with one hand and then can be clipped to a pocket when I'm done. I'd never bring a stockman or barlow for that application.
 
I'm happy to carry either a traditional slippy or one of my modern folders (I've been a Spyderco guy for ~16 years) depending on what I'm doing. The situation dictates the pocket load-out, for example my EDC is a slipjoint of some sort (plenty to choose from here, you guys know what I'm talking about), but if I'm going to a sketchy part of town, or if I'm going to be doing something like helping a friend move then I'll bring a one-hand opening locking blade with a pocket clip.
Most working activities can be covered well by, say, a good sized stockman, but if you're going to have your hands full it's good to have options. This said, there are no plans to unload any of my modest collection of Spydies, Benchmades, Etc, to swap out for a traditional, but I do have a few trads that will be going up on the block in order to finance the purchase of more trads. Sometimes it seems as if it's a constant search for the perfect pocketknife.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
Is it usual to take a look at your one handed openers, and think "Hey, I could trade this and so for a couple of slipjoints!"

One handed openers just aren't doing it for me. After carrying my peanut for a while, and cutting the big one handed openers out (for the millionth time), I have gotten quite comfortable with something like my Case humpback stockman, Queen Dan Burke small barlow or Schatt and Morgan Heritage jack.
Click to expand...

No, not at all.

As we age, our tastes change. We mature. Kids like sweet soda pop, grown men like a good whiskey. Sometimes it takes some age and bark on us to fully appreciate something, like a smooth whiskey, a nice piece of art, or a nice jigged bone scaled pocket knife. We tend to like something with some grace and style. Also as we age, we tend to take a harder, more real life look at who we are, and what we are. Fantasies fade in the glare of real life, and we pick tools that are more appropriate for our role in the real world. And if that tool is nice looking as well as having some real 'soul', so much the better.

Carl.
 
I like both sides of the fence, but I do notice I always find myself back to traditionals in a round about way so thats where I focus my collection but can't deny that some modern stuff are GREAT work horses.

I know some of you guys smoke pipes, just scored this on ebay for $10. 4 old briars and a stand/cache. Can't wait to clean them up and get some good fresh tobacco into them. :)

314400_10150329199036601_600566600_8318183_1685624147_n.jpg
 
silenthunterstudios said:
Is it usual to take a look at your one handed openers, and think "Hey, I could trade this and so for a couple of slipjoints!"

One handed openers just aren't doing it for me. After carrying my peanut for a while, and cutting the big one handed openers out (for the millionth time), I have gotten quite comfortable with something like my Case humpback stockman, Queen Dan Burke small barlow or Schatt and Morgan Heritage jack.
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's usual or not, but if your anything like me, I wouldn't suggest it. As much as I'd like to be, I'm still not a strictly traditional guy, and I honestly don't think I ever will be. I think it comes from what you started with. Tactical knives were what go me into knives in general, and even though I lean heavily toward slip joints now, there will always be room in my collection for a couple tactical folders. If I were to sell of trade a tactical for a few slip joints, at some point I would regret it.
 
mdsmith said:
I think it comes from what you started with.
Click to expand...

I believe that there's a lot of truth to that. The so called tactical knives were not even a glean in their inventors eye when I was growing up. Heck, I don't think some of their inventors were even born yet. The only locking blade knives around were the eye-talion switch blades carried by the punks in duck tail hair cuts, and the rare German folding hunter with stag scales by a couple of different makers. In fact, in those days, the knife was held low in esteem as a "punk's weapon" by the men who I looked up to like dad, Mr. Van, and Uncle Paul. I suppose that rubbed off deep in me, as I have somewhat similar outlook. With the tactical craze, and a very large amount of the young guys carrying a tactical knife today, the weapon aspect of it seems to be a strong factor. They seem to be going for the same 'cool' thing that James Dean had with a switchblade. Some sort of macho symbol of badassery. I've even seen it called that over in the general forum, where the weapon thing seems to run high. I look at the two or three blade traditional pocket knife, and I see a cutting tool. I look at the modern black one hand tactical, and I see the modern punk's weapon. Can't really hepl it, it's where I came from as a kid. I figure if someone is that worried that they need to defend themselves, then exersize your second amendment right. With 40 out of the 50 states having CCW, some TV show folding knife is a piss poor weapon when you can be carrying a nice little Ruger LCP.

