Do you love knives, but have difficulty finding uses in your lifestyle?

[South paw draw]

But if you admit that bigger cutting jobs decrease as we get older, then why won't any small knife do?

Certainly that stage of life where we're retired, taking easy, doing some traveling, we're beyond the Jeremiah Johnson and Rambo fantasies, and certainly well beyond thinking we need to carry something capable of taking out Chinese sentries while whispering "Wolverines".

As we go about our life, fishing, doing some odd small projects out in the workshop, taking walks in the woods with the better half of almost a half century, any small knife will do? Whats the difference of carrying a old well worn Buck 309 companion, or a Spyderco man bug, or a Victorinox classic, or a Boker pen knife? Does that piece of twine on the tomato plants know its been cut with a number 4 Opinel or a Spyderco ladybug? Or even an old Christy knife?

I've found that in my life as a retired old fart, any sharp piece of steel an inch or two in length seems to work. I've opened all kinds of packages with a Victorinox classic and the blade on a Leatherman squirt. Certainly that accursed plastic blister package doesn't seem to care if its been cut open by a particular blade. Heck, look at how much real heavy duty work is done by the blades on a Stanley 99 or a Husky or a Milwaukee utility knife with replaceable blades. The utility knife blade is all of one inch long when fully extended, and razor blade thin. Yet it cuts tar paper, drywall, insulation off cable being spliced, unboxes water heaters and other heavy stuff. When dull, it just gets reversed or replaced.

The ugly truth is, for the average suburbanite, any keychain size knife will do. In our pre-packaged, office cubicle, air conditioned world, theres just no buffalo to skin, hostile Comanche's coming over the hill for our scalps. In fact, the whole knife market as we know it now is an artificially created market to save a dying industry; the pocket knife industry. In the 1980's it was almost dead.

Do you know how many knife companies were in America before WW2? Over a hundred. But after WW2, and the great migration to the cities by all the farm and ranch boys that had seen the world and weren't about to go back to daddy's farm and 'work the land", people started to stop carrying a pocket knife. The all move to he cities for good jobs and more money than daddy would pay them. By the 1960's the knife industry was in trouble. Buck introduced the 110 and it was a craze for while, but it stated to fade. Not much use for a large lock blade in an office cubicle. By late 1970's the industy was stagnant again, and even Buck 110 sales were down. Then a young business man named Lynn Thompson came up with a brilliant thing, The tactical knife that could be opened with one hand. Then a young guy named Sal Glesser came up with a different idea to sell knives, the serrated edge that would go through seat belts with ease. New companies jumped on the bandage and the one hand tactical wonder was born. By the late 1990's and early 2000's, it was the new craze in knives. If it couldn't be opened in a blink of an eye and de-animate a sentry it wasn't good for sales. The old traditionals faded away mostly, and companies like Cold Steel, Benchmade, Spyderco, took over the market. It was brilliant marketing and the Walter Mitty in the knife buyers spent a lot of money on over built knives that didn't really have a place in the office cubicle world. The office manager put out a memo that you couldn't shout 'Wolverines" when cutting open a new package of copy paper.

Now its fading a bit as many of the young knife buyers who have invested in the collections and are a bit older now, realize that they don't really need these knives in an urban or suburban life style. Heck, most of society doesn't even bother carrying a knife anymore at all. We're the weird ones, the 1% of society that not only cares about a knife, but is obsessed about them in an O.C.D. way. Heck, I'm still one of the obsessed and cursed. I can't imagine leaving the house without a knife in my pocket. BUT...and theres that three letter word...I've come to realize that it doesn't have to be much of a knife to cut what I need to cut. How much blade do I need to slice open a bag of mulch, or trim some fishing line?

Yes, when you get right down to it, whats left in the bottom the pot when its all boiled down, is that any little knife will do. An inch and half to two inches will get you through the day in modern suburbia. Of course, if some howling Comanche's in war paint comes over the hill, all bets are off.

You sir are a knife historian. Please start a thread and share this knowledge with the youth. I feel it will get lost here and forever forgotten. It needs to be able to be searched by a thread name.

Merry early Christmas good sir.

 

[sabre cat]

I think a great deal of it depends on where we are in our life. What stage we are at.

I know that in my 30's, my need of knives and things were way more, and in my 40's it changed a little. In my 50's it changed a little more, and in my 60's it changed more than in my 40's and 50's combined. In the 70's now, is has again changed a great deal, both in what I need, and what I think is important.

