Simplicity.

Joined
Oct 2, 2004
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17,469
Sometimes it's a hard thing to keep it simple.

Mankind has an inborn leaning to get things too complicated. Maybe it's the curse of the intellegent being. But sometimes simple is best.

It's an amazing thing to think that most of the basis for our modern technology was all invented between 1890 and 1910. Men like Henry Ford, Orville and Wilber Wright, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone all were brilliant men. But they had a vission.

What I found interesting was that they were in some cases, friends. Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford were great fans of the outdoors, and spent a good deal of time camping out. They outfitted one of Fords vehicles as one of the first RV's. On many outings fishing, along rivers and lakes, they sometimes were accompanied by a guy named William Coleman. A name that would become well known for camping gear. He was the designer of the modified Ford they used.

When I was at the Ford Museum some years ago, they had one of the origianl model T Fords that had been one of thier camping vehicles. A display was set up with alot of thier original gear, and among it all were some pocket knives. it was interesting to say the least.

Henry Ford was a thrify man to say the least. He didn't believe in having anything more than what was really needed. Among his effects was a simple single blade slip joint pocket knife that was said to have been his personal knife that he carried on his person. I couldn't make out the name on the tang as it was laying in the display case, but it was a single blade knife, wood handles, well worn and dark with time, a very dark grey blade, and about 4 inches in handle. A single blade jack, sort of like a TL-29 without the screwdriver blade. Simple. And this from a man who could afford anything.

There were some old grainy photo's from the time, one showing Ford, Edison, and Firestone, all sitting by some river shore in folding camp chairs, smiling at the camera, glasses of something in hand. They didn't look like corporate heads, or men of means. They did look like some older gentlemen enjoying the outdoors. I can only guess that in each one of thier pockets was a slip joint pocket knife.

Here were captians of industry enjoying an afternoon fishing by some lake or river, and in my minds eye, I can see them taking out a slip joint pocket knife for some odd chore. Trimming a bit of line, cutting a piece of bait, a snack, or even cleaning thier catch. From what I have read about him, Ford was a fiend for simplicity. The whole design of his car was so the regular working Joe could fix it himself if need be, with a simple tool kit. This philosophy carried over to his fishing, and he cleaned his catch himself. Probably with that wood handle pocket knife. I think if he were around her on this forum, I have a feeling he would have liked sodbusters and daddy barlows.

Of the pocket knives in the case, all were of the single or two blade jack design. One of the two blade jacks about 3 1/2 inches was tagged as belonging to Harvey Firestone, maybe Henry's best friend in later life. It had plain sawcut bone handles, and looked somewhat like a barlow without the longer bolster. It was also well worn, and seen alot of real use. Blades sharpened down maybe 40%. No pocket queen there. Because of some pitting and very dark staining, I could only make out the last letters of the name; -----ble.

Sometimes a simple design is too good to improve on. Like the mousetrap, it works well at what it's supposed to do. Here were some men who were the kings of thier own empires, fishing on some shore with bamboo poles, modified camping vehicle, but with a humble tool in thier pockets.

There's some sort of lesson there.
 
I think there are actually quite a few lessons to be learned .. :D

As I read this, I put tried to think what it was like around the campfire with the likes of these great men .... I have to think that when they were outdoors fishing and camping, that work was not the main topic of discussion.

Men of great personal and financial success out enjoying the simple things in life .
 
Mabye they had their knifes because they vere out camping a lot.

I think its like this: People with a great long for a simple, even interesting and intriging life in the outdoors think a lot of their geer. For us knifenuts this meens thinking a lot of with pocketknife or fixedblade suits best in different environments. Mu experiense is that the people realy spending their lifes in nature has rather simple knifes, easy to klean, good handles for long workingsessions osv. They get worn because they not seldom use them for very much work. The knifes you deskribed from the museum jackknife seams to fit that bill. Whom what so ever in those days probobly used their knifes more than us. And then I meen even us knifenuts. The longing for a simpler life sometimes means that we by a new knife instead of using those money to take the day of and go out to do the things we long for.

