Cult of the one knife man

[garry3]

Same knifes since the eighties. I left one on a rock after eating lunch in a very remote location. It was about a year until I made it back to retrieve it. So one side is sun bleached white. I purchased the other one to use because I could not go that long with out a pocket knife. Its been in my pocket every since.

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They are both 340T stockmans. I thought they were identical but I see now that the brass pins are different.

I don't remember when exactly they where purchased. When did them brass rivets change

 

[jec88]

I'm the OP, and I have no idea if I will succeed with this myself. My first knives were a Buck 309 that I used to cut fishing line and the first knife I carried was a Bucklite 422. I did carry the Bucklite for 15-17 years and it was my only knife I carried at the time and I used it for everything you could use a knife for. I didn't even look or think about another knife over this period of time. For me, it did it all from hunting, fishing, camping and hiking and it was light enough to fit in a pocket and I could pinch the blade and didn't have to use finger nails. After I lost it, I didn't even carry a knife for several years. That's how I found this place looking up info on another Bucklite I picked up at a flea market.
SO I don't consider myself a knife collector, I 'm just always looking for the next perfect knife.........................no telling how many I have now! But most of them are ones I keep put away for collectables.
How might I fail at this? My wife and kids will probably buy be a knife as a gift and I' would have to carry it. Also, I am addicted to Buck knives! Case is my second favorite brand and while I'm going to try to carry the same pocket knife everyday, during deer season I know I will also carry a Buck on my belt too. I'll also probably keep buying old knives too. I'm not so much into new knives, but I like to go to flea markets and if I see something old and interesting I'll probably get it, I just don't usually carry these knives.
Someone mentioned above only 1 fishing rod and reel. I actually have managed to do that and I do quite a bit of fishing. It's an old Garcia Mitchell 300 from the 1950's! That's all I use. They are built like a fine watch and you can take them apart and clean them and do any repairs and maintenance . The Line spools just come off with the push of a button so I go from trout fishing with 4 pound spools and change to heavier line for bass and on up to catfish all with the push of a button to change the line.

 

[seas165]

This thread inspired me to give it a try and to finally buy my first gec i have a 73 cocobolo on the way once it arrives im going to put away all my daily carry knives and try just one for a while

 

[bt93]

I carried one of these for 35 years. Came to this place to research a replacement, after losing the second one (in 2011) and I've been infected with a fever, ever since.
Now, I'd no more carry just one kind of knife than drink only one kind of wine.

That looks like Schrade's version of either the Buck 110 or 112. If your looking to replace that you might not know that Schrade knives are either made in China or Taiwan now. That company doesn't actually exist anymore, it's just a brand. They do make some nice knives though, just not in America anymore.

 

[PythonDR]

It's only in the last few years that I've been a more-than-one-knife-man!

From the time I was in 7th or 8th grade until I was in my late twenties I carried an undistinguished small lockback knife of unremembered manufacture. When a buddy snapped the blade I went a couple of years without carrying a knife regularly, then acquired a Victorinox Explorer (or was it a Yeoman? Can't keep those models straight, but it has a magnifying glass - which is why I chose it) which I carried every day for more than a decade. I lost it one day and carried a Swisschamp (yes, I did) for about a year until I tired of the size and weight and bought another Explorer. I've carried that knife every single day for the last 15 years.

I started carrying a second knife only about ten years ago, and it has varied rather considerably: mostly modern one-hand-openers, but lately I've moved back to traditionals in that secondary role. I have yet to settle on one secondary knife I really like, but eventually I will; I'm a creature of habit, and once I find something that works for me I stick with it. (I don't like wasting energy trying to decide what to wear each morning, for instance, so for decades I've worn the same pants and shirts in the same color palette so that anything I grab with my eyes shut goes with everything else. I'd eventually like to end up in the same situation with my second knife. Yes, I know I'm odd.)

Could I be a one-knife man again? I *think* I could - but that one knife would need to be a multi-purpose model like my Victorinox. I don't think I'd like it very much, however; remember the WWI song, "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Paree"? Yeah, that's me.

 

[DrPenguin]

To the large majority here, knife collecting, accumulating, etc. is a hobby. There are a very few minimalists. There are a few that think they are a minimalist and then one reads their posts over time and finds that they are not. One needs to be careful about claiming that status. Maybe you have a few knives and a newer thirty thousand dollar Harley Davidson you like to ride on weekends, or, you have a big fine dream home that others can only dream about. So, if you fit that category, you are not truly a minimalist - you just found something else to spend your money on, which is fine with me, btw, but, you are not a minimalist....

Whatever route one chooses, there should be no shame.

I agree wholeheartedly Primble. Lots of reasons for collecting and lots of different ways to enjoy the hobby. And definitely no shame in any that I have seen around here.... especially if a man can keep a sense of humor when he inevitably thinks "Why did I do that?" after a certain purchase/sale has been accomplished.

