Mighty Mite

J D Wijbenga

J D Wijbenga

Joined
Oct 17, 1998
Messages
1,008
Last week I was visiting a friend in Paris and he had a little surprise for me, an Old Timer Mighty Mite! This is my first American traditional and so far I am enjoying it a lot. I sharpened it on the fine Norton India and now it cuts like a little pocket scalpel. :D It is my current edc and I am going to see just how capable it is in day to day use.

Are there other people enjoying edc'ing traditionals this small?

Does any body know the correct name of the old style line lock it has? I was told the name but forgot.

OldTimer_18OT.JPG
 
Nice Old Timer congrats, I've been carrying a Case peanut everyday for a little over 9 months, others here do also it's 2 7/8" closed, I think your Old Timer is 3 3/4" , you can do a lot more than you would think with a small sharp blade, I carry it paired with a larger knife, but I always reach for my peanut first and it gets used more often, takes care of 98% of my cutting duties.
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Here are some links that might be of some interest to you, you have a nice little knife there.
Pete
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/761580-The-cult-of-the-peanut

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/968684-Let-s-see-your-Peanuts-amp-their-Patinas

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/952279-Traditional-of-the-month-Peanut
 
My friend Darrel is a fantastical fan of the little Schrade Mighty Mite. It's all he carries, and he's an old country boy who hunts and fishes. I worked along side with him for some years, and I saw his old worn down Mighty Mite do some very serius work in the machine shop where we were employed. The blade was worn down to a very sharp toothpick, and the brown delrin scales were smooth as a baby's bottom, but he still used it. Then one day he showed up with a brand new one. He didn't even think about what kind of knife to replace the old one with, he just bought another Mighty Mite.

They're great little knives, and will do most of what you need to cut in the civilized world we live in.

Carl.
 
That looks like a darn right handy little lock blade. I didn't know Schrade had such a pattern.
On the hunt for another one, thanks, I think... :)
 
For the usual pocket knife duties I come in contact with a small thin blade is a feature not a bug. Carry what you like and like what you carry. Small knives are cool man, I dig them. :)

Will
 
I love the small patterns. I have started to collect Case #33 #42 and #44 paterns. I also have a few Old Timers but not any of the small patterns. I will have to remedy that now!
 
My mighty mite measures 2 3/4 inches closed and in indeed a small knife. The lock on mine is solid and tho mine is old and about used up it is still a useful little pocket scalpel. There is a strong following of little knives on this forum which is greatly influenced by Carl a.k.a. Jackknife. While I could see the attraction it has taken me awhile to really give them an honest try.
For nearly two weeks now I have been carrying a Case peanut and a Victorinox classis in my left front pocket as my only knives. They have been easily handling my day to day chores and carrying such a small set up not only lightens my physical load is simplifies my approach and attitude to chores. I just slow down, think about what I am doing and with the proper approach the peanut and classic combo work well.
So yeah I am really enjoying my small traditionals. You have a good friend to give you such a nice little knife.
Jim
 
Very cool little knife. :thumbup:

If I'm not mistaken, it's built on the same small serpentine frame as the 108OT 'Junior' stockman, also 2-3/4" closed (it's in my pocket, as I type this).

Here's my 108OT, in a very similar 'pose' to the OP's pictured knife:
 
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Grateful said:
For nearly two weeks now I have been carrying a Case peanut and a Victorinox classic in my left front pocket as my only knives. They have been easily handling my day to day chores and carrying such a small set up not only lightens my physical load is simplifies my approach and attitude to chores. I just slow down, think about what I am doing and with the proper approach the peanut and classic combo work well.
Jim
Click to expand...

Yeah, the little knives weigh less, but what really sells it for me is the lack of bulk. The little knife leaves more room for other edc pocket stuff that really comes in handy now and then. Especially if there's kids or grandkids along. It's truly amazing what kids will get into that need some help or cleanup. With a little peanut size knife, theres room for the Fenix or other small flashlight. Looking for things at night dropped in a car, or under a table is a normal thing. Flashlight, a needed item.

Kids need cleaning. Only recently, little granddaughter Brianna come up holding her hands out, and she's gotten sticky and wants help. She comes to granddad because while mommy and grandmommy have purses, granddaddy has pockets, and in them are all kinds of pocket stuff. Out comes the little bottle of Purell hand sanitizer and a clean paper towel. Brianna gets nice and clean and is happy again. Lesson is, granddaddy has hand cleaning stuff.

Kids fall down. Having raised three of my own, and three other little grandkids, I've learned how amazing it is to have a bandaid. Boo-boo's need a bandaid, and the kid feels all is well again when granddaddy puts a bandaid on a boo-boo. It's like magic. It makes everything right again. So, tiny first aid kit in pocket. More space taken up.

