Sam Wilson
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Sep 3, 2012
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- 3,090
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
The 6S Survival System
- Thread starter LostViking
- Start date
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- Jan 1, 2009
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- 3,440
I'd take Liver Eatin Johnson's outfit any day of the week. Even Redford's, especially before the bear robe. I't take that too, but wearing it will get you some looks. Unless you pair it with a pink fuzzy hat.
Heck in the winter time, that's what I wear to go to town go coffee,
Street clothes are highly over rated.
And yes Sam that green one is a thing of beauty. In my old age I am almost as much about a functional sheath, as I am a functional knife. The two go together hand in hand. One without the other is a weak spot.
Tomorrow if things go well. I will post up some shots of a piece of 60 year old stainless.
Heck in the winter time, that's what I wear to go to town go coffee,
Street clothes are highly over rated.
And yes Sam that green one is a thing of beauty. In my old age I am almost as much about a functional sheath, as I am a functional knife. The two go together hand in hand. One without the other is a weak spot.
Tomorrow if things go well. I will post up some shots of a piece of 60 year old stainless.
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Sam Wilson
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2012
- Messages
- 3,090
Thanks LV, I appreciate it. Looking forward to the pics.
Sam Wilson
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2012
- Messages
- 3,090
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
- Messages
- 3,440
First off, let me just say thank you to everyone. I have had a lot of fun with this thread. The fact that everyone has remained civil and friendly has made it even more enjoyable.
As promised here is my oldest chunk of stainless. And in fact my oldest knife.
It is a Schrade-Walden Bear's Head. I was my dad's long before it became mine. My first recollection of it was in 1965 when he was sharpening it. I remember him saying it was ten years old. Twice as old as me.
He had two stones. A long thin diamond shaped one. And a double sided Arkansas rectangle about 2x5 inches. This thing was like a razor for years. When I first got it. It got dull for a bit. Because I could not begin to approach his sharpening skill. Or his rope splicing skill. But eventually I got the sharpening.
This blade has had a full life. It was carried on the Tugs as a rope knife, cleaned critters, pulled kitchen duty, you name it. This was from the era when you had a knife, one knife. And it did what you needed. How did those old guys get through with just one blade?
He scribed the back of the sheath with the year he bought it. I am not sure if this was the original sheath or not. But it has been with the knife as long as I can remember.
It is still quite pretty to look at. If you can get by the patina and the rust spots.
It has been sharpened two or three times. So much of the blade has worn away. Cheap stainless, only get five or six sharpenings and then you have to toss them,
I may re-profile it to get the edge a little thinner. It is at the point where the edge is worn back so far it is into the thicker steel. Or I may just retire it. My wife bought me a Buck Woodsman and it has sort of taken over for this one over time.
Here it is along side another chunk of more modern stainless. It is amazing how thick and chunky knives have gotten over the years. Even my 102 is beefier than the Bear's Head. I wasn't smart enough to grab a shot of them side by side.
Old and new,
As promised here is my oldest chunk of stainless. And in fact my oldest knife.
It is a Schrade-Walden Bear's Head. I was my dad's long before it became mine. My first recollection of it was in 1965 when he was sharpening it. I remember him saying it was ten years old. Twice as old as me.
He had two stones. A long thin diamond shaped one. And a double sided Arkansas rectangle about 2x5 inches. This thing was like a razor for years. When I first got it. It got dull for a bit. Because I could not begin to approach his sharpening skill. Or his rope splicing skill. But eventually I got the sharpening.
This blade has had a full life. It was carried on the Tugs as a rope knife, cleaned critters, pulled kitchen duty, you name it. This was from the era when you had a knife, one knife. And it did what you needed. How did those old guys get through with just one blade?
He scribed the back of the sheath with the year he bought it. I am not sure if this was the original sheath or not. But it has been with the knife as long as I can remember.
It is still quite pretty to look at. If you can get by the patina and the rust spots.
It has been sharpened two or three times. So much of the blade has worn away. Cheap stainless, only get five or six sharpenings and then you have to toss them,
I may re-profile it to get the edge a little thinner. It is at the point where the edge is worn back so far it is into the thicker steel. Or I may just retire it. My wife bought me a Buck Woodsman and it has sort of taken over for this one over time.
Here it is along side another chunk of more modern stainless. It is amazing how thick and chunky knives have gotten over the years. Even my 102 is beefier than the Bear's Head. I wasn't smart enough to grab a shot of them side by side.
Old and new,
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:thumbup: I have knives that get carried more than others because of the sheath. Love the old Schrade Walden, I own several but not one with a bear's head. I enjoyed your original post and the manner it was written, thanks for posting.
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proving once again, that bushcraft is not rocket science. Experience, skill, and common sense win, every time. 
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
- Messages
- 3,440
proving once again, that bushcraft is not rocket science. Experience, skill, and common sense win, every time.
If you think about it. Most of this is cave man stuff. The amount we have forgotten in the last 4,000 years is probably close the amount we have learned.
