Gun Show Goodies

5K Qs

5K Qs

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Last weekend I attended the local gun and knife show. I usually allocate a 20-dollar bill to any treasures I happen to discover at the show, but this time I wished I had taken more cash! Attendance was probably lowest of the half-dozen shows I've attended in the past couple of years, but the low volume traffic allowed me to take my time examining what vendors had to offer, and there were many knives there that I found desirable: LOTS of used multitools and SAKs at fairly reasonable rates and at least some in very nice condition if you were willing to search through the piles; some nice old black-handled Bucks only slightly overpriced, in my somewhat uninformed opinion; some used Cases and Old Timers and Uncle Henrys. I ended up buying only two knives, and the second one emptied my wallet and almost emptied my change purse, but I left quite happy!

I picked up this Vic Explorer for less than a quarter of the new price at my favorite online Vic vendor. I like the big scissors this model offers, but the main draws for me are the in-line Phillips and the magnifier.
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The main reason I became involved with pocket knives was probably nostalgia, and although I never had a knife with a magnifier back when I was a kid, I did have plenty of little plastic magnifying glasses from Cracker Jack or gumball machines. It didn't take me long to use the Explorer's magnifier to recreate one of my favorite childhood magnifying activities!
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I then put the Explorer to work on a more recent Saturday afternoon pastime:
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The other knife I bought was a stainless Case stag peanut. I probably overpaid a bit, but it was still well under half the best price I found online for a comparable, but new, stag Peanut. The stag is quite smooth, and while I prefer "gnarlier" stag, I've owned very few stag-handled knives so far, so any stag is good stag to me!
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If you use your imagination, you can see in the preceding pile side photo that there's quite a lump by the center pin. It keeps the knife from lying flat on the pile side, but it feels fine in my hand. I've learned here that we just call that "character" or "Wabi"! ;)
The following photos show that the covers are quite thick or "bulgy" or "bulbous", which I like on this small knife, and the main blade isn't centered, but I'm still, a week later, quite ecstatic about finding this knife!
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Finally a couple of pics of the knife with blades open:
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Just wanted to share my good fortune. Do you have any recent treasures you've discovered at gun shows, pawnshops, etc.?

- GT
 
GT,
Very nice haul! :thumbup: That stag peanut has a lot of character.

I usually find gunshows more miss than hit for knives. Most of the new knife dealers carry things I wouldn't want and those selling used knives are often either too high priced or are selling used up knives. Still I always keep my eye out for any collection of traditionals, especially if they are used and quality knives.
 
Very nice finds, GT. You can't go wrong with a SAK, and that's a nice peanut. I thought I didn't care for "fat stag", but I can imagine it could be a good fit for a little knife like that, giving you more width to hold.

I like going to gun and knife shows, flea markets,etc. It's true that most of what you see is either knock-off junk or "collectible" pocketknives that someone believes are made of gold, given the prices. :rolleyes: But I sometimes find at least one table with an old guy with some old knives that just need a little fixing up to be good users. That old guy will often be happy to tell stories and talk about knives, so even if I don't see anything I want, I am entertained. :thumbup: (in fact, I went to a show today, and found myself a Boker whittler that had to come home with me) :)

ps. Your picture of the magnifying glass fun takes me back. I can still hear my mother yelling at me to stop that. :D
 
Thanks to all posters for your congratulations/encouragement. :)

Mort Canard said:
...I usually find gunshows more miss than hit for knives. ...
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Mort, several people have made similar comments to me in the past. I feel very fortunate that I've almost always found SOMETHING at the gun&knife shows I've attended that I'm happy to take home with me; I think I've only come home empty-handed once in 6 or 7 shows. Of course, maybe my standards are quite low! :p

r8shell said:
...I like going to gun and knife shows, flea markets,etc. ... (in fact, I went to a show today, and found myself a Boker whittler that had to come home with me) :)

ps. Your picture of the magnifying glass fun takes me back. I can still hear my mother yelling at me to stop that. :D
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You've had quite a Boker bonanza lately, haven't you, Rachel? :thumbup:
I think I have a parental voice in my head, too; I aborted my "leaf-lighting" before it even started smoking! ;)

Pipeman said:
Nice knives. Did you carve the "fetish"?

