When I was 12, I had only two knives. (Boy that feels foreign.) On one November day the family went out to go Christmas shopping. Usually not the most enjoyable activity for a 12 year old boy that would rather be out in the woods, or reading a good book. However this day was different. I had scraped together $20. I was going to buy a shiny new Victorinox Cadet. I had seen my father use his Victorinox Super Tinker, and my grandfather use his little Classic for years. Now it was my turn to carry on the tradition. We went over the mountain to a bigger town, (ah rural life), and went to Target. I bought that little silver knife through my mother, and boy was I happy!
Like I said, I would have rather been in the woods. I have always loved what I would later learn was called bushcraft. So this dainty little folder got drafted into building shelters, carving bow drill sets, cleaning fish, peeling apples, cutting rope and a host of other chores. I even learned to baton with the knife. Cut me some slack on that one I was young and less experienced.
Even after I got the Caper for Christmas two years later it always sat in reserve. When I broke the camper after it fell 15 feet out of a tree, the Cadet went back into service. The Hunter that I was given rode in the pocket for about six months before I realized that I liked the small little knife better. So the Hunter now rides in my hunting and bushcraft packs.
Even my phase of only carrying one knife would not keep the Cadet down. For the past year I have been carrying it nearly constantly.
But five years of hard use has taken its toll. The blade is about 20% gone, it is scratched and dinged up pretty bad, and it is just time. So, as a present to myself for graduating Homeschool-Highschool a semester early, and getting accepted into Bible college fulltime, and completing my first year of Bible college online, I ordered a brand new Victorinox Pioneer. Hopefully I will be happy when it gets here, and I will get many more years of use out of it.
Like I said, I would have rather been in the woods. I have always loved what I would later learn was called bushcraft. So this dainty little folder got drafted into building shelters, carving bow drill sets, cleaning fish, peeling apples, cutting rope and a host of other chores. I even learned to baton with the knife. Cut me some slack on that one I was young and less experienced.
Even after I got the Caper for Christmas two years later it always sat in reserve. When I broke the camper after it fell 15 feet out of a tree, the Cadet went back into service. The Hunter that I was given rode in the pocket for about six months before I realized that I liked the small little knife better. So the Hunter now rides in my hunting and bushcraft packs.
Even my phase of only carrying one knife would not keep the Cadet down. For the past year I have been carrying it nearly constantly.
But five years of hard use has taken its toll. The blade is about 20% gone, it is scratched and dinged up pretty bad, and it is just time. So, as a present to myself for graduating Homeschool-Highschool a semester early, and getting accepted into Bible college fulltime, and completing my first year of Bible college online, I ordered a brand new Victorinox Pioneer. Hopefully I will be happy when it gets here, and I will get many more years of use out of it.
