RescueRiley,
Thanks for the kind words.
Re: Childhood.
Just a poor Southern Boy, times were hard and I grew up too fast and did not really have a "childhood" in the context of modern psycho-babble.
Not really one according to what some had back in the day...
Re: Slippies for Woods?
Slippies were used for everything - except those times when a fixed knife was used. Such as taking one of the Old Hickory knives from the kitchen and taking care of some briar's, or trimming back honeysuckle, hog killing time, butchering deer and other game...
Slip-Joints, were used by ladies and gents, and all the kids , both girls and boys carried a knife, as one was not dressed until that knife was on person (in apron, or purse).
Folks bought "tools" and paid for them. No credit cards , so one took care of what they had, made do, or did without.
Lay-a-way was used and the only "credit" was a ledger and that was paid off on payday.
Selections were whatever the local hardware , feed and seed, tractor supply , auto parts store had or "maybe" what Montgomery Wards, or Sears Roebuck had in a catalog.
Folks tried before they bought a "tool" such as a knife. Ladies for instance would let other ladies "try" their knife for "size and fit" and share "tool for tasks".
A lady may need a knife for more garden work, another might be a new mom and dealing with baby/kids needs. Granted a Imperial , Shrade, Case, two blade knife has put a hole in the nipple of a baby bottle, cut fruit, cut tomatoes, removed splinters , made hot dog/marshmellow sticks, ...and cleaned small game felled on the property.
Gents used the same knife to open feed sacks, scrap gaskets for tractors and trucks, clean game from small to deer size, cut rope, tend to horse tack, cattle marking of ears, make a sling-shot, whittle, strike a mag starter to make a fire, clean a rattlesnake, break down boxes...sharpen pencils,...etc.
Point being - Folks knew how to use the tools. Folks owned the tools - the tools did not own them.
Folks did not grow up with a "crutch" and therefore had correct basic fundamentals of "living life on life's terms".
Environment often dictates what works for task best. So does one's physical being.
i.e. Quite a few of the Vets had missing limbs, amputations, blind in one or both eyes, burns, etc.
So the "One arm Jack" worked best for them. They only had one hand, so getting a knife open with one hand was a real life "need".
Same style of knife works if one is wearing gloves, say it is really cold, and getting a fingernail in a nail nick, after getting gloves off.
Some of today's hi-tech knives are difficult to open with gloves - and trying to use "hole", "stud" or "assisted opening" features.
Slim line Trapper and Sodbusters are easy to open even with gloves on, as one actually just "pinches" the blade to open.
We never know when we may get down in the woods, so having thought ahead is a good idea.
Age creeps up on us all, and hands and fingers just will not do what they once did, like Arthritis.
Still even being young and healthy, one never knows when they may get sick, injured, have a minor surgery, and all of a sudden, "tools" don't work for us.
Try setting up a fancy sharpener with one hand and arm in a sling, and messing with hex screws and clamps and ....
Instead pinch the blade of the Slimline, or Sodbuster, or snag the Old Hickory Paring knife, put the Norton India IB6 combo stone or Arkansas stones on the counter and sharpen the knife freehand.
Mentors without hands, arms did this just fine, and were able to slice an apple, or cheese, or a sandwich in half...or
Freehand sharpening in the woods with a slippie is a very much needed skill set.
So one is wise to learn and practice skill sets, before heading off into the woods.
Veterans of previous conflicts lived nearby. Folks were in the Military and both ladies and gents shared how simple slip-joints did so much in the service.
MASH nurse [Korea] might share what all she did with hers, like freezing cold and she and other ladies using knives to make "tinder" to get a fire going in a 55 gal drum.
Somebody sent marshmellows and after a non-stop 24 hour MASH marathon, the simple sanity of roasting marshmellows in a drum fire to ...to feel human and sane again.
Ranger serving in 'Nam. Back in the States for a short time and sharing how his Case Slimline Trapper was always with him. He and his bunch traveled light and all due to what they did.
His "fear" was having to toss that knife to get back through more friendly areas. So he left his sentimental one , and bought a new one to take back to 'Nam.
He also carried a Peanut, for "just in case" situations.
I have nothing against new technologies.
I am known to share : One cannot buy skill and targets.
It does not matter if one has the latest hi-tech equipment while out in the woods, if they don't have the skill sets.
There are too many folks with skill sets, they can do so much more with a simple slip-joint.
History proves this to be true.
If it were not for marketing, and line extensions - IMO - folks today would better learn true skill sets for the woods and other Serious Situations.
See, I don't personally own a TV, still times have changed IMO, and the Idiot Box is brainwashing folks with all sorts of propaganda from "knives are bad" to "you gotta have a Gee-Whiz Knife" .
Progress? Are we progressing forward or progressing backwards on some of these new equipment "tools" ?
Example: Case Peanut with CV blades will not reach into the bottom of a Peanut Butter Jar.
No big deal, snag that branch and whittle you a spreader that will.
Need a spoon? Whittle you one with that Peanut.
Sharpen a pencil to write down compass readings....
Some of the hi-tech knives will not reach into a Peanut Butter jar, whittle worth a flip, nor sharpen a pencil.
CV blades toss a better spark than stainless IME.
Save the shavings from sharpening that pencil, it helps on making a fire...*wink*.
