When we moved to Texas in 2015, the 55 plus neighborhood we bought in had a breakfast club. I should say, an old farts breakfast club. The fellow old retired guys would need for breakfast every Thursday morning for the BS and tall tales meeting, as well as discussing neighborhood issues. Its quiet a collection of characters.
On in particular I got to be friends with is Howard. An old time born and raised Texan that has worked in the oil fields, as a ranch hand, and general rough neck and roust about. He knows how to do a lot of things from installing a gas water heater to a top end job on an engine, to installing new kitchen counters. A very handy guy to know, once you understand what the heck he's saying. He has a west Texas drawl that you need a cement trowel to deal with. No, thats not right, maybe a coal shovel.
Howard is old school. Very old school. Like with guns, he's still using a single action Colt .45. None of those new fangled semi autos for him. He doesn't even like a double acton revolver, got to be a single action. Maybe its the cowboy heritage, Howard certainly looks the part. Like a badly weathered creased Ed Harris, he looks like he's made of old rawhide and barb wire. In Texas speak, that's pronounced "Bob-whar." Howard's Colt looks the part as well, lkemaybe its been through a few sand storms and gritty holsters, a lot of blue is gone leaving a soft silvery looking revolver. But we've been to the range and I'll testify that Howard is dead nuts accurate with that old .45.
Howard also thinks its just silly to spend more than 10 dollars on a pocket knife that he's going to toss in the trash in a year or two. Howard grew up using those old shell handle Imperials that the five and dime store sold for about the same price as a small nail clipper. When they because a thing of the past, he went to the little Buck mini Buck lock blade. He'd use them up by heavy use and stropping on whatever was at hand right now. A iron railing, a smooth stone from the creek he's fishing, the sole of the cowboy boot he's got on his foot, anything. He says he wears out or breaks the mini Bucks in a year or two.
One of Howard's quirks is, he wants a knife small enough that it drops in his watch pocket of his jeans with room to spare and not make a bulge that is annoying reaching into the right hand main pocket. Thats where Howard carries his .38 double barrel derringer. In other words about a 3 inch closed size, or less. Little pen knife size. We got to talking about knives once and his comment was sooooo typical of the old timers like Howard. He said "Well chicken piss, if I'm goin huntin, I'll carry a huntin knife. For fishin, I got a fishin knife. The penknife in my pocket is just for whatever little thing I gotta cut." With Howard, that could mean anything from stripping wire for an electrical job, to breaking down a cardboard box for the recycle bin or cutting off the end of the cigars he likes.
Then some 10 years ago, Howard was on the hunt for a new knife. His old Buck mini Buck with the black plastic handles broke and he needed another "penknife." At Walmart he didn't find the mini Buck like he was used to, they were out of stock. They had some other knives that were too big, and a few other small enough knives, but they were made in China, and Howard won't buy a Chinese knife, even if it has the Buck brand on it. And it had to be 10 dollars or less. Preferably less, as it was going to be tossed when "used up" as Howard out it. Then the clerk showed him a classic. it was small enough, had one blade, which is all Howard says he needs, and he was intrigued by the little screw driver tip on the nail file as he saw it as maybe not breaking his blade prying something. The scissors he was moot about but thought they could be useful. Only trouble was, it was not madden U.S.A.. But the Walmart clerk deserved to have a medal pined on him. He told Howard that Switzerland was neutral, and definitely not a communist country. A miracle happened and Howard bought a 'foreign' made knife.
Over the next year or two, Howard used the ever lovin dog poo out of that poor little classic. It cut, sniped, screwed, and actually held together. It stripped wire for soldering, and it pleased Howard with its ability to deal with small Phillips screws. Howard had never had a small SAK before, and it was a revelation to him. He even used the scissors for cutting fine copper 'whar" as Howard's Texas drawl put it. A handle cracked off so Howard put some epoxy on it and stuck it back on and kept on going. After almost two years it was a wreck, and true to his nature, Howard went to Walmart and bought a new classic. They were a little over 10 dollars by this time but Howard got it. He likes how it has more capability than his old single blade Mini Buck, even if its a two dollars more in price.
The Victorinox classic became Howard's new disposable knife.
Howard is amazed at how people will spend 30 or even 40 dollars for a pocket knife. To Howard and some of his generation, a pocket knife is a disposable item that gets used up. I showed him my executive and he was like "oh hell's bells son, I can buy three of these little things for that price. Thirty four dollars. jeez Louise."
