Stray thoughts on old pen knives.

jackknife said:
Wow! Great charater. I'd try a little mineral oil on that stag and leather spacers.
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Great minds think alike jackknife! I made that scan the day I got the knife (since I was so excited about it) a few months ago.

Since then, I have put some mineral oil on the spacers, handle, and blade (I guess thats the whole thing!).

It looks even better! (I've taken to "mineral oiling" everything on all my knives now...)
 
Mineral oil is a wonder tonic for knives. It'll rejuvenate everything--stag, horn, ivory, wood, bone. It will also protect if left on a knife. It's also non-toxic, so if you use it on your blades you don't have to worry about poisoning yourself. Best of all is the price and availability, you can get a bottle at the local for a few dollars.

I wouldn't use it on leather though, as mineral oil will soften leather.
 
kamagong said:
Mineral oil is a wonder tonic for knives. It'll rejuvenate everything--stag, horn, ivory, wood, bone. It will also protect if left on a knife. It's also non-toxic, so if you use it on your blades you don't have to worry about poisoning yourself. Best of all is the price and availability, you can get a bottle at the local for a few dollars.

I wouldn't use it on leather though, as mineral oil will soften leather.
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...and a laxative, too!
 
I think some folks bridge that gap on their SAKs between utility look and real companion when they rehandle their SAK to make it more their own. I've seen pics of some beautiful rescales done in a variety of natural materials. When I settle on a particular, pocketable SAK I will probably have just that done to personalize it. Then it becomes more than a handy plastic or aluminum handled knife.

As I mentioned earlier, the handle material does seem to make a difference. I have a black Delrin handled, Boker Canoe with carbon blades made in Germany and a red bone handled Boker Magnum canoe made in "Asia," (figure China) with stainless blades. The synthetic/carbon/German made knife is a great pocket piece and quickly developed a dark, working patina just from use. Yet when I look at the two, I'm tempted to carry the Magnum because of the bone handles. Both are well made knives and I got both for low prices. When I think about it, I am sure that if the handles were switched between the two, I wouldn't hesitate in picking the German carbon bladed knife over the other nearly every time. Like the scales on SAKs, the synthetics just don't have that feel that makes you just want to rub your thumb over the knife or turn it in your hand like a worry rock.

Kydex and Cordura sheaths and holsters are excellent when it comes to giving service while getting little or no care. Yet when it comes time to slide a sixgun into a holster or a lever rifle into a scabbard, anything but leather just seems all akimbo, at least to a lot of us old farts.

Interesting thread and input from all around.
 
Jackknife,
I agree with your comments regarding the lasting beauty of knives handled in natural materials like stag. I recently rehandled & reframed a VIC 108MM solo to take away the plastic and make it into a nice grandaddy barlow. I feel that this gives the knife a lot more character.
 
For me character is what makes a knife catch my eye. The handle doesn't really matter too much, knives with wood, bone, plastic, and stag have all really called me. However knives with stainless blades don't really do it for me in the same way. The patina of good carbon steel really grabs my eye, as does tarnished bolsters possibly with dings in them, or handle scales with cracks, chips or jigging thats been worn smooth. To me all of these things on a knife that can still walk and talk just tell a story, and when I carry one or just hold one I like to think that some where there is an old timer looking down just happy that some one is using their trusty old pocket knife and taking care of it, cause I know I would be. Swiss army knives are great, and wonderful tools but lack the heritage, and soul that more traditional blades have.
But I just like older things in general, history, craftsmanship, and tradition does it. Griswald, and Wagner cast iron has the same appeal to me as vintage knives do. Joe
 
In my minds eye, I can see workbenches lined up against tall windows reaching to the ceiling, and old hands of experinced cutlers working away. The air is filled with the tink, tink, tink, of cutler hammers setting pins, the low rumble of grinding wheels run by long leather belts from the ceiling, the carts trundled by pushed by shop boys moving stock around.
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I never really think about the person who MADE the knife for some reason
I am usually focusing on the 1st owner. Where he bought it. How much he paid for it. What percentage of his monthly wages did he spend on it? What did he primarily use it for? Did he impress the ladies with it? Did he ever have to kill anyone with it? How many trout did he clean with it?

However this box is very different, to me it is anyway. This is a portion of a collection given to me by my father and all of these knives belonged to my grandfather. There isn't enough money in the world to make me part with any of these knives
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My father passed away 15 yrs ago
There is a drawer full of his knives at my mom's house
Every few years I would glance in there to see if they were still there
I haven't really looked or picked them up
After becoming a knife junky on EBAY the last 3 months and joining this forum I know now that those knives are FULL of character
I remember seeing a white stag handled fixed blade in the drawer a few years ago
I've never been a huge fan of stag handles
I was thinking "man..what a cheesy looking knife...I can't believe my dad carried that knife"
Now I can't wait to get home to my Mom's house in a few weeks and REALLY examine the knives!!:eek:
I think there is a few Case XX large folders, a Western hunting knife, a pearlhandled Imperial, a couple Buck 110's
I am gonna find a "special" box too :thumbup:
 
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I just bought this Case xx trapper last week- i have a SAK alox and it just didn't cut the mustard anymore- it's ok but when i saw this beauty in the case at the local hardware store i got it. i got a buck 119 for myself for my birthday and the first thing i thought was damn thats a beauty but it sure would look good with a stag handle on it. i guess with age is coming in my life at least a love of classic design and almost detest anything tactical. just my .02
 
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