I think I am the odd one here

[monstrum]

My favorite and most often carried is my Camillus scout knife. Although I do edc a sak a sod Jr or a trapper every so often

 

[Rsmith_77]

Don't miss an opportunity that may vanish any day now. Every family has a black sheep, including mine, and time will brunt the worst of the nightmare. My Uncle Pat, dad's middle brother was an incurable alcoholic and thief. To support his drinking, he'd steal from family members to get the money for a pint of cheap whisky. In his later life, he hated himself for being the person he had been, to the extent of putting a bullet through his head. His suicide note begged forgiveness from those he hurt, and expressed his shame so great he could'nt look any of them agains. He was a sick man who need got the help he needed, and died for it. Forgiveness is sometimes a very hard thing to do, but not impossible. Talk to him, pick his brain about his life, you will find he's very willing to talk about it. Getting to know the person may eventually give insight into that persons behavior. Many times, forgiveness is not possible until understanding the person comes about. At 92, you don't have much time. You may find once past the ugly thing, there is a person you'll be glad to know. Human beings are like a coin, there's two sides to everyone. Sometimes the other side can be ugly.

Carl.

Oh while i certainly agree with you in principle, and i suspected someone would give this or very similar advice, i wonder if you would feel the same if i told you what he had done. While your Uncle Pat's story is certain sad and made worse by the ending, I think the actions of my grandfather are on a magnitude of ..much worse...
Are there actions that cannot be forgiven? God forgives, for he is Perfect Love (Hey it IS Easter!) but we are just human...

To be clear, the actions taken did not affect me personally, or rather i should say directly.... But i dont know if I am the type of person that can forgive these sorts of behaviors. I actually wonder what sort of man i would be if i DID forgive these behaviors.

And still being vague and cryptic lol sorry

 

[jackknife]

Oh while i certainly agree with you in principle, and i suspected someone would give this or very similar advice, i wonder if you would feel the same if i told you what he had done. While your Uncle Pat's story is certain sad and made worse by the ending, I think the actions of my grandfather are on a magnitude of ..much worse...
Are there actions that cannot be forgiven? God forgives, for he is Perfect Love (Hey it IS Easter!) but we are just human...

To be clear, the actions taken did not affect me personally, or rather i should say directly.... But i dont know if I am the type of person that can forgive these sorts of behaviors. I actually wonder what sort of man i would be if i DID forgive these behaviors.

And still being vague and cryptic lol sorry

Well, there's that other side of the coin; in the end, we all have to make the decision of what we do, according to our own code of ethics and decency, all by ourselves. Only we can decide what's right for us to do.

 

[Rsmith_77]

Well, there's that other side of the coin; in the end, we all have to make the decision of what we do, according to our own code of ethics and decency, all by ourselves. Only we can decide what's right for us to do.

thank you. It is a difficult decision. The people involved say they forgive him because he is family and If THEY can forgive him, then i should be able to as well. To date, I have not been able to.

I am old enough to understand that there are few things in this world that are PURE good or PURE evil. So there are things that i miss, opportunities that i know i are slipping away as i sit here and type and family that will be gone all to soon. It is a difficult thing to be sure and I know I am going to have regrets regardless of what decision I come to. If i forgive, what does that say about me that I can forgive these behaviors that are so abhorrent to me and my own code of ethics and decency. If I do not, what will be lost that cannot ever be regained...

this being grown up stinks at times

 

[TLARbb]

Don't know if you're in the minority or not, but you are in a sizable group regardless. My favorite small pocketknife is the mini copperhead.

It's like a pen with a wharcliffe main. Now I like the "jack knife" configuration, too. I've been wanting to try something smallish like a pen. I actually tend toward smaller rather than larger knives. Something like this has been a favorite in the past (and present too):

Ed J

 

[Rsmith_77]

I always enjoy your mini-copperhead pics, such beautiful knives.
still i do prefer my knives in carbon steel (CV)and i just wish they would make these in cv!

blue bone, cv steel...yeah i'd be all over that

this is what i have been working with recently

 

[TLARbb]

That sure looks like a great little knife. A lot of resemblance to the MCH in the handle shape. Or maybe it's the other way around. I'd love to see a stag rancher CV or saw cut amber bone CV version. I'd be all over either one or both.

Ed J

 

[Halfneck]

TLARbb - that Case Mini-Copperhead is a beaut. Really like the swedge of the main blade. There's another I wish Case would offer in CV steel

 

[Will Power]

Yes, very nice to see these Mini Copperhead Wharncliffes. So much so I ordered one last week in a new bone, Root Beer and I'm eagerly anticipating its arrival (to Europe so that could be a while gnash!) I'm one of those types who doesn't mind stainless on a knife at all, but I often think CASE Trusharp looks better in the matte form rather than crocus style.

Regards, Will

 

[DrPenguin]

Gotta agree with Rsmith and willgoy, those mini-copperheads are just plain enticing.

The owl is my go to and I always loved the cigar style knives, so I am set. But I have to tell you that that mini-copperhead shape is so unique that it takes the pen knife to a very high level. Done right there aren't many knives that outshine a copperhead for looks.

