For the first time in probably twenty years, I've only been carrying an SAK, my new super tinker. At first I've felt naked not having a modern folder clipped to my pocket, but I'm​ getting used to it.
Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday I was at a water park hotel in Lake Geneva, birthday party for me with my 3 and 4 year old nephews. I only brought the SAK. I figured with the little ones around, it'd be too easy for them to open a modern folder and hurt themselves. I used the scissors more than anything, cutting off the water park wrist bands at the end of the day.
I'm very excited about the new knife, though it's still a new experience leaving my modern folders in the case. My primary reason for getting into traditional slipjoints is because I like how they look and are less likely to cause a problem if I need to cut something in public.
With the stupid blade length law in Chicago, the less attention drawn, the better.
Now I'm anxiously waiting for the mail.
I'm hoping not, or I may have some explaining to do, even if I'm no longer married.
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K.O.D., your post rings a few bells with me.
I've gravitated to smaller knives my whole life, one reason being that most of the menfolks in my life growing up in an age when cars had tail fins and James Dean was alive and rebelling, almost al carried a smallish two blade jack of some pattern or another. Serpintine jack, dogleg jack, equal end jack. The other reason was, grown cup in and around Washington D.C., knife laws were on the strict side. So many government buildings, so much scrutiny on what you carried in some places. Toss into that mix, a father who carried a small Case peanut, and that cemented things.
For a very brief period, I got int some larger knives, like large sodbusters by Eye-Brand and Case, some large lock blades like the Mercator K55 and large Puma's. Then I did a downsize and at first it seemed like I was under knifed. Especially when I started to carry a peanut. But the more I stuck it out, the more I got used to and noticed how the smaller blades really did everything a pocket knife was supposed to do. And the multi blade thing got me too used to having an extra blade to tool on hand. When I got into SAK's, I found it hard to go with a "regular" knife anymore. It got very handy to have a few basic tools in the pocket on a small pocketable package. A screw driver was very nice, and scissors are so handy that when you need them, nothing else will really do. Especially if theres kids around.
Even now living in Texas, having moved from my high restrictive state of Maryland, I'm still carrying small traditional pocket knives and SAK's. Just too handy to go without. The kids are all grown and gone now, but that leaves grandkids, and our youngest is visiting from California for spring break. We needed to replace some batteries on one of her electronic do-hickies, and it was nice just stopping by a convenience store for two AAA batteries, and using the little screw driver on a keychain SAK to remove the battery cover and stick in the new ones and screw back the cover and we were on the way. I don't think a so called tactical one hander would have done the job.
I think there is a very good reason the traditional pocket knives and SAK's have stood up to the test of centuries. They do flat out work for a very wide variety of situations. The more you use the traditional's the more you will come to appreciate the increased real estate in the pocket, and the easy way they cut, and the low profile of the tool. Someday, a year from now, or two years from now, you find yourself selling off the 'other' knives.
