The slippie that made the biggest turn around in your mind.

K

kidwholaughs

Joined
Jan 17, 2004
Messages
1,189
Hey guys,

Back around 2003, I had a Spydie Police SS and a Greco Falcon. Both were in the not-so-light folders category. Being young and strong in my early 20's, I wasn't overly concerned. One afternoon, I walk into Dick's Sporting Goods, kinda like Gaylan's of the Southern states, and bought a Wenger SI on a whim.

I didn't think much of the knife when I first got it. Being a purist at the time, I didn't really consider it a "knife". So it was the "second class citizen" of my knives. However, the SI turned out to be replace all my one hand edcs.

It's my "Do it all, feel naked without but not afraid to lose it" knife. <= A pretty hefty title for such an unassuming folder.

I would have never thought that the SI would become one of my most used and carried tools. I guess the lesson to me is to keep my mind open. I was so involved with being a "knife purist" that I almost missed out on this really truly remarkable knife. The irony of this story is that : Despite my many tactical knives I have and have had the pleasure of owning. The SI, the knife which didn't look like it, turned out to be my the most tactically used knife.

Do you guys stories of knives that you didn't care so much for when you first bought it, but then came to love with time?

God Bless.
 
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I didn't buy it, but I watched it being used and it changed my mind to where I can home to my roots.

it was a Buck 303 cadet, a smallish stockman type of knife that belong4d to a older man who was a co-worker of mine.

It was the early 1980's and I had somehow strayed far from my roots. I had been experimenting with knives like the Pacific Cutlery company balisong, even a large Al Mar locklblade. For sheath knves I was toting one of my custom knives. This older guy, Andy had inviterd me to go back with him down home in Virginia for the deer season. I packed up my gear and we were off to this old homestead down by Mt. Rodgers.

Opening day, Andy had his old single barrel shotgun while I had my tricked out 870, with the cantilever scope mount, Slug barrel. A bit after dawn I heard the flat bang of Andy's shotgun. He had his buck, and a nice one it was. I offered him my high dollar custom knife, but Andy gentlemanly turned it down and took out his "hunting knife." A well used Buck cadet that he carried all the time. It was a familiar sight in his big paw when he worked in the shop.

That morning I watched in admiration as he dressed out his buck with his Buck, and then even cut down a sappling to help carry the deer out to the truck. It made me wonder what the heck I was carrying this big custom sheath knife for. I re-examined my priorites because of Andy. He retired a little while after and went back to live down by Mt. Rodgers. This was about the time my dad passed away, and I ended up with his old Case peanut, that was his only pocket knife in all the years I knew him. Andy's wife called the shop one day to let us know he had passed away. When I went down for the funeral, Andy's wife gave me his Buck Cadet. Afterward, sitting on the edge of my bed one day looking at the two knives that these two men had used as thier only knife, I came to a decision, and sent off all my lockblade, swing blade, butterfly type of knives and all my custom sheath knives to A.G. Russell to be sold off.

From then on, I went back to using just the old style of traditional knives that were used by the men I grew up around.

So I guess you could say, I was saved by an old country boy from a side hill farm in the shadow of Mt. Rodgers, and his Buck cadet.
 
My Schrade 8OT. It was my go to knife for several years. Hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, working it did it all and weighed less than my previous go to knife, a Buck 110.
 
My wife's stepdad passed away, and her mom gave us his tupperware bin full of knives. Old military issue Kabars, skinning knives, boning knives, daggers, machetes, all sorts of stuff, and some very old pocketknives. Two blade jacks, stockmen, Barlows, alot of old TL-29s, you name it. However, most were worn down next to nothing, or all rusted up. Seeing how I didn't know much about slippies at the time, I figured those were too old to carry. However, there was this one knife that called to me. A Case Medium Stockman. Working series, with the brown jigged delrin handles, and SS Blades. I fell in love with that knife right off the bat. I put it in my pocket, and the love affair was on. I have since become a Peanut man, but that brown stockman was the one that started it for me.
 
I dunno... I never liked tactical stuff, and still hate liner loks for the most part... To be honest i never realy liked folders.

The first turning point for me would have to be my first trapper(but actually my 4th slippie). I was trying to find me a knife like my Dads old schrade folding hunter; the only folder I ever wanted one like.. I realized with that trapper that I could have both a eatin knife, and the same 3" of utility knife that my custom fixed blade provided, but a lot easier to carry. Shortly there after, I found myself never needing my fixed blade...


The other big turn for me has been in the last few weeks carrying a peanut. I have realized that all the blade I ever really need is it... I still love my larger knives, up to 4.25" moose still my absolute favorite pattern. But the little knife can do it all(OK99.99999%).

Ya see, I started with a "bowie" 7" or 8" of blade...then a realization that 3.5" to 4" was all the edge I needed, more useful than the large knife.. Its come full circle to almost the same realization in folders... not more useful, but all thats needed.


G.
 
A SAK Tinker by Victorinox. I kept from getting one because of the red plastic scales but.... I finally tried one and now believe they are the best knife for the money. I like the steel and find them to be so useful. For a small amount of money they are great. I also like to whittle and find the polish finish and thin blades are excellent whittling knives and the different tools work very well within limits. I am going to add a wenger to my collection.

RKH
 
I found slipjoints a couple of years ago, they are not traditional in my country. I had seen some on the net but I didn't feel particularly attracted to them as tools. I tried the first one, a Case large stockman, because I liked the jigged bone handle, and I was hooked.

I still love my one hand opening knives, but I enjoy carbon steel slippies a lot more.
 
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