- Joined
- May 25, 2011
- Messages
- 854
Way back around February, 2011, I began to get a hankering for a good pocket knife after a friend of mine showed me a few of his muskrat skinners that he has had for a couple of decades. I used to carry a stockman on a daily basis and had somehow managed to misplace/lose the old one I had received from my grandfather.
When my quest for a new pocket knife began, I had the following knives:
1 Cheap piece of crap multi-tool
2 Very small knives of unknown make.
1 Small lock-back (Silver Eagle)
1 Smith & Wesson frame-lock
1 Wenger
1 Western brand lock-back
1 Gerber lock-back (small)
For fixed blades, I had the following:
1 PAL knife
8 Junk knives
In total I had 17 knives, most of which I was given or found. The Western (brand) lock-back was purchased back in the late 1970s and I had traded for the PAL in the early to mid 1970s. Both knives have seen extensive use, but I quit using the PAL knife when the friend (who traded it to me) died. It is now officially a keepsake in his memory.
Now I suppose Im dating myself a bit here, but I was shocked (by the prices) when I went to the local hardware store and searched for a good pocket knife. I believe I paid something like $30 (or so) for a Buck hunting knife a couple of decades ago and when that knife disappeared I swore that Id never pay that much for a knife again.:foot:
Its probably a New Jersey thing, but the selection of knives was extremely limited; couple that with my sticker shock and we had a recipe for a learning moment.
About that time I had another one of those nights when I just couldnt sleep, so I was channel surfing when I stumbled upon some knife show. I was mesmerized and made it a point to record the show on those nights that I wasnt awake for it.
After a couple of weeks I decided to purchase several knives; figuring the prices were in line with what I was willing to pay and a knife was a knife.
I ordered the following:
2 Bear & Bull
2 Beaver Creek
4 Frost
2 Kissing Crane
6 Steel Warrior
I thought the Frost knives were usable junk and the Steel Warriors were fairly decent knives, but soon decided that something was missing
So off I went to buy something I could handle before I bought it. Around here Walmart seems to have the largest selection of pocket knives, so I found myself in the local store searching for something that would fit the now burning desire for a good pocket knife.
After careful consideration, I came home with the following:
1 Buck 371
1 Winchester stockman
I was used to carrying the Steel Warrior sodbuster, so I continued carrying it and left my new prizes to sit in their pristine condition. Its funny now, but I really thought the Buck 371 was too nice to be used.
I was happy for a short time.
Then I began thinking about a fixed blade, but this time I took some time to do a little bit of research on the Internet before I rushed out and bought something on price alone. It wasnt long before I learned about Mora knives, so I researched a good seller (Ragweed Forge) and placed an order.
All hell broke lose when I received my first two Mora knives: I was hooked and I quickly ordered some more. I couldnt believe how great the knives were and how inexpensive a great knife could be.
Soon I was ordering the more expensive Scandi (and Scandi-like) knives from Ragweed Forge: falling deeper and deeper into the knife-loving disease.
Before long, I had the following knives in my collection:
Folders
1 Okapi
2 Kissing Crane (carbon steel with wooden handles)
Fixed Blades
3 Ahti
1 French Trapper
4 Helle
3 Jarvenpaa
2 Lapin Puuko
11 Mora
1 Wood Jewel
1 Roselli
1 EKA
1 Enzo
About this time I read the results from the WSS bushcraft challenge and that got me to thinking about maybe ordering one custom knife just to see if it could stack up to my Scandi knives.
That was probably a mistake on my part; since then Ive added the following to my addiction:
Folders
7 Buck
1 Schrade Old timer (carbon steel)
1 Boker
1 Victorinox Farmer
6 AG Russell
5 Opinel
Fixed Blade
1 AA Forge
1 AG Russell
3 Bark River
3 Breeden
1 GL Drew
6 Gray Wolf
1 Grohmann
1 R. Murphy
1 Ka-Bar
2 Kellam
1 Koyote
1 Luke Smith
2 JK
Ive also been given 6 more Winchester pocket knives (by friends who heard about my knife collection).
So thats about it unless you want to count the 7 knives I have on order with JK.
Since February of 2011, Ive managed to buy 101 knives all because I set out to buy one good pocket knife.
