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

Any pumpkin carvers today, if you get a pumpkin with a thick skin like Dan's, a good tool to break out for scooping out the inside is a good ice cream scoop. You can shave the inside walls to make carving out the face a bit easier.

Zerol%20Ice%20Cream%20Scoop%20L.jpg


Now, for the carving...

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jackknife said:
Did most of us have a father or uncle that indulged and cheered us on, or did that parents look at us strange and think we needed help?

And in particular, when did you feel the urge to go traditional? To turn your back on black zytel and bead blasted stainless steel for jigged bone and old fashioned carbon steel that (gasp!) darkens with age and will rust if neglected?

Talk to me of your mentor.
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I didn't have a mentor per se. But I did watch with rapt attention anything my dad's dad did, whether it was around their old house in Miami (which he built in the '40s), fishing on Lake Okeechobee, or while he was visiting us. Everything about Grandad was Old School. He wore wingtips, tan work slacks, and button-front short-sleeve shirts. His skin was dark brown from years of working and playing outdoors. He chewed Red Man, and could cook classic Southern food with the best of 'em. He loved Hank Williams and Roy Acuff, and followed baseball stats religiously. To him Ty Cobb was a god, and he cried when Babe Ruth died. Granddad wasn't a big guy (it was at the fish camp that I first heard him called "Shorty," his long-time nickname), but he could crank-start an Evinrude boat motor in one pull most every time, and would easily hoist a stringer full of speckled perch into the boat when it was time to head in. Grandad carried a bone-handled two-blade jack that had dark, razor-sharp steel. When something needed cutting or scrapping or notching or trimming, his hand would slide into the pocket of those Sears & Roebuck pants and my eyes would lock in on him. Unfortunately, he died of cancer when I was just 11 or so. We never did really talk knives, but if I had to point to one mentor, it'd be him.

In the Honorable Mention category is my mom. She's never carried a knife, but always tolerated my obsession with knives and outdoor stuff. Once I was old enough, Santa almost always brought me a knife for Christmas ..... slipjoints, Swiss Army Knives, fixed blades, a Buck 110, filet knives and more. And there were BB guns, slingshots, pea shooters, fishing gear, sharpening stones, etc. Everything a boy needs!*

-- Mark


* And you know what? I never did put my eye out!
 
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I never really had a mentor either. I didn't know my dad's dad too well. My mom's dad was very old school - he grew up on a farm in South Carolina. At age 14 he hitch hiked his way up to Baltimore, Maryland where he live in a tent for a couple of years before meeting my grandmother. He knew a little bit about everything. Hunting, fishing, cooking, ect. Unfortunately, his asthma and bad leg had gotten to him while I was young, so we never really got a chance to do a lot together. He would carry tiny litte Winchester stockmans, sak classic knockoffs, and whatever else he could get his hands on. Knives for him were a disposable tool. Buy a 5 dollar knife, keep it sharp, and when it breaks, just go buy another. We never really talked about knives though. My dad was the same. He usually had a Buck 110 knockoff in his tool or tackle box, but never carried a pocket knife. Years ago, I bought him a Leatherman squirt, and he has carried it ever since. He talks about how useful it is all of the time. So, basically, I have no idea where I get it from.
 
mnblade said:
I didn't have a mentor per se. But I did watch with rapt attention anything my dad's dad did, whether it was around their old house in Miami (which he built in the '40s), fishing on Lake Okeechobee, or while he was visiting us. Everything about Grandad was Old School. He wore wingtips, tan work slacks, and button-front short-sleeve shirts. His skin was dark brown from years of working and playing outdoors. He chewed Red Man, and could cook classic Southern food with the best of 'em. He loved Hank Williams and Roy Acuff, and followed baseball stats religiously. To him Ty Cobb was a god, and he cried when Babe Ruth died. Granddad wasn't a big guy (it was at the fish camp that I first heard him called "Shorty," his long-time nickname), but he could crank-start an Evinrude boat motor in one pull most every time, and would easily hoist a stringer full of speckled perch into the boat when it was time to head in. Grandad carried a bone-handled two-blade jack that had dark, razor-sharp steel. When something needed cutting or scrapping or notching or trimming, his hand would slide into the pocket of those Sears & Roebuck pants and I eyes would lock in on him. Unfortunately, he died of cancer when I was just 11 or so. We never did really talk knives, but if I had to point to one mentor, it'd be him.
-- Mark
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He sounds like a great mentor, even if he didn't know it. After all, young pups learn by watching the old dog!:D

Carl.
 