I found that as I aged, a new kind of pragmatic attitude came about. The fantasies of youth fade, and a new reality comes in. My mental attitude now is, material things have faded a great deal in importance to me, and all the big bowies and military knives and survival knives are a thing of the past. These days, I still think there should be a knife in every pocket, but I'm happy with whatever small pen knife or SAK happened to be there on that particular day. I now know that any little decent piece of sharp steel will do, and I don't obsess over it anymore. Most of my knife collection is gone, the kids and grandkids got a lot of it, and some was sold off or given away here and on other forums.

The wife and I are slowly spending the kids inheritance with travel that we couldn't do as young married folks, and even that has changed. The last time we were at Yosemite, we rode the little tourist train around. At Yellowstone, we didn't camp out, but stayed at the Yellowstone Lodge and had cocktails on the veranda as we watched Old Faithful erupt. We took the tour bus around in San Fransisco and dined at Fisherman's Wharf. At Big Bend National park, we stayed in the lodge up in Chisos Basin, and did the horse ride tour and the next day a guided Jeep tour. I know at our age, my wife and I will never see real wilderness again, and we're good with that. 'Been there and done' that as far as the boon docking and back packing. You get old enough, and theres a lot of things that come under the 'been there, done that' category. You actually don't want to do that anymore.

For most my life at this senior citizen stage, my old Buck 303 cadet and Victorinox recruit, seems to be more than enough knife. I don't hunt, but I am an avid fisherman, but how much knife do I need for me and my granddaughter fishing on the San Gabriel river, or surf fishing down at Padre Island? My old Buck 102 woodsman takes care of cutting bait or cleaning fish. That Buck 102 is all the fixed blade I need now.

Settling into my white dwarf stage of existence, any small pocket knife will do. It's been a very long time since I went boon docking with a Randall 14 as my go-to woods knife. Now a Boker 240 pen knife in my watch pocket is good enough to get me through the day. Young man, middle age man, and old man, all have different needs for stuff. You live your life in stages and there comes a point that the toys loose their appeal a great deal. They just don't mean much anymore.

The people in your life and the time you spend with them gets more important. Things are just things.

I read your post with great interest and many of your experiences are similar to mine.

I’m in my early 60s now and my needs changed very much like yours. Lighter weight knives with better ergonomics are what seems best for me at this point.

My nails crack and split easily so traditional knives with nail nicks are not of much interest to me.

I have to admit I try to sometimes carry a Swiss Army knife as a secondary knife With some success but my nails force me to keep them in limited use.
Right now I am learning to enjoy the Spartan model. It’s not Alox but, it’s still a nice knife.


I have a sister who turned 73 today and she is suffers from diminished motor skills in her hands. I can’t help but wonder if that’s in my future and how it will affect my lifestyle and my enjoyment of knives.

Any of you that have had to make changes in your knife use or the types of knives that you carry because of motor skill loss have experiences and wisdom that I would be interested learning about.

 

[Quiet]

I sit at a desk all day, and have minimal cutting duties in my day to day life. That doesn't stop me from spending entirely too much money on knives which, at the end of the day, will never EVER be used to anything like the potential that today's knives can stand up to. I'd be covered by just a basic SAK...but where's the fun in that?

 

[Quiet]

But if you admit that bigger cutting jobs decrease as we get older, then why won't any small knife do?

Certainly that stage of life where we're retired, taking easy, doing some traveling, we're beyond the Jeremiah Johnson and Rambo fantasies, and certainly well beyond thinking we need to carry something capable of taking out Chinese sentries while whispering "Wolverines".

As we go about our life, fishing, doing some odd small projects out in the workshop, taking walks in the woods with the better half of almost a half century, any small knife will do? Whats the difference of carrying a old well worn Buck 309 companion, or a Spyderco man bug, or a Victorinox classic, or a Boker pen knife? Does that piece of twine on the tomato plants know its been cut with a number 4 Opinel or a Spyderco ladybug? Or even an old Christy knife?

I've found that in my life as a retired old fart, any sharp piece of steel an inch or two in length seems to work. I've opened all kinds of packages with a Victorinox classic and the blade on a Leatherman squirt. Certainly that accursed plastic blister package doesn't seem to care if its been cut open by a particular blade. Heck, look at how much real heavy duty work is done by the blades on a Stanley 99 or a Husky or a Milwaukee utility knife with replaceable blades. The utility knife blade is all of one inch long when fully extended, and razor blade thin. Yet it cuts tar paper, drywall, insulation off cable being spliced, unboxes water heaters and other heavy stuff. When dull, it just gets reversed or replaced.

