What we consider relevant...

C

Carolinabuck

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Oct 27, 2017
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I recently met a young man from Kenya, and in asking about what type of knife he carried in Africa he showed his EDC, a okapi 3 star. I've seen them at flea markets and shows, but always considered them quite frankly to be junk. The ones I have been rattling, weak springer and appeared to be assembled by someone suffering from DT's. But this young man's knife was solid, no blade play, and locked up like a bear trap. He told me that is a common knife among his people and some are highly valued by them. He was not interested in any case or buck knives I showed him. He said his okapi had cleaned many animals and he even had one he used to carve with. I was intrigued by the keyring unlocking mechanism and honestly it was the only thing that rattled at all on the knife. He informed me a man would come on a bicycle, sort of a peddler, and trade or sale items to them and that's how he acquired the knife many years ago. So I started to attempt a trade, offering case, buck, Gerber, and even some German knives all in vain. The only knife he was willing to trade for was a SAK, which according to him was worth its weight in gold and a "grail" knife to his people. So I gave him 2 for the okapi. This really got me thinking about my own standards. This simple wooden handle knife with a carbon blade that can be bought for maybe $5 is held in such high regard in a community where the people share drinking water with goats, but my custom buck 110 would be traded for a chicken. I found that fascinating!!
 
That's certainly one of the big benefits of travel, imo - getting exposed to different perspectives, which also makes us more aware of what we take for granted and consider 'normal.'

As far as knives go, I spent the better part of 5 years working in southern Patagonia, and watching everything that locals living in very remote locations do with one carbon steel knife that probably cost less than $20 (US) certainly puts our privileged debates about "this $350 knife with some super steel vs another" in perspective.
 
Thanks for sharing this. It makes us stop and realize how blessed we are to have so many options for our EDC knives. When all we really need is a simple single bladed knife to suffice our daily cutting needs. When we stop and think about it, we are always searching for the next one and once we get that one it's on to the next one. I would love to talk to someone from such a place to pick their brain and see what their everyday tasks and life consists of. Native peoples from other lands have always interested me.
 
Well, as long as there wasn't a gap at the backspring.... that would make it "junk".... :rolleyes:

Good post.... it's good to stop and consider "real" priorities at times. We live in such a blessed time, it's difficult to comprehend only having the option of one knife. It might be beneficial if we did... "form" follows "function"......
 
Ah yes, a part of the world where a knife is still an essential tool needed for survival! We are spoiled here, I'm sure others would call us fools knowing we have dozens of knives. Bare bones, all you need is one blade on a well made knife. If it does the job, it's a winner. Thank you for sharing this story!
 
Intrigued. Maybe you have any pics of a subject? I know what's Okapi, just wanted to take a look at an actual hard-working one.
 
Typical case of obsessed cult object worship of something that makes us loose all real world perspective. No matter if its a knife nut, car nut, gun nut, whatever, the lose of all real world perspective comes from raising any item to a cult worship level. Living in a wealthy society wth lots of disposable income, we can't even identify with someone in a third world country living at or below poverty level, getting by with cutlery that most here would turn their noses up at.

But the working peasants in those African, Latin American or Asian nations don't realize how under equipped they are because they don't read knife/gun/car/whatever magazines touting the latest and greatest of the item of the month with the latest wonder steel. They are too busy trying to feed a family and surviving to read fan boy magazines.
 
This reminds me of an article I read a few years ago, I think it was NG. It was about some people living in what we would consider primitive conditions, on New Guinea, iirc. They had caught a large sea turtle and were in the process of butchering it. In the picture there was an opinel on the ground next to the turtle, looked to be a #8. Simple tools that work.
 
It's always good to gain perspective. But I like knives and appreciate having the wherewithal to pick up different types.

I'd bet your young Kenyan friend isn't a member of BladeForums and doesn't spend his free time looking at pictures of knives. He probably doesn't give them a second thought unless he breaks or loses the one he already has.
 
Interesting thread!! I could probably get by with one knife - one that used to be called a very basic one-blade; that we have now in North America raised to celebrity status!!!
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A simple Barlow used to be one of the least expensive knives, and suitable for "using it up" in approximately three years, according to an old Remington demographic survey!!! Now most probably live in their original tube, are mint, and can cost a week's wages!!
I wonder what the relative cost was 100 years ago??
Perspective indeed!!!
 
euroken said:
Would anyone know what the going rate was for, say a barlow, in 1900?
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In my 1908 catalog, a dozen bone New York Knife Company Barlows would set you back $4.50. ☺️ So by Charlie's calculations, a dozen would have cost you $6.00 by 1922.

It seems to me the Case Sodbuster, Sodbuster Jr., and the GEC Bullnose type of knives have replaced the reliable Barlow as the new hard use knife for a low price.
 
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Curiously, I don't think the two worlds are so far apart. How? I certainly don't have time for analistic nit-picking, obsessing over gear and 'drops' nor showing off about knives or any other objects- it's just so shallow. I do think that both the Kenyan in question and the knife enthusiast share a similar quality: delight in using an object that works and pride in owning it. Yes, you can 'get by' with just one knife, particularly when needs must as it does for most people in the world. But the knife enthusiast/connoisseur cannot countenance having just one knife, where's the point and delight in that? But, if you can be genuinely pleased by your knives, have pride in owning them; (not angst about whether or not this is the 'right' knife or the coolest/most admired one to get or FOMA crap); enjoy seeing other enthusiast's knives, then you've reached a good spot of contentment. You see the beauty of your knives, you enjoy their possible historical or cultural context and you feel good about using it. It's not so different from the Kenyan being wise enough to value the utility of his Okapi but being stirred by the kudos of having a SAK as an alternative!
 
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