Long Overdue GAW

[tman038]

*******WINNER ANNOUNCED at bottom of thread*********

Hey guys, I have been a member of this awesome community for a while now. I have learned so much from all of you that it’s about time I give back a little something.

It’s obvious that we are all big knife fans here. I thought it would be cool to find out some history as to what helped you become such a fan of knives. What was the first knife you owned that started your like/love/obsession for steel and what is the story behind it? I am asking that this be limited to one smallish paragraph each. If you have a picture of the knife, even better. Throw up a pic of said knife with one of your favorite Beckers or the Becker alone if you no longer have the other knife.

This is NOT a Beckerhead only contest but I do ask that you:
A.) are a PAYING member of Bladeforums (minimum- Basic Member $10.00 for 1 year) AND that you have at least 25 posts here in the BK&T sub forum at the time this GAW begins in order to participate.
B.) start the post with "I'm in" then your entry.

I am sorry if this offends anyone but this is something I want to go to someone who is a fan of Becker knives and who helps to support this great knife community we have here at BFC.

This is geared towards U.S. residents but if a person from outside of the U.S. wins, we can discuss shipping options at that time. Please be aware and adhere to all local and federal knife laws. This will only go to a minor with approval from a parent or guardian. The winner will either be picked by a random generator or by drawing names from a hat in 2 weeks, depending on participation.

As for the prize, the winner will receive a "like new" Camillus Becker BK11 with Cryptoglow (pretty sure non-glowing) scales!! Yes, the one with the Saber grind….I will update with pics.



I will get the ball rolling. The one knife that did it for me was a small Finnish Puuko knife given to me by my Dad when I was about 8-9 years old. We lived on Long Island and would go upstate NY to visit my Uncle at his cabin. I used to clip it to my belt and go out exploring the woods with my Dad and my sister. I have great memories carving sticks and catching frogs around the lake. My dad gave one to my sister as well but it didn’t
leave the same impression on her as it did me. That is the first knife I owned that I truly loved and still love today. Well that’s it. Have fun and let’s see what interesting stories we will discover. Thanks for looking. Enjoy.

 

[mountainmist]

I'm in! thanks!

The knife that really started it all was a Mora Companion. I got it when I was 11, although I got my first knife when I was 3, I never really started to understand knives till the Mora. I loved that knife, still do. As soon as I got it I sharpened it, which at the time was dulling it do to my non-existing skill. I then started to research how to sharpen it, and learned about scandi, FFg, flat, and convex. I also learned abut steel and HT. I started looking for a replacement for my sawback 'chete and looked at some of KA-bars offerings, and the bk9........Now look at me!

Thanks so much!

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

I'm in!

My parents actually reminded me that I've been into knives for as long as anyone can remember. When I was 4, my parents caught me sharpening a twig into a knife-shape, in fact, on some concrete. They dropped off a bunch of my efforts a few months ago, so I've got tons of sharpened popsicle sticks and the like in my shop to remind me that I've been into knives for most of my life. I honestly couldn't tell you if there was a particular knife that got it all started, or if I just popped out of the womb this way.

Some of my favorites firsts have been Ka-bars, such as the Kabar Kukri Machete, and the BK11, which was my first Becker, and making scales for it was what got me into knifemaking (again, evidently). I wouldn't be surprised if the Ka-bar USMC knife had a major role in my love for knives and swords and steel.

Pics to come.

 

[tanglediver]

Ah yes, I'm in.

The weekly newspaper delivery gig didn't pay much, but I sent off for a mail order knife out of a magazine. It was a sheath knife that was a jewel of salesmanship to behold! Clip point, fake wood scales, pot metal eagle head on the end of the handle, stag deer printed on the blade (that washed off), paper thin leather sheath, and as thin a blade as a cheap fillet knife. The handle snapped off at my first serious attempt at wood carving.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..... I am not sure that I ever learned my lesson.

 

[Darksidedenny]

I'm in...

[/URL][/IMG]
Here s what started all this madness...most kids in france get to have an opinel as first knife as well as a lighter and of course,shoe laces in your pocket.got my first opinel when i probably was 7,8 maybe....we use to "customixe" them,like removing the wood varnish and tint them different degree of darkness with walnut rub.bring back lots of memories.
Thanx for the chance.
Denny

 

[worldwood]

Awesome GAW, thanks for the chance bud. Love that saber 11!!.

If this post wins, Id like the knife to go to Jonny1280, Congrats on the upcoming baby.