The ugly truth is, for the average suburbanite, any keychain size knife will do. In our pre-packaged, office cubicle, air conditioned world, theres just no buffalo to skin, hostile Comanche's coming over the hill for our scalps. In fact, the whole knife market as we know it now is an artificially created market to save a dying industry; the pocket knife industry. In the 1980's it was almost dead.

Do you know how many knife companies were in America before WW2? Over a hundred. But after WW2, and the great migration to the cities by all the farm and ranch boys that had seen the world and weren't about to go back to daddy's farm and 'work the land", people started to stop carrying a pocket knife. The all move to he cities for good jobs and more money than daddy would pay them. By the 1960's the knife industry was in trouble. Buck introduced the 110 and it was a craze for while, but it stated to fade. Not much use for a large lock blade in an office cubicle. By late 1970's the industy was stagnant again, and even Buck 110 sales were down. Then a young business man named Lynn Thompson came up with a brilliant thing, The tactical knife that could be opened with one hand. Then a young guy named Sal Glesser came up with a different idea to sell knives, the serrated edge that would go through seat belts with ease. New companies jumped on the bandage and the one hand tactical wonder was born. By the late 1990's and early 2000's, it was the new craze in knives. If it couldn't be opened in a blink of an eye and de-animate a sentry it wasn't good for sales. The old traditionals faded away mostly, and companies like Cold Steel, Benchmade, Spyderco, took over the market. It was brilliant marketing and the Walter Mitty in the knife buyers spent a lot of money on over built knives that didn't really have a place in the office cubicle world. The office manager put out a memo that you couldn't shout 'Wolverines" when cutting open a new package of copy paper.

Now its fading a bit as many of the young knife buyers who have invested in the collections and are a bit older now, realize that they don't really need these knives in an urban or suburban life style. Heck, most of society doesn't even bother carrying a knife anymore at all. We're the weird ones, the 1% of society that not only cares about a knife, but is obsessed about them in an O.C.D. way. Heck, I'm still one of the obsessed and cursed. I can't imagine leaving the house without a knife in my pocket. BUT...and theres that three letter word...I've come to realize that it doesn't have to be much of a knife to cut what I need to cut. How much blade do I need to slice open a bag of mulch, or trim some fishing line?

Yes, when you get right down to it, whats left in the bottom the pot when its all boiled down, is that any little knife will do. An inch and half to two inches will get you through the day in modern suburbia. Of course, if some howling Comanche's in war paint comes over the hill, all bets are off.

Dag, I'm feeling a little personally attacked here. All this logic BURNS US, PRECIOUS!!!!

Also, for the record, you're never too old to shout "WOOOLVAAH-REEEEEENNNNS!!!!"

 

[jackknife]

You sir are a knife historian. Please start a thread and share this knowledge with the youth. I feel it will get lost here and forever forgotten. It needs to be able to be searched by a thread name.

Merry early Christmas good sir.

And you , sir, are too kind.

Sometimes I ramble on like the old fart Have become. I worry about snyingtoo much. I don't want be the old guy that is the "Back when I was young..." but at 78, I've seen a lot of stuff come and go. Mostly go. Life changes and we have to change with it, or be like the dinosaurs and go extinct. I don't mind having better materials and new technology. We drive much better cars now because of that. When I was a kid, (Damm, I didn't want to go there) the cars that people worship now were junk. If you made it to 50,000 thousand miles, you crossed your fingers. By 75K, you were looking at a top end job. By 100K if it was still running, it was going to the junk yard. Now 100K is well broken in and 200K is not unreachable. Better materials and better designs than those old Chevy's.

Same with knives. We have synthetic handle material that are way better than the old stuff like bone that cracked and broke if you dropped the knife. We have better steel that is made cleaner and with less crap in it and more reliably, consistently produced to formula. We carry knives that are technically better than our grandfathers carried.

But...our society and whole way of life has changed in so many ways, its a whole other culture. And it is a culture that is rooted on a highly techno based society. Knives are still important, but on a much lower scale for most people who are not obsessed knife nuts. Today, a small percent of the population is agrarian based. Most folks now are 'city folks' to borrow Curly's term. The office cubicle and/or highly technical production is the main employer now. We're not back on the farm cleaning the tangle out of the harvester or cutting the cord on bales of hay for the critters. If you're not in the office on a computer, then even the stock clerk putting the cans of soup on the shelf at the grocery store, use a specialized box cutter. Partly because of liability but mostly, actually, because its a better tool for the job. Cheap plastic body with disposable blades. Chances are, that stock clerk when he goes home, does't even carry a knife.

