The irrational Tamagotchi effect

S

SubSpace

Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
630
Unusual title for a post, but--
For those of you who don't know, Tamagotchi were these little electronic keychains from Japan that had a digital animal on an LCD screen, and you had to virtually "feed" the pet and care for it each day or it would "die."

I seem to be experiencing a Tamagotchi effect with my carbon knives.

I own seven peanuts now, and the stainless ones are just as beautiful, just as functional, as the CV, but I pocket the CV each time. My newest knife, a gorgeous mini-copperhead that I absolutely love, is hard for me to warm up to as a user because it is "stainless."

I believe the answer lies in Tamagotchi.

Carbon steel needs to be cared for. Almost like a pet. It's more of a "living" steel. It changes. If I cut an apple, it changes color. If it gets wet, I have to wipe it down. My stainless knives don't need that much care. They don't need me--

I hope I don't sound like a nut, but we do sort of build relationships with our knives on these forums, do we not? I think I just feel more warmly towards a carbon blade because without me, it would rust. It needs me to care for it.

Stainless is a bit colder to me. And thus more difficult to love.

But if any stainless knife can do it, the mini-copperhead can.
 
Well I'll tell ya bud, if your nuts, then have them book me a padded room right next to you.

I've always felt warmer to a knife made from carbon steel and natural scales than a stainless and plastic job. As I got older, I realized that I liked a knife that aged along with the owner. Kind of like making the journey together down the road of life. After all, I got gray and a bit worn around the edges, why should I expect more from my knife? If the blades get a bit of wobble, well so do I when I get out of bed in the morning and not all the moving parts are working right.

Nothing is forever, so I don't expect the perfection that I used to in my youth. I like caring for the carbon blade, taking care to wipe it off after use, a little oil on a match end once in a while for the joint. A little polishing of the jigged bone with a thumb when used as a worry stone. It all adds up to something called character. Lord knows I have plenty of it, why shouldn't my pocket knife, that I carry every waking moment also have it's share.

I've heard of the Tomagotchi effect, but not by that name. It's funny, that in a super high tech society like Japan has become, they needed to invent something to take a moment in their day to slow down for a moment with a distraction. A little elect digital being that needed care. Heck, I just take out my peanut and gently wipe down the damascus blade with a bandana, take a torn match end and wipe out any pocket lint and debris, and I feel nice and relaxed. Maybe gently stroke the jigged bone scales. No batteries needed, and I have a useful cutting tool to boot.

So subspace, what color do ya think those padded walls are gonna be?

Carl.
 
I'm a user not a abuser, and I live in a place with high humidity in the summer months, and have always lived around saltwater, also carried carbon blades at work, working in an environment of 120 degrees in the summer with no ventilation doing installs in attics, my clothes would be soaked with sweat and I have never had a knife rust? I always read about it but it's never been a issue for me. I will say that when I get a new blade I put it through its paces to form a patina, I never force it I just encourage it along. I think the rust forms more often when people try to keep the carbon steel shiny, to each their own.
 
I'm not obsessive about caring for my CV peanut. But it's definitely a nice feeling to watch it age.

And it's also a nice feeling that if I've been a little lax and the blades are starting to get that sort of tacky "pre-rust" feeling, I can give it a quick rub-down with a Miracle Cloth, or even rinse the blades with water, then give them a vigorous rubbing with a towel, and they're back in top shape. Add a lick or two on the fine stones or a strap, and maybe a tiny hit of oil on the joints, and I just get a damn good feeling; like the 'nut and I are ready to tackle anything that heads our way.

Okay, let's face it. We are nuts ...... err, knuts.

-- Mark
 
Very good post and an awesome way to look at the lives of those who choose carbon. If we want our knives to live and to last as long as possible, we have to keep them in shape.
You have a great analogy here and it fits many members of this place. I think it adds to the soul of the knife, when it's more than just a tool you abuse, it's a partner in everyday life. It needs protected from the harm it faces.

I used to be all stainless, I never understood the true wonders of a carbon blade.
Thats been a long time passed and I love my 1095s and CV.
 