Magnifying glass. Age is cruel, and being an old fart small print or dim light thwarts old eyes. A little Baush and Lomb 5X folding plastic magnifier is small and light, hardly notice it, but can spot a tiny splinter with ease. More room taken up in pocket.

Age means aches and pains. Now theres a little aluminum Bison capsule in the pocket with some aspirin and a few stronger pills in them. Most the time it keeps the old arthritis at bay. Bison capsule is small, but still needs some room.

I could go on, but a total pocket dump would take some time. To cut to the chase, I found out what my old man knew all along. A small knife that does not take up a lot of room, but still adequate to cut what you need, is a good thing if you have other stuff to carry everyday. Sometimes lots of other stuff if you have kids along.
 
Shoot, I love to see threads on USA Schrades here in the Traditionals forum!

Obsessed with Edges, I have that exact same knife, except your bolsters look much nicer haha.

JD, thanks for starting this thread. Your new Mighty Mite looks great. I have the 108ot small stockman (same size main blade/frame size) and usually carry it in my jean watch pocket. Those thin little carbon blades are indeed pocket scalpels as you so wisely put it. I also have the big brother to your knife - the 194ot. I can't wait to find a Schrade OT USA Mighty Mite one day in a pawn shop or something.
 
jackknife said:
Yeah, the little knives weigh less, but what really sells it for me is the lack of bulk. The little knife leaves more room for other edc pocket stuff that really comes in handy now and then. Especially if there's kids or grandkids along. It's truly amazing what kids will get into that need some help or cleanup. With a little peanut size knife, theres room for the Fenix or other small flashlight. Looking for things at night dropped in a car, or under a table is a normal thing. Flashlight, a needed item.

Kids need cleaning. Only recently, little granddaughter Brianna come up holding her hands out, and she's gotten sticky and wants help. She comes to granddad because while mommy and grandmommy have purses, granddaddy has pockets, and in them are all kinds of pocket stuff. Out comes the little bottle of Purell hand sanitizer and a clean paper towel. Brianna gets nice and clean and is happy again. Lesson is, granddaddy has hand cleaning stuff.

Kids fall down. Having raised three of my own, and three other little grandkids, I've learned how amazing it is to have a bandaid. Boo-boo's need a bandaid, and the kid feels all is well again when granddaddy puts a bandaid on a boo-boo. It's like magic. It makes everything right again. So, tiny first aid kit in pocket. More space taken up.

Magnifying glass. Age is cruel, and being an old fart small print or dim light thwarts old eyes. A little Baush and Lomb 5X folding plastic magnifier is small and light, hardly notice it, but can spot a tiny splinter with ease. More room taken up in pocket.

Age means aches and pains. Now theres a little aluminum Bison capsule in the pocket with some aspirin and a few stronger pills in them. Most the time it keeps the old arthritis at bay. Bison capsule is small, but still needs some room.

I could go on, but a total pocket dump would take some time. To cut to the chase, I found out what my old man knew all along. A small knife that does not take up a lot of room, but still adequate to cut what you need, is a good thing if you have other stuff to carry everyday. Sometimes lots of other stuff if you have kids along.
Click to expand...
Well put. I EDC a peanut because of the weight/bulk to utility ratio, and it frees up more pocket space.
The Mighty Mite is a nice little knife for sure.
EDC comes in handy often, and the more you have the less you have to improvise. I actually get ridiculed a little bit for carrying a small first aid kit in my wallet, as well as carrying a little knife. When it's needed, the same people who say "why would you ever need that?" come to me and say "hey, buddy, d'ya have that (insert item here)?"
 
Schrade also had another very nice little pen knife on the same frame as the mighty mite. It was a true pen, with blades on opposite ends, and it was called the minute man if I recall right. Schrade made some of the best working mans pocket knives. Good carbon steel at a good price. They had almost a cult following among the guys I worked with at the last machine shop before I retired.
 
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Schrade made some very tuff knives. Here is one like David's, 1080T Schrade/ Walden / N.Y. USA, with all blades open. When I found it I felt like I hit the jackpot as it said Walden and I had never seen a Walden at that time.

I carried it around yesterday as I needed a little scalpel to do some really fine work. I almost forgot that it snaps like a bear trap too

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i think i used to have a mighty mite like in the op. it got lost a while back and is part of the reason i dont let people i work with borrow some of my stuff.
 
I've been carrying a peanut every day. I've kind of enjoyed using such a small tool for tasks I used to use a much larger knife for. Sometimes it make you think about what you need to do before you do it. It's always good to have more than one way to do something in your mental arsenal.

A buddy of mine has a Mighty Mite just like the OP. After I started carrying the peanut, he cleaned up and started carrying his Mighty Mite. He did eventually pick up a peanut as well. But now small knives are an option for him where before it was only a large clipped folder that he carried.
 
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