Chasing Grails

KBA said:
I will say though that finding and obtaining a grail is an amazing feeling after a long hunt. Afterwards, you get to relax and enjoy the history and culture of the hobby in a different focus.
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Wow!! I can totally relate to this. As a climber in his 50s, somewhere in my 40s, I got to a point where summits honestly no longer mattered (most of the time). My focus has shifted and happily so. I don't mind summits, if they happen, but the joy of being in the mountains has settled into the joy of simply BEING in the mountains and it's become less goal oriented and more open to exploration and side trails and nooks and crannies and wildflowers and lichens and...

There are aspects of this thread that I can appreciate while still not fully relating to.

Pirsig said, roughly, that quality is that which gives you peace of mind. I started carrying a knife when I was 8, which was nearly 50 years ago and can report that I've pretty much found peace of mind in carrying knives. There are small stars you can only see when don't look directly at them and in the same way, my peace of mind in carrying knives come from 2 things that are not really knives.

Couple of things about me... My first knife, at the age of 8, was one of a long string of Ulster BSA knives. Be prepared! Loved the tools and the 5 stitches I got in my thumb that summer. When I was in high school, I saved my paper route money and ordered a Buck 110 from the Herter's catalog. But I could never get a peace with carrying it. Then followed a long season of multi-tools and eventually an Opinel that came with some traded bike parts.

If you're interested in stories, you should also know that I grew up in a very conservative Nazarene culture in the mid-west and while I've shed most of the particulars of view, I maintain most of the general principles. Hard core Nazarenes back in the day wouldn't wear any jewelry of any kind, including wedding rings, as they were considered to be "worldly dress". I wear a wedding ring and a watch but my watch is a Timex and my pants are Wranglers and I'm wearing the same brown belt I bought just after I got married 30 years ago, which is to say, my aesthetic sensibilities are still very much in the understated (dour?) Nazarene/Methodist/Mennonite tradition. So, while I can deeply appreciate the artistic excellence of the some of the Grail knives shown in this thread, my sensibilities lie more towards the wooden Grail, as depicted in Indiana Jones.

So, the 2 pieces of the puzzle that aren't knives. First, I finally solve the problem of big single blade folder (my preference) vs Boy Scout knife (the needed tools) when an old timer at work told me to take my Leatherman Micra off my key ring and put it in my weak side pocket. A few weeks later, I needed to open a beer at a Vermont wedding (like I said, I left behind Nazarene particulars), put the Micra in my pocket and never looked back. This move settled, once and for all, my nagging need to have a Scout knife on me, which is good, because I don't really like the tools on a Scout knife nor do I like the size. With tools now settled by a negligible ounce or so in my off pocket, I am free to pursue my love of single blade folders with no worry or need to compromise.

The second piece of the puzzle really came at the beginning of this year when a work mandate to carry a smart phone caused a reshuffle of my pockets and I finally took the advice to sew a seam up my right rear pockets in all of my pants. This has opened the door to rear pocket carry and with that, a bunch of larger single blade folders have become possible to carry that just didn't work well in front pocket carry. Belt carry has never worked for me, ever, for anything.

I don't have a Grail knife but I've found a combination that works for after nearly 40s of exploring so, I'll call that my Grail. I have the luxury and I do consider it a luxury, of rotating through several large single blade folders on a regular basis. They all have some aesthetic appeal to me and I enjoy each and every one of them for different reasons. I don't expect to find a single "one" in the bunch, but if forced to live with one, it would be the Opinel #9 or #10.

Some of my Grail combos...

Untitled by Pinnah, on Flickr


Schrade 51OT by Pinnah, on Flickr

Buck 110 by Pinnah, on Flickr

Untitled by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
Pinnah, I enjoyed the read good sir. Your grail combos certainly reflect a lifestyle of a woods/mountain wonderer. Each is suited to a task and light. (Except that 110 :D)

When I first started I sought what would be considered an impressive collection. Oddly, that is unlike my true personality. As I learned more I began to experience the cognitive dissonance in my accumulation of knives and what I valued. I soon realized what I had had to go, that I was not a collector. (In all honesty, it wasn’t until I needed the funds did I make the choice to pass them on to the next person. I considered several “grail” worthy and it wasn’t an easy choice. I read in another post of yours of how an object (knife) can own you instead of you owning the object (knife). Mine began to own me and the separation stung a bit.)

The sting lasted until I began to give away grail worthy knives. I was no longer owned by them anymore and I was able to enjoy the hobby more on the level of my own values. This of course is just my own personal mindset and I am not projecting it on others. A grail is based on value, not a monetary value per se but a personal value of ownership.

What I value now is a small collection of users that I can build a historical timeline and hand them down. I have a couple of goals in the hobby: The first, to have a few modified to my liking and have a story attached from the beginning. The second, to learn more about Non-American hand-made “traditional” knives and own a few from those places. The third, to have a custom built by Brent Cramer. The last and most important, to use and enjoy them.