Stich2442 said:
I'm a user not a abuser, and I live in a place with high humidity in the summer months, and have always lived around saltwater, also carried carbon blades at work, working in an environment of 120 degrees in the summer with no ventilation doing installs in attics, my clothes would be soaked with sweat and I have never had a knife rust? I always read about it but it's never been a issue for me. I will say that when I get a new blade I put it through its paces to form a patina, I never force it I just encourage it along. I think the rust forms more often when people try to keep the carbon steel shiny, to each their own.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with that. I've heard people complain about rust, but I've never encountered it myself. I grew up here in Maryland, and a heck of a lot of my time in the hot humid summers were spent on the Chesapeake Bay, a salt water environment. Most of my family was there, and they were all working watermen, as are my cousins still. When I was a kid, all the knives were old carbon steel. Pocket knives, bait knives. Grandad had an old tin bucket on his boat that held some old butcher knives that were used to cut up the salted eel or bull lips to go in the crab traps. Each night they were wiped off and tossed back in the bucket. They didn't rust, but the blades were black as the Earl Of Hell's riding boots. All the pocket knives I saw in the hands of those old school watermen were canon steel with a dark gray heavy patina on the blades. This was back when 'that cheap stales stuff' didn't have a very good reputation among working men. But nobody had a rusty knife back then, in spite of living in a salt water humid environment.

Now things have changed, and my cousin Barry carries a sak, and the tin bucket has been replaced with a plastic one holding some Victorinox serrated edge paring knives. I guess progress happens no matter if we want it to or not.

Carl.
 
I honestly believe that some people just have sweat that eats metal more than others. Don't laugh I'm serious here. :)

I've seen knives rust and pit first hand. Quality knives that I really loved. But once the patina settled in and was solidly formed it stopped happening. I've noticed that this effect is only for the kind of patina you hold sideways into the light and it is still has that deep grey look. If it turns from grey to red or blue or whatever I've noticed that is where you'll still get rust. It is just not the same thing. I think it can take a long time for this to form. I have a secret to doing it but it still takes a lot of effort and a couple months.

But I agree wholeheartedly that having a pocket knife age gracefully beside you is part of the charm. I just like it. But I treat them well for probably the same reason I work out or run regularly, I like the to think I'm extending the quality years of me and the knife, lol. Traditional knives have a lot of charm even if they do require a little care.

Will
 
I think back to when I was a kid, and I didn't know how to take care of a carbon blade, but I still have mine and I spent a heck of a lot of time in the woods playing and fishing. ( when kids did that sort of thing ). I went through the one hand opener phase, but when you spend a lot of time cutting you soon realize, that those carbon blades do it a heck of a lot better and a few passes on a stone brings it right back to a working edge, I like taking care of my knives also it's a little time to slow down, a little oil a wiped own with a rag, think about the day. I use to be religious about it but I thought about and realized I didn't need to be so anal. I think of the sailors/ whalers and pioneers and frontiersmen who lived and worked in harsher environments then most of us and they got by just fine with a carbon blade.
6a848b64.jpg

These are all about 30-35 years old with minimum amount of care. The Kamp King is the oldest my first knife that started the addiction, the only one the sees any real use is my Boy Scout knife.
 
Last edited:
I carried an SS blade for work on a produce farm for a long time. I used the knife so much that I would have to sharpen it every night, it became part of a ritual for me, but it time consuming.
I use a Lansky system and it's not exactly portable, at least not for me at work. I bought a little Gatco stone and I used it a while, it was a great little stone, but my SS blade didn't care for it. I had a tough time getting the edge up to par. I switched over to carbon steel and life was a whole lot easier. I would go through the day and cut away, when my knife started to dull, I would take lunch and sharpen it up. After that, I was good to go.

Once the patina really settled in, I had no rust worries what so ever.
 
First, let me say that I do not intend this post to be dissenting, but I find that my SS mini copperhead has endeared itself so strongly, that it would be hard for me to imagine a carbon steel knife kicking it out of my pocket. If they ever make a MCH in CV, that might do it. I like the fact that I do not have to worry as much about the MCH as I would, say the SBJ in CV, but I certainly don't have any problem caring for and "feeding" carbon steel knives. I guess I just got attached to the MCH and that has changed or affected the way I feel about Tru-sharp in particular. I do very much understand your feeling for carbon steel knives and you are not wrong in the least to feel the way you do.

Ed J
 
Ed--
I agree with you on the wonderfulness of the mini-copperhead. As I stated in my original post, if any knife could change my view on things, that's the one.
Because it is one heckuva pattern. And I love the deep canyon bone on mine.
Since getting it, I've been carrying it along with my CV peanut. It cuts just as well, and I've noticed no difference in edge holding (I strop any knife that gets used at the end of the day). I admit my thoughts are irrational...

Carl--I don't know what color the padded room is going to be, but I'm sure about to find out.
 
DrPenguin said:
I honestly believe that some people just have sweat that eats metal more than others. Don't laugh I'm serious here. :)
Click to expand...

This is me. There is no carbon steel blade / spring that can stand before my persperation. It eats carbon steel for breakfast. Also, I live in southern FL which doesn't help matters. That being said I'll still buy and carry carbon steel knives, maintain them as best I can (usually with chapstick on the blade/spring, thanks Carl!) but I know it's just a matter of time...

