Things you've warmed up to

JohnDF said:
Bigger knives... Not BIG knives.
I used to hate to carry bigger knives, there just wasn't a convenient and comfortable way to carry them in my pocket. I tried a slip, but it seemed inconvenient to use one. So, I was sticking with smaller knives in my watch pocket. But then I tried the safety pin trick, and it was a game-changer for me. Now I can carry larger pocket knives vertically in my front pocket with ease. Suddenly I find knives larger than 3-1/2 inches my preferred carry.

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What is the safety pin trick?
 
Ive warmed up to raising my bar on knife prices. I have become accustomed to the finer things in life and after "seeing what all the fuss was about" by buying a few GECs... lets just say lifes not the same anymore. Im more motivated to spend in the 100 range when I originally commited to the 50 dollar range when starting this knife journey. I only have 3 but I want to get more as the days wear on. I just hope the knives become a little more accessible. Some of us on tigher budgets miss out on some great knives due to the scarcity of many patterns.
 
I would have to say full size trappers - never had any use for them ... just didn't like the "big belly" clip and the spey just seemed so limited. I put that big belly clip on a diet and tweak the grinds now & have learned to love them --->

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I have also warmed back up to stainless a bit, as long as it's not highly polished.

I've always had stainless, but for the longest time it was just all that was available to me.
Once I started buying knives online I pretty much chose carbon steel whenever I had the choice and anything stainless felt like I was simply taking what I could get.
I still prefer carbon steel over anything else, but I'm not so unhappy to accept stainless steel these days and in fact I quite like the as ground finish from Case.
 
Single blade knives. If you look back at my early posts in this forum you'll see me saying repeatedly that my main draw to traditional knives is the multi-blade ones with different blade shapes; stockmans, Hawbaker muskrats, wharncliffe trappers, congresses (congri?), etc. I had little interest in single blade traditional knives. These days though I'm typically carrying a Case single blade wharncliffe trapper, a spearpoint GEC 15, a 92 Talon, etc. The simplicity has a definite style and appeal to me.

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Nothing earth shattering.

1) Congress pattern ... maybe ....
With the Imperial 4 blade Congress I had the handle just felt "wrong" in my hand. I didn't care for the "backwards" bend of the handle. It was uncomfortable.
I was recently gifted a GEC 61 2 blade Congress. It is much more comfortable in hand, even with the same "backwards" handle bend.

2) I've warmed up to the idea of using a compound when stropping.

3) Not knife related ... but I've warmed up (very little) to the idea of getting a powered wheelchair or mobility scooter ... or at lease accepted that I'm soon to require one. :(
(on the "plus side": The doctors told me I'd be in a wheelchair "before you're 25 ..." (such a mean thing to tell a 7 or 8 year old) They were only off by 40 years. :) )

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4) Carrying a fancy knife.
 
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TheChunk91 said:
What is the safety pin trick?
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WolfyW said:
I think that refers to using a safety pin to cordon off a section of your pants pocket with a safety pin. So your pocket becomes divided, one section is now just wide enough for your pocket knife.
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Exactly! Like this...


Your knife will slide down between the safety pin and the edge of your pocket and ride vertically.
 
afishhunter said:
Nothing earth shattering.

1) Congress pattern ... maybe ....
With the Imperial 4 blade Congress I had the handle just felt "wrong" in my hand. I didn't care for the "backwards" bend of the handle. It was uncomfortable.
I was recently gifted a GEC 61 2 blade Congress. It is much more comfortable in hand, even with the same "backwards" handle bend.

2) I've warmed up to the idea of using a compound when stropping.

3) Not knife related ... but I've warmed up (very little) to the idea of getting a powered wheelchair or mobility scooter ... or at lease accepted that I'm soon to require one. :(
(on the "plus side": The doctors told me I'd be in a wheelchair "before you're 25 ..." (such a mean thing to tell a 7 or 8 year old) They were only off by 40 years. :) )
Click to expand...
Good Luck and Good Health to you young man so that you can stay out of that powered wheelchair .

Harry
 
I'm probably repeating what others have said, but I used to avoid sheep's foot secondary blades because they didn't sit flush enough when closed. Used to avoid California clips because they looked like they were too fancy and delicate to handle wood. And it took a few years to be comfortable paying more than $50 for a pocket knife.
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I’ve always been partial to single bladed knives doesn’t matter the blade style, but lately I’ve started to warm up to 2 bladed knives. I always carry a Peanut 1 or 2 blades but I am liking the Pen, Jack, Mini Trapper & Trapper models, I picked up a Case 2 blade congress but it’s a little chunky but I’m planning on a GEC easy pocket to alleviate that problem. After this I may even try some 3 bladed knives, who knows.
 
As far as physical knife attributes are concerned, I'd say the two things that I've had the biggest change of heart over (for the positive) are stag handles, and the wider spear blades. I wouldn't say either are necessarily my favorite now, but I absolutely appreciate them far more than I used to.

I've also learned that I have come to appreciate the aesthetics of slipjoints just as much as the function. Almost any slipjoint will succeed at the tasks I'd put it through each day. Not every knife would look good(to me) doing it.

Lastly, I think the biggest thing I've learned to appreciate is that a good knife is a good knife is a good knife - regardless of how many of them were made. I now buy and enjoy knives I truly like for what they are, and don't focus on production #s. Of course, I know I have to work harder to get a knife I like, when not many were made, but I refuse to buy a knife I'm not in love with, or anticipate being in love with, solely due to it being "rare".
 
Osage Orange wood handle material. For the longest time I thought it was the most horrid and grotesque thing I had ever seen on a knife. Nowadays I absolutely LOVE the osage orange look. I now believe it to be beautiful and tough....Still can't figure out why I warmed up to it though...hmm...
 
Interesting topic and something that surely happens over time...and I'm glad actually! This hobby wouldn't be quite as fun if we didn't evolve and entertain new things.

A few things that I did not necessarily like initially but have warmed up to:
* Spear points
* The 85 pattern
* Micarta
* Smooth green bone (the 2018 Rendezvous FSA Churchill, followed closely by the Green Boot SFO 14, won me over)
* Fish knives

And I am sure there will be more to come...I could see myself trying out a Nessie pattern or something different soon and who knows what my preferences will be in a year from now.

Never slanted bolsters though. I don't think you'll ever talk me into that one :D
 
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