Well the knife that really got this hobby started for me wasnt my first knife, or my 10th, and it had less to do with the knife itself and more to do with the camaraderie and awesome members here. It was my first few days on the forums and Moose trapped me here with this awesome BK2... Not sure how he got Ethan to engrave it and ship it to a nobody newbie, i might not want to know either LMAO.. But it was done.. And then the rest was all DOWN hill from there LMAO

 

[Chalet]

I'm in.

What started me into the world of knives is an interesting story, and a fond one to me - it involves my paternal grandfather who died in 2006. I grew up in a household where dangerous things like knives were inappropriate for children, in fact my dad didn't like me having toy guns or anything. I was born when my parents were very young, and after a few years my mom wasn't around much. My dad finished school and then went to law school, and when he went to class sometimes we went with him and sometimes we stayed with his parents, and we always stayed with them Saturday mornings. Saturdays from as little as I can really remember I laid on my grandpa and watched documentaries on the History Channel - before it turned to shows that have nothing to do with history. Pretty often my grandpa would tell me stories about where he grew up, a farm on the gulf of Mexico, and of course this would've included stories about knives, hunting, fishing, riding horses (this was rural Texas in the 50's - not many people had cars). Well one time he was cooking and he cut some stuff up and decided that the knife he was using wasn't sharp enough and taught me how to sharpen them using this plastic sharpener with two little ceramic stones in it, I've never seen one like it since, and that one has been lost some time through the years, but I used it to sharpen my first knife, a Buck pocket knife of some sort. So it wasn't really a knife that started the passion, it was being able to sharpen said knife like my grandpa, and my grandpa making me feel like carrying a knife is a normal thing to do. Had one on me ever since. Lost the Buck knife at some point too, along a bike trail nearby (I suspect that's where I lost it).

 

[zzyzzogeton]

I posted the story earlier in another thread, but here goes... (and this is the reason I carry TWO fixed blades everyday....)

Back in 1965, shortly before he was diagnosed with kidney cancer, my grandfather and I were working on a combine when his left shirt sleeve got caught in one of the drive chains. He calmly pulled out the Kabar fixed blade on his hip , cut off the sleeve and said "that's why you carry a fixed blade" and in my 12-13 y.o. naivete, asked "what if it had been your other arm?" He just gave me a funny look, walked over to the tractor, turned it off and said "let's go". We drove 3 miles to the Western Auto in town to get a 2nd knife. They were out of Kabars, so he bought the closest thing they had to what he liked to carry.... the Western L46-5 in the picture above, and started wearing both when working on equipment. A week or 3 later, W.A. got some new Kabars in and he got a new one that matched his old one. Until the day he got too sick to work, he always wore 2 blades when working on farm implements or machinery down at the grain elevator he ran in town.

He gave me the Western and said something on the order of "don't ever work on moving stuff with out one". That knife (the L46-5) was my first fixed blade ever. I just had a few slip joint folders until then. That started my love of fixed blade knives in general and Kabar and Western knives, specifically. I added the 2nd keeper strap to the sheath because the original one (top) was a little slack and lets the knife slip up too easily.

The Kabars he carried were smaller than the L46-5, - stacked leather with about 4 inch, straight spined blades. The best my memory can dredge up is that they looked a lot like the 1232. I don't remember ever seeing model numbers on them, just the word Kabar. Don't even remember if they had USA, Japan or Cleveland on them. So I got 2 old 1232s off fleabay - one is marked 1232 Japan and the other, 1232 Cleveland, Ohio. They represent the 2 he had. When he died, since I had the Western, my grandmother gave the 2 Kabars to a couple of cousins who promptly misplaced them somehow.

My first personally bought sharp, pointy object was a Kabar 1219C2 USN MK2 Gen 1 F/U and the second was a Chassepot 1872 St Ettienne Armory bayonet, both bought at the College Station TX Army Surplus store in 1975 on the same day for $15 + tax. I now have 1200+ fixed blades and a few folders (less than 100). But no Cam 11

 

[tman038]

cool stories so far guys. i would have figured this would have gotten more than 7 hits so far. slow and steady works though... still plenty of time to chime in.

 

[rkmoore]

I'm in.

My first fixed blade was a Solingen Germany made "Original Bowie Knife". I picked it up at an auction that a pawn shop was having when I was maybe 12. I think I paid $10 for it. I really learned how to sharpen and take care of a knife from that one.

I gave it to my brother when he was in the army. That was about 30 yrs. ago, and he still has it!

Since then I've always had a love of knives and other sharp & pointy things.

Thanks for the great GAW!

