Older designs for the old-fashioned?

kamagong

kamagong

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Fishtale's recent thread got me thinking. I guess I've always been a bit old-fashioned. I can appreciate new technology and clever designs as much as the next man, but given a choice I'm much more likely to stay with classics. I've mentioned in other posts that I start out the day by shaving with brush and straight razor. Some of my EDC items are a Hamilton automatic watch, a Lamy fountain pen, and a stag stockman. My personal firearm is a 1911, and the first rifle that I buy will be a service grade Garand from the CMP. I even prefer the King James Version of the Bible, even though it is difficult reading. I wonder how many of us here are like that, or if it's just me. How many here would describe themselves as old-fashioned?
 
I typically like a classic design. Classic, time proven, designs seem to get better with age. The Zippo is a great example but so is the Sebenza. Right now I have a beautiful Case green bone mini-Trapper in my pocket. The size and utility of this little knife is excellent...another great classic design. Oh yeah, the other thing I like is a design that lends itself to multiple tasks...think Vise-Grips! My favorite fishing lure of all time is the simple leadhead bucktail jig...if I can't catch it on a bucktail, it don't need catchin'. :)
 
I guess I fit in that category. I still use a split wood backpack in the woods, half my guns are the hammer type. The only time I wear my high end TimeX is to church and it's still ticking. There are a few simple pleasures I enjoy, like perked coffee with freshly ground beans or a pot of Leek soup in the spring. Church socials are a favorite, those Old ladies can cook up a mean apple pie.
 
I've always liked the classics in just about everything. I grew up with my dad telling me all the old stories. He was born during WW2 and grew up in secluded Mississippi. We still had the small farm until I was about 20. I spent several weekends per month and much of the summers there. I was surrounded by old tractors, old cars, old truck, old fashioned everything. As a kid I wore fishing or equipment ballcaps, boots and jeans. Always had a knife in my pocket. Grandfathers gave me tobakkie at age 10 and at 14 I was chewing Redman regularly. Mostly, because all the real men I knew did these things. I was always shooting and its always been open sights. It was preached to me gun safety and one shot one kill. Blasting off multiple rounds to compensate for bad shooting was not tolerated. Single action revolvers, single shot 22 rifles and single shot shotguns were how I was taught. To this very day, I've been 100% 1 shot 1 kill on deer. Oh, 30-30 Marlin Lever Action is my deer rifle.

I never got into all the "in style" stuff growing up. I was and still am a product of how I grew up. Jeans, boots and flannel shirts with cap is standard equipment. My edc is mostly traditional with the exception of a couple of Vics in my pocket depending on what I am doing that day. Even though I am the first in my entire family to get a college degree (BBA in accounting), I could not get equipment and outdoors out of my soul. A suit and desk were just not me. 8 yrs ago I started a lawn/landscape company and would not change it for the world. I get to use all types of equipment, including my old Ford tractor for grading and bushhog work.

Both of my grandfathers and my dad are gone now. Everyday when I put on my "normal" clothes, get my knives, grab my pistol and keys to the truck I remember them. Old-fashioned...naw, just the way I've always been.
 
Even Karen says I'm old fashioned.

My guns are revolvers and lever actions, my little Toyota Tacoma is probably the last vehicle I'll be able to get with wind up windows. Having chin whiskers I just use a pair of sissors once a week to trim things up. I admit I'd be first in line if some secret government project in time travel needed a vollunteer for 1900's.

Most times I don't really feel at home here. its grown so different to what I knew as a boy, that I look at modern life and wonder at how we've traded too much off for the sake of modern convienence. Real food cooked up on a stove instead of a microwave package. Cast iron fry pans and perculator coffee pots. The feel of a real wool shirt instead of polyester. Cars with some individual style to them instead of wind tunnel inspired jelly bean genericness. Day to day manners and care for one another, instead of self centered rude people whose only thoughts are "what about me?" A summer evening with a live band playing in the gazzebo in the town center's park instead of a boom box with some kind of objectional noise comming from it. Having to present yourself at the door of the young lady your taking out, and telling the father that your intentions are honorable, and meaning it.

