About fifty years ago, I was in the Scouts and I got a Buck 301 Stockman. I was very proud of that knife. During the Summers, I would go to a cattle ranch in Arizona in the White Mountains and pretend to be a cowboy. A real cowboy and his family ran the place and took in kids for a few weeks at a time to teach them to ride and brand and corral cattle. I wasn't particularly good at any of those things and everyone knew it. One night at a campfire, the cowboy who owned the ranch pulled a stone out of his pocket and asked if any of us wanted him to show us how to sharpen our pocket knives. A bunch of kids handed him their Imperial barlows and single bladed Japanese imports. I handed my stockman to him. Everyone leaned forward to see my knife and a kid said, "Is that a Case?" The cowboy replied, "Hell no, son. That there is a BUCK!" He put an edge on it and handed it back to me reverently. All eyes were on me with great respect for my knife. I wasn't looked upon as a "dude" any more. But from then on, I had to sleep with it under my pillow so no one would steal it in the bunk house while I slept.
Ever since then, I've carried a Buck stockman in my pocket every day of my life. I think I've carried three altogether. One was lost, one was retired when Buck came out with the rosewood model, and I've carried the rosewood one up until now. I collect pocket knives and have over 100 of them, but I only carry the Buck. ...until now. I broke the bank and ordered a Lionsteel LSTBM13EB... an Italian made muskrat with a clip and wharncliffe in M390 with titanium bolsters and ebony handles.
The Lionsteel is gorgeous. It's built solid with perfect craftsmanship. The grain on the ebony is super tight. The blades are screaming sharp. And it has the smoothest action and most satisfying snap that I have ever experienced. There's a half stop, and at each of the three blade stops, the back springs are perfectly flush. I cleaned it, oiled it and applied a light coat of Renaissance Wax and went to put it in my knife case... I couldn't do it. Normally, I don't want to carry $150 dollar knives because I like to keep them clean and pristine. But this one was different. I set my Buck stockman on my dresser and said to myself, "I'll just carry this Lionsteel for a week."
It's been several weeks now and tonight I cleaned, oiled and waxed my Buck stockman and put it in my knife case. After 50 years, I have a new everyday carry.
I know a lot of knife collectors rotate their everyday carries, but I'm an old dog... a creature of habit. It takes a lot for me to break a habit like this, especially one that has gone on for half a century. I feel kind of sad, like I'm sending an old horse out to pasture and saddling up a new pony. Has anyone else has a similar experience where they said goodbye to an old friend and hello to a new one? If so, post pictures of them. I'm curious if anyone else feels about their EDC the way I do.

Ever since then, I've carried a Buck stockman in my pocket every day of my life. I think I've carried three altogether. One was lost, one was retired when Buck came out with the rosewood model, and I've carried the rosewood one up until now. I collect pocket knives and have over 100 of them, but I only carry the Buck. ...until now. I broke the bank and ordered a Lionsteel LSTBM13EB... an Italian made muskrat with a clip and wharncliffe in M390 with titanium bolsters and ebony handles.

The Lionsteel is gorgeous. It's built solid with perfect craftsmanship. The grain on the ebony is super tight. The blades are screaming sharp. And it has the smoothest action and most satisfying snap that I have ever experienced. There's a half stop, and at each of the three blade stops, the back springs are perfectly flush. I cleaned it, oiled it and applied a light coat of Renaissance Wax and went to put it in my knife case... I couldn't do it. Normally, I don't want to carry $150 dollar knives because I like to keep them clean and pristine. But this one was different. I set my Buck stockman on my dresser and said to myself, "I'll just carry this Lionsteel for a week."
It's been several weeks now and tonight I cleaned, oiled and waxed my Buck stockman and put it in my knife case. After 50 years, I have a new everyday carry.

I know a lot of knife collectors rotate their everyday carries, but I'm an old dog... a creature of habit. It takes a lot for me to break a habit like this, especially one that has gone on for half a century. I feel kind of sad, like I'm sending an old horse out to pasture and saddling up a new pony. Has anyone else has a similar experience where they said goodbye to an old friend and hello to a new one? If so, post pictures of them. I'm curious if anyone else feels about their EDC the way I do.
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