We live in weird world. A lot of the markets are artificially stimulated for the sake of sales and making a lot of money on products that appeal to the emotional side, but have little real world use. Knives, cars, guns, all make use of advertising and hype to sell and rake in the money. Overkill is the order of the day for the bigger profit margin.

 

[jackknife]

I read your post with great interest and many of your experiences are similar to mine.

I’m in my early 60s now and my needs changed very much like yours. Lighter weight knives with better ergonomics are what seems best for me at this point.

My nails crack and split easily so traditional knives with nail nicks are not of much interest to me.

I have to admit I try to sometimes carry a Swiss Army knife as a secondary knife With some success but my nails force me to keep them in limited use.
Right now I am learning to enjoy the Spartan model. It’s not Alox but, it’s still a nice knife.


I have a sister who turned 73 today and she is suffers from diminished motor skills in her hands. I can’t help but wonder if that’s in my future and how it will affect my lifestyle and my enjoyment of knives.

Any of you that have had to make changes in your knife use or the types of knives that you carry because of motor skill loss have experiences and wisdom that I would be interested learning about.

Unfortunately I can't give you much encouragement. Have found that I've had to make adjustments in stuff Iuse, not just knives, but guns, tools, and the kind of ways I have to adapt to still do somethings I like to do. I can't shoot semi auto pistols anymore due to the arthritis. Loading magazines and racking slides is awkward and painful to me. My knives are lightly sprung knives that are easy to open, and I find myself carrying a small fixed blade just because its easier for old fart hands. Thankfully in Texas the sight of a small fixed blade on a belt raises no hue and cry.

I've always been a fan of what I call an 'unfolding pocket knife.' Back in the People Republik Of Maryland, it was illegal to conceal any fixed blade, no matter how small. Even a tiny Buck Hartsook caused a problem with an over zealous cop. But in Texas, I'm now free to carry a Boker gnome in a pocket with a lanyard from sheath to belt loop. Just pull out and cut. Nothing to open, and no hidden areas for gunk to lurk.

Age means changing the way we do things.

 

[jackknife]

damm double post.

 

[ZDHart]

But if you admit that bigger cutting jobs decrease as we get older, then why won't any small knife do?

Certainly that stage of life where we're retired, taking easy, doing some traveling, we're beyond the Jeremiah Johnson and Rambo fantasies, and certainly well beyond thinking we need to carry something capable of taking out Chinese sentries while whispering "Wolverines".

As we go about our life, fishing, doing some odd small projects out in the workshop, taking walks in the woods with the better half of almost a half century, any small knife will do? Whats the difference of carrying a old well worn Buck 309 companion, or a Spyderco man bug, or a Victorinox classic, or a Boker pen knife? Does that piece of twine on the tomato plants know its been cut with a number 4 Opinel or a Spyderco ladybug? Or even an old Christy knife?

I've found that in my life as a retired old fart, any sharp piece of steel an inch or two in length seems to work. I've opened all kinds of packages with a Victorinox classic and the blade on a Leatherman squirt. Certainly that accursed plastic blister package doesn't seem to care if its been cut open by a particular blade. Heck, look at how much real heavy duty work is done by the blades on a Stanley 99 or a Husky or a Milwaukee utility knife with replaceable blades. The utility knife blade is all of one inch long when fully extended, and razor blade thin. Yet it cuts tar paper, drywall, insulation off cable being spliced, unboxes water heaters and other heavy stuff. When dull, it just gets reversed or replaced.

The ugly truth is, for the average suburbanite, any keychain size knife will do. In our pre-packaged, office cubicle, air conditioned world, theres just no buffalo to skin, hostile Comanche's coming over the hill for our scalps. In fact, the whole knife market as we know it now is an artificially created market to save a dying industry; the pocket knife industry. In the 1980's it was almost dead.

