Tribal Spear for one full year.

[moonwilson]

I have decided to try an experiment. I am going to try to carry my ebony Case Tribal Spear for one full year. I will carry this knife at all times, even while sleeping. It is my intention to give the knife a thorough workout, and use it for all cutting chores that require a knife of its size. I am confident that it is up to the challenge. No non-traditional knives will be allowed in my pocket during this period. I will allow myself to carry other slipjoints however, I don't think I'd make it twenty minutes if I didn't.

I started carrying the knife on Monday, September 27, 2010. The challenge will end on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. A few months ago, I completed a similar experiment, having successfully carried a Small Sebenza for a full year, so I think I can do this.

I will check in periodically with photos of the knife, so we can track the condition of the knife and see how it performs and holds up after being used for various tasks.

Here is the knife on day 5:

 

[Voltron]

ElCuchillo did a similar experiment on here a few years back, though I don't think he made it a year. Jackknife and a few others jumped on and tried, but didn't make it.
However, they were trying to go with just ONE knife. Your experiment seems a bit more doable. Good luck, man!!

 

[SAKsRCool]

Oh, come on. Just carry the Tribal Spear and a craftsman 4 way screwdriver! No other knives. Become one of those "I knew this guy who had this one knife..."
Good luck in your experiment, maybe this will be 'the last knife' for you. I've not been able to last long with one knife but would honestly like to. Maybe I'll try.
adam

 

[moonwilson]

I have to carry a smaller knife to supplement the Tribal Spear. I use a pocketknife to cut up my son's food all the time when we're out and about, and the Tribal Spear isn't quite "sheeple friendly" enough for that sort of thing in public. Nobody bats an eye at a Peanut or a small gunstock, but the Spear is just big enough to appear menacing to some folks, I'm afraid.

Plus, I'm quite the knife junkie. I can't stop myself from picking up new knives. And if I buy something, I have to carry and use it! The main point of this experiment, I suppose, is to see how the Tribal Spear holds up to everyday use, and wear and tear. I'm curious to see how durable the ebony is. I've never used a wood-handled pocket knife extensively. I think it should be fine, but there's only one way to know for sure!

I carried my small Sebenza for a full year, and the knife performed and held up wonderfully. But it kind of turned me off of modern, one-handed knives, maybe permanently. I had carried a "tactical" folder for about 20 years, I guess. A couple months ago, after my Sebenza experiment, I just stopped. I'd been carrying slipjoints in my pocket the whole time, and used them for most of my cutting chores. I realized a slipjoint was all I needed. A small Sebenza is not really a self-defense knife. Carrying just that, I realized, I don't really need to carry a knife for self defense. I'm a pretty good-sized guy, and I live in a very safe area, I'm confident I can take care of myself and my family without some whiz-bang "tacticool" knife. I found that liberating. I like the feel of slipjoints much better. :thumbup:

 

[texasflyfisher]

Good luck Andy! I know you can do it!

I completely understand about carrying a smaller knife. I carry my Menefee Zulu trapper (which I think is relatively small anyways) in a belt pouch and the other day when I was having lunch at my daughter's elementary school, this lady taps me on the shoulder and asked me to follow her out the cafeteria. I was thinking she needed some help carrying something or reaching for something up high. Just outside the cafeteria door she asked me if I could take my "big knife" out and leave it in the office as it might "scare" the kids. I was shocked! I took it out of the belt holster, showed it to her and put it in my pocket and that seemed to be fine with her.

 

[kamagong]

Good luck on your experiment, but why limit yourself? As much as I like slipjoints, I like all types of knives even more. A couple of the things that continue to draw me to knives are fine craftsmanship and excellence of design. The Sebenza has both of those in spades.

Don't get me wrong, I have a Hiroaki Ohta that I use as a primary carry myself. But on Sundays and special occassions I use an ivory handled swayback. Around the house I like to carry an old Imperial cattleman. And on short days more likely than not I'll have a Schatt & Morgan harness jack in one pocket and a Spyderco Military in another. There are too many good knives out there, and as a knifenut I just can't imagine excluding an entire class of knives.

- Christian

 

[mendezj]

I've used my Backpocket daily for over a year and I don't see much difference at all from when I first got it. And this baby has skinned many a deer and done some heavy lifting. The only difference I notice is that the Micarta has turned ever slightly lighter in color. Or maybe darker where the leather fib rubs. The blade and functioning haven't change any at all.

 

[Kbrasmodeler]

"Tribal spear for one full year"

You're a poet and don't know anything about it...

I tried something similar. I carried nothing but my Buck 303 Cadet for ONE WHOLE WEEK! I still carry it, of course, but it has buddies. I think you will be successful, and find out some things. Have fun!

 

[silenthunterstudios]

I posted about this in General. I can't carry modern (lets get away from tactical ) only, or traditional only. I usually have both. My SAK or scout folder usually gets more time than any one handed openers, but I can't carry just one. To me, the Tribal Spear will probably be a knife that I set aside for dress carry.

 

[zippin44]

It probably would have been better if she had expressed her feelings better. I have a 3 year old daughter and a nearly 6 year old son and I can't imagine a "normal" scenario in which either would be scared of a knife. And BTW, I don't carry them openly at home or outdoors simply because I don't wear a belt. If anything, my kids would absolutely LOVE a chance to play with a knife.

I doubt there were any kids there who would have been scared of your knife. THe woman you mention simply thought it was inappropriate to bring a knife to an elementary school. Maybe so. Some parents view them as weapons, or whatever, and unfortunately, that is the society in which we live. What if you were carrying a multi-tool on your belt. I bet that would have been just fine! It's all about ignorance and perception.

