The old guys with a pen knife.

Old Hunter said:
Old guys and penknives seem to go well together just about anywhere I have been. While I lean to a 3-1/2" pocketknife, it seems the SAK Classics are much loved as well as Peanut sized knives. I like the way your stories take the mundane and make it interesting! OH
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The classic's and peanuts are still popular knives. I think the classic is still the worlds most popular pocket knife as I see them pop up all ver the place carried by both men and women. Victorinox makes many time more classic's every year than Buck makes 110's. You can walk into any Walmart, Target, Academy or Dick's and get one for the price of a chain restaurant lunch at Benigens, Bob Evan's, Luby's, and Denny's. Since most people are not knife nuts, I think it appeals totem because it gives you not only a small keychain size knife, but scissors, nail file, small screw driver that works on flat or small Phillips, tweezers and toothpick. It's a heck of a deal for a small pocket knife to open the mail with.

As for the mighty legume, the peanut; If I didn't have senior citizen arthritic fumble fingers, I'd still be carrying one. The peanut will always be then closest to my heart. It's the mighty mite of kifedom. After all, it has The Cult.
 
Woodrow F Call said:
I have to admit, I'd rather have a Kolache with a little sausage, jalapeno, and cheese in it over a cinnamon roll. I can't argue about a pen knife though. I like the little knives.
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That "pig in a blanket" is called a kloblasnek (pl. kloblasneki) not a kolach (pl. kolache).

A meat pastry is a kloblasnek.

A kolach is a fruit pastry.

Both use the same dough, but the insides define the name.

Here ends the Wendish/Polish/Czech cultural lesson.:D
 
btb01 said:
That was an enjoyable read, Carl. Thanks for sharing!

We spent a little time in Georgetown last summer (we were there for my cousin's wedding, which was at a venue just a little outside Georgetown). I've been fortunate enough to visit a lot of small towns in Texas (I grew up in Arkansas, and we had a lot of family and family friends throughout Texas); I've always enjoyed the town squares and courthouses in small-town Texas, and Georgetown did not disappoint!

LUr4tU4.jpg
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One little family history tidbit - back in 1950 or 1951, my father repainted the 4 clock faces on the 4 sides of the dome for $100, split with his partner in crime, Slick Wiggins, who ended up not doing anything because it turned out Ole Slick was scared of heights. o_O
 
zzyzzogeton said:
That "pig in a blanket" is called a kloblasnek (pl. kloblasneki) not a kolach (pl. kolache).

A meat pastry is a kloblasnek.

A kolach is a fruit pastry.

Both use the same dough, but the insides define the name.

Here ends the Wendish/Polish/Czech cultural lesson.:D
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Then ya better git on over to Shipley Doughnuts, because they have a ham and cheese kolach on the menu that is great!:eek:
 
jackknife said:
The classic's and peanuts are still popular knives. I think the classic is still the worlds most popular pocket knife as I see them pop up all ver the place carried by both men and women. Victorinox makes many time more classic's every year than Buck makes 110's. You can walk into any Walmart, Target, Academy or Dick's and get one for the price of a chain restaurant lunch at Benigens, Bob Evan's, Luby's, and Denny's. Since most people are not knife nuts, I think it appeals totem because it gives you not only a small keychain size knife, but scissors, nail file, small screw driver that works on flat or small Phillips, tweezers and toothpick. It's a heck of a deal for a small pocket knife to open the mail with.

As for the mighty legume, the peanut; If I didn't have senior citizen arthritic fumble fingers, I'd still be carrying one. The peanut will always be then closest to my heart. It's the mighty mite of kifedom. After all, it has The Cult.
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I too see alot of classics a manager at work has one she goes thru one at least every 2 to three years I sharpened it once and she was like that is too sharp next time not so sharp lol
 
zzyzzogeton said:
A kolach is a fruit pastry.

Both use the same dough, but the insides define the name.

Here ends the Wendish/Polish/Czech cultural lesson.:D
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Interesting (or not) note ....... I live in Prague with my Czech wife and our 3 kids. Texas kolaches are nothing like real Czech kolač.

Knife content: A fresh kolač at the weekly farmers market in our neighborhood, cut in half with a slipjoint, and a couple cups of coffee, makes for a very enjoyable, cheap Saturday-morning breakfast date with the wife!

-- Mark
 
I w
mnblade said:
Interesting (or not) note ....... I live in Prague with my Czech wife and our 3 kids. Texas kolaches are nothing like real Czech kolač.

Knife content: A fresh kolač at the weekly farmers market in our neighborhood, cut in half with a slipjoint, and a couple cups of coffee, makes for a very enjoyable, cheap Saturday-morning breakfast date with the wife!

-- Mark
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I will have to try one of these they sound delicious
 
DrPenguin said:
Me too. :)

My favorite is the one about the Irish fellow with the big wolf hound and the stag folder. Some day I've got to visit the emerald isle.

Will
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Me too my mother in law got my wife and I dna done and most of mine is Irish and Norwegian really a mix of but Irish is highest I have always wanted to go to Ireland and Scotland
 
My late dad had used various pocketknives over the years. I have a few of his old knives. He never owned a peanut or a Classic, but he had a small Camillus 2-blade jackknife, a Buck 110 (older version with convex grind) and a christy knife. I think the only reason his 2-blade jackknife was fairly new-looking and not used up was his fingers were extremely thick from a lifetime of labor, thus making it near-impossible for him to pull the blades open in middle-age. Then even later in life he had Parkinson's. I think the 110 and the Christy knife we're much easier for him to use. In general, he definitely preferred smaller pocketknives, but just became unable to use most of them.

