- Joined
- Mar 28, 2015
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- 726
Its no good! Ive the need to wax lyrical on penknives. Ive been following the great Jack Black on his wonderings Round Yorkshire with a Knife and realise, as something of a collector myself, that one never forgets the circumstances surrounding an addition to the horde. Whether it be a gift, find or purchase, a fresh attainment will inevitably evoke special memories involving the adventures and the thrill of the chase surrounding it.
When a penknife is acquired the hope is, usually, that one has procured an item of sufficient quality so as to last a lifetime. As such a penknife becomes a very personal item indeed. One never imagines that one day that item might find itself in the hands of someone else. Much better to be buried with such a prized, personal possession upon ones passing, as would a Saxon warrior with his weapons and finery, than have it pass into the hands of a mere stranger. But inevitably, and to the benefit of the collector, this is often exactly what happens. This is why when we as collectors acquire an old penknife and examine its signs of use and its aged patina we realise it has the power to evoke the special relationship it once had with its previous master, and whilst we may never find anything factual regarding this relationship it is, nevertheless, undoubtedly and intriguingly there.
Recent Acquisitions by marksawdust123, on Flickr
My own relationship with penknives started as a lad in rural Essex and did admittedly become a bit of an obsession which, to a large extent, has stayed with me to the present day. My Fathers disapproving and frankly patronising cry of what have I told you about penknives is one with which, upon the acquisition of a new one, he still taunts me to this day. Im forty-six. Apart from this, or maybe because of this, the memories of setting out into the Essex countryside during those wonderful summers of the 1970s, in my own company and with my penknife, catapult and bow and arrow as my only companions, are amongst my most treasured.
Richards Penknives by marksawdust123, on Flickr
Looking back, never a lonely lad or without friends, embarking on an adventure with just a few essential items, chief amongst which was my trusty Richards scout knife, gave me a tremendous sense of independence. To my mind I had everything I needed to survive on my own. When out climbing the rigging of the trees as a sailor of old, a battered old WW2 British army knife complete with marlin spike would be my blade of choice, and in James Bond mode, finding myself in a tight spot, my sleeker Richards would always provide my chief means of escape.
British Army Knife 1963 by marksawdust123, on Flickr
Upon leaving school and starting work in the building industry, it was found necessary to continue carrying a folding knife, but of a type somehow less romantic than those cherished as a child. Small, cheap or preferably just acquired, and with the ability to slit a cement bag open being their chief attributes. Apart from this, fishing was the other area of life that still necessitated the use of a folder, chiefly for cutting up those large cubes of luncheon meat bait with which hardly anything was ever caught, and with which were, more often than not, consumed alongside the crusty bread that little else was ever caught with either. Nevertheless the penknife remained a necessity, and the trusty scout knife of my youth remained a familiar addition to the tackle box.
Old Work Knives by marksawdust123, on Flickr
Eventually I would acquire two splendid folders of the stock Knife variety, inherited from my two much loved great uncles, both expert fisherman. These, despite some initial outings, too important to me for general use would form the basis of my small collection. Apart from this the realisation of the practical benefits of a decent pocket knife in everyday working life, now for me in the slightly more sedate domain of estate maintenance in Sussex and away from the harsh world of contracting, led to the purchase of some useful, better quality companions. Today my knives of choice are the excellent Victorinox Farmer and the Victorinox German army knife, both of which incorporate all of the useful SAK blades and nothing superfluous. Pure pared down practicality and good design. My current fishing knives are the Opinel no. 8 and the EKA Big Swede, my personal desert island survival knife par excellence. Other favourite knives in my collection include those either picked up cheaply at boot sales, given by friends, swapped or rescued in one way or another.
Great Uncle's Fishing Knives by marksawdust123, on Flickr
My Own Current Knives. by marksawdust123, on Flickr
My most recent acquisition was liberated from the gardeners shed (in fact a Victorian stable block) at my current place of employment during a clear-out. I had spotted the knife in question being used some time ago by one of the old gardeners, himself subsequently cleared out. It was hung up by a piece of string attached to its brass lanyard loop, main blade open with its other blades quite badly seized within its red Lucite scales. Seen admiring the knife, I was told by the newly appointed head gardener that I could have it if I liked as it looked like a 'cheapie'. Delighted as I was, I was genuinely in two minds whether to take it from where had obviously been its home for quite some time. Although probably inexpensive when new but of good quality nonetheless, I imagined that this early 1950s knife would once have been the pride and joy of some young boy scout and had somehow found its way into the Universitys grounds and hence into the gardeners shed some years ago, where it had stood the test of time admirably till the present day. In a way it would be like taking it away from where it somehow belonged. But realising that it would not be as well appreciated by the new generation of gardeners as perhaps it was by the old, I decided to take it away, give it a good overhaul and entre it into a well-deserved retirement.
