The Value of Walk and Talk

A

Amos Iron Wolf

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Mar 7, 2006
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I was just reading Codger_64's Barlow thread over in the Schrade forum. While doing so I was fiddling around with a Boker Tree Brand Barlow that sadly had gotten wet in storage and rusted some. But, that's another sad story. Anyway, I had the main blade opened and was testing to see how stiff the backspring was. As I reached to overload point and the blade started to close the backspring took back over and snapped the blade into the halfway rest position. Yep, this Boker walks and talks crisply, even with rust pitted backsrpings.

Now, I've always appreciated when a knife walks and talks, considering it a mark of quality construction. However, because of this I never really gave much thought to why a good knife walks and talks, to what its functional value is. One of those, yeah I kinda knew it but never consciously considered it things. Until now.

Like the half cock on an external hammer fired firearm, that halfway stop on a non-locking knife gives you safety in case you either slip while opening or closing the blade, or in case it folds while you are (most likely improperly) using it. A well made, walking and talking knife will catch the blade as it folds to mid-point if you don't keep doing what it was that folded it in the first place.

Yeah, I know, duh. I don't know about everyone else, but sometimes I get wrapped up in something as an attribute and just forget the value of the original idea. Then when the idea suddenly comes back to me I feel like an idiot for getting so far from home, so to speak. I also find it refreshing to come back home and recognize the why and not just the what.

Nothing profound, just the pleasure of getting back to basics now and then and appreciating something for its funtionality instead of just thinking of it as something to look for as an indicator. For me, remembering why something is well made, why something was put there in the first place, increases the pleasure of handling and using that something that is well made.

Sadly, my two new Case folders don't walk and talk. They are fine knives otherwise, but this one omission does take a little away from the pleasure of them. I may have to interupt my yellow handle CV collecting to gather up a few Queens or some older Cases with that good old W&T.

Okay, nuff rambling.
 
I hear you, three is just something about that SNAP, weak backsprings are a "pet-peeve" of mine on slipjoints.
 
I share your worries about 'snap'.

This is why I am very wary about buying a knife without handling it first.

However, in my experience, quality knives have good springs, the others can be a bit of a lottery.

I have just sold two 1950's Sheffield made knives that had never been used or sharpened and the snap on those springs was a real delight... just like new ...AND they had kept their polish after all these years, with only a tiny bit of tarnish on the carbon steel blades; it was a bit of a wrench selling them.

But if something is well made, then it should all work well together.

I am not surprised about the Boker Tree Brand .... I love those knives very much and am always impressed by the quality of the construction.
 
One of the best ebay item descriptions I have ever read had this line from the seller (describing the knife) "Walks and Talks like my wife on a cell phone".

Yep, I do appreciate the hard snap of a good blade opening or closing. This is also a functional quality thing, a strong back spring making the knife safer to use.
 
textoothpk said:
One of the best ebay item descriptions I have ever read had this line from the seller (describing the knife) "Walks and Talks like my wife on a cell phone"..
Click to expand...

:D LMAO! That was great. LOL.
 
I seem to remember always hearing that a knife should, "walk and talk and shut its mouth" I also like a good crisp action but if the blade doesn't nest in the handle right that just drives me crazy. I've had a few from different makers over the years that would down right cut you if you were careless. as mentioned in a post earlier i really don't like to buy a knife without messing with it first as there is so much variance in fit and finish these days.
later, ahgar
 
I personally don't like half stops as much as a nice rounded polished tang. You can still get good walk/talk, I just like easing it closed and having it snap for just that last 1/4 turn, rather than snapping at attention halfway as with a half stop.
 
I like half-stops alright, but I won't criticize the walk and talk of a knife that doesn't have em. I have a 2001 Case 62109W in my hand now. When it came out of the box, the small blade seemed lazy. Didn't go all the way down on its own (shouldnt really have to because we ought not let knives slam shut most of the time). But I oiled it and used it and the polishing compound or whatever it was worked its way out (it wasn't visible, the tang and spring appeared clean at that end. Now it walks and talks like my g/f on a cell phone :P
 
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