How did you get into knives?

[Byrom Hermo]

My grandfather always carried a pocketknife. He used it every day and I observed. We lived with him so I got to spend a lot of time with him in our woodshop (trying to 'help'). I learned the usefulness of a blade as a little kid. Then came Christmas '72. I was a Cub Scout. Pops gave me a Cub Scout knife and I've been hooked ever since.

 

[kaozer]

im not sure why but as a kid i was allways been drawn towards these dangerous sharp objects. i guess my dad might caused it, i remember him just cleaning out trouts with his opinel (which was something to watch as he only had one hand) fast foward a few years later and i bought a buck bantam. it was the first knife i had with a pocket clip, so i started to carry it to work. i ended up being annoyed at its poor edge retention. so i did my homework and looked up about steels and companies. and bought a spyderco manix 2 lightweight s110v and well it was all downhill from there

 

[spykez]

The only way to stop some pitbulls, apparently, is to kill them.
The pigs ear is to justify me carrying the secateurs; for cutting into smaller pieces for the JRT.

Gotcha...

And I just realised the cause of your problem. If you were carrying a knife to protect your terrier from bigger dogs, it must not have been a discreet folder, rather something that probably amounted to a small sword. Was that it, 😂!

One other pokey thing you could carry with a bit more reach I just thought of might be an umbrella. Hmmm..l wonder if there is such a thing as a tactical umbrella. I wouldn't know. Actually, it would be really cool if it were a "tactical survival" umbrella.

I have got to google this...

 

[dryflytrout]

I got sick of asking the people around me if they had a knife I could use. I realized more often than not they didn't. So the obvious solution to was to carry one myself.
About that same time I started fishing and an old timer suggested I carry a knife while wading in case something goes wrong. Some of the places I fish are pristine mountain streams. Others are deep fast water with lots of debris to get tangled up in. Since I fish alone way more often than not it makes sense to have a tool to free myself if I ever get wrapped up in some junk. Somewhere along the way a cheap Winchester I carry because I wouldn't care if I lost turned into a couple Bucks and a Kershaw. Now I'm dreaming about an ESEE 3, working on freehand sharpening, building a collection of stones, and beginning to dive into steels, grinds, shapes, and how it all works together to accomplish different tasks.

 

[jakemex]

Range is your friend, I like the pigs ear idea but you could carry a very stiff walking stick or staff.

I don't advise violence at all, but I hear smacking a dog in its nose really hard is like kicking it in the nads. I cannot tell you if that works, because I am a dog person myself... dogs... just come up and lick me all over. Never had any trouble with them. Can't explain it, big dogs, little dogs. No rabies in Australia, so I can't say I've met any really crazy dogs...

I love dogs, always have one; but at the same time I hate dogs... actually my anger is toward their owners who do not choose to control their animals. (Knife content follows) I muse about hacking the offending dogs to bits with my machete, etc. But, as a rational being, I elect to live and let live. Irresponsible humans... 😠

On topic... My father gave me a knife as a child. I have always carried one. At least 56 years now. Yeah, I'm an old grumpy white haired grandpa that gave his kids and grandkids knives when they were ready. 😆

 

[Pomsbz]

My mom's uncle ran a hardware store in 1950's Glasgow. A kid came in, took some stuff and was about to walk out when he was challenged. The kid took a folding knife off the counter and stabbed Uncle Louie in the stomach. He was in emergency care for a long long time.

I grew up with a blanket ban of evil 'penknives' that had caused such a family tragedy.

Well you know what happens when you tell a kid he can't have something. I honestly believe my fascination goes all the way back to there.

 

[22-rimfire]

Dad always carried a Case jack knife when I was young. He used it a lot and I noticed. We lived out in the country and knives seemed to be a necessary part of life. Dad never gave any of use kids knives. Like most things, we had to find a way to buy our own. My first was an Imperial in the 2nd grade which I upgraded to a larger Imperial in the 3rd grade as I got bigger. I bought my first Case Barlow sometime when I was 10 years old, maybe 9. I carried that one for until it was worn out. Back then, Dad would sharpen his knives on a grinding wheel at work and he did mine as well. Essentially wore the blade down to a thin nub that became unsafe to carry. I bought a new Case jack knife when I was in high school and it got used for many years. I still have the Barlow somewhere and the jack knife was my primary small game and hunting knife for years. I got a Schrade Old Timer 250T after I started working as a work knife (in the field) and used it as a hunting knife after that with the Case jack as a backup.