Many years ago, I gave my older brother and his wife Classics. My brother lost the one I gave him, but he bought a replacement Classic, and they both carry their Classics everywhere. They were never 'knife people' before. My sister-in-law says she would feel lost without her knife.

Jim
 
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Jacknife, I have to say that some of my favorite stories would have to be the ones about your family (especially your dad) and the Liers circle.we need more!
 
zzyzzogeton said:
That "pig in a blanket" is called a kloblasnek (pl. kloblasneki) not a kolach (pl. kolache).

A meat pastry is a kloblasnek.

A kolach is a fruit pastry.

Both use the same dough, but the insides define the name.

Here ends the Wendish/Polish/Czech cultural lesson.:D
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I don't doubt the origins, but here in South Louisiana and in Texas, the Kolache is as described..... The fruit filling is an option.

 
OK, Carl. You talked me into carrying a pen knife for a while, being as I are a vintage antique old fart. :)
I have two to choose from. Which do you suggest?
1) Rough Rider 'Zombie Nick' sleeve board Sunfish (4 inches closed)
2) Rough Rider 'Zombie Nick' Canoe (3 5/8 inches closed)
 
afishhunter said:
OK, Carl. You talked me into carrying a pen knife for a while, being as I are a vintage antique old fart. :)
I have two to choose from. Which do you suggest?
1) Rough Rider 'Zombie Nick' sleeve board Sunfish (4 inches closed)
2) Rough Rider 'Zombie Nick' Canoe (3 5/8 inches closed)
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If it were me I would go with a canoe I had one at one time and it fell out of hole in my dang pocket never found it
 
James Y said:
My late dad had used various pocketknives over the years. I have a few of his old knives. He never owned a peanut or a Classic, but he had a small Camillus 2-blade jackknife, a Buck 110 (older version with convex grind) and a christy knife. I think the only reason his 2-blade jackknife was fairly new-looking and not used up was his fingers were extremely thick from a lifetime of labor, thus making it near-impossible for him to pull the blades open in middle-age. Then even later in life he had Parkinson's. I think the 110 and the Christy knife we're much easier for him to use. In general, he definitely preferred smaller pocketknives, but just became unable to use most of them.

Many years ago, I gave my older brother and his wife Classics. My brother lost the one I gave him, but he bought a replacement Classic, and they both carry their Classics everywhere. They were never 'knife people' before. My sister-in-law says she would feel lost without her knife.

Jim
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Jim, your experience very closely parallels mine! I had some non knife members of the family, and I was getting tired of the "Hey Carl, lend me your knife for a minute". Lord knows what they intended to cut.

So one Christmas I decided to do something about it. I went to Walmart and bought out their entire stock of Vic classic's. At the time they were like 8.95. They had about 10 or 11 of them in stock and I got them all. Then went over to Target and bought a few more. That Christmas, everyone, and I mean everyone, got a classic as a stocking stuffer. I didn't really expect much, and thought over the course of a year I thought half of them would problem loose it.

I was wrong.

By the time a year had rolled by, they all still had them, and had come to really value then to the point that when one got taken by TSA at the airport, cousin Scott went out when he got back and bought another one. Aunt Jane lost hers' someplace and she bought another one, in her favorite color, blue.

Of the dozen and a half people I bought SAK's for, a couple of them developed such a respect for the things that they went out and bought bigger SAK's like super tinkers and huntsman.

My dad used a Case peanuts whole life up until he got into his 70's, and age and arthritis took it's toll. He switched to his Christy knife till he passed away. It seems like in the modern suburban environment, not much more than a pen knife is needed. It's only us knife nuts that carry more to sooth our wants vs needs impulses.
 
afishhunter said:
OK, Carl. You talked me into carrying a pen knife for a while, being as I are a vintage antique old fart. :)
I have two to choose from. Which do you suggest?
1) Rough Rider 'Zombie Nick' sleeve board Sunfish (4 inches closed)
2) Rough Rider 'Zombie Nick' Canoe (3 5/8 inches closed)
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The smallest is 3 5/8th? Whadaya need such a big knife for??:D
 
jackknife said:
The smallest is 3 5/8th? Whadaya need such a big knife for??:D
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Comfort in hand when using it?
I have a couple Barlows that are 3 1/4 ~ 3 1/2 inches or so closed, but I don't think they qualify as a "pen knife" ... or do they?
I thought a pen knife had to have two blades that opened from opposite ends.
 
afishhunter said:
Comfort in hand when using it?
I have a couple Barlows that are 3 1/4 ~ 3 1/2 inches or so closed, but I don't think they qualify as a "pen knife" ... or do they?
I thought a pen knife had to have two blades that opened from opposite ends.
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Hmmm, we're getting technical here!:)

Yes, in our persnickety world of knife nuts, the pen knife is a two bladed knife opening from opposite ends. But...in the world of the non knife nuts, the great unwashed masses who may even buy from BudK's or the late night infomercial that gives you 200 hundred knife for 10 bucks, a 'pen knife' tends to be any small slip joint. Kind of like in the 1970's, any medium to large brass framed lock back was called a "Buck Knife" no matter what the Mid East country of origin was. Or Far East for that matter.

To us, the typical pen knife is like the Boker 240 or Buck 309. To one of the non knife nut masses a smallish Barlow or Texas jack may even be called a 'pen knife', no matter how wrong that may be. They just don't know and for the most part, don't care. Kind of like the term Saturday night special may be anything from a 29.95 RG .22 revolver like Hinckley shot President Reagan with to a Smith and Wesson 642. They are both small frame snub nosed revolvers. The masses don't know the difference.

Your 3 1/4 Barlow fits in a coin pocket, so it gets in the family as a red headed cousin from the 'other' end of town. :thumbsup:
:D
 
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