Nathan
 
Nice thread, and thought provoking for sure.
Speaking for myself, I think I was never caught by the "caring syndrome" for carbon steel knives, nor for any other thing, just for the fact that they need more care. Some things get deeper under my skin, but their needs of care has nothing to do with it. As for knives, I'm partial to stainless but the reasons have nothing to do with its relative ease of maintenance.
Anyway, I do understand your thought and state of mind, as I've seen it happen more than once (not just for knives actually - cars and motorbikes for example). If that's the way that allows you to build a stronger connection with your knife, then you should welcome it and dive into it. As you've already noticed from this very thread, you are surely not alone :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
Well... Little Humppa and his carbon steel... I don´t know how to explain. ;)

I prefer carbon steel because it gets a better edge with lower attention in sharpening (!). But the steel needs more attention itself. That´s why I usually let them keep a patina on them for preventing from rust.

I´m guilty with that Tamagotchi effect. I like the patina watching growing and letting the blade take its way. Sometimes I can see the bad, red rust on the space between blade and tang. It´s gonna be removed with some oil. What I really like the looking of, when the blade gets sharpened and you can see the shiny steel at the blue/gray/black patina. That´s a really nice looking at any knife. Never mind if any GEC or an ordinary Opinel. I like that look. When I don´t plan to use the knife for a longer time (about two or three weeks), I put a little oil film on the blade for really rust preventing. :)

I´m really up to carbon steel and prefer it from stainless.

Kind regards
Andi
 
I prefer carbon steel blades but I have several knives with stainless steel blades too.

This is a Case Folding Hunter that I got the day I graduated from U.S. Navy Boot Camp at Naval Station Great Lakes Illinois in August 1965. It has Reddish Jigged Bone handles and the blade is saber ground. I carried this knife for the full 24-years I was in the Navy and retired it the day I retired from the Navy in July 1989. This knife saw a lot of ships and a lot of ports. It's had plenty of dunkings in salt water and has had a spot or two or three of rust in its life but nothing serious as shown in the picture.

scandoc0001.jpg
casefoldinghunterhandma.jpg


Here's the story about the sheath

After leaving Boot Camp, I (along with my new knife) reported to the USS Henley (DD762) where she was tied up to the D&S (Destroyer and Submarine) Piers at Norfold Naval Station, Norfolk, VA. The knife did not come with a sheath and it quickly became apparent that I needed a sheath for it but where was I to get the leather? Afterall, there wasn't a Tandy Leather on board and no leather supply store either.

Well, the Navy used satchel leather briefcases in those days and there were more than a few onboard sooooooooo, I comshawed (appropriated) one of the Division's briefcases and cut it up for leather. I kept just the leather and dumped the handle, latches, and frame overboard -- well after dark I might add. I used the knife for a pattern and drew the pattern on a piece of stiff file folder and then cut the leather to fit the pattern. I hand stitched it with a needle from my sewing kit and with some electrical waxed thread that I got from an Electritian in the engine room. It's a little worn now but it has served me well throughout the years.

With just minimal care, you can make a carbon steel bladed knife last for a lifetime and more.
 
All of the knives I carry on a daily basis get the 'Tamagotchi' treatment, whether necessary or not. Lately, I've been pocketing 3 knives every day, all stockman knives (that's 9 blades = overkill, I know). It occurred to me, I have sort of a 'three bears' assortment in my pocket, in terms of steel variety. One is a Schrade 8OT (1095, non-stainless), one is my Queen #49 (D2, almost, but not quite stainless), and the third is a Case 6375 SS (420HC, bona-fide stainless). Driven mostly by the need to properly 'take care of' the 1095 Old Timer, all three of these knives get the same 'tuck-in' every night before bed. That means a wipedown with a Windex-moistened paper towel, on each and every blade.

I'm also frequently finding new ways to tweak/refine the edges on each of these, so the 'Tamagotchi' effect extends to sharpening too, for me. With this steel assortment in-hand every day, this is a great way to really stay in touch with how differently each responds to sharpening methods and media.

Always cleaning, wiping, primping, tweaking; it never really ceases.
 
It's funny--I have a knife identical to that one that I got from my grandfather. The scales on that one are jigged synthetic though, if I remember correctly.
 
...and as for me the stainless in the Case formula just doesn't cut it, literally. The CV blades are easier to sharpen and hold and edge sufficiently well and have the patina "character" that adds to the enjoyment of ownership and use. :cool: The extra care required is too another reason to fondle and care for the tools that are closest to one's heart/pocket :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top