Ever come around full ciurcle?

Don Rac

Don Rac

Joined
Oct 3, 2001
Messages
1,191
A few months ago, I had a light bulb come back on. Lately, instead of grabbing a knife that would make the group go "wow" at the campfire, I've gone back to using my old Ka-Bar and my dad's old 1981 Camillus US slipjoint he was issued in the Navy. If I needed to chop something, which was rare since I didn't even get to go 'way out' into Oregon/Colorado with my group this summer, I have a HI khukuri. That's a big step back from a Busse (random name, no flame). It came down to what I was comfortable with. Aside from a no-name butcher knife with a crappy sheath which I think I've only shown to Melvin-Purvis, that Ka-bar cut most of the meat away from bone than any other knife I've ever owned, and it still has most if not almost all of the epoxy coating on it. To top it off, I honestly can't tell the difference in any edge holding superiority when I'm worried about meat spoiling outdoors and such. I have to cut fast, and the knife cuts well.

The jist of what I'm asking here is, have you ever bought knives $300+, only to come back to really using your $50- knives? I can't be the only one.;) Right now, the only knife over $100 that I'm really using is my Randall 16-sp1 for vegetables at home and my Strider SnG, which I got for a pretty good deal from a drunk friend who needed college money. The rest is handled my my Ka-Bar.:D
 
2 reasons for expensive knives. 1. I like the fit , finish & materials they provide. Like having a luxury car instead of a Yugo. 2. If you EVER get into an emergency situation you'll have a tool that you can depend on, not one that may fail when needed. I also tend to use my "beater" knives for rough work, but only cause I enjoy my "good" knives enough to take good care of em. I usually have 2 knives in my EDC for that reason. Collecting good knives is a hobby, like coins or stamps. Wether you use em or not is an added bonus but you don't really have to justify it, unless you're married :D
 
I was going this way, i.e. as the new knives I bought were becoming more expensive I was also begining to carry a cheep beater for the rough work. But then came the Strider SNG.
This thing comes pre-beat up for your using pleasure :D And the plain fact is that none of my cheep beaters come anywhere close to it's useability. I have $100 knives that I only use for light/medium tasks because I don't want to ruin their finish, OTH I was using my $400 SNG as a hammer last week :rolleyes:

On the subject of slipjoints, over the last 6 months or so I have been getting back into them as many of them typify what I really like in a style of a knife (and what some modern folders lack), plain understated good looks but are very good at what they do. Unfortunately there is no doubting that they just aren't as convinient as a one handed opener/closer with a pocket clip.
 
I've always got a slipjoint on me lately. Sad part is that I tend to use it a little more than my 2" PE neck or 2" SE watch pocket carry. The only reason I still carry a large SE is that there are just some jobs a 2" SE won't do. Carried a fixed since 96, just taking it off for school and slapping it back on when I got home. can't pry well with most folders.

Have 2 saks and if I'm favored this week I'll have a 3rd. The 3 slipjoints are a cheap $10 fleamarket find, my dad's old one(he had it 30+yrs), and the one I carry all the time from T Erdelyi.
 
I "moved up" to a Sebenza, then back to SAKs. Right now I'm carrying a Queen #41 Copperhead around. They all have their place.

Paul
 
2. If you EVER get into an emergency situation you'll have a tool that you can depend on, not one that may fail when needed
Click to expand...


Surely you are not be saying expensive knives do not fail, and that cheaper production knives cannot be depended on. Or are you?

I've had some very expensive knives, custom and production, that were just junk.
 
I'm not afraid to use them. If they get dirty and scratched up, oh well. I'm not talking about Chinese flea market knock offs. Think low end knifes from good companies. My Buck 110 is great for house/yard work. I'm not too worried about getting down and dirty with my Arclite. And my trapper only needs to be tough enough to cut apples and envelopes. YMMV

Frank
 
I'm going through the same thought process right now. And I think I have some insight. I just bought a SOG Tomcat.

I became an adult in the early 1970's and started to buy things and tools for my house. In those days, we didn't know about titanium, carbon fiber and exotic stainless cutlery steels. Most of the stuff we bought of quality was heavy, and it was very strong; the popular knife of that era was the Buck 110.

These items also had a high degree of fit and finish.

Now I am a Strider client. And as I got older, I realized that 'form following function' was a lot more important than surface flash.

In buying the Tomcat, I realize what I would have thought of such a knife as a young man. I would have marveled at its strength, and it's AUS-6A stainless would have been considered 'space age.'

And there's finish. At the rear end, there is FIVE layers of stainless; that's two bolsters, two liners and the spine. These layers are polished so that the casual oberver would see 'one' smooth end cap. The pivot is polished into the front bolster, much like the sideplate on a S&W seems to 'disappear' due to fit and polish.

I 'know' my Strider SnG is better. But boy do I love this old style Tomcat. For me, I returned full circle.
 
Most of the expensive knives that I buy are not being purchased with the intent of using them. They are knives that I collect. The knives that I use most all cost under $150.00. There was a time that I purchased some expensive knives with the intent of using them, but it turned out that I was reluctant to do so. I don't see the sense in carrying a knife that you are afraid to use because it may get damaged. I have no fear of using a good, inexpensive knife.
 
Keith,

I used to think exactly as you do; putting a ding on an expensive knife would cause me fits! It's that old OCD bugaboo.

I wasted a lot of time and money building a showcase, or temple as it were, of expensive knives that never cut and expensive guns that never were fired. My pristine Mustang 5.0 (waxed every Friday night) was traded in with about 8,500 miles on it.

Enjoy the things you've worked for. Define clearly in your mind the difference between 'use and abuse.' Sure, you can use your knives, and you seem to know how to maintain them.

Now I carry a 400 dollar Strider SnG as my EDC. Six years ago I would have never had that knife see the light of day. About a month ago I used it to cut a salty, juice dripping Arby's sandwich in half. Wiped it off with a paper napkin, slid it into my pocket and left it there until I returned home. I enjoyed the day, my wife's company and the shopping without obcessing about a knife.

When you pass away, your demented nephew will chop firewood with your expensive collection. Enjoy them NOW, for the great products that they are.
 
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