I really thought a lot about doing this challenge. I really did. But alas 'tis not to be.

Maybe a few here remember when I bought my "wedding knife" almost 3 years ago. A beautiful little GEC 76 copperhead bone jack. I never carried it until I dressed for my wedding ceremony. And it has become a trusted companion over the time I have carried it. Every day of the week (save one) you will find it in my pocket and the time spent there has really brought out the beauty of that knife. I think I will post a few picks of it this fall on the thread of that GEC release from 3 years ago. It really has only gotten more beautiful, like my wife.

BUT... it isn't the only knife I carry. Alas my previous dalliance with the temptress known as the White Owl has not ended with my nuptial vows. This svelte little ebony handled vixen lies on my dresser all week knowing that on "wooden wednesday" she will once again assume the place in my pocket that is usually reserved for the gunstock jack. I once said it would take a heck of a knife to kick the owl out of my pocket and alas even one so meaningful as my beloved gunstock jack has not managed to completely finish the job.

In my defense though I will say this: There is a minimalist streak in me. And it comes out in many ways. One of those is my tendency to grow attached to some of my gear (alright most of it not just some) and it manifests itself by the care and maintenance that the gear received. I love watching things/tools/gear age gracefully and I love making memories with the gear in general and the knives in particular. The "beautage" that has so correctly been mentioned on this thread only comes with use and care. Lots of each. And personally I think the character of that beautage is orders of magnitude stronger in a knife that is made of a steel that can pit/rust/patina and a handle material that can nick/scratch/polish. To actually make a masterpiece of a new knife takes time but the rewards are great.

SO I guess I being a one knife man is just not in the foreseeable future for me. I'm enjoying watching the owl and the jack age too much. Maybe not the purist that some are but that is what happens when the heart and the flesh both take turns being weak lol.

Will

 

[markv]

It's a splendid idea and I would love to see the original poster and others pull it off.

I've tried it myself and only made it a few days longer than a year. I'm surprised I made it that long. Personally, I've surrendered to the fact that I can't be a knife knut and always use/carry the same knife. To do that means I have to give up my interest in buying more knives. Not to mention all the knives I currently own that will just sit there.

I do like to hear/read stories of those who have carried the same knife for decades. And the photos of those knives are even more interesting. Honestly, it's not something we see much of on this forum. Presumably for the reasons mentioned above.

I'm sittin' this one out but here's to anyone who wants to try. :thumbup: I would love to see some success stories.

bout the same dilemma here too. i rotate knives simply because i can. currently carrying a GEC 72 lockback clip blade. next week might be a Coleman Stag Congress the week after a Dunham 3 blade stockman.
too many knives so little time.
i'm old so i get a pass.

buzz

 

[markv]

i like this passage so,i'm quting it.
"In my defense though I will say this: There is a minimalist streak in me. And it comes out in many ways. One of those is my tendency to grow attached to some of my gear (alright most of it not just some) and it manifests itself by the care and maintenance that the gear received. I love watching things/tools/gear age gracefully and I love making memories with the gear in general and the knives in particular. The "beautage" that has so correctly been mentioned on this thread only comes with use and care. Lots of each. And personally I think the character of that beautage is orders of magnitude stronger in a knife that is made of a steel that can pit/rust/patina and a handle material that can nick/scratch/polish. To actually make a masterpiece of a new knife takes time but the rewards are great."

 

[markv]

sometimes for pure orneriness i will carry mulipile knives. my Caly3 with a slip joint in mu pants pocket a and Victorinox in my shirt pocket with a another slip joint in my coat pocket.
for the automobile i keep a small custom tanto and a Bark River Bravo 1 in the back of the Subaru wagon with a Swiss Army knife in the console and a congress knife in the glove box.
i don't know what this means?

lol

buzz

 

[mnblade]

I carried one of these for 35 years. Came to this place to research a replacement, after losing the second one (in 2011) and I've been infected with a fever, ever since.

If your looking to replace that you might not know that Schrade knives are either made in China or Taiwan now. That company doesn't actually exist anymore, it's just a brand.

Good point. You will, however, still see the gen-u-ine American-made versions on that big auction site. Not a bad choice if you're looking to be a one-knife guy.

-- Mark

 

[FA Tre]

I think something worth noting, that is of relevance to this discussion, is that there simply wasn't a lot of choice or option available back in the day when our grandparents were one knife men. I say this not in support of any one view or another, but simply to add some additional context.

 

[knarfeng]

I think something worth noting, that is of relevance to this discussion, is that there simply wasn't a lot of choice or option available back in the day when our grandparents were one knife men. I say this not in support of any one view or another, but simply to add some additional context.

I beg to differ. Try perusing the knife catalogs of olden days when my grandfather was a young man. LOTS of choices and options:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/755317-Vintage-Knife-Catalogs-amp-Ads-(Images-Only)

 

[FA Tre]

Perhaps I'm still a noob to the history of traditionals, but the catalogs seem to have a lot of variation on the same 6 or 7 knife styles.

