The Knife that Started it all for me...

k_estela

k_estela

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I had a few knives before this one but this was the belt knife my father bought for me that really made me feel like an adult. With this knife on my side, I felt like the king of the world and like a real man. As a pre-teen, this was the blade I learned to respect because of the "new to me" sharpness a scandi offered. I did everything with this blade and I still remember what it felt like to put it on my belt and just go walking in the woods with friends.

It has seen better days and one day I'd like to send it off to someone who could refurbish it for me. I'd never use it after that and keep it to give to my son (if I ever have kids) someday. I don't think I'll ever part with this blade and even though it has seen better days, I think it is still beautiful to me for all it represents in my outdoor pursuits.

What about you guys? Any old blades from your childhood?
 

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Black SAK Tinker. Dont have it anymore. First belt knife was a caseXX skinning knife I bought at an antique store. Its long gone in the woods somewhere.
 
Mine was an old Western L-36. I felt like Davy Crockett when my dad gave it to me. Still have it of course.
 
Nice!

It is always great to see a truly classic blade that is worn with use and steeped in memories.

I don't have a blade that I have put more than 15 years of use into yet, but I did refurbish a knife for my father, on the occasion of his 50th birthday. It was similar to yours - stacked leather with a guard and pommel, and a grind that was originally scandi but became convexed with extensive use. The blade had rusted to hell, the leather rings were loose, and the sheath was held together with a tactical shoestring. I don't have an 'after' photo on hand right now, but here's a shot of the original, disassembled and ready for re-working.

dadsknifestep1b.jpg


I removed the rust, re-profiled the blade, gave the steel a nice mustard patina (which protects it and preserves its character), made a new brass guard and pommel, and replaced the stacked leather with stacked wood - a mix of padauk, oak, and cocobolo. I also made a new leather sheath. It went over very well. I'll see if I can dig up a picture of the finished product.

All the best,

- Mike
 
For me it was a Buck 110 folder. It came with a thick leather sheath. I must have been 8 or 9 years old at the time I received it from my father. I remember the exact same feelings. I'd slide that sheath through my belt, put on a pair of vibram soled boots, and walk the creeks and hills like I was Daniel Boone. Great memories, thanks for the thread.
 
Mine was a victorinox SAK my dad bought me from Sears I think when I was about 10. I had other knives before this one but it was the first quality knife. He bought me a Ruger 10/22 when I was about 9 and I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have because my older brother had a mini 14 which was so much cooler. Now I wish I still had that 10/22.
 
This is the first fixed blade I ever had. My dad gave it to me and I will never part with it. My very first knife was a Barlow that Grandpa gave me about the same time. I gave that one to my first grandson. This knife is about 75 years old.
 

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udtjim,

One of my first fixed blades was almost identical to your knife. My very first was a somewhat smaller Kabar hunter.

DancesWithKnives
 
There are no markings on my knife but it is stamped Sweden on the sheath. How about yours?
 
I'll have to go dig it out of a box in storage. However, it has the same blade shape (mine has even been sharpened to a similarly worn configuration), the same blood groove, the same kind of thin brass guard, the same stag and color/pattern of spacers in the grip, and the same metal guard at the tip of the sheath. Upon closer examination, I noticed that your stag grip is pinned while mine is attached with an indented nut in the aluminum pommel. However, they are very close in overall appearance.

DancesWithKnives
 
k_estela said:
I had a few knives before this one but this was the belt knife my father bought for me that really made me feel like an adult. With this knife on my side, I felt like the king of the world and like a real man. As a pre-teen, this was the blade I learned to respect because of the "new to me" sharpness a scandi offered. I did everything with this blade and I still remember what it felt like to put it on my belt and just go walking in the woods with friends.

It has seen better days and one day I'd like to send it off to someone who could refurbish it for me. I'd never use it after that and keep it to give to my son (if I ever have kids) someday. I don't think I'll ever part with this blade and even though it has seen better days, I think it is still beautiful to me for all it represents in my outdoor pursuits.

What about you guys? Any old blades from your childhood?
Click to expand...

Hey Kevin, (just my 2 cents) I wouldn't get it refurbished, but would keep it just the way it is.

Doc
 
Many opinels (used to loose them pretty often) and a few SAKs. And bow saws. And cheap axes (paying more than $15 for an axe was like madness to us). That's what the boy scouts carried.
My first serious outdoors blade was a Fallkniven F1, and that was something like 3 years ago.
 
Rockywolf said:
I had a flashlight like that one! And is that a camp king in the upper left? I had one of those too!
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Yeah, the Bantam Flashlights were very cool. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and everything from Dick Tracy to Batman were printed on them. And, yes, that is a Camp King, remember busting your fingernails trying to get that one open when you were a tyke? :D

Some of you have already perused these pages, but, for you...here you go Rockywolf:

http://www.donrearic.com/kstuff1.html

http://www.donrearic.com/kstuff2.html

http://www.donrearic.com/kstuff3.html
 
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