Newbie's Notes on Slippies

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pinetree

Joined
Jun 24, 2005
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713
My father-in-law is a great man. A rural south Alabama farmer, with whom this city boy has learned much. He is never without a Case pocket knife. He has tried others but he is a Case man. His Cases are multi-tools. He does all those things you aren't suppose to do with a knife. My first slippie a Case mini-Trapper, from my wife, in stainless has been a great knife. Now after being into this forum, I have quit a few more knives including slippies. Here is what I have learned.

Case - still don't have a CV, but mini-Trapper gets scary sharp. The stainless Sod Buster never got scary sharp until I ditched the sand paper and bought a Sharp Maker. The pride took a hit, but the SM rocks. I do hate many of the "collectors" handles. Give me CV in worn bone. I'm sure to buy more. That said, that twine you cut for the tomatoes, doesn't care if you use stainless or CV.

Boker - my favorite so far. A Barlow and a Cooperhead in carbon. Getting a nice patina. I wipe down with vinegar every once in a while. Great bargain in classic designs.

Moore Maker Queen - a whittler, great design, slim, trim, yellow bone, a real beauty. Springs are not "right", the main blade breaks thumb nails while the other two are soft. I've worked the action on the main blade with polish to ease it up. Blades rusted very easily. I work this one over with Flitz. Most expensive by far, a beauty but a disappointment for the price.

Moore Maker Camilus - Wow. A muskrat. a gain carbon steel, well put together and a great value. A shame they are out of business. Haven't really put though the passes. Just wiped down with vinegar.

Overall, I love these knives and carry one to work every day. I try to rotate them daily. The Sod Buster is my weekend knife used for digging, planting, you name it. I made a sheath for it and carry it on my belt.

I have many other knives and in my brain I appreciate and I do use them, e.g. SAK's, and my AG Russell Featherlite (awesome), but in my heart, it is traditionals all the way. I just wish Queen's Mountain Man weren't hit or miss. I bought one, sent and back...got the whittler.

I'm 42, but as things get more messed-up and fast-passed, give me wool clothing, leather and canvas gear, my 45/70 with peep sights, traditional knives, bourbon on the rocks and I'm set. I can't wait to get out of the city and back to the farm.

I hope to add pics tomorrow if we have some sun and I can get a good shot.

Thanks for all the good advise, laughs and dreams (oh, I want one of those).

Cheers,
tjg
 
tjg,

All I can say is: "Well said!".
 
I'm going to chime in because this thread and this corner of the forum have really struck a chord with me.

For a time I fancied myself a "Tactical" knife kinda' guy, living fairly close to the Spyderco Factory Outlet store I had put together a pretty decent collection of Spyderco, Cold Steel, Benchmade, CRKT, TOPS and SOG knives. I was probably a real Mall Ninja but would never admit it. I was ready to survive when the terrorists or zombies made it to Denver, or the giant comet smacked the earth.

But all the while (actually for about 30 years now) I had been acquiring traditional folders. I had a thing for Schrade Old Timers, then Case XX, Schatt & Morgan and Hen and Rooster. It turned out, I was carrying the "Traditionals" more than I was carrying the "Tacticals".

And then about a month ago I had a realization...I ain't never going to lead a team of Navy SEALS, Zombies are never going to attack my house, I'm never going to intentionally get lost in the Wild carrying nothing but three tactical knives...and a Powerbar.

I am going to...open my mail, sometimes a package or two. I will, trim my kids kite string or fishing line, maybe clean a fish, maybe prune plants in my garden. I might trim a cigar or scrape out my pipe bowl. I may have to pull a cork from a wine bottle, or trim the wax seal on a bottle of bourbon. I may whittle. ALL of which can be done with a "traditional".

The Posts in this part of the forum are friendly and supportive, you guys post some beautiful pics of some lovely knives, I have lurked around in this corner of Bladeforums for a time and felt it was time to share and say thanks.

Thanks for all the good insight.
Thanks for the great pictures.
Thanks for adding a ton to my wish list.
Thanks for making this little patch of the Internet a "good" place.

Thanks
 
Welcome and thanks for helping to make it even better!
 
Well, as we've said before. Welcome home. Forgive me if I sound, "folksy," ;) but that's what traditionals feel like to me. Coming home to a simpler, more practical, and more relaxed place.

Sensible words, well said, Pinetree and Jenner.

Pinetree, that Case mini-trapper is a hard knife to beat for daily carry. Mine is riding in my fifth pocket of my jeans right now. It also sees the most carry of all my knives.
 
Pinetree, Nice post. I'm always interested in what the old timers can do with a pocket knife...care to elaborate on the father-in-laws "multi-tool" Case usage.
 
This is a very interesting, but "comfortable" forum...IMO. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Bill
 
A picture from today. Still figuring out the picture taking. If I could only have one, it would be the Boker Barlow.
 

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Nice little family of useful knives there.
 
Pinetree, it's always nice to read something like that posted by a grown man with his head screwed on straight, as opposed to the BS written by young 'uns living in some video game fantasy world where they think they will fight their way through the urban hordes with a Ka-Bar. Listen to your father-in-law. He knows whereof he speaks. One of my good local friends who's 70 now was an L.A. (that's Lower Alabama around here) farm boy who still remembers his roots, even though he joined the Navy, saw some of the world, got a formal education, and went into banking where made enough money to retire early and travel all over the world. He is most at home out in his big garden with a small Victorinox in his pocket, though.