 

[stezann]

Form follows function.
A concept well understood back in the old days. It is not a surprise that old catalogs show variations on well defined styles.
Still i prefer those styles, since today proposal exibits forms that very little have to do with function

 

[PythonDR]

I beg to differ. Try perusing the knife catalogs of olden days when my grandfather was a young man. LOTS of choices and options:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/755317-Vintage-Knife-Catalogs-amp-Ads-(Images-Only)

There was a difference, I think, between the knives they carried and the knives they had (and were sold) for specific uses. For an extreme example, I carry a pocket knife but I have big cleavers and chef's knives in the kitchen which I use for specific tasks. In the same way, my father carried a Case trapper on a somewhat regular basis, but when he went to work at the phone company he used a TL-29. My grandfather owned a fruit farm and carried a little knife (might have been a peanut), but grabbed a pruning knife when he needed to work on grafting trees and another when he needed to field dress a deer.

My father, were he still alive, would most definitely say "what do you need more than one knife for? I got along just fine for years with that old Case!" while ignoring all of the special-purpose knives we had around the farm. The latter weren't "carried", they were just used; they weren't a personal possession like that one knife in the pocket was. People back then didn't allow themselves a myriad of personal possessions as is the norm today.

 

[jackknife]

There was a difference, I think, between the knives they carried and the knives they had (and were sold) for specific uses. For an extreme example, I carry a pocket knife but I have big cleavers and chef's knives in the kitchen which I use for specific tasks. In the same way, my father carried a Case trapper on a somewhat regular basis, but when he went to work at the phone company he used a TL-29. My grandfather owned a fruit farm and carried a little knife (might have been a peanut), but grabbed a pruning knife when he needed to work on grafting trees and another when he needed to field dress a deer.

My father, were he still alive, would most definitely say "what do you need more than one knife for? I got along just fine for years with that old Case!" while ignoring all of the special-purpose knives we had around the farm. They weren't "carried", they were "used".

This plus 100^^^

My old man carried that one little Case peanut all the time, yet he had a cut down machete stashed in the trunk of his car, and a mom had a 6 inch old butcher knife stashed in the family picnic basket for food duty. Those old timers had jus tone pocket knife, but they had other tools 'stashed' around for use. When they went hunting' they had their 'hunting' knife' on their belt.

 

[PythonDR]

This brings up an interesting question: most of the people here, myself included, could not easily adapt to carrying one single knife. I accept that.

However, could you adapt to carrying more than one knife - two, three, whatever - but the same selection every single day? For instance, I always carry my Vic Explorer and am searching for "THE" knife to carry with it. Once I find that one, I'll happily carry just those two for perhaps a decade or more to come, never needing or wanting to replace either with something different (except for a specific task outside of daily life, of course.)

Could you do that - commit to carrying your normal number of knives, but always the same ones?

 

[kamagong]

This plus 100^^^

My old man carried that one little Case peanut all the time, yet he had a cut down machete stashed in the trunk of his car, and a mom had a 6 inch old butcher knife stashed in the family picnic basket for food duty. Those old timers had jus tone pocket knife, but they had other tools 'stashed' around for use. When they went hunting' they had their 'hunting' knife' on their belt.

Nah. I'd rather be like Mr. Van.

 

[brianv]

Very good observation, PythonDR! I very much agree with you about an old timer's knife selection and our desire for more possessions.

 

[jackknife]

This brings up an interesting question: most of the people here, myself included, could not easily adapt to carrying one single knife. I accept that.

However, could you adapt to carrying more than one knife - two, three, whatever - but the same selection every single day? For instance, I always carry my Vic Explorer and am searching for "THE" knife to carry with it. Once I find that one, I'll happily carry just those two for perhaps a decade or more to come, never needing or wanting to replace either with something different (except for a specific task outside of daily life, of course.)

Could you do that - commit to carrying your normal number of knives, but always the same ones?

Good question and point, Python!

We left home on Friday the 10th of July for our cross country trip. The wife down to Georgia and I off to Texas where we met up for the drive out to our daughters place in California. I walked out the door with my Camillus Remington peanut in my pocket and a Vic classic on my keying. In the time we've been out here, we've been trout fishing in a lake up in the Sierra Nevada moutons, hiked in the same, and traveled much of the the length of Califonia by car. So far, the peanut and classic have been my sole knife companions on this trip, and we'er not expected home until the end of JUly. The little peanut gutted and cleaned frying pan size trout with zero problems. My son in law john, was a little surprised when he used the Rapala fillet knife in his tackle box, and when he was done with his fish, I'd already done mine with the 2 inch bladed 'nut.

Before leaving on the trip, the same two knives have been my edc day in and day out. When I get back, it just may remain the same. Small and light in the pocket, yet effective at cutting what needs to be cut. We'll see.