I’ll post a pic later to reward those who took the time for a long read.
 
ScottG said:
ScottGabrielli-08453.jpg
I am sure the seller enjoyed the bidding war, and I probably went too far, but this Ancient TC Barlow with scratted bone covers is my traditional grail.
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This was a grail for me as soon as I learned what it was. I was lucky enough to find one at a good price last week. A really stunning knife, there really is nothing quite like it out there, huh?

Beautiful knives all around in this thread!

I've had the Canal Street Cutlery Boy's Knife in gold G-10, the AG Russell exclusive, on my list for a while now. Hard to track down, but a beautiful knife and I hope to have one in my pocket someday.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
KBA said:
Pinnah, I enjoyed the read good sir. Your grail combos certainly reflect a lifestyle of a woods/mountain wonderer. Each is suited to a task and light. (Except that 110 :D)

When I first started I sought what would be considered an impressive collection. Oddly, that is unlike my true personality. As I learned more I began to experience the cognitive dissonance in my accumulation of knives and what I valued. I soon realized what I had had to go, that I was not a collector. (In all honesty, it wasn’t until I needed the funds did I make the choice to pass them on to the next person. I considered several “grail” worthy and it wasn’t an easy choice. I read in another post of yours of how an object (knife) can own you instead of you owning the object (knife). Mine began to own me and the separation stung a bit.)

The sting lasted until I began to give away grail worthy knives. I was no longer owned by them anymore and I was able to enjoy the hobby more on the level of my own values. This of course is just my own personal mindset and I am not projecting it on others. A grail is based on value, not a monetary value per se but a personal value of ownership.

What I value now is a small collection of users that I can build a historical timeline and hand them down. I have a couple of goals in the hobby: The first, to have a few modified to my liking and have a story attached from the beginning. The second, to learn more about Non-American hand-made “traditional” knives and own a few from those places. The third, to have a custom built by Brent Cramer. The last and most important, to use and enjoy them.


I’ll post a pic later to reward those who took the time for a long read.
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If all I wanted was pictures, I'd be on Instagram.

Your post was well worth reading.
 
Agreed, I really like the thoughts behind the choices!
 
Pinnah and Brett, thanks for the fascinating ideas. It was interesting to read your individual journeys, values, and the way you squared this hobby with those values.

Pinnah: It's been some time since I read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". I think I'm going to throw it into my reading pile. Also, that 51 is sheer awesomeness!! Reminds me of the Whalers and Elephant Toes we've seen here--big and wide but thin.

Brett: I've gotta ask--why Cramer and which Cramer?:D :thumbup:
 
KBA said:
Here ya go Robb.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/783696-Brent-Cramer-Knives

Besides really enjoying his work I have a respect for the man. As a pastor he creates knives on the side. As a person he said he would pray for my family. That's the type of person I want to support. :):thumbup:
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Thanks for the link and explanation, my friend. Brent had been completely off my radar. I began perusing his work in your link, and see he has some really fine pieces there. I'm glad to know of his work, and although I've never owned a custom, would put him on my short list of makers if I ever considered having one made.

This hobby is unique in some very nice ways. Often the integrity and basic goodness of the maker is as important or even more important than the physical product itself. There are a lot of stand-up people in this field. :thumbup:
 
I used to chase grails until I caught them. But they aren't grails anymore now that I got them. I'm looking for something new - tho my dollars and cents are few. Perhaps I shouldn't have sought them.

I started off collecting the traditional knives that I really liked, even if they had no investment value. I liked them, and was proud to have them. Then I started to pay attention to what everyone else wanted, and felt I had to collect those too - even if they weren't my cup of tea. This phase didn't last long, but while it did, I missed out on a few somewhat harder to get pieces that I would really appreciate more - whether due to lacking funds after buying these knives, or from passing them up in hopes of finding a crowd favorite.

I hope to find a tan jigged #15 single blade sheepsfoot someday for a fair price. All of the #15s are beautiful, but I may be in the minority that prefer the sheepsfoot. The Tan Jigged - particularly if they're lighter- are my favorite. I passed up 3 of these holding out for a #15 that I'm never going to get, and frankly don't like as much as the sheepsfoot - albeit it's a highly sought after piece.

I did just get my #2 desired knife from trevytrev today. A blackwood #77 clip/wharnie. My first knife in this material, and I love it.