For a new toy that you're sure to appreciate, sometime order yourself a Boker Sodbuster and a matching Jr. Sodbuster from www.eknifeworks.com. They are made in Argentina, but the Boker quality is still there, and at very low prices, too. I think you'll be surprised at how good they are for how little they cost. They are like Opinels and Douk-Douks in that respect. Those Boker Sodbusters are described as having yellow polypropylene (?) handles, but the large one I got a year or more ago has a handle that I would describe as having the approximate color of aged ivory. That same source is "closing out" their Victorinox Solo model for only $6, and it's a great traditional design, too. This Swiss beauty is flat but somewhat longer than most SAKs, has a good checkered red nylon (?) handle with a lanyard hole, and has only the single large blade. I have a few of those on order to give as gifts, plus the Jr. Sodbuster to go with my big one and a few more Opinels.

By the way, I heartily concur with your choice of a rifle in .45-70 Govt. caliber. I, too, have a couple, one of which is an older Marlin (late 1960s to early 1970s) with a peep sight mounted on it. With standard loads it will comfortably handle nearly anything that walks (or crawls, in the case of gators), and with heavy loads it will lay low anything in North America and most of what's in Africa!
 
Dr. Mudd said:
fight their way through the urban hordes with a Ka-Bar.
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Hey now... I've survived many zombie attacks with nothing but my Ka-Bar strapped to my belt, a few flashlights and a titanium spork! :D

I carry a Benchmade 710 everyday and I love it and wouldn't be without it. But traditional knives are where the fun in collecting is for me. The BM is a utility knife, I work with it and beat the hell out of it regularly. But nothing is more fun than finding some old rusty knives and cleaning them up. It's all about learning for me. I find these knives and clean them up and learn everythign I can abuot them.

Traditional pocket knives seem to have a story to tell. Even if you just bought it yesterday and it's made from the latest super steel, they still have a very comfortable feeling to them... they just seem right, kinda like sitting next to a campfire with a guitar.

Looking at my collection, and it has its share of Benchmades and Spydercos, the vast majority are old slipjoints that I've gathered over time. Many of them were owned at one time by family members that have since passed on. One of the prizes of my collection is a tiny Colonial stockman that belonged to my great-grandfather. He died in 1954, many years before my time. Having never known him, I only know what I've been told by my mother (who was only five when he died) and my grandmother. From the stories he was a wonderful and interesting man, it's nice to know that I have this little piece of history.

Judging from the shape the knife is in, he knew a thing or two about knives and how to care for them. All the blades show signs of use but they're all full and were still razor sharp when it was given to me. There are probably more than a few stories in that little knife.
 
Psychopomp said:
Hey now... I've survived many zombie attacks with nothing but my Ka-Bar strapped to my belt, a few flashlights and a titanium spork! :D
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Now, Psychopomp, that just doesn't seem right. Were you visiting relatives in my neighborhood? After all, I'm the one living in Transylvania County!!! :eek:

BTW, howdy neighbor! ;) :thumbup:
 
Very good thread pinetree. Thanks for sharing. You've got some real classic beauties there.

Jenner, welcome to one of the coolest, friendliest, sharpest (and, btw, folksy) forums around. :)


Blues: "Transylvania County" ?? :eek: I had heard you were getting a little long in the tooth. :p :D
 
fewpop said:
Very good thread pinetree. Thanks for sharing. You've got some real classic beauties there.

Jenner, welcome to one of the coolest, friendliest, sharpest (and, btw, folksy) forums around. :)


Blues: "Transylvania County" ?? :eek: I had heard you were getting a little long in the tooth. :p :D
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Careful, mine Doctor, one wouldn't want those few blood vessels in your neck to go pop. At least not while the Sun is shining...Hmmm?
 
Blues said:
Careful, mine Doctor, one wouldn't want those few blood vessels in your neck to go pop. At least not while the Sun is shining...Hmmm?
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Good one Elliott. :thumbup: You got me there, bud! ;) That rapier-like wit of yours is quicker'n Zorro! :eek:
 
You callin' me a gay blade?
(Not that there's anything wrong with it. (Apologies to Seinfeld.)
 
Blues said:
Now, Psychopomp, that just doesn't seem right. Were you visiting relatives in my neighborhood? After all, I'm the one living in Transylvania County!!! :eek:
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My apologies if one of your zombie relatives got sporked. I'll head in the other direction on my next sporking trip.

Good to see another WNC member 'round these parts.
 
Pinetree,..Very well said!! My dad was born on a small farm in Alabama and a lot of it has transitioned on to me. That red dirt gets in yer blood!! Thanks for the great post.
 
Dr. Mudd said:
For a new toy that you're sure to appreciate, sometime order yourself a Boker Sodbuster and a matching Jr. Sodbuster ... They are made in Argentina, but...
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With all due respect, I've been very very happy with my made-in-the-U.S.A. Case Sodbuster Jr. And the Sodbuster I traded to get this one was a heck of a knife too -- just a little too big to suit me.
 
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