Things that work.

A great story, Carl! I really can see the boy and the old man waiting for the deer and the hunt itself etc.... Great, just great, Sir!

Nice rifles and knives, FES and Dave :)
 
Another great story :thumbup: Thank you Carl!

A Winchester lever action was the first larger caliber rifle I ever shot after a .22. It was my uncle's, and I'll never forget it, almost 40 years later. He still has it, I'm going to ask him to bring it to the range next time we go so my sons have a chance to shoot it too.
 
Thanks for another great story. I feel life would be much easier if I had a lot less stuff, bells, ringers and unneeded gizmos.
 
Thank you Carl. Your story reminds me of the first time I went deer hunting with my pop when I was 12.
 
That's an unbeatable combination there Carl, lever-guns and traditional knives. Thanks for the great story as usual and fitting for this deer season. The photos fit perfectly too, so thanks to Fes and Dave for those. Maybe some others can post some levergun & knife photos?
-Paul
 
My grandpa never hunted but this great story reminds me of hunting with my dad the first couple years. An old gun and knife can, and for me, usually does work as good as something new. Like many things, it's about familiarity with your tools.
 
Turk88 said:
My grandpa never hunted but this great story reminds me of hunting with my dad the first couple years. An old gun and knife can, and for me, usually does work as good as something new. Like many things, it's about familiarity with your tools.
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I found as I got older, I actually developed a strong preference for the older stuff. I had some newer stuff around, and had a collection of the newest and greatest gear. Then something happened to me, and the under the surface disquiet I had been feeling more of got to a tipping point. I looked around at all the stuff I had accumulated, and asked myself what the heck was I doing. Got rid of most all of it, and kept the stuff from my old days. Been happier ever since. Lever guns and revolvers, and old style slip joints.

I ended up going back to the stuff my grandfather would have been happy with. Now my personal stuff has to fit what you would see in an old Bogy film.

Carl.
 
jackknife said:
I found as I got older, I actually developed a strong preference for the older stuff. I had some newer stuff around, and had a collection of the newest and greatest gear. Then something happened to me, and the under the surface disquiet I had been feeling more of got to a tipping point. I looked around at all the stuff I had accumulated, and asked myself what the heck was I doing. Got rid of most all of it, and kept the stuff from my old days. Been happier ever since. Lever guns and revolvers, and old style slip joints.
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Carl, I think you nailed this thread with its title, "Things That Work".

The single deepest narrative of the modern era is that of progress. Progress reigns supreme in all aspects of life, or so we're told. Of course, this notion of progress has been transmorgified by the marketing machine to give us a steady diet of "new and improved" which is really just a constant drum beat of sew the seeds of discontent with what one has in order to sell this seasons new color. See the web video "The Story of Stuff" for more on that. The best 20 minutes people can spend on the web.

The reason I love traditional designs comes from my experience as an engineer/designer (different field). Over my career, I've come be something of a engineering Darwinist. Designs come and designs. And in the midst of all the over abundance of designs, the ones I find most compelling and most interesting are the ones that have continued to earn their keep over the decades and even centuries. It's a form of the survival of the fittest.

New is not always improved. It is often just new and nothing more. At this point, I don't want new. I want proven. I want refined. Of all of the thousands of design choices that have been offered up by the thousands of engineers and designers who have come before me and of all of the users and workers who have used and tried all of the competing designs, I'm most interested in those few things that continue to just work.

The droids in the marketing group hate me for this. "Why would we need to change the design?" I argue. "What we've made works and works perfectly."

Lever action guns, traditional knives, the Svea 123 camp stove, the Rottefella 3 pin binding, wool clothing... some stuff just works.
 
Thanks for all of the amazing images Carl. You really need to put out a book of short stories! I will buy one for sure!
 
Nightshifter said:
Maybe some others can post some levergun & knife photos?
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Here you go Paul.

Frank/Gary, if this is not appropriate to add on to Carl's post I will be happy to delete these photos, or start a new thread on the topic.

Marlin 1894 carbine from 1980, Case XX 6292 jack knife from 1940-64 era.

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62921984c3.jpg
 
Doug - both, knife and rifle, are great pieces of american craftmanship :) (I didn´t know that rifles were made .357 Magnum, but I don´t know that much about guns in general)
 
Nice old guns and knives! I think the images enhance Carl's story.
If it works for Carl, it works for me.
If it gets to be too many, a separate thread might be in order.
 
Peregrin said:
Nice old guns and knives! I think the images enhance Carl's story.
If it works for Carl, it works for me.
If it gets to be too many, a separate thread might be in order.
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It works just fine for me.:thumbup:

I love and am grateful that others here have better photo posting skill than I have, and have a better camera. As long as it's in the spirit of the story, post away. Lever actions, revolvers, and slip joints are great. Just no 'black' guns please.

Carl.
 
Wonderful story Carl. It reminds us we don't need too much stuff (except knives of course);)

I still shoot my first old S&W revolver better than any other handgun I have owned.
 
i had to go check out my model 94 30-30 after reading the awesome story
guess i need to invest in a case fixed blade...:D
 
jackknife said:
I found as I got older, I actually developed a strong preference for the older stuff. I had some newer stuff around, and had a collection of the newest and greatest gear. Then something happened to me, and the under the surface disquiet I had been feeling more of got to a tipping point. I looked around at all the stuff I had accumulated, and asked myself what the heck was I doing. Got rid of most all of it, and kept the stuff from my old days. Been happier ever since.
Carl.
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I know just what you mean. Over at the hardware store the other day I got called a pup. But I'm older than I used to be :) I find myself lately carrying slip joints and looking longingly at lever actions and wool coats, listening to the good old country and blue grass. I guess I really am my grandfathers grandson.
It's worth something to look back and doing things the way our ancestors did. If it works it works. Thanks for the story
 
Great stories and pics guys...Heres my other lever gun (single shots only)..with probably my most liked slippys...Sorry Carl ,it is indeed black but im working on wearing it off... FES

moose007.jpg
 
Great story. I'm 45 and reading that story took me back like yesterday, although my peepaw only took one shot it still echoes in my memory. Great great story. Thanks
 
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