knife memories

[shaldag]

I was thinking about the knives that I had when I was a teenager (late 60's-early 70s).

Back then there were a few knids of knives that we could get:

Really cheap ones, found in pawnshops, or when we went to Mexico, switchblades.

Slipjoints from Western, Imperial, etc bought at the sporting goods counter at Target.

What we regarded as "premium knives" back then were a few brands that I can recall: Victorinox, Case, Buck, Puma, and Gerber. I also had a DH Russell belt knife that I loved--great camping knife, even though all of my friends made fun of it's shape. They said it looked like a kitchen knife.

Back then, my friends and I used to pride ourselves on sharpening ability. Of course, we know nothing about burrs and such, but we did have the basics down. I remember saving for a Buck honing kit and a Gerber steel.

Our consensus back then was that Western and Imperial knives were not "sharp out of the box", and they were of less quality than the others.

You could get a sharper edge on a Puma knife than a Buck, but the Buck would hold its edge longer.

I discovered Gerber a little later. They were the sharpest things around. One reason was that they recommended sharpeing at an angle of 15 degrees, as opposed to 20 degrees recommended by Buck and Puma. Or maybe it was their "high-speed tool steel" that they used.

I always had a slipjoint in my pocket. Always. Sometimes a SAK, sometimes a Buck or Puma. I also carried more than one, even back then. Most kids that I know carried at least one knife.

I remember discovering lockbacks--I found a Gerber with a brass handle and wood inlays that I carried for years. I could flick that blade out as fast as any of my Mexican switchblades would open. (that knife, among others, went with me -through college, and into the military service.) I also remeber that my mother gave me a gift one year of a little Gerber "Silver Knight" (I think they were called that) with walnut scales.

I still have most of these knives. I still have most of these memories, too.

My mom says that I was fascinated by knives as a very young child.
I might be a slightly older child now--
but I haven't changed.


Not in that regard.

Not one d@mn bit.

Anyone else car to share their childhood knife memories? Or perhaps correnct some of mine, which may be blurred by the murky waters of time?

 

[Daniel Dorn]

I remember my dad always having a pocket knife. Usually it was one he found 'on site' in construction, and had a broken tip on one of the blades. My mom got Fingerhut catalogs and there were these 99c pages with all sorts of junk that a 8-10yr old would love. I ordered my first SAK from them, along with a solar-powered key chain light, and some marbles. They also had the cheap Buck 110 knock-offs and my brothers got those. Those knives were used and lost in the woods behind my house.

A teenage neighbor introduced us to real martial arts knives (PC Balisong) and Sai's as well as "Nun-chucks." A bit later (when I was around 12) I found a Rambo-style survival knife with the compass and sharpening stone, and the survival kit with fish hooks, sinkers, etc. in the hollow handle. That was actually a fairly decent knife for $13, and lasted until at least graduation. By then I had found a few decent Frost knives, and was always the guy to ask, for a knife in school. Although we weren't supposed to carry, I had one teacher who was always borrowing my pocket knife. My favorite was a Frost Coon Skinner with bone handle and a hand-scrimmed eagle on one side. For $25, that was a major purchase for me. I always admired the Gerbers in the case at Wal-Mart, but never had the cash to get the Gator that looked so cool.

College opened many doors, and lots of things changed...

Daniel

 

[edgetrip]

I remember spending lots of time as a pre-teen and teenager, mid eighties to early nineties lusting after knives I couldn't afford. I read everything I could get my hands on and knew a lot but never had any money. Going to a gunshow around age 13 or so and seeing and getting to handle a cold steel tanto is a vivid memeroy that was recently brought back to the front of my mind as I just traded for that knife and a magnum tanto from the eighties... they are still awesome knives and I am thrilled to own them even if it did take me afew years to save up the money;-)> I remember spending hours in our local "cutlery Shoppe" talking with the manager while my Mom wandered the mall. He was a very nice guy and was willing to talk knives even with a 12 year old. A few years later I bought my first quality knife from him, a SOG tomcat, which IMO is still an awesome mega folder long before there was such a term.

