- Joined
- Aug 8, 1999
- Messages
- 5,094
I just got back yesterday from six weeks in Ibadan, Nigeria where I was working in a faculty exchange/research program. I carried only a few knives because I knew that I would be going into the bush on this trip like the rest of my colleagues. My job would be working in the University archives while the others would be in remote villages gathering data. My main use for knives would be daily utility and repair/maintenance jobs. The knives I used for most of my daily tasks were my Leatherman Juice XE 6 and my SAKs, the Climber, Midnite Minichamp, and Cadet. I also had my P.J. Tomes double lockback Moose and my Obenauf small Model Two.
My Obenauf worked well as a kitchen knife when it was needed and my Tomes served for light duty and was taken out regularly to be admired.
My true workhorses were the SAKs and Leatherman. The bottle openers saw frequent use because tap water could not be drunk by a westerner like myself without the risk of stomach upset. The various screwdrivers were constantly being taken out and used to fix my personal items as well as repairing things in my room because conditions at the university were in a bit of disrepair because the school went through a long period of under funding during Nigeria's long period of military rule.
I also used my knives in the archives frequently because pens were not allowed there, only pencils. The problem was that the archive supplied no pencil sharpener! Furthermore, Chinese pencils that I bought in the market, needed to have their erasers trimmed before they would function. For some reason, they come coated with shiny stuff that keeps them from working.
Finally, one handers were not really needed on this trip. Although Western and Eastern Nigeria has a high rate of violent crime, the University is very secure and mugging was not a worry. Even if it were, I don't know if my Obenauf would have helped since working people casually carry machetes throughout the city and university.
Next year, when I spend some time in the field, I will take a larger knife like a Marbles or Falkkniven myself.
My Obenauf worked well as a kitchen knife when it was needed and my Tomes served for light duty and was taken out regularly to be admired.
My true workhorses were the SAKs and Leatherman. The bottle openers saw frequent use because tap water could not be drunk by a westerner like myself without the risk of stomach upset. The various screwdrivers were constantly being taken out and used to fix my personal items as well as repairing things in my room because conditions at the university were in a bit of disrepair because the school went through a long period of under funding during Nigeria's long period of military rule.
I also used my knives in the archives frequently because pens were not allowed there, only pencils. The problem was that the archive supplied no pencil sharpener! Furthermore, Chinese pencils that I bought in the market, needed to have their erasers trimmed before they would function. For some reason, they come coated with shiny stuff that keeps them from working.
Finally, one handers were not really needed on this trip. Although Western and Eastern Nigeria has a high rate of violent crime, the University is very secure and mugging was not a worry. Even if it were, I don't know if my Obenauf would have helped since working people casually carry machetes throughout the city and university.
Next year, when I spend some time in the field, I will take a larger knife like a Marbles or Falkkniven myself.