I grew up hunting and fishing with my dad and grandpa, on Paw Paw's farm in central Illinois. I started at age 8 with firearms and knives. My dad was also a WWII veteran, receiving the purple heart medal at the Battle of the Bulge. He took shrapnel from an artillery shell all up and down his right side, nearly dying. Until he passed away in 1984, he still had shrapnel in his leg too deep to dig out for fear of severing an artery. The only knives he had were a Rapala filet knife and this old Imperial Prov fixed blade, but he was very good at using both.

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I still have the fixed blade. I always carried a pocket knife, usually a 3 to 3-1/2" lockback from junior high on, but rarely had more than one at a time. I only started collecting knives recently, as I finally became prosperous enough to scratch that itch. For years and years my arsenal of edged weapons consisted of a Gerber Silver Knight and a Schrade 152OT Sharpfinger. I reckon I could still get by with just those two, but I'd have to be forced!
 
black mamba said:
My dad was also a WWII veteran, receiving the purple heart medal at the Battle of the Bulge.
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That's awesome. My grandfather (mom's dad, not the one I wrote about above) fought with the U.S. 28th Infantry Division during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and lost his left arm on the second day of fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. Due to only having one arm, he wasn't much of a pocketknife guy, but he did keep a few fixed blades around. He and I spent a LOT of time together when I was a kid and I still miss him all the time.

-- Mark
 
I hope I dont get funny looks, but I ordered a KSF knife slip for my forum knife today! :o I dont know if this qualifies as a knife purse (i'm assuming they're those zip up pouches?) but I wanted to increase the pocket presence so I know its there all the time, plus I'm sure it will work well with other knives I dont want to "scuff" up. :yawn:
 
Funny looks? not from me... :D actually, now I know where that leather pouch comes from (I had seen it on some pics but had no clue about it) :)
I suppose it's the kind of things that you have to try and see. I never felt the need for anything like that, I slip my knife in my pocket and that's all, but that's just me.

Fausto
:cool:
 
quattromori said:
Funny looks? not from me... :D actually, now I know where that leather pouch comes from (I had seen it on some pics but had no clue about it) :)
I suppose it's the kind of things that you have to try and see. I never felt the need for anything like that, I slip my knife in my pocket and that's all, but that's just me.

Fausto
:cool:
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Thats how I normally am, but I was looking at the pics of the forum knife and how good it does look I just know I'd be devastated if I lost it! and the holes in the KSF slip I can lanyard it to my belt so its impossible to just fall out. I hadn't thought about it till I saw a couple posts where people had one for their knife and they are quite well priced I think but not as gaudy as a lot of belt sheaths are.

I'll have to do some sort of review down the line once I've been able to give that slip some pocket time.
 
Robert this pocket sheath is made by KSF. If their knife pouch is constructed similarly well I think you'll be very pleased.
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That looks really good! I'm pretty excited to try mine out and get some pics up of it...are they waxed? I may put a coating of beeswax on mine.
 
I doubt it's waxed. The sheath in my picture was originally brown when I bought it. I dyed it black to match my other stuff. If it was waxed I doubt the dye would have taken.
 
Stelth said:
I doubt it's waxed. The sheath in my picture was originally brown when I bought it. I dyed it black to match my other stuff. If it was waxed I doubt the dye would have taken.
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Yeah, well thats perfect for me...I like to wax my leather gear, makes the leather look old but hardy against moisture. :)
 
Stelth said:
WTF does that mean?
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Robert.B said:
2 posts and 1 was deleted...troll? spammer?
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Stelth said:
I think it was a chicom spammer...spammin' in the name of mao.
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Lighten up fellas...His profile indicates he's from China, he's probably referring to "Gold" membership and unless we can communicate with him in his native language and determine otherwise I can see no reason for any form of rude response to be posted publicly here. That's hardly the kind of welcome this forum is known for.
 
Going to try several different ways of getting a patina tonight. Pretty bad when you're excited to put a patina on a knife on Saturday night. Oh well, I can drink while I'm trying to promote a patina.
 
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