 

[Tdhurl1103]

My first knife was a Buck Stockman or Lancer pen knife given to me for Xmas from my Mom. I was 8 or 9 at the time and I had no real appreciation for knives. Sure, I used it on occasion but I was not in love with it. I lost it several years later and have never replaced it…here’s why. We had just moved into a new house built out in rural MS. Well, as boys will inevitably do, I quickly befriended the local country boys. They taught me how to chew tobacco (and get sick as a dog), drink beer (and get sick as a dog), chop wood (until I was sick as a dog), fish and hunt deer (Until I was sick of the dogs…howling) . One of my best friend’s Kelly, well, his Step-dad was a total hick, which made him an ornery sumbitch when it came to dealing with city folk. He used to give me crap about being a “city kid” all the time. I didn’t really like him all that much and as an 11 year old in 1980, well I put up with his crap, because….kids back then had respect for their elders no matter how ignorant the elders were. And, putting up with adult crap is a necessary part of growing up. Anyway, one day he saw me with my little Buck knife and commented it was “a nice city kid’s knife.” Looking back I know he was just screwing with my head, but at the time I was crushed because it was important for me to be a part of the country boys. Anyway, he told me and his kids that when we get older, we should get a good knife that was proper for country folk. He showed us the one on his hip and it was like….BAM!! I saw that knife and fell in love. The below picture is a stock picture of a more modern version of the Old Timer Skinner.



Now, some 33 years later I still think about that knife and will get one someday. That knife started me down a path of buying knives I liked the look of. It got me all into the fixed blades. Then I got all into the Rambo knives, Gill Hibben’s weird knives and later Chris Reeve knives. Albeit, I was a dumb-assed kid, so getting the money to get any of those knives came…. not at all. Anyway, I bought cheaper knives and later developed a hatred for “expensive” blades. Fast Forward to 2012 when I saw the Becker BK2. It was then I suddenly realized I could afford a good quality kick-ass knife and I didn’t need to hate anymore. My knife-life has flourished ever since. I love all my Beckers but my most favorite is my BK24. It goes EVERYWHERE with me!!!

 

[TBL]

I'm in!

This was my first knife that was gifted to me by my father. At the time I was around 5 years old. I could use it under (extreamly light) supervision and carve wooden animals while my father finished our basement. Come to think of it... It kept me out of the way so he could work but I loved it. My mom used to have all the animals that I carved up on display on her night table.

What started the obsession for me was when my brother got his first knife to go to camp with when he was younger. He got a Wenger Patriot SAK and I just had to see it! Because I was only 3 or 4 at the time I was told no and was not aloud to touch it. One day my brother left it on his night table and I had my chance. So I picked it up and pulled out the bigger blade. It was so nice and shiny and new. I then went to fold the blade back into place. It was extreamly tough and I was unable to put it back. I then finally got it to budge but then closed the knife onto my thumb. I cut it all the way from the knuckle upwards to the tip of my fingernail (still got the scar). Because it was such a deep cut, the doctor bandaged it up and told my parents to pray it fused back together lol (it did).

After that I was good on cheap folders until the age of 21. I started to get annoyed with how fast they would dull and I never had any good sharpening equipment. I then started working and in a little time had enough money to buy my first "real" knife. Some years later (3 years ago now) I found this site and started reading and learning but never really felt the need to join in the community. Now I realize that I missed too much. There are so many awesome people on here. This past Christmas I was gifted a BK2 which started the Becker obsession. My two true loves (as far as knives go) are Beckers and ZT's.

My current favorites in my collection would have to be my BK2 and ZT 0121. My next purchase (or birthday/ Christmas) will be a bk14 / bk24 or bk11.

Cheers,

Tim

 

[dynamicmoves]

I'm in.

Pinpointing the exact moment that I started collecting knives is difficult, so I'll tell a couple short stories about which it could be.

I remember my Dad having a canoe, and being fascinated by it. I stole it one day, and lost it. Years later I replaced it with a Boker Beer Barrel Canoe, and he carries it every day.

Sophomore year of college I was gifted a Boker Magnum knife, which was a complete pos. It was returned, and I had about 50 to blow on any knife I wanted, and so I did some research. That brought me here. I settled on a Buck Vantage Pro, which I keep with my climbing gear now.

Photos to come.

 

[Aias]

very cool gaw... I'm in...

My first knife was a balisong... a really cheap one that I drooled over in a small variety-type shop. It was under the glass counter, next to a few others... I was about 12. My buddy who looked older than me went in and bought it for me--I supplied the cash that I had spent weeks collecting here and there... can't remember how much. After that there were a few Buck 110 impostors that came in and out of my life. It was only with the SAK fieldmaster I received from my then girlfriend/ now wife 23 years ago that I became interested in quality knives.