Do you know how many knife companies were in America before WW2? Over a hundred. But after WW2, and the great migration to the cities by all the farm and ranch boys that had seen the world and weren't about to go back to daddy's farm and 'work the land", people started to stop carrying a pocket knife. The all move to he cities for good jobs and more money than daddy would pay them. By the 1960's the knife industry was in trouble. Buck introduced the 110 and it was a craze for while, but it stated to fade. Not much use for a large lock blade in an office cubicle. By late 1970's the industy was stagnant again, and even Buck 110 sales were down. Then a young business man named Lynn Thompson came up with a brilliant thing, The tactical knife that could be opened with one hand. Then a young guy named Sal Glesser came up with a different idea to sell knives, the serrated edge that would go through seat belts with ease. New companies jumped on the bandage and the one hand tactical wonder was born. By the late 1990's and early 2000's, it was the new craze in knives. If it couldn't be opened in a blink of an eye and de-animate a sentry it wasn't good for sales. The old traditionals faded away mostly, and companies like Cold Steel, Benchmade, Spyderco, took over the market. It was brilliant marketing and the Walter Mitty in the knife buyers spent a lot of money on over built knives that didn't really have a place in the office cubicle world. The office manager put out a memo that you couldn't shout 'Wolverines" when cutting open a new package of copy paper.

Now its fading a bit as many of the young knife buyers who have invested in the collections and are a bit older now, realize that they don't really need these knives in an urban or suburban life style. Heck, most of society doesn't even bother carrying a knife anymore at all. We're the weird ones, the 1% of society that not only cares about a knife, but is obsessed about them in an O.C.D. way. Heck, I'm still one of the obsessed and cursed. I can't imagine leaving the house without a knife in my pocket. BUT...and theres that three letter word...I've come to realize that it doesn't have to be much of a knife to cut what I need to cut. How much blade do I need to slice open a bag of mulch, or trim some fishing line?

Yes, when you get right down to it, whats left in the bottom the pot when its all boiled down, is that any little knife will do. An inch and half to two inches will get you through the day in modern suburbia. Of course, if some howling Comanche's in war paint comes over the hill, all bets are off.

jackknife! You are the man. You brilliantly detailed exactly the point I was making when I started this thread.

Aside from those who use knives heavily in their work all day (electricians, et al) what most of us do here has very little to do with any actual need. Our enjoyment of and fascination with knives is not about need; it's about desire. We desire the shiny new sharp edge that everyone here is raving about. We spend sometimes crazy amounts of money to add another sharp edge to a collection that far exceeds any use other than fiddling and imagining cutting things.

Most of us would be well-served indeed, most or perhaps ALL of the time, with a pen knife (or box cutter?) in our pocket, or in the counter drawer. When the blade dulls, replace it with another 10¢ razor edge blade and it's like "brand new" once again.

I won't put a nice knife edge to breaking down card board boxes since my box cutter does such a fine job of it. I only see the point of using a knife for that if one just wants to do it for the joy of actually USING one of their fancy knives. Most of the cutting that I do does involve a nice pocket knife and that's opening packages that are delivered almost every day. I cut open the padded envelope, or the tape that holds the box together. And, of course, ANY sharp edge will do that job as well as any other sharp edge.

As for my firearms and flashlights - much the same applies. Way too many of them that are "out-of-work" most or all of the time. Though I do get a good bit of regular use, still, with some of the flashlights. The reality is, though, that I could easily get along just fine with a utilitarian pistol or two (M&P40), a utilitarian knife or two (Spyderco Cat), and a utilitarian LED flashlight to two (EagleTac D25A). In time, I have much to shed.

Thanks for your post - it vividly illustrates the state of sharp edges in today's modern world.

 

[22-rimfire]

I'm still stuck on the small knife evolution thing with age and experience. I tried a Vic Classic. The blade is too damn dainty and the spring is weak. Doesn't work for me. I think you can go too small to be practical. Yes, I know a utility knife blade is like an inch long..... I use them if I need to open a lot of cardboard boxes (a rare event) or to cut carpet and linoleum. Other than that, the blade has to be a just a bit stronger and longer for ME.

J jackknife Have you considered a very small fixed blade for edc? I purchased a Condor Compact Kephart about two weeks ago. It works even with the vertical belt sheath.... very small but it cuts good! Best part is that it's under $50. I know this might solve some of the arthritis issues as far as opening a folding knife and still be small and discreet.

You still carrying the Ruger LCP? Or did you go back to revolvers? You mentioned earlier about racking the slide and so forth....

I totally agree with you on the car issue. I think the old cars that some people just love are mostly junk relative to today's production. I never want to go back to hard seats, motors and bodies wearing out by 75K miles, and mostly very average gas mileage (or worse).

Here's a picture I took the other day when I was in the woods of the Condor Compact Kephart.

 

[sabre cat]

But if you admit that bigger cutting jobs decrease as we get older, then why won't any small knife do?

Certainly that stage of life where we're retired, taking easy, doing some traveling, we're beyond the Jeremiah Johnson and Rambo fantasies, and certainly well beyond thinking we need to carry something capable of taking out Chinese sentries while whispering "Wolverines".

