Show me your very first traditional knife

[Old Biker]

My first traditional knife was a shell construction stockman. Probably of Imperial brand. I got it when I was 4 or 5 years old. I have no idea where I lost it or any of it's replacements, that I had growing up.

O.B.

 

[J.Mattson]

My first traditional knife (or knife of any kind) that was 100% mine was this Soldier from 96 that was gifted to me. It was a deal between me and my folks, they wanted me to read more and I wanted a knife so the deal was I complete a grade school summer reading list and they would buy me a nice one. Little did I know that all those hours reading and all the years with this knife in my pocket/bag would start two life long passions.

The first knife that I bought with my own money was this Super Tinker, I was working after school in a sandwich shop at the time and every time I handle it I can still smell the bread.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Maybe this one. This was one of my Dad's knives. No visible maker's marks on it. Just seems like an inexpensive pocketknife, which rings true to what would've been my Dad's priority on such things. I remember he had a couple others, similar in appearance, but with different color covers. I used to admire them as a kid, 50+ years ago (I'm 60 now) - might be my earliest memory of any pocketknife in my hands. At some point, he gave this one to me. It looks as old now as it looked over 50 years ago - I've no idea how long he had them, before I ever saw them. I don't know what became of the other two - if they're still stashed away among his things, or if he got rid of them at some point. These were old enough, I've since speculated the covers on them might've been celluloid. If there were outgassing & corrosion issues, maybe that's reason enough he might've disposed of the other two at some point. But I don't know. He passed away about 3 years ago, and we haven't yet gone through all of his stuff at home. Maybe the other two are still around somewhere.

 

[storyofmyknife]

This is the Wegner backpacker I got from a garage sale when I was about 6. I promptly got it taken away when I opened the finger nail file, which my brother thought was a blade so he ran out of our brand new tent, ripping the threshold in the process. I got it back a number of years later and I still use it, mostly while camping. Which has included tracing it swimming on multiple occasions. Oops. No rust though.

 

[Hickory n steel]

When I was 3 I found a red Vic classic on the ground, but that got taken right away and I was 21 by the time " when you're old enough " finally showd up.

I no longer have it for very obvious reasons, but when I was 7 my dad bought me one of these at the local dollar store which was really my first knife.


It was never very sharp, but I think I probably used it to change the batteries in my toys more than anything.

It lasted just long enough for me to learn how to use a pocket knife without cutting myself, I suppose that's about all you can expect for a knife that only cost $1.
And this was at a time when colonials and Imperials had long since past that into the $10+ range, so it was basically overpriced at even $1.

 

[Old Hunter]

By the time I received this Western L66 Black Beauty (Christmas 1968) I had already owned an Official Cub Scout and by then was carrying an Official Boy Scout (both of which are lost in the mists of time). My folks gave me the Western fixed blade, which I wanted for Christmas, and I still own it because it didn’t get much use in those days (outside of scouting and camping) - shown here with its third sheath. The deer didn’t get re-established well in my area until I was a young adult (and more responsible with my stuff). I also had other pocketknives such as Klein wire skinners - always plenty of them around because my Grandfather was an electrical contractor and used me as a gopher on many occasions - don’t have any of those any longer either. OH

 

[5K Qs]

Here's a post I made in another thread about "first knives" several years ago. Some readers of the current thread may find the old thread as fascinating as I do.

I got this Colonial Forest-Master around 1960 when I was 8 or 9. I carried it every day on the dairy farm until I left for college in 1969. Used it to cut a LOT of baler twine from bales of hay and straw; whittled wiener sticks and apple slingers and little shims and "guns" and "knives" and cars and boats; carved initials and other important messages; opened bottles of pop, cans of paint, grease tubes for the grease gun, oil cans; drove screws and pulled nails; bored holes in belts and milking straps; just generally used (and occasionally abused) it almost every day, and I don't remember ever cutting myself, at least not badly!
(The bail in the picture is not the original; I lost that somewhere in life, and made the one that's pictured out of an S-hook I bought for toilet repair.