I shifted to EDC a Vic Tinker in the mid-1980's as I felt they would likely be the most useful knife I needed when I traveled out of the country. I was right. I have carried a SAK of some sort since for the most part even though I have knives like ZT's and so forth. I now carry a fixed blade if I am hunting or in the woods along with a folder.

 

[Bufford]

I recall liking sharp things as a kid and even using sharp rocks as knives. I carried a knife for as long as I remember since about the school age of grade 5. Then came the popularity of the Buck 110 and Shrade. It seemed everyone in the trades had one on the belt back in the 70s. As soon as I started working I've carried lockbacks on my belt. On days off I belt up fixed blades, and into retirement a fixed blade is typical unless I have to attend social events where such blades would be seen as inappropriate.

 

[The cow]

Parent's got me one when I was 8 and never let me use it and I have never actually held it in my hands. Hunting and fishing as a teen, my father would always insist on processing the game.
In college, I bought a leatherman out of curiosity/necessity. Did a research trip in Amazon and realized all the stuff I had was junk. Bought a ESEE Junglas and I was hooked onto nice knives.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

I recall liking sharp things as a kid and even using sharp rocks as knives. I carried a knife for as long as I remember since about the school age of grade 5. Then came the popularity of the Buck 110 and Shrade. It seemed everyone in the trades had one on the belt back in the 70s. As soon as I started working I've carried lockbacks on my belt. On days off I belt up fixed blades, and into retirement a fixed blade is typical unless I have to attend social events where such blades would be seen as inappropriate.

Might try smaller fixed blades for those social occasions. I usually pack 5" blades, but for church, funerals, etc, I carry smaller, vintage bird and trout style fixed blades, such as old Western L48Bs and L28s, Western WestCut K3s, Kabar 1226. Unobtrusive on the belt and easily fit in a front pocket.

 

[extrastout]

As far as e.d.c., once found out about folding knives with pockets clips and one handed opening, I was back on board. I got a vic as a kid and have had a traditional knife ever since. I just kept losing them and did not like how they rolled around in my pocket. Then I found the tactical knives and have never looked back...

 

[GB940Rookie]

My old man gave me one when I was seven. That was nearly 43 years ago. Been hooked ever since.

Side note.
I pulled that knife on a much older, much larger kid the first day of first grade. He left me alone after that. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Always carry something that can be used as a weapon.

 

[Connor_MacLeod]

I got my first pocket knife, a generic SAK, when I was about 6 years old and remember cutting my hand pretty badly while whittling and then trying to hide it from my dad. From there I received a couple more knives as gifts when I was a kid and used them on a regular basis while fishing and working on our small ranch where we moved when I was 13.

I started carrying a knife on an EDC basis when I was a teenager working at my grandfather's plant nursery. He would instruct me to, for example, go over there and cut the rope on that bundle of buckets and bring him one. If I didn't have my knife on me, he would give me hell, saying "a man always carries a knife!"

Then in college, my level of interest increased significantly after I took a course on corrosion, where I learned about carbon steel, stainless steel, alloys, carbides, hardness, toughness, etc. This opened my eyes to the complexity and high performance possible in modern knife-making.

A couple of decades later, I still don't have an impressive collection, with a tiny EDC rotation consisting of just a Ritter mini grip and Realsteel sea eagle. Then a few beater folders in various drawers at home: an old Delica 2 , a Gerber, a Shrade, and a Buck...BUT thanks to this forum I have a good idea of the knives I will pull the trigger on once I am ready to start spending $300-$500+ per knife!

 

[halden.doerge]

As young as I can remember I would sneak into my parents room and take out my dads Buck 110 from where he hid it in his dresser. By age 8 I convinced my parents to let me get a large Wenger SAK that was in the hotel gift shop where we were staying when we first moved to Oregon. It was literally the awesomely thing ever.

