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Remember when you didn't even THINK of your knife?

L

Lavan

Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
2,301
Try to think back to BEFORE the sickness.

You just had ...a... knife in your pocket and couldn't tell anyone what steel it was to save your life.
When you NEEDED to cut something, you took it out and got the blade exposed and yanked it through paper, cord, wood, wire, plastic or whatever. You'd also use it for prying staples, nails, or stuck windows.
Every once in a while you'd put some 3 in 1 oil on something gritty that was all worn down in the center and maybe slide it around in a circular motion til you were tired of it and then you MIGHT wipe it off or test it with your thumb.
If the tip broke off before you wore it off from the "sharpening" you'd still use it without another thought about the tip since you never needed it anyhow.
Then you'd forget about it until something needed cutting or whittling again.

You'd ....wonder.... about anyone who tried to SHOW you THEIR knife as .....so what?

Remember that? :o
 
Yeah, I know that feeling. When I was young my parents used to think I was insane when I would practice throwing knives in the basement. Back then I didn't even know how to throw proper, yet I'd somehow manage to stick them every so often. These days I jump on every opportunity to work something with a knife. I sharpen my blades like it's a form of meditation, and now I throw as a hobby.
 
Back in the good old days, when a "good knife" was $5-$15 and an "expensive" knife were those fancy $40-$65 knives at the sporting goods store in red boxes with KERSHAW in big white letters.

That was less than 2 years ago for me... Today and $1,500 later I won't hardly carry anything under $100.

It was a simpler time then, but I wouldn't go back. I like this hobby and look forward to acquiring more knives that I don't really need.
 
I do recall those days. That's why I'm always still willing to give "cheap" knives and "bad" steels a shot (unless the knife is so crappy that it's dangerous to use or won't take any edge at all), even though I know "better" nowadays. My cheap, unknown steel knives served me quite well before I learned how "crappy" they were on the forums.:D I've learned to appreciate better workmanship and better steels over the years, but I have no qualms whatsoever about carrying a cheapy for edc purposes. It's not uncommon for me to have a $100 CPM 154 folder and a $10 420J2, 8Cr, etc. folder right next to each other in my pocket.
 
That was me about a month ago and my old folder clearly shows it. Never been sharpened, barely cut packing tape, black coating on the blade is worn/scratched to hell and back from various pry jobs over the years. Cut waaay to many things I probably shouldn't have (plastics, rope, and wood). All of the locktite is gone on all of the torx holding the frame together so it feels like a sloppy mess. Had to retire it when I went to pull my knife and the blade nearly fell out of the handle; I had managed to loose half of the pivot screw sandwich holding the blade to the frame. :eek:

I've since sourced a replacement blade (a process expedited by a bit of sage advise from another collector I know) and its just so god damn pretty and sharp that I hesitate to pull it from my pocket to do all the things I wouldn’t have given a second though to with my old folder.
 
I was telling an acquaintance about my knife obsession last night over drinks. He was very curious how I can to the point of purchasing and trading knives upwards of $750.

I had to truly think about my journey. It has only started since April of last year and here I am 28 knives later... I've only have 9 currently, but dang it is a slippery slope. Honestly I couldn't explain the addiction. I wanted to blame bladeforums since the tremendous wealth of information certainly contributes to constantly introducing the next knife.

My name is Aaron and I am a knife addict!

Alright the therapy session is over...back to the for sale threads! LOL
 
Yes but that was a long time ago, I have always been interested in my knives ever since l have had them, like one of my first knives was a MTech I still have that I got when I was 11 or 12 and love that beaten up knife for memories.
 
Yes, I do remember those days of only carrying my Buck 110 and not thinking much about it.

I also remember when I used to tell Gerber owners about the poor quality of their $30 Gerber folders while carrying...gasp... a CRKT!
 
I didn't even carry a knife routinely until I was in my mid 20's. So yeah I remember it quite well. :D Got by just fine just like most of the world does.
 
man, I wish I could control this obsession, lol. It wasn't too terribly long ago I bought a Gerber thinking it was the shiznit. Now, I'd rather have my toenails removed one at a time by a splintered stick than own one of those crappy "knives". Also, I had no idea that knives weren't supposed to have play in the blades. Just thought that was part of it. Now, though I'm still a newbie in my opinion, I've collected a couple BM's, couple Case's, CRKT's, etc. and am DYING to get my hands on a ZT...soon!! (i hope) This forum has been a major contributor to my knife peril and I thank all of you for it!! :D
 
Funny enough… I don't think I've ever had any really shitty knives that were 'just a knife'. I started with Victorinox knives because of Scouting. Then one of my first internet purchases in the late 90's was a nicer model half-serrated Buck. Then I purchased a CRKT M16 (good reviews for its price point) and then came my first Spyderco - a stainless steel, ball bearing lock Poliwog! That was my most expensive knife to date. Soon it started snowballing: Delica 4, bought a good Boker, bought another few Spydercos (Assist, Endura, another Delica), ZT0561… but the past year I really kicked it into high gear with a Spyderco Military, an Aogami Blue Endura, Benchmade Adamas, two Mini-Grips (first one with custom scales) and - don't laugh - also a Boker Nano :D