Will

 

[Raymond1000]

Well, I sorta feel like I took a big step tonight.

Been thinking about that pen knife my grandfather used to carry when i was a kid, and so tonight, I texted my mother and mentioned that if he still had it, and none of my uncles had claimed it, i would like to have that little pen knife, if he was willing. My mother said she would ask him (he is still kicking at 92 years old).

This is a big step for me, i havent spoken to the man in nearly a decade, i think every family has a black sheep and I was 25 years old when i discovered it was my maternal grandfather. What he did is way to personal to speak on in a public forum like this (no offense, i love you guys!) but needless to say he went from being one of my heroes to the type of person I despise the most. I understand he is my grandfather, and I suppose I will always love him but I don't like him and I certainly hate the things that he has done.

Part of me realizes that he is advanced in years and when he is gone, he is gone forever. I realize I have an opportunity that many of the folks here on these forums would love to have, to pick the brain of a man born in 1922) But I am just not sure I can look past his actions, but maybe this will be something to remember fondly years down the line.

Anyways, just thought I would share (albeit in a rather cryptic manner).

There are carpenters who spend thirty years learning the trade. There are carpenters who spend one year learning the trade, repeated thirty times.

You are distaining potential treasure. There are few things as valuable as lessons learned from bad mistakes. Talk to the man now, while you have the chance. Find out what kind of learner he is.

By the by, what kind of learner are you?

Your grandfather is close kin. You grew up loving him. You can still love him, without condoning his actions. Who knows? Given a different throw of the dice, you might have lived his life. There’s a reason we still say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

If you cannot forgive, you are stuck. Stuck in your life of unforgiving judgment.

 

[bdev]

Here's a Case Eisenhower that I just received. Made in 1993. 3 1/8".

 

[iahunter3]

A big step indeed, I can only hope that one day I will be able to pass on my pen to someone special as my grandfather passed his to me.
Funny story, he went to Denmark to see his family land while in his 40's. Wanted to bring back something from there as a memento of his trip. He bought a pen knife which he realized when he got home had "made in Germany" stamped on the main blade. I carry that pen only special occasions now.

I carry my pen knife everyday. Even if I'm in the field carrying a fixed blade and another folder, the pen is always in my pocket. It is always the first to get sharpened and the first to get "steak duty". I wasn't sure it was the right one when I bought it (Buffalo Northfield #33), but the horn and the patina gain character everyday.

 

[Rsmith_77]

There are carpenters who spend thirty years learning the trade. There are carpenters who spend one year learning the trade, repeated thirty times.

You are distaining potential treasure. There are few things as valuable as lessons learned from bad mistakes. Talk to the man now, while you have the chance. Find out what kind of learner he is.

By the by, what kind of learner are you?

Your grandfather is close kin. You grew up loving him. You can still love him, without condoning his actions. Who knows? Given a different throw of the dice, you might have lived his life. There’s a reason we still say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

If you cannot forgive, you are stuck. Stuck in your life of unforgiving judgment.

I am listening, even if it takes me a bit to respond. I am "processing".
I understand the situation I am in...i know when he is gone, thats it, he is gone. And I am sure I will have regrets if that happens.
The worse part is, he is denying blame in the face of overwhelming proof and evidence. He was convicted but since he was in his 80s at the time, they decided to leave him on house arrest rather than put him in prison. Yet he still trying to squirrel blame away from himself.

I know, this is going to have to be my decision, and I appreciate you all letting me use you as a sounding board. I am not disregarding your advice though, as I said, i am processing

and on a cheerier note, i got a new hat

 

[Mora2013]

When tlarbb posted his mini copperhead, I thought it was my knife briefly.

I just got it a week ago. I'm really happy I have it because it's enough knife for my edc while being pocketable.

I feel that I'm still pretty new to knives, and have a fixed blade and a few bigger folders for home/garage work. But for edc, I greatly prefer the smaller, thinner overall package. If its not comfortable carry, I don't carry it. And pocket space is at a premium these days with the addition of a phone, keys, and wallet.

 

[jackknife]

When tlarbb posted his mini copperhead, I thought it was my knife briefly.

I just got it a week ago. I'm really happy I have it because it's enough knife for my edc while being pocketable.

I feel that I'm still pretty new to knives, and have a fixed blade and a few bigger folders for home/garage work. But for edc, I greatly prefer the smaller, thinner overall package. If its not comfortable carry, I don't carry it. And pocket space is at a premium these days with the addition of a phone, keys, and wallet.

Man, I gotta admit that if I were not such a peanut fan for personal reasons that include my dad, I'd be a cult leader for the mini copperhead! Beautiful little knives. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[eisman]

I prefer my knife to be approximately 3.5". With a jack configuration that gives me a main blade of 3" (sometimes more). With a single spring it gives me a slimmer profile. It's kind of a trade off. I do find I prefer symetrical patterns (Congress, Equal end, etc.) and two blades more than anything else. Luckily there's a lot of variations that we can all have fun with.

 

[Rsmith_77]

Man, I gotta admit that if I were not such a peanut fan for personal reasons that include my dad, I'd be a cult leader for the mini copperhead! Beautiful little knives. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

lol even with those shiny shiny stainless blades??