At times in my teen years and early 20s my knife fixation waned, but it never went away. It really came back in full force when I got back into backpacking in 2010. No signs of that changing. The obsession just keeps getting deeper.

 

[Dr Heelhook]

I first heard about Bowie knives while watching James Arness as Zeb Macahan in the TV-show "How The West Was Won" as a kid and I've loved them ever since. My dad would make me one out of wood. Learned to use a real knife as a scout. The idea of collecting started when I heard about the Gerber Mark 2, while I was in the Army. I really wanted one of those, but I couldn't find one, so I got me the closest I could find, a SOG Daggert 2, then the collecting took off from there. Now I'm kind of putting the knife hoarding on the back burner in favor of getting into knife making and leather work.

 

[Screwdriver]

I got a Buck 110 when I was 9 or 10. Then on my birthdays I would get a new knife, usually a Case or Buck. When I was mowing lawns and delivering newspapers I started buying mostly Case peanuts and some of their collector sets. At one time I even had the full Buck lineup and an official Buck retail desplay case that Al Buck sent me after I wrote him a letter.

As a teenager I sold it all for weed and other drugs.

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

My old man gave me one when I was seven. That was nearly 43 years ago. Been hooked ever since.

Side note.
I pulled that knife on a much older, much larger kid the first day of first grade. He left me alone after that. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Always carry a weapon.

That was the lesson to be learned?

 

[gadunz]

If you were carrying a knife to protect your terrier from bigger dogs, it must not have been a discreet folder, rather something that probably amounted to a small sword. Was that it, 😂!

Bear with me.
I was a at a wire netting/chain link enclosed dog park on the edge of town. My JRT went under the fence & into the scrub to hunt rabbits. I could've called him back at anytime.
A nice man arrived with a border collie. All good.
A delusional fool arrived with a pitbull & his daughters. His pitbull started ramming into the collies ribs, trying to provoke a fight.
Long argument short; the fool said "He's a Staffy & he's only playing".
I said "Control your dog".
He said "Shut up or I'll set him on you."
I pulled out my 6"fixed blade from sheath ,horizontally at back of belt, held it up & yelled "Do it".
He rings cops & said there's a madman threatening to kill his family. I was only gonna kill his dog in self defence.
I get a lazy lawyer & an ankle bracelet, not allowed to leave the house for 2 months tween 7pm & 7am. Made no difference; I'm in bed 20 hrs a day with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, playing computer games.
Post script- the fool & his family moved to smaller town surrounded by more farms .His pitbull was killed for attacking sheep.
the knife in question.

Length of Blade (inches) 6 1/4"
Over All Length (inches) 11"
Blade Shape General Purpose
Handle Material Mahogony and Brass
Steel Specifications 15N20
Blade Thickness (mm) 2.2mm
Sheath Leather
http://www.svord.com/index.php?id_product=9&controller=product
So now , instead of buying $200 knives I buy $11 secateurs from the supermarket, 1/3 each steel aluminium & plastic. Dispensable.
I stabbed an aggressive stray Shar pei in the back, which retreated, with secateurs, unfortunately missing kidney and spine.

 

[Dean Crail]

Grew up totally fascinated with Special Forces groups specifically the SEAL's so naturally I read all the Rogue Warrior books and Richard Marcinko carried a Emerson Knife so naturally I wanted to be like that and it is more socially acceptable for a 14 year old to spend summer job money on an Emerson than it is an MP5! I have been hopelessly addicted to knives since then.

 

[sethbradb]

I had ways carried a knife when I was younger. Being in Boy Scouts really aided to that. After I left Boy Scouts when I was 13 years old. I never really got into knives that much, I still carried one most days (when I wasn't in school). It wasn't until 2 years ago that I find my self not having any well made pocket knives. So I started looking around for a USA made knife that I now would last. Didn't know anything about steels or locks at the time. But I ended up buying an H&K Axis cause it was on sale. I got it and used it pretty extensively. Beat it up and it kept on working. When it got dull, so I looked up sharpening methods and systems. Then that's when everything blew up into what I have now. Now I'm into the hobby and I've explored the industry and learned a lot about knife steels and compositions of them. And I'm now looking into starting knife making but that's another conversation. From just one knife to over twenty of them. I love this hobby and I look forward to continuing it.

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