Here's an interesting anecdote. No knives but a similar problem with societal views. When my son was about 4, still in day care, he latched onto my love of aircraft. We went to see the War Birds, a WWII aircraft preservation group that was visiting our local airport. He loved it, and on the way home we talked about what the B-17 bomber and the JU87 Stuka did during the war. He asked a lot of questions and I tried to explain them in a way that a 4 year old could understand.

THe next week, I was taken aside by the director of his day care place and asked to tell my son not to talk about WWII while he was in school. Apparently, some of the parents objected to my son's talk about the topic. So I told the woman that I understood that other parents might not want their kids to hear about it, but that I was not going to lie to my kid when he asks me questions about life. I also said that if she were a good educator, she would find a way to change the subject in a way that didn't discourage my son's inquisitiveness. I never heard anything more from the school, but the sensitivities of the other parents was certainly a wake up call for me.

Good luck Andy! I know you can do it!

I completely understand about carrying a smaller knife. I carry my Menefee Zulu trapper (which I think is relatively small anyways) in a belt pouch and the other day when I was having lunch at my daughter's elementary school, this lady taps me on the shoulder and asked me to follow her out the cafeteria. I was thinking she needed some help carrying something or reaching for something up high. Just outside the cafeteria door she asked me if I could take my "big knife" out and leave it in the office as it might "scare" the kids. I was shocked! I took it out of the belt holster, showed it to her and put it in my pocket and that seemed to be fine with her.

 

[kamagong]

I posted about this in General. I can't carry modern (lets get away from tactical ) only, or traditional only. I usually have both.

I feel the same way. Right now I have the Ohta in my left front pocket, while I have a Microtech LCC clipped to the right front.

- Christian

 

[purple95]

Andy,

Good luck with your endeavor.

The Tribal Spear looks go be a most capable knife that should serve you well. I like the blade profile. It should be very useful blade shape not to mention it provides a hard working, no-nonsense appearance.

I'll look forward to seeing your periodic picture updates. It will be interesting to see how the ebony handles hold up as they collect character marks.

Paired with a traditional or SAK of your choice, I should think your EDC combo should be up to any reasonable task.

dan

 

[jackknife]

One knife for a whole year?

I tried it and couldn't do it.

You're a braver man than I, Gunga Din.

Carl.

 

[So-Lo]

Godspeed Andy

I tried and failed at about three months

 

[Voltron]

One knife for a whole year?

I tried it and couldn't do it.

You're a braver man than I, Gunga Din.

Carl.

Well, he's going to carry another knife with him as well, JK. That kind've, ALMOST sounds doable. LOL.

 

[Rick]

I will carry this knife at all times, even while sleeping.

Let's hope you don't sleep in the nude. There are only so many anatomical locations that can accommodate a knife, and none of 'em seem particularly comfortable.

 

[moonwilson]

Let's hope you don't sleep in the nude. There are only so many anatomical locations that can accommodate a knife, and none of 'em seem particularly comfortable.

Pajamas, good sir. Pajamas with pockets, to be a bit more specific. If I took to sleeping in the nude, I don't think my wife would appreciate it.

 

[tomcrx]

I found it easy. I have a GEC Big Jack that I have carried in my back pocket for 2&1/2 years. It is worn, discolored and the bone is starting to smooth out. I even carry it when I wear slacks and suits. I have also been carrying the whittler I won from Waynorth in my front pocket, in addition to the jack, when I am out on trips with the kids.

I think you have to find that one knife that fits you and it will be very easy.

 

[moonwilson]

As a bit of an update, I got to use my Tribal Spear quite a bit over the weekend. We had glorious weather on Saturday and Sunday, so I spent a lot of time at the park with my son. I carved him a bunch of "tools" out of fallen sticks and branches, so he could "fix" the big wooden train in the playground. He's two, and fascinated by trains, so he was in heaven. The knife worked great of course.

What I wanted to mention was that, for the first time, my finger was actually saved by a half stop. I was cutting a twig off of a larger branch, and the blade stuck in the green wood, and started to close as a pulled it out. I was talking to my son, and not really paying attention, so I didn't realize what was happening until I heard a "SNAP!" The blade snapped into the half stop position, which saved my finger from receiving what could have been a very nasty cut.

So for me, the argument for half stops is no longer simply theoretical. :thumbup:

 

[moonwilson]

I have been more or less absent from this subforum for the past several months, and this thread is the reason. I have been carrying and using my Tribal Spear every day for just over six months now. The knife has performed wonderfully despite some regular, fairly heavy, and at times borderline abusive use. It has been dropped, kicked, scuffed, dinged, beaten on and used for just about anything a fellow could use a folding knife for. It has even been lightly batoned several times. It doesn't seem to mind any of this in the slightest. It has developed NO blade play. The action is still as smooth as ever. The only thing that betrays the amount of use it has seen is that there are scratches all over, and a few tiny little tings here and there. Other than that, its just the same as the day I got it. (It looks even better now, to my eye).

The most noteworthy thing about this knife is the edge retention. I think I stropped it ONCE, lightly, when I first got it. I haven't touched the edge since. I'm not going to lie and say it's still "razor sharp", but it will still slice printer paper cleanly and easily. After six months of constant use, that's pretty remarkable. I have done a TON of whittling with this knife. I have built fires. I have cut down boxes, I have done a whole slew of food prep and other assorted chores with it. Six months without sharpening, and it's still more than acceptably sharp. That's pretty darned good. I think I will give it a quick stropping this afternoon, and back into my pocket it will go for another six months. I am more than confident that it is up to the task.

Case and Tony Bose did a great job with this knife. I can't wait for this year's coffin jack!

Here she is, in some unflattering Ipod pics: