Those indispensable things we often live without

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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Feb 11, 2016
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Something I've been thinking about lately is those things found on certain knives we may not find ourselves missing when we're not carrying those knives but find ourselves using all the time when we do carry them.
For me it's the flat driver on my Vic's, the awl on the Camillus 99 scout, the sheep's foot on my stockman, and the driver / scraper on the Camillus electrician.
I can live without them and don't really find myself missing them otherwise, but when I've got them they get used all the time. I've already used the driver/scraper on the Camillus a bunch so far at work today.
I find it very interesting how little I miss them when they're not on me considering how much I use them when they are.

Anyone else notice this with their multiblade or multi function knives ?
 
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I guess I must be pretty anal, because if it's something I use at all, then I'd miss it if I didn't have it on me. That's why I almost always carry an alox Cadet and a multi-blade with both bellied and straight-edged blades.

YgMEF5X.jpg
 
Man is a tool user. It's in his DNA.

An old man is even more a tool user because of certain factors that come into play. As fingers age, a small tool becomes even more needed in daily tasks. I'm two birthdays away from the big 'eight-oh', and its often depressing on how much I need tools now. A small screw driver does so much for me that you young guys take for granted. Like eating pistachio nuts.

I love pistachio nuts. But you know those ones with just a little crack where the shell hasn't opened much? I used to just pry a thumb nail into it and pull. Now I use the SD tip of the Victoriox classic nail file, or the small SD tip on the Victorinox can opener. Or the screw driver tool on a Leatherman squirt.

Changing batteries on an AA mini Maglight flashlight can be a challenge. After about 6 months or more, the Aluminum tends to stick. The Victorinox bottle opener hooked onto the keyring hole and twisted in the right direction takes off the end cap of the flashlight so the batteries can be replaced. Old senior citizen fingers can't do it.

The other day my better half of almost 50 years says to me, "Honey, the back door knob seems very loose." So I go take a look and sure enough, the two Phillips screws holding the door knob assembly together have backed off. So it was a simple solution to take the SD tip of the Victorinox cadet and use it to snug up the screws. I didn't have to walk to the other end of the house for the tool box and a Phillips driver. In fact, the can opener of the Victorinox worked better because of the lack of clearance between the screw heads and the door knob, I could open the can opener halfway and fit it in there and tighten up the screws.

The tools on a SAK are missed very badly if I don't have a SAK on me. At this stage my life, its really nice to have a solution in my pocket so I don't have to go far for a tool. That's why now as an elderly person, I find myself being a SAKist and not carrying a dedicated knife much anymore. Tools have become much more needed now than when I was young and had capable fingers and arthritis was something in the distant future. The other day, my better half comes to me and says she can't get this key onto her keyring. Karen has some trouble with her fingers as well and at 72 years of age, she has some arthritis issues. I take out the can opener of my SAK, and while holdlng the keyring I use the thin edge of the can opener to lightly pry up the one end of the split ring. While holding it up with he can opener, Karen goes and slides the end of the key on and its done deal. Our fingers couldn't deal with a stiff split ring, but the SAK can opener made all the difference in the world.

SAK's, something a Septuagenarian can't live without.
 
SAKs... the ultimate “dad” knife.

All the tools on my alox get used pretty regularly. But, if I’m in the yard carrying a sodbuster, I don’t miss the awl or screw driver. I just go to my toolbox and get what I need. Although it is convenient to have the tools already on you.

Where I miss the tools is when I’m away from home or my car and have nothing else.
 
These days, I miss my pocketknife pretty severely if I don't have it on me during the day. Even if I'm not immediately needing it, if I suddenly become aware I don't have it, I miss it almost as much as if I was out somewhere and realized I had forgotten my wallet. There's a certain level of anxiety, though it's minor as compared to a real 'crisis' of some kind, that comes with the sudden realization that I forgot to pocket my knife in the morning, before going out somewhere.

I use the sheepfoot in my stockman knives more than any other blade. So, even if I do have a knife of some kind on me, I'm consciously aware of the times I don't have that sheepfoot available, specifically. BUT, assuming I do remember to drop a knife in my pocket in the morning, the stockman is almost always the first one I grab. I often carry two or three; and today, that's a Buck 301 stockman, a Victorinox SAK and an Opinel. :)
 
kamagong said:
If you don't miss them they're not indispensable.
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I suppose it's their function that's indispensable and not the specific tool itself, I couldn't get by without the ability to do what they do but they're just the handiest thing to go to when I do have 'em on me.

I could just keep a Vic or something on me all the time but I have too many knives to give pocket time for that.
The Leatherman squirt is always there for small stuff though.
 
When ever possible , which is most of the time , I prefer to go get the right tool for the job and get it done right . I do have a number of multi bladed knives , such as Camping Type , but I have never carried them , so I guess that I can not relate very well to the Op's interesting question . Since I have been retired for a while , I am almost always home where I have access to my tools . Maybe I need to get a Vic that I would carry .

Harry
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I use the sheepfoot in my stockman knives more than any other blade. So, even if I do have a knife of some kind on me, I'm consciously aware of the times I don't have that sheepfoot available, specifically. BUT, assuming I do remember to drop a knife in my pocket in the morning, the stockman is almost always the first one I grab. I often carry two or three; and today, that's a Buck 301 stockman, a Victorinox SAK and an Opinel. :)
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I feel the same as you about the sheepfoot, which is why I nearly always carry a stockman. Lately I've taken to carrying a SAK (Vic Spartan or Tourist) some of the time, and the more I carry one, the more I miss their tools when I don't have one with me. Maybe it's mainly what you're used to. (Or maybe I just need to carry two knives.)
 
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Old Engineer said:
When ever possible , which is most of the time , I prefer to go get the right tool for the job and get it done right . I do have a number of multi bladed knives , such as Camping Type , but I have never carried them , so I guess that I can not relate very well to the Op's interesting question . Since I have been retired for a while , I am almost always home where I have access to my tools . Maybe I need to get a Vic that I would carry .

Harry
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I usually tend to feel the same way but for minor screws not having to go grab a regular screwdriver is so handy.
And the flat blade drivers on Vic's scouts and electricians are so handy for small prying tasks.
Today I used the driver / scraper on my electrician for a lot to scraping and minor prying tasks like lifting drain floor drain covers.
 
Old Engineer said:
Since I have been retired for a while , I am almost always home where I have access to my tools . Maybe I need to get a Vic that I would carry .
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I was never without a SAK when I worked. Now that I'm retired, I don't, for the reason you mention.
 
The other day my wife was trying to do something without a knife when she really needed one. I was just a few feet away and said, "Here, I've got one." She says, "Why do you have a knife on you when they're already all over the house?" I answered, "I don't, I have two on me, because on me is better than not on me!" :D
 
To be clear I'm never without a knife on me unless I'm sleeping, and just woke up from a nap with one in my pocket :D
I just don't always carry one with those features I find myself using all the time when I carry them, I've got too many that need to see pocket time to just always keep one of those particular knives on me.
Most people I know don't keep one in their pocket when home, I don't get why they don't and they don't get why I do.
 
gaj999 said:
If you don't die without it, it isn't indispensable. ;)
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Ah Yes!...a voice of reason at last. Thank you...
I carry a folder and a cross-draw fixed on me all day/every day, but I am able to compensate if I am in my pj's and have no knife on my person.
I gotta say...we surely must have a bunch of decrepit old geezers on this forum... :) WOW!
 
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I had to wear semi-formal clothes today, so a carried a SAK Recruit in my right front pocket. My usual dress is jeans and a t-shirt with a Leatherman Wave on a belt pouch and a multi-blade traditional in the pocket. If, on the rare occasion, I'm dressed formally there will be a Case peanut in my pocket.
 
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