As we go about our life, fishing, doing some odd small projects out in the workshop, taking walks in the woods with the better half of almost a half century, any small knife will do? Whats the difference of carrying a old well worn Buck 309 companion, or a Spyderco man bug, or a Victorinox classic, or a Boker pen knife? Does that piece of twine on the tomato plants know its been cut with a number 4 Opinel or a Spyderco ladybug? Or even an old Christy knife?

I've found that in my life as a retired old fart, any sharp piece of steel an inch or two in length seems to work. I've opened all kinds of packages with a Victorinox classic and the blade on a Leatherman squirt. Certainly that accursed plastic blister package doesn't seem to care if its been cut open by a particular blade. Heck, look at how much real heavy duty work is done by the blades on a Stanley 99 or a Husky or a Milwaukee utility knife with replaceable blades. The utility knife blade is all of one inch long when fully extended, and razor blade thin. Yet it cuts tar paper, drywall, insulation off cable being spliced, unboxes water heaters and other heavy stuff. When dull, it just gets reversed or replaced.

The ugly truth is, for the average suburbanite, any keychain size knife will do. In our pre-packaged, office cubicle, air conditioned world, theres just no buffalo to skin, hostile Comanche's coming over the hill for our scalps. In fact, the whole knife market as we know it now is an artificially created market to save a dying industry; the pocket knife industry. In the 1980's it was almost dead.

Do you know how many knife companies were in America before WW2? Over a hundred. But after WW2, and the great migration to the cities by all the farm and ranch boys that had seen the world and weren't about to go back to daddy's farm and 'work the land", people started to stop carrying a pocket knife. The all move to he cities for good jobs and more money than daddy would pay them. By the 1960's the knife industry was in trouble. Buck introduced the 110 and it was a craze for while, but it stated to fade. Not much use for a large lock blade in an office cubicle. By late 1970's the industy was stagnant again, and even Buck 110 sales were down. Then a young business man named Lynn Thompson came up with a brilliant thing, The tactical knife that could be opened with one hand. Then a young guy named Sal Glesser came up with a different idea to sell knives, the serrated edge that would go through seat belts with ease. New companies jumped on the bandage and the one hand tactical wonder was born. By the late 1990's and early 2000's, it was the new craze in knives. If it couldn't be opened in a blink of an eye and de-animate a sentry it wasn't good for sales. The old traditionals faded away mostly, and companies like Cold Steel, Benchmade, Spyderco, took over the market. It was brilliant marketing and the Walter Mitty in the knife buyers spent a lot of money on over built knives that didn't really have a place in the office cubicle world. The office manager put out a memo that you couldn't shout 'Wolverines" when cutting open a new package of copy paper.

Now its fading a bit as many of the young knife buyers who have invested in the collections and are a bit older now, realize that they don't really need these knives in an urban or suburban life style. Heck, most of society doesn't even bother carrying a knife anymore at all. We're the weird ones, the 1% of society that not only cares about a knife, but is obsessed about them in an O.C.D. way. Heck, I'm still one of the obsessed and cursed. I can't imagine leaving the house without a knife in my pocket. BUT...and theres that three letter word...I've come to realize that it doesn't have to be much of a knife to cut what I need to cut. How much blade do I need to slice open a bag of mulch, or trim some fishing line?

Yes, when you get right down to it, whats left in the bottom the pot when its all boiled down, is that any little knife will do. An inch and half to two inches will get you through the day in modern suburbia. Of course, if some howling Comanche's in war paint comes over the hill, all bets are off.

You my friend are quite the writer. A good editorial page in the back of a magazine is the perfect place for you. Something like Field & Stream maybe?

However, as much as I was in agreement with you on an earlier post, I must disagree with you on what you have written above.

True, suburbia does not need field knives or Randall knives, and certainly not knives inspired by designers that just watched the latest Rambo or Star Trek movie.

The reality is that knives are still needed but most Urbanites fail to see a need for a knife outside of the kitchen.

Yet, office workers struggle to open small packages, mail, and office supplies. They will reach for car keys, rulers, and scissors, etc. Anything but a knife. Even with a knife available. I’ve seen it more than once.

And what do they get? Marginal results is not uncommon along with added injuries due to improper use of office supplies. Tape residue on scissors doesn’t help with their effectiveness either.

As humorous as it may be, I seriously doubt if any office manager has ever sent out a memo banning workers to stand on their chairs or desk and yell Wolverines. Much more likely is a ban on knives carried at work due to political correctness. Or maybe due to the influence of Hollywood, or poor marketing by knife manufacturers.

