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

[Stelth]

Remember when you didn't even THINK of your knife?
The only time I didn't think about knives is when I didn't know of their existence. I got my first knife at age five and began regular carry around 6. I never pried with my knife or allowed it to get needlessly marred. It is and was always a cutting tool to me and I have been preoccupied by them for 41 years.

 

[Bob6794]

Remember when you didn't even THINK of your knife?
The only time I didn't think about knives is when I didn't know of their existence. I got my first knife at age five and began regular carry around 6. I never pried with my knife or allowed it to get needlessly marred. It is and was always a cutting tool to me and I have been preoccupied by them for 41 years.

Going to agree with this mostly minus the years I got my knife, age, and I couldn't EDC till I was 18 as doing so in high school with our zero tolerance policies would mean automatic expulsion for even a Vic Classic.

 

[Braincola]

I never really thought about it until lately, then I realized I always was somewhat of a knife nut. First blade was a Barlow in a leather Browning magazine holder and some fully serrated curved blade when I was 10. Now I dig on listings at midnight for discontinued spydercos whilst flipping my Mtech twist....how did that happen? :l

 

[cheesemaster]

I was into knives before my teenage years because of cub scouts and all that. In high school, I finally saved the dough for a Buck Knight and I was very excited to get it. That was my first "real" knife and I carried it every day for... hmm... maybe 25 years or so. Then I switched to a multitool that I thought I'd need for a new job. I didn't end up using it much and I stopped carrying cuz it was too bulky. That was really the only time I can remember not thinking about knives. After a couple years of not carrying, I eventually realized I did need a pocket knife and once I discovered Blade Forums, well, it was all over.

 

[B00mhower]

I feel bad saying that's how I am lol don't hate guys but my knives are tools and I use them as such

 

[Jelorian]

I like this hobby and look forward to acquiring more knives that I don't really need.

I love this line and I'm sure that everyone here can relate!

 

[ChrisB507]

Great thread! I still occasionally carry my old Camillus Cub Scout knife from the early '80s, because, hey, it does everything I need it to. I never really thought of it back then, but I sure do think of it now when I carry it.

There was a time not long ago where every knife I owned had a story. "Oh, my brother gave me this one...and this one I bought in a hardware store....and this was my first Spyderco." Now there is just too much variety....and too many knives I have purchased for no particular reason except I liked them.

 

[Derek the Destroyer]

yea I was carrying a swiss army knife since I was 6 years old... Then It went to those chinese folders you see at the liquor store... Then I got a spyderco Delica.... Ahhh yes that changed everything from that point.

 

[PC87]

Really good thread, I had been carrying, a fully serrated endura and I remember thinking why am I carrying this thing, I need a plain edge. Ordered a native cause thats all I knew were spyderco knives at that point. Fast forward 10 yrs, I saw a ZT and that started it all, so I have been afflicted for the last 5 yrs with knives.

 

[znapschatz]

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.

We have two things in common. As a brand new Tenderfoot Scout gearing up, my first knife was a Kamp King that I bought instead of the official Boy Scout knife because it was $1.50 cheaper. I carried that knife for the next 15 years. It did everything I needed it for, so I had no further interest in knives other than as a necessary appliance. On impulse I gave it away to a girl friend (who lost it a few days later) and replaced it with my first genuine SAK, which I recognized as a superior product, but was still not interested in the subject. That came years later.

A friend who knew my Kamp King story spotted one exactly like mine at a yard sale, bought it for a dollar and gave it to me. It was in great shape. Although it mostly resides in the seldom-to-never-used drawer, I sharpened up the blade better than I ever could with my original KK. It will take the hair off your arm.

 

[K.O.D.]

Can't remember that far back. Probably an SAK when I was a little kid. I've been passionate about knives for as long as I can remember.

 

[Gargs]

A great thread. In the '70s I used a knife opening rockdust bags, cutting tubing, and cutting anything else I needed...never gave it a thought for that entire year and still have no idea who made it. Held an edge like nobody's business and never let me down. Finally lost it in the mine muck on one of my last shifts and even then never gave it another thought. From then on carried a SAK for over twenty years, and used it for everything at home and in a white collar job, and never gave it a thought. Replaced it once when I lost it. Now I have a bin full of knives of all sorts, know the steel, maker, handle material, and all other things I never knew before. But I have a serious heart-attack if I have to open a package because I don't want to get "goo" on the knife I'm carrying from the tape. I also never said: "A knife if a tool" until I stopped using mine as a tool. There have been many indications over the years that I'm losing my mind...but perhaps none more so than what this thread has tapped into!

 

[jmclfrsh]

Yes, had only one knife for years. Bought a Benchmade Nitrous Blitz and it worked just fine for all knife duties for several years, probably 4-5 or so.

Then a friend showed me a CQC7, I was looking for a new hobby and three years later I've got 45 or so.

But each one was a "gotta have!" And I like each one for the reason I "had" to have it.

Am beginning to thin the heard, though...

At least in thought. Isn't that the first step?

 

[RetiredGuns]

During my 20 years in the Corps I got by rather well with a trusty KBAR, slipjoint and original Leatherman. It wasn't until I retired, took a job in a climate controlled environment & found Blade Forums that I have knives like SnGs, Sebenzas & other modern, heavy-ish use folders.

 

[jla3156]

My dad started bringing me to Smokey mountain Knife Works when I was around 7 or 8 and I've been hooked since. Im 18 now and I can't stop. I've spent most the money I've gotten over the years on knives at about 1-2 a year.

 

[bulletenema]

I remember back then. i was fresh out of high school and never gave a knife a second thought. my dad, my self, and my brother went to a gun show empty pocketed and came out with a brand new tacforce speedster swat model. i have it right now still sharp as the day is long still flys open with minimal maintenance. the pocket clip is long gone and i used it and the seat belt cutter for everything from cutting steak to plastic 2 inch retaining straps. i don't think i could ever get rid of it just because of the memories it holds and the place in my heart is has been firmly implanted in for years. my brothers had a hell of a life span being used in a motorcycle sharp as a general use and he sill has his. my first " knife bug knife" was a SOG Aegis still have it and is mirror polished hair popping edge and now the official safe queen. she never gets used anymore and sometimes i feel it is a waste but i touch the edge and see the shine of hard work and elbow grease polishing and maintaining it in near perfection and i cant help but feel good. today i carry and enlan el-01 a chinese knife for 12 bucks but one of the best and hardest workers i own. had some one take it in paramedic class and it felt like he was taking my child lol. sorry for the emotion guys dont know where that came from lol. [/FONT]