There's a few more I hope to get over time. I just need to be sure they're MY grails, and nobody else's. Thanks everyone for sharing your grails. I hope you get them all!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
Welp, didn't even have to chase this one. Not sure how many of you have seen my thread asking opinions on the GEC 48 with birds hook, but I'm going to be putting in an order for one tomorrow in SS with the burnt orange bone handles. While doing research on the knife and pattern, I noticed they had made a version with a secondary spey blade instead, just like the case trapper I sold earlier. Well what I didn't like about that Case was that it was a bit too big and the spey nail nick was on the shield side, so you had to open the main clip. Not the case on the GEC 48 trapper. There was also an "improved trapper" that had a wharncliff secondary instead of the spey, but For this kind of hunting trapper, I think the spey is more useful. Anyway, they only made 25 of each handle type back in 2012 and that was it. Each handle type also had a different steel. There happened to be one in Smooth American Cherry Wood that used their 440c Stainless Steel, just like I want for my new 48 birdhook.

488212-sm-amer-cherry1.jpg


Hop on ebay and what do I see? A BNIT 48 in that exact config!

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600.jpg


Couldn't click buy it now fast enough. Got my 48 safe queen so I can beat my new 48 bird hook to hell :):thumbup:
 
Fantastic! Congrats.

I saw that one, but I am looking for a single clip in a 48 frame, so I skimmed right past it.
Congrats again!
 
RobbW said:
This hobby is unique in some very nice ways. Often the integrity and basic goodness of the maker is as important or even more important than the physical product itself. There are a lot of stand-up people in this field. :thumbup:
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+1 So very true, Robb. :thumbup:
 
NJBillK said:
Fantastic! Congrats.

I saw that one, but I am looking for a single clip in a 48 frame, so I skimmed right past it.
Congrats again!
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Haha thanks for leaving it for me buddy :) my eyes are open for a single blade for you now. This truly is my dream configuration [emoji3]. I think the only other 48 I'd want is the improved trapper withe the layered abalone handles. I guess add that to my new list of chasers

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
NJBillK said:
Fantastic! Congrats.

I saw that one, but I am looking for a single clip in a 48 frame, so I skimmed right past it.
Congrats again!
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the search is long, but worth it!



or you can always cheat and have glenn make you one, ;)
 
Sabercat said:
I used to chase grails until I caught them.

But they aren't grails anymore now that I got them.

I'm looking for something new -

tho my dollars and cents are few.

Perhaps I shouldn't have sought them.
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Cool

You see now why me and Charlie had Sarah do some editing Ryan. Ask your wife or girlfriend where the caption is on your all's pictures. I hope I got the right guy!
 
wlfryjr said:
Cool

You see now why me and Charlie had Sarah do some editing Ryan. Ask your wife or girlfriend where the caption is on your all's pictures. I hope I got the right guy!
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Thanks Lyle!
Yeah, I might be OKAY with words, but proper grammar - particularly written form - is definitely not my strength. I'm very thankful Sarah fixed that verse for me!

Not sure if you've got the right guy or not - my wife's Danielle. She was not at the rendezvous this year, but I was with my boys and dad. You talked with me and my oldest son about baseball - how you like the Reds, my son is a Pirates fan, and I like the Cards - and yet we somehow all got along :)

I actually think the tour I was on included Sarah - if I got the right person.

As for the topic of "grails", GEC has been making a lot of qualifiers lately, and the #77 on the What's Happening today is amazing. The green is beautiful, but I am most excited about the bone micarta. Slow old me will be hoping for something on the 2ndary market for sure.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
Sabercat said:
I used to chase grails until I caught them. But they aren't grails anymore now that I got them. I'm looking for something new - tho my dollars and cents are few. Perhaps I shouldn't have sought them.

I started off collecting the traditional knives that I really liked, even if they had no investment value. I liked them, and was proud to have them. Then I started to pay attention to what everyone else wanted, and felt I had to collect those too - even if they weren't my cup of tea. This phase didn't last long, but while it did, I missed out on a few somewhat harder to get pieces that I would really appreciate more - whether due to lacking funds after buying these knives, or from passing them up in hopes of finding a crowd favorite.

I hope to find a tan jigged #15 single blade sheepsfoot someday for a fair price. All of the #15s are beautiful, but I may be in the minority that prefer the sheepsfoot. The Tan Jigged - particularly if they're lighter- are my favorite. I passed up 3 of these holding out for a #15 that I'm never going to get, and frankly don't like as much as the sheepsfoot - albeit it's a highly sought after piece.

I did just get my #2 desired knife from trevytrev today. A blackwood #77 clip/wharnie. My first knife in this material, and I love it.

There's a few more I hope to get over time. I just need to be sure they're MY grails, and nobody else's. Thanks everyone for sharing your grails. I hope you get them all!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

All fine points. I feel like I went through the same process. Funny enough I got my #2 grail from trevytrev as well, the single clip 77 in blackwood - with that swedge it's the most elegant clip i've seen. I like to call it the sawn clip as it looks like a swan head. I probably overpaid but I guess that's what we do when we chase grails.

Anyway I don't think I've been in the knife community long enough to even really know what my #1 grail is yet, and that's actually really exciting. The #1 spot is reserved for a mystery knife yet to reveal itself.
 
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