I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, nor the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I make little mistakes here and there, and sometimes manage to really screw the pooch. But sometimes I get the idea.
I've always been a small pocket knife guy. maybe its that I grew up in Washington D.C. and 90% of my time was in the urban jungle. Later the suburban trip as a soccer/lacrosse/cub scouts and general dad with mini van on call. But the family did do the camping, fishing, hiking thing and I was an ultra light backpacker for many years. I did carry a fixed blade then, fishing or canoeing, and I love fixed blades for the simple fact that they are not broken in the middle. No lock to fail, easier to clean, and light weight compared to the same size folder. My go-to knife was a Buck 102 woodsman. Carried first one since 1969 to 1999, when my wife bought me a new one to retire the old worn down one.
But...it was never an EDC. Living in an east coast metro area, it just wasn't to be. Although legal, the local PD would always stop and question why did I have that on my hip. Its a sad fact that most cops don't know the law, and when told it was legal in Maryland, actually didn't believe me. It needed some time to clear it up and be on my way. Inconvenient. So, I just carried a pocket knife. Easier.
In 2015, the better half retired and we fled the People's Republik Of Maryland for the free state of Texas. Once settled in a house, we took the class and paid the fee and got our CCW. It was nice to live in our golden years in a place that lets us practice all of our rights. But...that little three letter word again, it took a few years to really get it. We'd carry our concealed handguns, and it was nice when Texas went to open carry. Easier when hiking to have the gun out where its easy to get to. But I was still in the pocket knife mentality. It took a few years for the idea to slowly percolate into my brain that I can carry a fixed blade in Texas and nobody freaks out. I saw lots of them on hips, and slowly, very slowly, I started leaving my Little Buck 102 on my belt when I was done fishing. My CCW handgun was in my right pants pocket, so the hip and belt space was open.
Now, it seems like the epiphany has taken place that a light fixed blade is a nice thing to carry. Far easier to deal with than a folder that has to be opened once its out, no hidden ares for gunk collection, no worry over a lock failure. I've seen the bloody aftermath of a Buck 110 lock fail, and it wasn't pretty. The severed index finger was laying on the floor in a bloody puddle. The quick thinking shop Forman get some ice from the cafeteria and put the finger in the ice anti was transported with the patient and actually got reattached. But it didn't quite work as well.
So now my Buck 102 is my main carry, with a Leatherman squirt for bottle opening and screw driving. The little pliers are handy for an old fart with arthritic fingers. In fact, for an old fart with the old age loss of dexterity, (AKA senior citizen fumble fingers) a small EDC fixed blade is great. For more formal occasions where my Buck may be out of place, a small knife like a Boker Gnome or the AG Russell woods walker with the kydex sheath is a good 'un-folding pocket knife' for use as an out of sight neck knife. Under Texas law, we can conceal up to a 5 inch fixed blade if I understand it right.
Now, 5 1/2 years after moving to Texas, I don't know if I could go back to a folding/pocket knife as a main slicer. I like the fixed blade.
I've always been a small pocket knife guy. maybe its that I grew up in Washington D.C. and 90% of my time was in the urban jungle. Later the suburban trip as a soccer/lacrosse/cub scouts and general dad with mini van on call. But the family did do the camping, fishing, hiking thing and I was an ultra light backpacker for many years. I did carry a fixed blade then, fishing or canoeing, and I love fixed blades for the simple fact that they are not broken in the middle. No lock to fail, easier to clean, and light weight compared to the same size folder. My go-to knife was a Buck 102 woodsman. Carried first one since 1969 to 1999, when my wife bought me a new one to retire the old worn down one.
But...it was never an EDC. Living in an east coast metro area, it just wasn't to be. Although legal, the local PD would always stop and question why did I have that on my hip. Its a sad fact that most cops don't know the law, and when told it was legal in Maryland, actually didn't believe me. It needed some time to clear it up and be on my way. Inconvenient. So, I just carried a pocket knife. Easier.
In 2015, the better half retired and we fled the People's Republik Of Maryland for the free state of Texas. Once settled in a house, we took the class and paid the fee and got our CCW. It was nice to live in our golden years in a place that lets us practice all of our rights. But...that little three letter word again, it took a few years to really get it. We'd carry our concealed handguns, and it was nice when Texas went to open carry. Easier when hiking to have the gun out where its easy to get to. But I was still in the pocket knife mentality. It took a few years for the idea to slowly percolate into my brain that I can carry a fixed blade in Texas and nobody freaks out. I saw lots of them on hips, and slowly, very slowly, I started leaving my Little Buck 102 on my belt when I was done fishing. My CCW handgun was in my right pants pocket, so the hip and belt space was open.
Now, it seems like the epiphany has taken place that a light fixed blade is a nice thing to carry. Far easier to deal with than a folder that has to be opened once its out, no hidden ares for gunk collection, no worry over a lock failure. I've seen the bloody aftermath of a Buck 110 lock fail, and it wasn't pretty. The severed index finger was laying on the floor in a bloody puddle. The quick thinking shop Forman get some ice from the cafeteria and put the finger in the ice anti was transported with the patient and actually got reattached. But it didn't quite work as well.
So now my Buck 102 is my main carry, with a Leatherman squirt for bottle opening and screw driving. The little pliers are handy for an old fart with arthritic fingers. In fact, for an old fart with the old age loss of dexterity, (AKA senior citizen fumble fingers) a small EDC fixed blade is great. For more formal occasions where my Buck may be out of place, a small knife like a Boker Gnome or the AG Russell woods walker with the kydex sheath is a good 'un-folding pocket knife' for use as an out of sight neck knife. Under Texas law, we can conceal up to a 5 inch fixed blade if I understand it right.
Now, 5 1/2 years after moving to Texas, I don't know if I could go back to a folding/pocket knife as a main slicer. I like the fixed blade.
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. I carried a 4 inch puukko when backpacking or hiking in the woods. My EDC is a 30+ year old SAK Tinker.
