Over the past year or so, continuing with my old age downsizing, there seems to be three survivors that have made the final cut. No pun intended. One slightly depressing thought at a certain age is, everything is now coming with a lifetime warrantee, and even buying green bananas is a little bit of a gamble.
So, after my huge downsize of years ago, and a steady attrition of knives that just didn't make it. I've come down to the final three that will stand me the rest of my days. I still will go fishing, camping, canoeing was long as I can lift a paddle. But I realize my long range backpacking days are gone, and I'm never probably hike the length of the Grand Canyon. Although backpacking guru Colin Fletcher did it with a Vic classic.
But now at senior citizen status and at peace with my God, I find Karen and I doing what we'd scorned in our younger day: the guided tour. We did the guided tour in San Francisco and the bus took us to China town, the gardens, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, and we loved it. No parking hassles, walked right by the line to get in places, local tour guide who told us all about the history of the places. So, for a pocket knife for a retired gentleman of leisure, what fits the bill? Certainly light weight. Compact in the pocket is also good, leaving room for other things that come in handy in the course of the day out.
These made the cut. The peanut, of course. There's been a time or two I tried to leave it home, but I swear I heard my dad's voice saying, "What are ya doin' bonehead?" and felt the hairs on the back of my head itch like expecting a gentle head slap. So the peanut made the cut. It's small, light weight, and the personal history with a peanut carrier made that one a given.
The Sardinian resolza. What can I say, but the simple elegance of time honed design and a pointy leaf shaped blade that cuts food like a chef's knife. At a ramshackle BBQ place up the road, the resolza sliced through well cooked ribs like magic, separating the meaty delights to be consumed with pleasure. It's beautiful enough that it can spear olives for martini's out of a bowl at a black tie event, and act as a kitchen paring knife at a relatives house when doing stand in kitchen duty. I don't think anyone had seen a bell pepper free hand whittled over a salad bowl before. And the horn handle feels as good in hand as it looks.
The GEC number 15 boys knife is a classic design. Being a romantic as well as a history buff, I can squint a bit and see the #15 slicing a 'chaw' off plug for a 1870's cavalry man, or cutting the twine off the bundle of newspapers in the hand of a 1930's newsboy. It just has a classic timeless pocket knife look to it. The handle feels great with the dark polished ebony that I buff with a little linseed or mineral oil and a soft rag once in a while. All the corners are rounded off, and no matter how you orient it in the hand, edge up or down, it feels good. The wide flat ground blade has great geometry, and easily gets as sharp as an Opinel, but stays that way longer. And I love that the bolsters are steel, as they patina as well as the blade. If knives were judged by character, this one gets the bacon every time.
I know I'll never be a one knife man like my father was, but these three will do to be going down the road with. I can see that for the rest of my days, one of these will be on me. Which one will depend on mood of the day. And if I need real dirty work done that is too much for my holy trinity, then dad's old ugly bushwhacker is not far away. Or if the small knife is not up to the job, a small folding saw may the right tool for the job.
So, after my huge downsize of years ago, and a steady attrition of knives that just didn't make it. I've come down to the final three that will stand me the rest of my days. I still will go fishing, camping, canoeing was long as I can lift a paddle. But I realize my long range backpacking days are gone, and I'm never probably hike the length of the Grand Canyon. Although backpacking guru Colin Fletcher did it with a Vic classic.
But now at senior citizen status and at peace with my God, I find Karen and I doing what we'd scorned in our younger day: the guided tour. We did the guided tour in San Francisco and the bus took us to China town, the gardens, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, and we loved it. No parking hassles, walked right by the line to get in places, local tour guide who told us all about the history of the places. So, for a pocket knife for a retired gentleman of leisure, what fits the bill? Certainly light weight. Compact in the pocket is also good, leaving room for other things that come in handy in the course of the day out.
These made the cut. The peanut, of course. There's been a time or two I tried to leave it home, but I swear I heard my dad's voice saying, "What are ya doin' bonehead?" and felt the hairs on the back of my head itch like expecting a gentle head slap. So the peanut made the cut. It's small, light weight, and the personal history with a peanut carrier made that one a given.
The Sardinian resolza. What can I say, but the simple elegance of time honed design and a pointy leaf shaped blade that cuts food like a chef's knife. At a ramshackle BBQ place up the road, the resolza sliced through well cooked ribs like magic, separating the meaty delights to be consumed with pleasure. It's beautiful enough that it can spear olives for martini's out of a bowl at a black tie event, and act as a kitchen paring knife at a relatives house when doing stand in kitchen duty. I don't think anyone had seen a bell pepper free hand whittled over a salad bowl before. And the horn handle feels as good in hand as it looks.
The GEC number 15 boys knife is a classic design. Being a romantic as well as a history buff, I can squint a bit and see the #15 slicing a 'chaw' off plug for a 1870's cavalry man, or cutting the twine off the bundle of newspapers in the hand of a 1930's newsboy. It just has a classic timeless pocket knife look to it. The handle feels great with the dark polished ebony that I buff with a little linseed or mineral oil and a soft rag once in a while. All the corners are rounded off, and no matter how you orient it in the hand, edge up or down, it feels good. The wide flat ground blade has great geometry, and easily gets as sharp as an Opinel, but stays that way longer. And I love that the bolsters are steel, as they patina as well as the blade. If knives were judged by character, this one gets the bacon every time.
I know I'll never be a one knife man like my father was, but these three will do to be going down the road with. I can see that for the rest of my days, one of these will be on me. Which one will depend on mood of the day. And if I need real dirty work done that is too much for my holy trinity, then dad's old ugly bushwhacker is not far away. Or if the small knife is not up to the job, a small folding saw may the right tool for the job.
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