Your attitude seems to be the any small knife will do but, we now have more people than ever afraid of knives for no apparent reason and more people that feel a knife is not necessary in a suburban environment. Isn’t this the time to be more selective as to what we carry?

As I have said before, I’ve gotten older and have found ergonomics to be more important in my knives than the latest and greatest blade steel. Better knife ergonomics has allowed me to have better control of my knives and make cutting more efficient. Less chances of injuries to myself or others too.

No my friend, any old knife will not do. Choosing the wrong knife in an urban environment can bring on potential unrest from coworkers and/or the general public. Employment or legal issues are also not unheard of.

Personally, I am not just reaching for any knife or just any small knife. That will not do. Instead, I am reaching for a knife that is suitable for my environment, the way I am dressed, my abilities, and the task at hand.

 

[22-rimfire]

Knives not needed any more...... yeah? People are just too stubborn to admit that knives are very useful and especially useful if you carry one all the time. It may in fact just be pure ignorance. I was in Walmart yesterday and was looking at memory cards for my new DSLR camera. The file size is much larger than my last one and I wanted something with a bit more storage for maybe 1000 pictures or so not that I ever take that many in a single day. Anyway, I guess the memory cards are a high theft item and they had a block so you couldn't easily remove them from the peg rack. Enter the little Condor Compact Kephart.... sliced right through the heavy card board and to separate the memory card from the display..... I guess they want you to ask an associate to retrieve one for you. That is a PIA.

I also am not reaching for just any knife.....

Your little scissors on the Leatherman Ps4 Squirt or the Vic Classic would have struggled to cut this cardboard. But I suppose the blade would have worked. I will say that almost any blade is better than no blade.

 

[BenjaminRush]

Great read here. I work in a hospital, so anything bigger/more tactical than a small slipjoint raises eyebrows. I enjoy the opportunity to use my knives, even my most expensive, but the opportunities are reasonably rare. That’s ok, because I enjoy my knives regardless.

 

[USMCPOP]

Same here. I'm in a big city so I never get to use a big fixed blade and I carry my folders much more than I use them.

I only carry big fixed blades on special occasions where nothing less will do.

 

[Venice]

Interesting reading here. I too am getting older and find less and less need to use my knives. I now have three that take care of most all of my requirements.
I do use the SAK Exec almost daily; mostly the scissors and nail file but also the blade and "orange peeler" for opening clam shell plastic. The blade and scissors are larger than the classic's.

For boxes, tape and messier stuff, the Utility knife (love this one).

All the rough stuff (yard, garage, even scrapping paint off metal) the old guy.

 

[oldewelder]

I'm 81, I will be 82 in a month. I carry a Victorinox most of the time. But I usually have a one hand opener with me, just for the ease of opening. I've been lucky with health most of my life. Oh, I've had a few operations due to arthritis, but what I do have problems with is my motor skills. They aren't what they used to be. And a one hand opener is much easier for me. I can't see as well either, that makes finding the nail nick hard sometimes. Spyderco holes are extremely easy to open, so I usually have one of those..

 

[ZDHart]

You my friend are quite the writer. A good editorial page in the back of a magazine is the perfect place for you. Something like Field & Stream maybe?

However, as much as I was in agreement with you on an earlier post, I must disagree with you on what you have written above.

True, suburbia does not need field knives or Randall knives, and certainly not knives inspired by designers that just watched the latest Rambo or Star Trek movie.

The reality is that knives are still needed but most Urbanites fail to see a need for a knife outside of the kitchen.

Yet, office workers struggle to open small packages, mail, and office supplies. They will reach for car keys, rulers, and scissors, etc. Anything but a knife. Even with a knife available. I’ve seen it more than once.

And what do they get? Marginal results is not uncommon along with added injuries due to improper use of office supplies. Tape residue on scissors doesn’t help with their effectiveness either.

As humorous as it may be, I seriously doubt if any office manager has ever sent out a memo banning workers to stand on their chairs or desk and yell Wolverines. Much more likely is a ban on knives carried at work due to political correctness. Or maybe due to the influence of Hollywood, or poor marketing by knife manufacturers.

Your attitude seems to be the any small knife will do but, we now have more people than ever afraid of knives for no apparent reason and more people that feel a knife is not necessary in a suburban environment. Isn’t this the time to be more selective as to what we carry?