I guess I should stop complaining about my wifes shoes and purses now.:grumpy:
So Im thinking that you guys/gals with more knives than me might have a problem but Im fine as long as Im chasing you.:thumbup:
How did your addiction begin?
When my quest for a new pocket knife began, I had the following knives:
1 Cheap piece of crap multi-tool
2 Very small knives of unknown make.
1 Small lock-back (Silver Eagle)
1 Smith & Wesson frame-lock
1 Wenger
1 Western brand lock-back
1 Gerber lock-back (small)
For fixed blades, I had the following:
1 PAL knife
8 Junk knives
In total I had 17 knives, most of which I was given or found. The Western (brand) lock-back was purchased back in the late 1970s and I had traded for the PAL in the early to mid 1970s. Both knives have seen extensive use, but I quit using the PAL knife when the friend (who traded it to me) died. It is now officially a keepsake in his memory.
Now I suppose Im dating myself a bit here, but I was shocked (by the prices) when I went to the local hardware store and searched for a good pocket knife. I believe I paid something like $30 (or so) for a Buck hunting knife a couple of decades ago and when that knife disappeared I swore that Id never pay that much for a knife again.:foot:
Its probably a New Jersey thing, but the selection of knives was extremely limited; couple that with my sticker shock and we had a recipe for a learning moment.
About that time I had another one of those nights when I just couldnt sleep, so I was channel surfing when I stumbled upon some knife show. I was mesmerized and made it a point to record the show on those nights that I wasnt awake for it.
After a couple of weeks I decided to purchase several knives; figuring the prices were in line with what I was willing to pay and a knife was a knife.
I ordered the following:
2 Bear & Bull
2 Beaver Creek
4 Frost
2 Kissing Crane
6 Steel Warrior
I thought the Frost knives were usable junk and the Steel Warriors were fairly decent knives, but soon decided that something was missing
So off I went to buy something I could handle before I bought it. Around here Walmart seems to have the largest selection of pocket knives, so I found myself in the local store searching for something that would fit the now burning desire for a good pocket knife.
After careful consideration, I came home with the following:
1 Buck 371
1 Winchester stockman
I was used to carrying the Steel Warrior sodbuster, so I continued carrying it and left my new prizes to sit in their pristine condition. Its funny now, but I really thought the Buck 371 was too nice to be used.
I was happy for a short time.
Then I began thinking about a fixed blade, but this time I took some time to do a little bit of research on the Internet before I rushed out and bought something on price alone. It wasnt long before I learned about Mora knives, so I researched a good seller (Ragweed Forge) and placed an order.
All hell broke lose when I received my first two Mora knives: I was hooked and I quickly ordered some more. I couldnt believe how great the knives were and how inexpensive a great knife could be.
Soon I was ordering the more expensive Scandi (and Scandi-like) knives from Ragweed Forge: falling deeper and deeper into the knife-loving disease.
Before long, I had the following knives in my collection:
Folders
1 Okapi
2 Kissing Crane (carbon steel with wooden handles)
Fixed Blades
3 Ahti
1 French Trapper
4 Helle
3 Jarvenpaa
2 Lapin Puuko
11 Mora
1 Wood Jewel
1 Roselli
1 EKA
1 Enzo
About this time I read the results from the WSS bushcraft challenge and that got me to thinking about maybe ordering one custom knife just to see if it could stack up to my Scandi knives.
That was probably a mistake on my part; since then Ive added the following to my addiction:
Folders
7 Buck
1 Schrade Old timer (carbon steel)
1 Boker
1 Victorinox Farmer
6 AG Russell
5 Opinel
Fixed Blade
1 AA Forge
1 AG Russell
3 Bark River
3 Breeden
1 GL Drew
6 Gray Wolf
1 Grohmann
1 R. Murphy
1 Ka-Bar
2 Kellam
1 Koyote
1 Luke Smith
2 JK
Ive also been given 6 more Winchester pocket knives (by friends who heard about my knife collection).
So thats about it unless you want to count the 7 knives I have on order with JK.
Since February of 2011, Ive managed to buy 101 knives all because I set out to buy one good pocket knife.

I guess I should stop complaining about my wifes shoes and purses now.:grumpy:
So Im thinking that you guys/gals with more knives than me might have a problem but Im fine as long as Im chasing you.:thumbup:
How did your addiction begin?