Once upon a time thousands of acres of ranch with cattle would change hands with a handwritten bill of sale on a scrap of paper and a handshake. Now to buy a house takes two hours of paper work at a real estate law firm with two lawyers attending to settle.

Once upon a time, a family lived on what the man could bring home, and the wife had the job of homemaker. An important job not to be under rated. The children were carefully raised with moral values, and church every Sunday morning. Now both parents work, so they can have fancier cars, more lavish luxuries, but have no idea where or what thier kids are doing. Then their greatly shocked when they get a call to come down to the police station.

Once upon a time even the teacher had a pocket knife in his trousers. Every man did so, and it was expected. Now there is something called a zero tollerence rule, that even a Vic classic on a keyring with get a student bounced for good.

I love very old design knives. Opinels, Puuko style mora's with laminated carbon blade.

Oh man. Don't get me started on old fashioned!
 
kamagong said:
.. I even prefer the King James Version of the Bible, even though it is difficult reading. I wonder how many of us here are like that, or if it's just me. How many here would describe themselves as old-fashioned?
Click to expand...

Touted by the finest of true theologians to be the most accurate English translation ever written to date!.:thumbup:

OH, and I like old fashion too.. I guess that's because I am sorta old myself.
 
yeah, I am probably a little old fashion. I do pretty much all of my cooking in old Griswold and Wagner cast iron. Grow most of my own vegetables and can them, and grow broom corn for brooms. I do black smithing over a home made charcoal forge, with home made charcoal. My jackets are either wool or duct. When not working I use only hand tools on my projects, draw knives spoke shaves, planes, bit and brace drills. I prefer my guns to be revolvers, single shot or bolt action, and my hunting rifle was made in 1942. I make my own wine cider, and mead. And I love to fish with hand lines.
I prefer to make do with simple things, and to keep life manageable and under my own control. I do like computers, and have a cell phone so I am not too old fashion. Joe
 
Joe,

If'n I am ever up your way, I sure would be much obliged to try a swill or two of your home-made cider!. :) Its been a spell since I had some good ole cider made up from hand dripp'ns.:thumbup:

Best,
Anthony
 
Sunnyd, if you are ever up in NH your welcome to a few bottles. During the fall my friend and I ground and pressed 1,250 lbs of apples and wound up with 50 gallons sweet cider to ferment. I got 28 gallons that will be ready to bottle in about a month or two. Joe
 
Holy Moly, 28 Gal's, now that is what I call a mess-a hand dripp'ns!.:D Thanks very kindly Joe!.

Blessings,
Anthony
 
Like fishtale, I like "classic", functional design, whether it's old or new. Though I find that most designs of this type do come from times past. Nowadays most things are designed to last as long as the warranty, or to be cheap enough that replacement is easier than repair (our "disposable" society). But there are some modern things that just work right that are well on their way to becoming "classic" themselves.

And I've done my time brewing beer, pickling, growing my own food, loading my own ammo, etc, too. Guess I'm just an old fogey at 47. There's worse things to be. :D

-- Sam
 
jackknife said:
Once upon a time even the teacher had a pocket knife in his trousers.
Click to expand...


Like me!:) A personal knife is a tool that I use every day for something or other, and I see no reason not to have one at work - along with the multitool in my bag. One or the other has solved problems quickly many a time. I remember about a year ago during a lunch break in the faculty room, another teacher had brought a fork and a steak knife from home to eat her meal. She looked at the steak knife, and in all seriousness said "gee, I hope I don't get in trouble for having this at school." Yikes.

I also use a fountain pen, carry a pocket-sized notebook instead of a cell phone or PDA, and often wear a mechanical, self-winding watch. I also deliberately got an old tech motorcycle so I could do my own maintenance.
 
I grind my own wheat and bake whole wheat bread. I still like wood pencils with an eraser ( a pink one) over all those other writing instruments and hey I can sharpen it cause guess what? I've got a knife.
 
I play harmonica through an old-style tube amp and an Astatic JT-30 mic from the late '40s. ;-)
 
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