As I have said before, I’ve gotten older and have found ergonomics to be more important in my knives than the latest and greatest blade steel. Better knife ergonomics has allowed me to have better control of my knives and make cutting more efficient. Less chances of injuries to myself or others too.

No my friend, any old knife will not do. Choosing the wrong knife in an urban environment can bring on potential unrest from coworkers and/or the general public. Employment or legal issues are also not unheard of.

Personally, I am not just reaching for any knife or just any small knife. That will not do. Instead, I am reaching for a knife that is suitable for my environment, the way I am dressed, my abilities, and the task at hand.

I do agree that just "any old knife" is not necessarily "the best" choice as a daily carry/package opener.

Good ergonomics, a secure grip, and easy to open are at minimum very nice to have, if not important. And fortunately, one doesn't need to spend a LOT of money on a modest-sized EDC/carry knife with good ergonomics, a secure grip, and plenty-good-enough steel. As little as $25 can easily acquire this. There are a lot of knives that can easily satisfy this need.

I did spend around $50 (which is certainly more than I HAD to spend for the task) for this Spyderco Cat with carbon fiber scales and S30V blade, and if it HAD to be, it could be my only knife. Opens very easily, locks very securely, fits the hand exceptionally well, has good steel, cuts like a champ. Cutting edge is 2.5".

I liked it so much I bought a second one just to "put back".

Deep pocket, tip-up carry... with my favorite style of clip.

So, yeah, while "any old knife" can probably cut sufficiently, meeting some specific desired qualities is very nice to have. But that doesn't have to break the bank book.

 

[sabre cat]

I do agree that just "any old knife" is not necessarily "the best" choice as a daily carry/package opener.

Good ergonomics, a secure grip, and easy to open are at minimum very nice to have, if not important. And fortunately, one doesn't need to spend a LOT of money on a modest-sized EDC/carry knife with good ergonomics, a secure grip, and plenty-good-enough steel. As little as $25 can easily acquire this. There are a lot of knives that can easily satisfy this need.

I did spend around $50 (which is certainly more than I HAD to spend for the task) for this Spyderco Cat with carbon fiber scales and S30V blade, and if it HAD to be, it could be my only knife. Opens very easily, locks very securely, fits the hand exceptionally well, has good steel, cuts like a champ. Cutting edge is 2.5".

I liked it so much I bought a second one just to "put back".

Deep pocket, tip-up carry... with my favorite style of clip.

So, yeah, while "any old knife" can probably cut sufficiently, meeting some specific desired qualities is very nice to have. But that doesn't have to break the bank book.

I like the Spydrco Cat just for the name if nothing else.

It appears to be a well-thought-out design and reasonably priced. They even made it in blue at one point.

Most of us have one or two knives that we would be content with the rest of our lives. I think mine is the US made Kershaw Zing. No matter what I buy and use, I keep coming back to the Kershaw.

My Benchmade 531 would also work. As would one of my full-size Griptilians but, the Zing brings a smile to my face like no other knife I own.

 

[ZDHart]

I like the Spydrco Cat just for the name if nothing else.

It appears to be a well-thought-out design and reasonably priced. They even made it in blue at one point.

Most of us have one or two knives that we would be content with the rest of our lives. I think mine is the US made Kershaw Zing. No matter what I buy and use, I keep coming back to the Kershaw.

My Benchmade 531 would also work. As would one of my full-size Griptilians but, the Zing brings a smile to my face like no other knife I own.

Indeed... Kershaw Zing is an awesome knife. I like the stainless frame-lock design. Much like my Kershaw Leek, but I like the stouter nature of the Zing better than the "sleek Leek", which is just a bit delicate, shall we say.

 

[sabre cat]

Indeed... Kershaw Zing is an awesome knife. I like the stainless frame-lock design. Much like my Kershaw Leek, but I like the stouter nature of the Zing better than the "sleek Leek", which is just a bit delicate, shall we say.

You like the current stainless model? Yuck!!!

No, my friend, go online and Google the knife. You will find three or four different discontinued models of the Zing. My favorite is the fluted blade version with orange scales. They also made a version with Damascus steel. It is now fetching big money. Tanto models are also available.

I guess the stainless steel version is all right but, I feel the old American made version is far superior. No assisted opening, a ramped thumb-stud like the Blur and Sandvik 14C29N series steel.

I do admit that I am intrigued by the new stainless version though. I would love to tear one apart and de-assist the thing just to see how it would work as a replacement if I ever lose one of mine.

 

[sabre cat]

You know, my brother-in-law has a Kershaw Leek and they really are a nice knife.