Knives of the amish

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FarmKid

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Jun 7, 2012
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We recently stayed on a working dairy farm with an amish family in mt hope Ohio. I noticed that the amish liked case and leatherman knives. Patterns vary and they don't care what type of steel. They mostly carry trappers and medium stockmans. I picked a pocketworn medium stockman while I was there and a new pair of red wings. Both was cheap!
 
Interesting...I wouldn't have pictured them using mass produced knives...especially more complex devices like Leathermans. I guess it makes sense; I just would have thought that they made their own.
 
Well I don't know bout the ultra conservative swartzies group but the other orders are more like us then people realize. The farm I stayed on used skid loaders and a tractor to use a mix wagon to feed silage with but chopped corn with horses and rolled hay with horses. Used natural gas for lighting and a converted ford motor to run their milk parlor. And they just loved case knives especially bone handled. The store had a fairly decent size display. Just 4 patterns in yellow tho. Trapper, sodbuster, medium stockman, and slimline trapper. They said that peanuts and knives under 3 inches just didn sell.
 
Mighty interesting topic/thread. Thanks, FarmKid. I too was a bit surprised by the Leathermans.

-- Mark
 
Around here they shop and buy what is available around them. And do hire vans with drivers to take them places. Besides small farm related & local businesses, you'll see them at Walmart, etc., Flea Markets, Auctions and Antique Shops & Outlets.

I like and respect the Amish. :)
 
I don't see why they would'nt like Leatherman tools,they come in mighty handy.-Jim
 
Django.cj said:
Interesting...I wouldn't have pictured them using mass produced knives...especially more complex devices like Leathermans. I guess it makes sense; I just would have thought that they made their own.
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Not a surprise once you've seen the Amish, doing their cutting with Chainsaws. More complex cutting tool than the Leatherman, that starts every time you go to use it. Chainsaws: Not so much. :D
 
Very interesting, FarmKid! I've also noticed when visiting back home in Indiana that the local Amish there seem to like bone-handled Case pocketknives as well. Can't fault their logic with that! I agree with them!

Regards,
Ron
 
Well locals say that they buy quality but don't go over board with things. They buy things then don't buy more unless needed. They like the amber bone and pocketworn the best.
 
I have seen the stores being worked by Amish from a local community. So I guess them using leathermans makes sense. I have never really thought about it though. Good post.
 
I live in Pennsylvania. So, I've run into the Amish quite a bit. Like Farmkid said, some Amish are very conservative and others are pretty much "normal". I've gone into the country and run into some that only speak Dutch. Also, I've seen Amish on cell phones.
 
FarmKid said:
Well locals say that they buy quality but don't go over board with things. They buy things then don't buy more unless needed. They like the amber bone and pocketworn the best.
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They've got those priorities right, Amber Bone is one of CASE's nicest:thumbup:
 
One would think that would love the yellow handles bc of price. Mayb the yellow is too much. But like I posted earlier fit and finish isn't a big issue nor is steel. Bc what knives I seen them using was well worn work knives. The amish has a lot of u.s. pride and knows what's going on in the world. I bet GEC would be a hit with them if under 50$.
 
Well, it's not like they're chipping flint or anything. Contrast their occasional use of fossil fuels with our throwaway likestyles.
 
We visit the Lancaster area pretty often, and I wondered about their knives (of course :D) Now that I think about it, it doesn't surprise me that they use Case knives.
 
Well I'm not saying case is the only knife they use bc I've seen sum with schrades, bucks, and rough riders. Seen sum younger guys with expensive taticals. But most feed stores and hardware stores carry cases and I guess it's just convinent when they go to town just pick one up.
 
There is a knife shop in very close proximity to the Amish community in Lancaster, on a main thoroughfare used by the Amish. They usually have some good tools. Nothing flashy, just a well made tool. Someone mentioned they have one knife and use the heck out of it. Sounds about right. I get my stamen winesap apples from one farm, a couple bushels, a little east of Lancaster every fall. I've seen the owner with a sodbuster before. Couldn't tell what brand. Lots of Mennonites at the flea market, I've talked about knife collecting with them too. They are just tools to the Amish I've talked with.

Farmkid, did you see what kind of cutlery they used other than pocket knives? Butcher knives, any fixed blade knives, axes, scythes etc?
 
Not surprising to me in the slightest. Almost every Amish/Mennonite man I have seen has a Leatherman on his belt (or pants, if he isn't wearing a belt), usually a Wave from what I've seen. Haven't seen their pocketknives, but it makes a lot of sense that they would carry Case. They are a strong, hardworking people, and Case makes a strong, hardworking knife.
 
We don't have any Amish in my area that I am aware of but we do have a large population of Mennonites. If you saw one of the men in town, you wouldn't know he was a Mennonite - no difference in dress, etc.. The women however, wear bonnets and ankle length, full, dresses. They all drive vehicles - vans, cars, trucks, tractors, you name it. The man who my wife buys vegetables from wears a leather, Leatherman sheath on his belt - the older, narrow, 3/4"-square kind.

They also hunt. Every year on the way to town as we pass a Mennonite farm, there is one or more deer hanging/aging in their barn alcove.
 
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