Case Peanut: An Awesome College Every Day Pocket Knife

Great post! I have a Peanut and I still fear going out with it as my dedicated folder sometimes, your story inspires me to carry it as my only knife tomorrow night at work.
 
Sounds about like me as we'll. I just picked up my first traditional...a chestnut swayback jack. I think I'll pick up a peanut as well in chestnut since I've read your post.
 
You know, it's not so much that the peanut is such a great knife, ( which it is of course) but that sometimes it's a metaphor for the essence of something. The peanut is a very capable cutting tool, but also it's a perfect example of how often we over estimate what is needed for the job. Knives, guns, cars, tools.

I've always been a fan of very compact things. Maybe my years of being an avid backpacker has an influence. But even in things not related to backpacking, I like compact. For my life, I've always driven small cars. I had a Vespa motor scooter in high school, and in the army, I bought a new VW beatle whIle serving in Germany and had it shipped back to the U.S. cheap since I was a service member. I drove that car for years and years. When I did phase it out after a period of decades, it was replaced with a little Toyota. When Karen and I took our great around the country trip to celebrate the empty nest, planing on a month on the road, we loaded up the Toyota with our camping gear and hit the road. Our friends and family thought we were nuts, some offered to lend us what they thought was a good size car, and one even offered to buy us a car. No. For 3 1/2 weeks, Karen and I had a ball, camping out in the Badlands, Yellowstone, Brice, Canyon Lands, Arches, and Mesa Verde, National parks. We cheated at Grand Canyon and had a room at the Bright Angel lodge on the rim.

But the little Toyota did well, and we had a ball. The little 4-banger didn't use a lot of gas, handled well, and was comfortable for two people. Karen reclined her seat and slept while I drove, then we'd change. But the point is, the little thing did it well. All during the trip, we didn't see any skeletons on the side of the road in little Toyota or other small cars.

The peanut is like the sub compact car of knives. It will do 98% of what you really need to do, and of the other two percent of what it won't do, only one percent could be handled better with a bigger knife. The remaining one percent a bigger knife won't do, you need a different tool. So for the day to day use a pocket knife gets used for, a peanut, or a peanut size knife will do. This leaves more room for other stuff in the pockets that seem to gain more importance as you get older. Those RONCO pocket defibrillators are bulky as all heck.

But I think the peanut is more the metaphor for the study of efficiency for size. A mini copperhead, a mini trapper, Buck 309 companion, are all the same class of tool. Small enough that you can carry it day in and day out without notice, but big enough to get the job done in a pinch. But it also has yet another good trait. And this goes for any of the 'peanut' class of knife; it goes unnoticed in public. If you have to use it, most people won't even see it, andif they do, it's small size makes it seem less harmful. In my public use of knives, to include the peanut, small SAK,s and such, I've never had a bad reaction from the great non knife masses. With my peanut though, Ihave had the opposite in fact. I've had two female observers call it "cute" and "a pretty piece of pocket jewelry". In todays political climate, not a bad thing.

Carl.
 
You know, it's not so much that the peanut is such a great knife, ( which it is of course) but that sometimes it's a metaphor for the essence of something. The peanut is a very capable cutting tool, but also it's a perfect example of how often we over estimate what is needed for the job. Knives, guns, cars, tools.

I've always been a fan of very compact things. Maybe my years of being an avid backpacker has an influence.

If you have to use it, most people won't even see it, andif they do, it's small size makes it seem less harmful. In my public use of knives, to include the peanut, small SAK,s and such, I've never had a bad reaction from the great non knife masses. With my peanut though, Ihave had the opposite in fact. I've had two female observers call it "cute" and "a pretty piece of pocket jewelry". In todays political climate, not a bad thing.

Carl.

That was an awesome response Carl and I think you really get at something. I think part of the reason I enjoy switching to the peanut so much is that I have been able to do everything I did with the spyderco delica and benchmade 530 I always used to carry, which are so much bigger and "modern", with such a small traditional knife lacking all the gizmos. It's funny that you mention backpacking, because I (also an avid backpacker since a very young age) have recently started carrying way less gear with me into the woods and have found it to be a liberating experience. I used to carry contingency gear for every possible disaster, and recently have started taking just the things I actually use when I'm hiking and camping. It's amazing how much stuff I used to carry that I really didn't use or need, makes me chuckle at myself a little bit.

And you're right, one of the best parts of the peanut is that the public reacts so positively to it. I've only gotten one compliment so far (actually from a guy friend who mentioned that his father always has a small knife like the peanut and started asking about it), but it's a stark contrast to the wary looks I've gotten before.

For me there's also a personal connection. My grandfather is never found without a peanut or camillus 72 (both are indescribably old) and I definitely get a certain satisfaction from carrying the same knife.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
 
Beautiful 'nut you got there! I'm a graduate student and recently discovered how great those little guys are too. I hardly carry anything else these days.

I'm very happy that I went with the CV too. I recently received a couple other small case folders- a small texas toothpick (which is a pattern I've ended up really liking), and a small pen- in SS, and the difference in ease of sharpening is very noticeable. With just a bit of stropping, or a few swipes on ceramic, that CV is razor-like!
 
I bought that exact same knife about a year ago when I went back to college. It's a perfect campus companion, but mine has pulled a vanishing act. I'm sure it will turn up, but I really miss the little knife. The only other knife I have that is that inconspicuous is a Vic Classic, but the Peanut blows it away in terms of blade size. I carry another folder (generally a stockman, trapper, or larger SAK) when I carry the Classic, but I didn't feel like I needed a "more serious" folder as back up when I had my Peanut in my pocket. For college or an office it's just about perfect.
 
I'm a college senior and have spent the last three and half years carrying a number of different Kershaw, Spyderco, and Benchmade folders. I do enjoy all of those knives ... (but) within three days of starting to carry my peanut I was leaving the other folders in the drawer, and haven't looked back since. For the first time in my college career I'm toting a pocket knife that I'm not hesitant to use in public, I can appreciate on a deeper level, is small and sits nicely in the pocket but still performs everyday tasks with flying colors. Simply put: I love my peanut.

The College Essentials:
CollegeEssentials_zpsb2690490.jpg

I'm late to the party on this one, but I just wanted to say I've really enjoyed this thread. When I left for college, I took a Schrade LB7 (which sat in a drawer and never got used, a Victorinox Explorer (which some SOB stole from my dorm room), and a Schrade 33OT middleman jack. The two-blader rode in my pocket for a few years until it was lost. :( After that, if I recall correctly, it was a Vic Classic on the key ring. All I ever needed!

As an old man of 44, I find it heartening to read about young guys who "get it." And I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the well used bottle opener. :D Essential college gear indeed!
 
My peanut has been EDC for 14 months, I've used it for everything, carving, food prep, did a wilderness survival experiment with it, and it has become my favorite fishing knife.
14 months and a day
CDF9BA2C-71C9-44AF-9B79-798EC4520E8B-15036-0000159A17DEF1FE.jpg


Pete
 
I agree.. This little fellow has shown to be all I really need to eat, sharpen a pencil or open packages.
DDBD8717-B35B-4358-8E3B-1B9A45E3A4CB_zpsvkoatkpk.jpg


FCE43008-E13B-4DF1-870F-E0FF607E8417_zpsmtrdz45i.jpg
 
Back
Top