And then, although I always knew where that knife was (usually in my desk drawer), I rarely used a knife and never carried a knife again until last January! At that time, my wife happened to show me a knife (see below) she thought she probably got from her dad after he had carried it for years and then replaced it. I cleaned that old Imperial up and decided I was going to start carrying a knife again, and see if I could find some other old knives I could "rescue" and use. I soon ran across BladeForums, and now I say, "Hello, I'm GT, and I'm a knifeaholic!"

Thanks for starting an interesting thread, Brian! Your first knife is looking good after your TLC!!

- GT

- GT

 

[tongueriver]

I think my first knife was a blue cub scout knife, about 1955. That one and the next ten are LONG gone. I have a few now.

 

[glennbad]

No sure if this was my first but I’ve had it ~30 years or more. Can’t tell you what it is. Maybe I should dig it out of storage and try to find some markings.

View attachment 1663272

That looks a lot like Imperial's Tu-Tone pattern

 

[CAP55]

I'd love to show you but that was in about 1950 and disappeared long, long ago. I can tell you it probably came from Western Auto and was probably a jack since they were most prevalent.

 

[shameless98]

My first was a Buck 110 which I inherited from my grandfather. Lot of knife for a 10 year old

 

[Corto_Malt]

Laguiole Rossignol my first "real" knife.

 

[Storm 8593]

Long since lost but it was a Victorinox Spartan for Christmas 1988/89. Now have a dozen SAKs and approximatley 70 odd knives all up.

 

[Chief]

Bought at TG&Y in 1971 with money I had saved / earned washing dishes / working in a restaurant kitchen for $1.10 per hour. Snapped off the tip the main using it as a prybar / screwdriver working my Suzuki TS90. Money was tight, so I carried it and used it for years at auto mechanics class, working at a truck stop, and in the USAF. Didn't care for the spey becoming the main but it taught me a valuable lesson ... never broke another knife. Still have it. A generous member saw me post of picture of it and sent a replacement.

 

[JohnDF]

I've got one in my accumulation too... a very good knife indeed.

 

[mushka]

I can't remember what it was either. Back in the mid 50's it was probably a cub scout knife. I've made up for it ever since, now I have multiple knives for all kinds of things.

 

[Tyson A Wright]

My oldest knife is a Schrade-made Craftsman peanut 95041. I was given this at age 6 in 1977. The blade was etched "1927" as a 50th anniversary of Craftsman tools, but it's been used so much over the last 40+ years that it's just patina now. This has come in and out of regular use, but since I got this slip for it that can attach to keys I carry it almost every day, in addition to whatever my primary knife is.

 

[afishhunter]

I couldn't begin to tell you what it was, let alone where it is.

One of my fears is that when the final reckoning comes, is not that I be burdened with my sins, but rather the things I've lost. Seventy or so pocketknives, 3800 socks, numerous coins, paper clips, the back seat out of a '74 Maverick...

Only 3800 socks?!? What's your secret for losing so few?

 

[pmek5]

Bought at TG&Y in 1971 with money I had saved / earned washing dishes / working in a restaurant kitchen for $1.10 per hour. Snapped off the tip the main using it as a prybar / screwdriver working my Suzuki TS90. Money was tight, so I carried it and used it for years at auto mechanics class, working at a truck stop, and in the USAF. Didn't care for the spey becoming the main but it taught me a valuable lesson ... never broke another knife. Still have it. A generous member saw me post of picture of it and sent a replacement.

Great story. Brought back memories of my TS90 I bought used with my paper route money probably about 1975

 

[Kevin-B]

Bought at TG&Y in 1971 with money I had saved / earned washing dishes / working in a restaurant kitchen for $1.10 per hour. Snapped off the tip the main using it as a prybar / screwdriver working my Suzuki TS90. Money was tight, so I carried it and used it for years at auto mechanics class, working at a truck stop, and in the USAF. Didn't care for the spey becoming the main but it taught me a valuable lesson ... never broke another knife. Still have it. A generous member saw me post of picture of it and sent a replacement.

Wonderful story! Good for you for still having it!