I see the modern tactical knife as a created market for the mall ninja fantasies. It's where I came from. Old guy vs young guy.

Carl.
 
I see where your coming from Carl, though I do believe that a large portion of the modern knife carriers chose them over the traditional knives for there functionality. If you look at it from a strictly utilitarian point of view, the modern folder has a few advantages in my eyes. Ease of access via the pocket clip, easy of opening using either the stud or hole, and better ergonomics. All of these qualities would be a big plus to a blue collar worker who uses his knife all day long to help make a living. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy carrying traditional slip joints far more than modern knives. The have so much more character to them. That said, as I mentioned in a previous post, I would bet that given the opportunity, quite a few of the men whom we all seem to admire and associate with traditional knives would have considered the modern folder a viable option.

As for companies creating a market for mall ninja fantasies, that may be true for some companies, but look at a company like Spyderco. Their first knife(I think) was called "The Worker". They make a model with a blunt tip called "The Rescue" for EMT/paramedics, they make knives in salt water rust resistant steel for people who work on the water, the make the military model with an enlarged thumb hole for ease of opening while wearing glove. I think that while wanna be mall ninjas may buy these knives, it's clear who Spyderco designed them for.
 
Last edited:
Robert.B said:
I know some of you guys smoke pipes, just scored this on ebay for $10. 4 old briars and a stand/cache. Can't wait to clean them up and get some good fresh tobacco into them. :)
Nicely done! I love old pipes, the act of smoking them is in itself a sort of reflection time, and when you can sit and think of how many reflections this old pipe has witnessed it just adds to the flavor.

On a seperate note; I'm interested in gettiong some new books and im looking for suggestions. I'm looking for anything folksy, fiction or nonfiction doesnt matter much to me. So gentlemen, any suggestions?
Click to expand...
 
Triq said:
Nicely done! I love old pipes, the act of smoking them is in itself a sort of reflection time, and when you can sit and think of how many reflections this old pipe has witnessed it just adds to the flavor.

On a seperate note; I'm interested in gettiong some new books and im looking for suggestions. I'm looking for anything folksy, fiction or nonfiction doesnt matter much to me. So gentlemen, any suggestions?
Click to expand...

My first pipes were given to me by my father in law, some he'd had since he was a boy (different times then)...I enjoy going out at night and lighting a pipe up, especially if its a clear night, I'm looking into getting a new 10" churchwarden in from england that I can break in myself but i'm in no rush...I have like 8 pipes I haven't smoked from yet!

I finished reading Lord of the Rings, the hobbit, the silmarillion and tales of hurin just a couple weeks ago...really enjoyed myself, dunno if you're into them but the movies dont even compare! I kinda wish I was a hobbit, the idea of living isolated, growing my own food with only my trusted folk close by is a nice ideal.
 
I like the hobbit more, but LOTR is an amazing book...I just like the idea of a random adventure turning up on your doorstep. :D
 
Yes, the Tolkien books are about as good as fantasy gets, IMO. I've read them all but the Tales of Hurin, although there is some about him in the Silmarillion.

The movies are great too, but the books are almost always better.
 
black mamba said:
Yes, the Tolkien books are about as good as fantasy gets, IMO. I've read them all but the Tales of Hurin, although there is some about him in the Silmarillion.

The movies are great too, but the books are almost always better.
Click to expand...

Tales of Hurin isn't bad, it goes more in depth into whats in the Silmarillion and gets into Glaurung one of the foremost lieutenants of Morgoth (Melkor) during the 1st age.
 
If you like fantasy/fiction, have already been through Tolkien's books, and are willing to try something more recent, I suggest that you grab something from Neil Gaiman (start with "Neverwhere"). It's hard to find (in very recent literature) such great escape from your daily routine in a book.

Fausto
:cool:
 
I've picked up Neverwhere, and I just couldnt get into it
HOWEVER, if we are talking Neil Gaiman, I think you would be hard pressed to beat American Gods...an EXCELLENT book (in my opinion)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top