Old Reliables

glennbad

glennbad

Knife Moddin' Fool
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
6,547
With all the fine new production traditional slippies I see on this forum, it makes me nostalgic for the old hound dogs that we all have and use.

Now, I haven't been around long enough to work a new one down myself, but there's something about an old slippie with the bone worn down to almost smooth, the blades with dark patina or pitting form hard use. Some blades I have seen sharpened down to a toothpick sliver. Now that's getting the most bang for your buck!

Here's an Ulster I have put into my EDC rotation:

Ulster001.jpg


Nothing flashy about it. Kinda like that old ball glove or leather recliner. Well used and broken-in, but nice and confortable. Fits well in the pocket.

Let's see all your old hound dogs. If there is a story behind them, even better.

Glenn
 
There is nothing wrong With that Hound Dog..! Whom is the Maker may I ask? Ulster..? Is that an Irish Maker?:confused:
 
No pic available as I gave it to my son six years ago when he had his son (whose birthday is today). However, I had my Dad's Kissing Crane Congress with a bone handle about the color of that Ulster. The scales were worn down enough from carrying in his pocket that the pins and the immediate area around them stood up a little. The carbon steel blades were a lovely grey and sharpened down some, but very straight edges and sharp. Among other things my old man had been a machinist and later a tool designer so he could do a pretty passable job putting a clean edge on steel.

I had tried for years to get that knife out of him. It had almost become a routine we went through. Then I was leaving for Army Basic in '81 and he just up and said, "You want that knife?" I told him "Of course I do." Then he told me to take it. It was kind of like the dog that finally catches the Greyhound. Now what? I'd spent so long trying to get it, it almost felt like an end of something to be getting it. I even asked him, "What? Don't you love me anymore?"

I never carried it much as it was special. I wish I had it now though, I would carry it now and then. I should have waited to give it to my son. ;) Fortunatley, we're all still kicking, but when that changes I hope my son will realize that what he has in that knife and appreciate it properly, passing that appreciation to his son when the time comes to pass it on.

Good thread.
 
I'll play Glenn! Here's an old greenbone Case I carried for a number of years. The handles are cracked like so many of those old greenies, but they are tight, and the blades have done a lot of cutting. Currently on the "retired list", I often look at it and think about carrying it again!
OldGreeny.jpg
 
Perhaps the best sleeper deals for users are the ones that have "been there and done that" enough to have no collector value, but still have a lot of use left in them. I picked up a little Case stockman a couple of weeks ago with a sheepsfoot blade that needed to be reprofiled (looked like it lost a fight with a car battery-the tip was melted). The other two blades appeared a little dull from use, but unsharpened. The electrically induced damage seems to have been localized, and the sheepsfoot works fine. The darn thing refuses to leave my pocket now, best five bucks I've spent in a long time.
 
Alot of 'orphans' get passed up on ebay, cause they're not "perfect". That makes for a good bargain.

With society getting more 'urban', it's hard to instill outdoor values in youth today. Because of the PC sheeple crowd, kids can no longer take even a plastic butter knife to school. Unlike years ago, when every kid had a pocket knife on them.

I hope that our sons and daughters will truly realize the significance of the 'heirlooms' we are passing down to them. These are not just knives. They were as important to people then as cell phones and PDAs are to people today.

Thanks for sharing so far, let's keep em coming...

Glenn
 
This thread reveals a short tale of a "knife with a story". So here's a knife given a second chance!
Broken early in its career, judging from the corrosion at the break, it was put aside to gather rust and dust. But it is an unusual piece. Many of you may know I collect Harness Jacks, and this is a great example! Sure the blade is near useless, but the knife was made in the early last century, before Schatt and Morgan went bankrupt. And it has a lovely pattern of jigging on the bone, which I hadn't seen before a good friend gave me this knife. AND (big and) it has a very unusual punch. It is Schatt's, or someone's, attempt at a laminated tang punch, and it's NOT a Harrison punch of New York Knife fame. So, a little bit more of the Harness Jack story unfolds, more questions than answers. The knife has a revered place in my collection, a missing link, not used, but honored nonetheless!!
BrokeBladeSM.jpg

Sorry about the wiiiiide picture. I'll do better next time!
 
I like these threads. All the new shiney knives are nice, but it's fun to see the real users.

Here's a Camillus stockman that I've had forever. It wasn't new when I got it, but it's seen a lot of use. Great carbon blades and probably the most insanely wicked sharp knife I own.

camillussm.jpg


It doesn't get much pocket time anymore. One of the scale pins is long gone and the spring on the master blade is weak. For all its problems, it has such sentimental value the way it is I can't send it in for an overhaul.
 
I saw this while perusing sleazeBay recently. Not something I'm particularly interested in (and no, I'm not the seller...) but I thought it would fit nicely in this thread. Definitely "well used".

I have an Aitor SAK I've had since at least high school (~30+ years) that's actually still in pretty good shape. It even survived most of its life with a guitar pick jammed between the blades. I remember all my old blue jeans used to get a "knife outline" in the left front pocket from that thing. And yeah, even at my age the thought of kids today not being able to carry a knife as I did grates. Ah, "progress".

-- Sam
 
I don't have a picture of it, but I have a 1950's Queen Dogleg Jack with winterbottom real bone handles. A friend of mine that does heating and air repairs found it inside an old window unit, caked in gray dust.

He gave it to me, and I cleaned it up and was stunned to find it was a Queen.

Shows it's age, but the backsprings are still nail breakers and the stainless blades took a nice edge.

I carry it sometimes just for fun.
 
ParaGlock said:
Definitely "well used".
Click to expand...
That knife must have some stories. With all the knives I own I don't think I'll ever be able to get one down to the nub like that.
 
Take a pic if you can, TLC! Love to see old Queens.
 
waynorth said:
Take a pic if you can, TLC! Love to see old Queens.
Click to expand...

Here we go, its a Queen #51 Dogleg Jack, near as I can tell from the tangstamp it's from the late 40's/early 50's. Winterbottom bone scales and 440C blades.

When it came to me, it was a wad of gray dust and crude, no telling how long it was in that air conditioner unit (and why in the heck anyone put it there to begin with???), I spent the better part of a day cleaning it off inside and out. At some time water had dripped on it, causing the brass liner to turn green and then the green tarnish flowed with the water into the bone on one side, and so far I haven't found a way to get it out of the bone.

The blades have seen alot of use, and the very tip of the pen blade is broken off, but the backsprings are as strong as my new Queen #51CSB and the half-stops are perfect.

She's been around the barn for sure, but still has many years left in her!

Queen-51-1950-1.jpg


Queen-51-1950-2.jpg


Queen-51-1950-3.jpg


Queen-51-1950-4.jpg
 
Love that old winterbottom! It looks best with age on it!
Seems if you try to bleach that color out, or whatever that sink stain remover is (CLR or something), you might take more life out of the bone. Wear the scars proudly I say!
Keep a little mineral oil in it to preserve it, and use it forever! Nice one, TLC!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top