I guess its all in where you are coming from and how you grew up.
On in particular I got to be friends with is Howard. An old time born and raised Texan that has worked in the oil fields, as a ranch hand, and general rough neck and roust about. He knows how to do a lot of things from installing a gas water heater to a top end job on an engine, to installing new kitchen counters. A very handy guy to know, once you understand what the heck he's saying. He has a west Texas drawl that you need a cement trowel to deal with. No, thats not right, maybe a coal shovel.
Howard is old school. Very old school. Like with guns, he's still using a single action Colt .45. None of those new fangled semi autos for him. He doesn't even like a double acton revolver, got to be a single action. Maybe its the cowboy heritage, Howard certainly looks the part. Like a badly weathered creased Ed Harris, he looks like he's made of old rawhide and barb wire. In Texas speak, that's pronounced "Bob-whar." Howard's Colt looks the part as well, lkemaybe its been through a few sand storms and gritty holsters, a lot of blue is gone leaving a soft silvery looking revolver. But we've been to the range and I'll testify that Howard is dead nuts accurate with that old .45.
Howard also thinks its just silly to spend more than 10 dollars on a pocket knife that he's going to toss in the trash in a year or two. Howard grew up using those old shell handle Imperials that the five and dime store sold for about the same price as a small nail clipper. When they because a thing of the past, he went to the little Buck mini Buck lock blade. He'd use them up by heavy use and stropping on whatever was at hand right now. A iron railing, a smooth stone from the creek he's fishing, the sole of the cowboy boot he's got on his foot, anything. He says he wears out or breaks the mini Bucks in a year or two.
One of Howard's quirks is, he wants a knife small enough that it drops in his watch pocket of his jeans with room to spare and not make a bulge that is annoying reaching into the right hand main pocket. Thats where Howard carries his .38 double barrel derringer. In other words about a 3 inch closed size, or less. Little pen knife size. We got to talking about knives once and his comment was sooooo typical of the old timers like Howard. He said "Well chicken piss, if I'm goin huntin, I'll carry a huntin knife. For fishin, I got a fishin knife. The penknife in my pocket is just for whatever little thing I gotta cut." With Howard, that could mean anything from stripping wire for an electrical job, to breaking down a cardboard box for the recycle bin or cutting off the end of the cigars he likes.
Then some 10 years ago, Howard was on the hunt for a new knife. His old Buck mini Buck with the black plastic handles broke and he needed another "penknife." At Walmart he didn't find the mini Buck like he was used to, they were out of stock. They had some other knives that were too big, and a few other small enough knives, but they were made in China, and Howard won't buy a Chinese knife, even if it has the Buck brand on it. And it had to be 10 dollars or less. Preferably less, as it was going to be tossed when "used up" as Howard out it. Then the clerk showed him a classic. it was small enough, had one blade, which is all Howard says he needs, and he was intrigued by the little screw driver tip on the nail file as he saw it as maybe not breaking his blade prying something. The scissors he was moot about but thought they could be useful. Only trouble was, it was not madden U.S.A.. But the Walmart clerk deserved to have a medal pined on him. He told Howard that Switzerland was neutral, and definitely not a communist country. A miracle happened and Howard bought a 'foreign' made knife.
Over the next year or two, Howard used the ever lovin dog poo out of that poor little classic. It cut, sniped, screwed, and actually held together. It stripped wire for soldering, and it pleased Howard with its ability to deal with small Phillips screws. Howard had never had a small SAK before, and it was a revelation to him. He even used the scissors for cutting fine copper 'whar" as Howard's Texas drawl put it. A handle cracked off so Howard put some epoxy on it and stuck it back on and kept on going. After almost two years it was a wreck, and true to his nature, Howard went to Walmart and bought a new classic. They were a little over 10 dollars by this time but Howard got it. He likes how it has more capability than his old single blade Mini Buck, even if its a two dollars more in price.
The Victorinox classic became Howard's new disposable knife.
Howard is amazed at how people will spend 30 or even 40 dollars for a pocket knife. To Howard and some of his generation, a pocket knife is a disposable item that gets used up. I showed him my executive and he was like "oh hell's bells son, I can buy three of these little things for that price. Thirty four dollars. jeez Louise."
I guess its all in where you are coming from and how you grew up.