Latest Find by marksawdust123, on Flickr
Untitled by marksawdust123, on Flickr
And so my relationship with these most personal of items goes on, not only on a day to day practical level but now also as a collector. With an ever watchful eye and a fascination with the history of these most trustworthy of tools the adventure continues.
When a penknife is acquired the hope is, usually, that one has procured an item of sufficient quality so as to last a lifetime. As such a penknife becomes a very personal item indeed. One never imagines that one day that item might find itself in the hands of someone else. Much better to be buried with such a prized, personal possession upon ones passing, as would a Saxon warrior with his weapons and finery, than have it pass into the hands of a mere stranger. But inevitably, and to the benefit of the collector, this is often exactly what happens. This is why when we as collectors acquire an old penknife and examine its signs of use and its aged patina we realise it has the power to evoke the special relationship it once had with its previous master, and whilst we may never find anything factual regarding this relationship it is, nevertheless, undoubtedly and intriguingly there.
Recent Acquisitions by marksawdust123, on FlickrMy own relationship with penknives started as a lad in rural Essex and did admittedly become a bit of an obsession which, to a large extent, has stayed with me to the present day. My Fathers disapproving and frankly patronising cry of what have I told you about penknives is one with which, upon the acquisition of a new one, he still taunts me to this day. Im forty-six. Apart from this, or maybe because of this, the memories of setting out into the Essex countryside during those wonderful summers of the 1970s, in my own company and with my penknife, catapult and bow and arrow as my only companions, are amongst my most treasured.
Richards Penknives by marksawdust123, on FlickrLooking back, never a lonely lad or without friends, embarking on an adventure with just a few essential items, chief amongst which was my trusty Richards scout knife, gave me a tremendous sense of independence. To my mind I had everything I needed to survive on my own. When out climbing the rigging of the trees as a sailor of old, a battered old WW2 British army knife complete with marlin spike would be my blade of choice, and in James Bond mode, finding myself in a tight spot, my sleeker Richards would always provide my chief means of escape.
British Army Knife 1963 by marksawdust123, on FlickrUpon leaving school and starting work in the building industry, it was found necessary to continue carrying a folding knife, but of a type somehow less romantic than those cherished as a child. Small, cheap or preferably just acquired, and with the ability to slit a cement bag open being their chief attributes. Apart from this, fishing was the other area of life that still necessitated the use of a folder, chiefly for cutting up those large cubes of luncheon meat bait with which hardly anything was ever caught, and with which were, more often than not, consumed alongside the crusty bread that little else was ever caught with either. Nevertheless the penknife remained a necessity, and the trusty scout knife of my youth remained a familiar addition to the tackle box.
Old Work Knives by marksawdust123, on FlickrEventually I would acquire two splendid folders of the stock Knife variety, inherited from my two much loved great uncles, both expert fisherman. These, despite some initial outings, too important to me for general use would form the basis of my small collection. Apart from this the realisation of the practical benefits of a decent pocket knife in everyday working life, now for me in the slightly more sedate domain of estate maintenance in Sussex and away from the harsh world of contracting, led to the purchase of some useful, better quality companions. Today my knives of choice are the excellent Victorinox Farmer and the Victorinox German army knife, both of which incorporate all of the useful SAK blades and nothing superfluous. Pure pared down practicality and good design. My current fishing knives are the Opinel no. 8 and the EKA Big Swede, my personal desert island survival knife par excellence. Other favourite knives in my collection include those either picked up cheaply at boot sales, given by friends, swapped or rescued in one way or another.
Great Uncle's Fishing Knives by marksawdust123, on FlickrMy Own Current Knives. by marksawdust123, on FlickrMy most recent acquisition was liberated from the gardeners shed (in fact a Victorian stable block) at my current place of employment during a clear-out. I had spotted the knife in question being used some time ago by one of the old gardeners, himself subsequently cleared out. It was hung up by a piece of string attached to its brass lanyard loop, main blade open with its other blades quite badly seized within its red Lucite scales. Seen admiring the knife, I was told by the newly appointed head gardener that I could have it if I liked as it looked like a 'cheapie'. Delighted as I was, I was genuinely in two minds whether to take it from where had obviously been its home for quite some time. Although probably inexpensive when new but of good quality nonetheless, I imagined that this early 1950s knife would once have been the pride and joy of some young boy scout and had somehow found its way into the Universitys grounds and hence into the gardeners shed some years ago, where it had stood the test of time admirably till the present day. In a way it would be like taking it away from where it somehow belonged. But realising that it would not be as well appreciated by the new generation of gardeners as perhaps it was by the old, I decided to take it away, give it a good overhaul and entre it into a well-deserved retirement.
Latest Find by marksawdust123, on FlickrUntitled by marksawdust123, on FlickrAnd so my relationship with these most personal of items goes on, not only on a day to day practical level but now also as a collector. With an ever watchful eye and a fascination with the history of these most trustworthy of tools the adventure continues.
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