These days I have quite a few nice ones--but these two have been my go to blades on the hiking trails lately:

 

[Auraria]

Sweet, I'm in.
I fell in love with knives when I got a Buck 110 from my gradnfather when I was 6 years old.
Ever since I've been collecting, using, and abusing all sorts of knives and always will be.
I fell in love with bushcrafting after I carved my first spoon when I was 7( I wish I still had it) for my grandfather to use haha.
I wish I still had that Buck 110, I gave it to one of my child hood friends when I turned 11.
However here's my favorite becker I own, this girl is a champion.

 

[trailbum]

I'm in.

Becker knives are what got me interested in knives.
Well really the people on this forum.
Thanks for the chance.

 

[granitestateofmind]

I'm in.

The first knife I ever coveted was my dad's SAK - it was a gift from my German grandfather (mom's dad) and it had a picture of a car on it and about 30 accessories. I played with that thing every chance I got - my dad was NOT an EDC knife guy, so the SAK resided on his shelf in the closet. My grandfather's opinion was that the only SAK one should own HAD to come from Solingen (don't remember if that was Wenger), as that's where he was from (maybe it's in my blood?) I finally did get one from him...don't remember when....but I carried that thing all through my youth, which it being the 70's, was pretty much all the time. But the first knife that was ever mine was "the blade of Exact Zero" - an X-Acto. Taught myself to be careful with sharp things, as X-Acto knives are responsible for more missing fingertips than probably any other single kind of knife. Anyways, lots of other history - but really, it was this place - the BK&T subforum - that really made me feel OK about my enjoyment of knives.

Thanks for the great GAW.

 

[Semper Praesidio]

I'm totally in on this! Beckerhead #624

My love of knives goes way back. In all honesty, it probably sprang from watching all the cool things MacGyver did with his Victorinox every episode. I'm sure I begged my parents for an SAK. My "first knife" was a stick that a friend whittled a point onto for me.

When Dad decided I was old enough, he and Mom got me my first pocket knife for Christmas when I was probanly about 10 years old. It was a Little Copperhead by Frost Cutlery. I loved that little knife and carried it with me everywhere (that I was allowed to - school was obviously off limits). I lost it at a friend's house while we were on vacation; they never found it. So, only picture I could find is this stock photo from Frost's website. Pretty sure this scale pattern is discontinued.



And thus began my love of cutlery. I took a break for a number of years. The BK2 brought me back. My how far I've come. (not pictured is a second 14 that is being modded).



***UPDATE 5-19-14***

So, writing this post prompted me to go on a search for the blade that started it for me. After all of the times I searched on that "big auction site," I went and did a quick search after writing this post and there it was! Dropped a bid; won it for $9 tonight. I figure $9 for nostalgia is a small price to pay. Scheduled to arrive in the next 3-8 days.

***UPDATE 5-22-14***

And by 3-8 business days, we meant three business days. Behold the Frost Cutlery Little Copperhead with frost wood handle with my BK14! (Sorry this post has ended up with so many pictures.)

 

[GSO1962]

I'm in!! Thanks for the chance.

I suppose I've had a love of fine tools made of wood and metal for as long as I can remember. Depending on my age, and my mood at the time, I've accumulated a goodly amount of knives, guns, and tools for carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, gunsmithing, yard or farm work. I've also found that for knives, like guns and cars (but not necessarily wives), my first one is my favorite. For me, it's not really about collecting, it's about getting a good looking tool and using it to make or repair something. In the knife category, it would have to be the Kamp King knife that my parents got me when I was in Cub Scouts (8 or so years old). We couldn't afford the real authentic Cub Scout knife, but this one worked just as good. The amazing part is that I still have it after 40+ years. Without further ado, here it is:



It brings back lots of memories of time spent camping, hiking, and canoeing in Cub and Boy Scouts, as well as time spent just bumming around the woods growing up.

I'm getting ready to head back home after six and a half weeks at White Sands, so I'll see if I can put up a more interesting picture this weekend after I've had time to unpack and unwind.

 

[woody_allen]

I'm in!

Going back in time... I was 10yo ,playing in woods,make shelters on trees,play Robin Hood with simple made bow , and using my precious hunting knife (don't know model) that I got from my grandpa.
From very begining,my wood adventures always include knife ,without it,I didn't leave the house My parents was very liberate on that,and they have trust in me to not hurt myself or other.
I wish I know the model of the knife,moreover,I wish I knew where is it now