Man, 2014 will be an interesting year. I currently don't have a plan with regards to collecting, so who knows where it goes.
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ! I was 8 years old when i bought my first knife, an Imperial KampKing. Even in those days i had a reputation for being a miser. Everyone was astonished when i walked up to the Imperial display card,with out a thought pulled the knife off the card, put it on the counter. From then on,people thought it odd that i had my hand in my pocket strokin.
That knife became, sort of a part of the family. Everyone counted on me, when a knife was needed. I'm sure that at times, my dad left his knife at home because he didn't need it, i had mine. On family outings, if we got bottles of Cola (1960's, they came in bottles and you had to have an opener), everyone counted on me to have the opener.
I was always counted on to "cut stuff". Everyone knew i had a knife, they knew i wouldn't loan it. I remember dad,waking me at 5am. Dad asked if my knife was sharp ( his usually wasn't). Dad said "come, on we are going deer hunting.

I carried that knife till i was around 18. Still have it. Its been through hell, but it will still take the hair off your arm.
 
Before learning about knives, I remember using a SAK blade to dig out weeds that were growing in sidewalk and driveway cracks.

I was using the blade to cut and dig against concrete and asphalt...just thinking about it makes my stomach feel :barf:
 
I had a giant box of crappy knives that I would grab from, throw them at stuff, do whatever with, not a big deal. But my journey began with a Kershaw Random Leek in S30V.. From there, I bought my first tactical folder, a ZT0301, then I splurged for an SMF one day and I was never the same... Now I've got 2 Large Sebenzas, a ZT 0600, 0301, 0560CBCF, 0121 and ZT9, 4 different config SMFs, an SnG, QTR-9, QTR-4, and still have the Random Leek in the drawer as well :-D.
 
Lavan said:
Try to think back to BEFORE the sickness.

You just had ...a... knife in your pocket and couldn't tell anyone what steel it was to save your life.
When you NEEDED to cut something, you took it out and got the blade exposed and yanked it through paper, cord, wood, wire, plastic or whatever. You'd also use it for prying staples, nails, or stuck windows.
Every once in a while you'd put some 3 in 1 oil on something gritty that was all worn down in the center and maybe slide it around in a circular motion til you were tired of it and then you MIGHT wipe it off or test it with your thumb.
If the tip broke off before you wore it off from the "sharpening" you'd still use it without another thought about the tip since you never needed it anyhow.
Then you'd forget about it until something needed cutting or whittling again.

You'd ....wonder.... about anyone who tried to SHOW you THEIR knife as .....so what?

Remember that? :o
Click to expand...

Yes I do, and the time when you would have this knife in your pocket to board the airplane and nobody stopped you when you sent it through the x-ray with your watch and other metallic items. And during the meal (on domestic flights no less) you would get it out to help you open up the packaged plastic silver ware, etc.....
 
I started buying knives back in the early 1970's. I knew the difference between crap and quality back then too, although there weren't as many choices as now.
If you stuck with the brand names... Buck , Camillus , Schrade, etc. you were ok. My father taught me to look for 440C stainless and how to care for carbon steel because the blades would rust. Flea market knives from Japan were considered junk knives ( but that changed).

Later on as a young man just out of college, AG Russell catalogs were a tease, I couldn't really afford anything in there. But one time AG had some old Bruckmann knives listed and I bought one. It was my first purchase from AG and today that knife is in the same roll with a knife I bought from AG last month.

I also did catalog shopping with Smoky Mountain KW. And since order turnaround took a while , I'd usually buy 2 or 3 knives at a time. I got some great deals on discontinued Buck 110's and a few Camillus folders.

The great thing about now is all the information we have access too, but I do miss the simpler times. I was content with buying 4 or 5 knives a year.
 
Love this thread. All the really great memories whether recent or from the far distant past. When I was a kid, all the old guys(grandpa types)had a folder in there pocket. I remember both my grand pops with the small pocket knives they had in the trouser pocket even dressed in their Sunday best. As I read all these stories, I'm very happy to be fortunate enough to have one of my grandpas camco pocket folders in front of me as I read all these great stories. As for me, I'm easily addicted to the latest gadgets. And I love sharp things. I also run with scissors in my hand.:D
 
I remember those days and even have those days now - the difference is that I THINK about what I am doing as I use the knife. I also choose my knives more carefully and take better care of them than before. Knowledge of knife design, history and use will cause most users to exercise care and to use the tool properly. Knowledgeable people will also take pride in their work and will take maintain their tools properly - I hope my work and pride has improved as I gain more knowledge and skill.:cool:
 
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