 

[tom19176]

I remember the old Westbury sales Co knives that I bought many of. I also had my Dad bring me to the city to buy knives and fishing equipment from various stores. I recently found a local cutlery stand that had a ton of Westbury Sales stuff NIB...I spent a ton getting about 25 pcs....memories....

 

[STEVENKIM]

The pivotable SAK and the Rambo knife really sparked my interests as a child. However the very first knife I actually got was a SAK Economy camper when I was 15 for a canoe trip.

In my junior year or college, I purchased a Swisstool for the army.

Senior year, I had money to blow. Busse, SAK and Spyderco saw alot of business from me that year.

 

[WarRaven]

If i remeber correctly, i was given my first Case knife in around 74-75, then a year later my first long gun.

I sat for days trying my skills to sharpen that case, dad gave a ol puck stone and used to spit on it for lube, going in circles for ever an ever.

I finally go the hang of that puck, took awhile wore down the shorter blade learning but i did get it in the end.

Yeah, back then it was a rite of pasage still to own a knife, gun and maybe a good ronsol lighter.(I had the Sportsman see through ronsol when i started smoking, the one with the fly fish hook inside.)

I also was introdued to Bowie styled knife, my first one had the leather multi -colored warpped handle, and a blade with really high polish,it'd rust on sight, but would sharpen up like a straight razor.The handle material turned me off, i did not get another one like until the mid 80's and it had a i believe Delrin on it, i loved that one.

When i got around to buying my own knives, i turned to Buck and Gerber.
Not sure what happened to my gerbers,but my bucks, i had a few, i would buy one and use it,someone would see it an want to buy or trade me something for it, and i usually came out on top of the deals.

First one i got a hand made heavy leather jacket with winter liner and top quality stitchings out of mexico.for a regular ol buck.

So back i'd go an get another one, the 110's.

I became less then happy with the weight on a daily carry and found Schrade, then thier LB5 and LB7 came home with me, then a finger knife from Old timer, then i bought a pile of schrades for present to the senoirs in my family, my dad to this day still has stockman, and man is that thing a razor.

He proudly shows me it every time i show him a new one i have bought. then he says, my ol carbon still sharper, and untill the Benchamdes and others came into my life , he was right.

Now we have so many to choose from in the morning, its a pain almost, and sometimes feel guilty for leaving a favorite at home to get another some more pocket time.

I guess i just need more pockets lol.


WR

 

[tim8557]

I recall buying my first knife when I was probably 8 to 10 years old back in the 50's. It was a fixed blade, probably a 4" or 5" blade. How I ever convinced my Mom to let me buy it, I don't know. (Maybe that's why I've always been good in sales).

Anyway, saved my paper route money which was 10 cents per week per customer and plunked down about $ 6.00 at Mills Hardware in Perrysburg, Ohio. I was the happiest guy on the block; playing "splits" (I think Lavan or someone called it "mumbly peg") at recess at school (can you imagine packing a 5" blade at grade school today?).

My oldest son found that knife when we were cleaning out my folks house after my mom's passing. It brought back a lot of memories. He liked it so much (this was back in the Rambo era) that he asked for it.

Today, no one knows where it went.

 

[Confederate]

You can still pick up switchblades on the Internet direct from Italy. I'm not sure about the legality, but based on the customer comments I'm guessing that owning them may be legal in many places, but carrying them is not. Still other places I'm sure you can't event think about switchblades.

With all the easy open knives on the market, I tend to think of all switchblade laws as a bit of a throwback. (Criminals don't tend to use them anyway.)

I also remember seeing a lot of switchblades when I was in junior high and high school. Kids were always showing them. Now the school would cut off their heads and post them on spears outside the front gate -- just beyond the metal detectors.