Best regards

Robin
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I whittled on some sticks, but I wasn't intentionally trying to carve a fetish! Not even sure what that is; some kind of good luck charm, right? Which did you consider the fetish, Robin - the spiral or the string of balls?

- GT
 
That Peanut is nice! I'm not big on fat stag either except in small knives like Peanuts, tiny Trappers, etc. It works really well on those.
 
"I whittled on some sticks, but I wasn't intentionally trying to carve a fetish! Not even sure what that is; some kind of good luck charm, right? Which did you consider the fetish, Robin - the spiral or the string of balls?

- GT "

Hi GT, the fetish is the little stone Bear. The were originally carved as charms by the Zuni tribe.

Best regards

Robin
 
5K Qs said:
Thanks to all posters for your congratulations/encouragement. :)

Mort, several people have made similar comments to me in the past. I feel very fortunate that I've almost always found SOMETHING at the gun&knife shows I've attended that I'm happy to take home with me; I think I've only come home empty-handed once in 6 or 7 shows. Of course, maybe my standards are quite low! :p

You've had quite a Boker bonanza lately, haven't you, Rachel? :thumbup:
I think I have a parental voice in my head, too; I aborted my "leaf-lighting" before it even started smoking! ;)

- GT
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I do seem to run across used Bokers at flea markets, pawn shops, etc. and I wonder if it's because of the large percentage of Germans who settled in Central Texas. German made knives may have been popular among their decedents. On the other hand, there are some brands popular in the northeast that I almost never find down here.
 
Great finds The peanut is very nice but I do have a thing for SAKs. Congratulations:thumbup:
 
Very nice finds! I poked through an antique mall for a few hours today and didn't come across anything nearly as nice as that peanut. Great fun though, and real nice folks.

O
 
Thanks for your comments, Bill, Ron, Gev, totallynotalion, Randy, and Ocellatus. :)

Robin, thanks for enlightening me about fetishes. My wife has several little bears of that sort in various sizes, but I certainly didn't carve them! I find carving basswood quite challenging; I can't imagine carving stone! Do you happen to recognize what type of stone is used for the bear in my pics? I can't figure out what causes the "tiling" or "honeycomb" shapes on the bear's surface, or what the dark spots inside each little region are.

Rachel, your conjectures about Bokers and immigrant origins are interesting! I don't think I've ever seen a Boker in person (except in Valencia, Spain), so perhaps they're relatively rare in my neck of the woods.

- GT
 
"Robin, thanks for enlightening me about fetishes. My wife has several little bears of that sort in various sizes, but I certainly didn't carve them! I find carving basswood quite challenging; I can't imagine carving stone! Do you happen to recognize what type of stone is used for the bear in my pics? I can't figure out what causes the "tiling" or "honeycomb" shapes on the bear's surface, or what the dark spots inside each little region are."

Hi GT, I was actually going to ask you what the stone was. I have carved, collected and sold many Fetishes but haven't seen anything quite like the material in your Wifes Bear. IF it's stone I would say it could be "Picasso stone" but if I had to guess I would say it's fosilized sea critter. The cell structures are quite amazing. Picasso stone often has a pattern with "panels" but I nave never seen that cell structure.

UPDATE. I found it, it's fossil coral. I'll see if I can figure out who made your Wifes Bear. I'll pm you since it's a bit off topic :D
Best regards

Robin
 
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Thanks for the fascinating research you've done, Robin. :cool: That turtle certainly looks to be formed from the same material as my wife's bear! Looks like your conjecture of fossilized sea critter was right on the money! :thumbup:

What kind of tool is used for carving such fetishes from stone or stone-like materials? Is it done with chisels and files? (That's kind of back on topic, isn't it?)

- GT
 
5K Qs said:
Thanks for the fascinating research you've done, Robin. :cool: That turtle certainly looks to be formed from the same material as my wife's bear! Looks like your conjecture of fossilized sea critter was right on the money! :thumbup:

What kind of tool is used for carving such fetishes from stone or stone-like materials? Is it done with chisels and files? (That's kind of back on topic, isn't it?)

GT, welllll, not really back on topic.:D I use my dremel with diamond bits and diamond files. Most Zunis use grinders and dremels or Fordham machines. This is a soft stone inlay I did, Navajo not Zuni and all softish stone, done mainly with the pen knife in my hand.

Best regards

Robin

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