Bosse
 
Of the pocket knives in the case, all were of the single or two blade jack design.

That's a relief. I was starting to think my two-blade jack was suddenly too high falutin' to be folksy! :D

One of the two blade jacks about 3 1/2 inches was tagged as belonging to Harvey Firestone ... Because of some pitting and very dark staining, I could only make out the last letters of the name; -----ble.

Primble?
 
I agree. Some of the best times I have had have been sitting around a camp fire or in a tent with family. Simple is good.

Interestingly enough years ago I represented the interests of Ford with my company so I got to fly out to visit them in Dearborn a few times. Nice folks. Once they took me to one of those car shows (one where the hummer debuted) and I did get to visit the Ford museum as well. Huge place!

Getting back to simplicity, at the museum they have a display that shows all the parts of a Model T mounted on a wall. Surprisingly, there aren't many. Very simple. Compare that to my present day vehicles which I can't even change the spark plugs easily due to all the wires and covers everywhere.

I like simplicity and tradition. There is a quiet elegance in it. Maybe that is why I also like slipjoints. Thanks jackknife!
 
In terms of "simplicity" I think it's telling, and somewhat sad, how far the automobile has come from the humble beginnings of the Model T, every year vehicles get more and more complex, at this point, they're really nothing more than rolling computers, with so much automation and electronic controls that the average shadetree mechanic needs to have an electronics degree in addition to their simple mechanical knowledge to perform repairs

Ford is one of the biggest offenders here, especially with that craptacular "Sync" software embedded in their cars, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want *any* microsoft code anywhere near my car, it's bad enough when a windows computer crashes, taking work with it, imagine if your *CAR* suffered a BSOD at highway speeds.....

Of course, it'd be unfair to just pick on Ford for adding too much automation to cars, look at the Toyota Prius, a videogame on wheels if I ever saw one, or GM with it's "Big Brother-esque" OnStar system which uses GPS positioning satellites to determine the car's location....

If only there was a way to go back to the simpler car designs, ditch all the automation, yet retain the current reliability standards of modern vehicle design....

If I was to design my own car from scratch, there'd be minimal, if any electronics (radio/CD player and simple, mechanical emissions control only), the car would be able to be repaired by anyone with basic mechanical knowledge, and *no* automatic transmission availability, manual only (automatics would be custom-made for those with actual, legit, *medical* needs only, and no, being too lazy to learn how to drive a manual is not a medical need)

Simpler is definitely better
 
I like simplicity and tradition. There is a quiet elegance in it. Maybe that is why I also like slipjoints. Thanks jackknife!

Quiet elegance. What a wonderfull term, thank you Texas. I guess the term quiet elegance is a pretty accurite description of a working slip joint. No liner locks, axis locks, torx screws, or other bells and whistles. Just working cutting tool.

Yeah.:thumbup:
 

Neeman, though there is no denying the rabid anti-semitism of Henry Ford, I don't think that's the point that jackknife was trying to bring out with his little vignette. And, frankly, any discussion of Ford's state of mind vis a vis such matters would be outside of the margins for discussion in this forum. But yes, I agree, that point of view is quite a bit less "folksy" imho.
 
Here were captians of industry enjoying an afternoon fishing by some lake or river, and in my minds eye, I can see them taking out a slip joint pocket knife for some odd chore. Trimming a bit of line, cutting a piece of bait, a snack, or even cleaning thier catch. From what I have read about him, Ford was a fiend for simplicity. The whole design of his car was so the regular working Joe could fix it himself if need be, with a simple tool kit. This philosophy carried over to his fishing, and he cleaned his catch himself. Probably with that wood handle pocket knife. I think if he were around her on this forum, I have a feeling he would have liked sodbusters and daddy barlows.

All that and Ford invented the charcoal briquette.
 
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