Weatherby Nation

Fellow Weathbyterians,
   If there is anything I like almost as well as guns, it has to be knives.  My next door neighbor was in the knife business, so every day or so I would have to look at his newest Benchmade or Mel Pardue.  I'm not really sure he ever understood why none of those kinds of knives ever interested me. 
   Ever since I was old enough to put a knife in my pants pocket, I have carried a knife of some sort.  All through grade school.  Every day.  I know that today knives are a sign of violence and gangs, and teachers blanch when they think of students with knives.  I carried one, and everybody knew it.  I peeled my apples and sharpened my pencils.  Everything from cleaning my fingernails to opening potato chip bags.  I never saw anybody pull a knife on anybody in school.  Things have changed.
   I have carried hundreds of different knives, but my usual put it on with my pants knife is an old Victorinox.  You know the kind.  Saw, cork-screw, screwdriver, reamer, one knife blade, can opener.   I have one of the green ones with checkered plastic handles that used to be issued to the German Bundeswehr.  I use it for everything.  Anything that needs stripped, sawed, pried, or tightened gets the pocket-knife treatment first.  Not a whole lot different from the Cub Scout knife I carried in grade school.  I like the idea of those all-in-one folding plier tools like the Leatherman, but they are too big and heavy to fit in my pocket.  So I never carry one.  I don't like the cases that fit on your side, and I don't like the knives with clips on them. 
   Hunting, I don't carry a fixed blade hunting knife.  I use my pocket knife, or I have a big folding 2-blade hunter.  You know the type.  Schrade, Case, Camillus, Marbles, Queen.  Used to be lots of makers.  They look like a big two bladed jack knife.  Sharpen both blades and you always have a sharp one.  Use one on meat, and keep the other to peel potatoes with, if you like.  Neither blade locks.  I have used a host of these knives made by Case, but would always wind up trading them to somebody.  Thankfully I had the sense to keep the last one I bought, since these things have become expensive.  It is a Case.
   Somewhere back in my camp stuff will be a fixed blade knife.  When my knife pal's mother died he saved me her two butcher knives.  I use the same knives in my kitchen.  One is an Old Hickory.  Drop forged carbon steel.  Riveted on hickory handles.  This is the knife that does the real work.  I keep a 5-inch long double grit carborundum stone to sharpen it with.  The black carbon steel sharpens easily.  The whole mess gets rolled up in a towel.  Knife and hone.  High tech?  You got to be kidding. 
   My old pal who was the knife man had all these nice knives, but when he reached in his pocket he carried an Uncle Henry two blade trapper that I had sold to him somewhere along the line.  I guess he couldn't afford to scratch up his Spyderco or Applegate.  Old Markie has been gone for 3 years now.  Too many smokes and a family history of bad tickers.  I get to shake hands with him every time I reach for that Old Hickory.  It's staying with me.
your pal,
imr4198   

IMR:I feel lost without a knife in my pocket.Usually a 3 inch Buck or Gerber and currently one of those assisted opening Kershaws my nephew recently gave me.I dont see how anyone can make the day without a knife on them.Roger
Faster horses,younger women,older whiskey,and more money.

You have a very valid point about having a knife handy. However, schools are not the only places where you can get in trouble for carrying a knife. Many businesses and big companies restrict the carrying of a knife by employees. I personally think this is a big pile of boo boo!! A good knife is a necessay tool for working people, and when I need one to cut open a box or package, it fries my onions to have to go find one of the approved company box cutters or else face disiplinary action if caught using my own pocket knife. That Sucks!!!!
Tom

I've carried an old Victorinox just about forever. It's so much a part of me, that my wife has to remind me to leave it behind if we're going to be passing through a metal detector. People who know me well, just automatically ask to borrow it, when a knife is needed. I probably use it a dozen times daily. It is left behind only when an activity requires a more specialized piece.

                                                            Jim

I carry a Victorinox everyday... a very basic one with aluminum handles- I believe the model is called a "soldier' or some such and I've had it for about 2 decades.

For hunting I dislike large knifes and keep both a Leatherman for working on stuff and a carbon steel Mora for working on critters in my pack.

I've got a drawer full of nicer knives that I've collected or been given but I don't use them much."That's not snow you cheechako!... that's crystaline sunshine."

I cannot recall any time in my life since early childhood that I did not have a knife in my pocket. I have always preferred small folding knives for every day carry, but I like to keep several different knife styles handy when outdoors. I will believe corporations are people when Texas executes one.

I'ts been about ten years since it's been legal to carry a knife here even then it had to be in plain sight like a pouch on your belt or it was a concealed weapon but just about everyone had a knife on their belt many woman had them in their handbags they were handy when you needed them but the kids trying to be big and tough have ruined it for everyone including old farmers who come into town and forget to take of their knife i've always been fascinated by knives and don't remember how old i was when i got my first one but mum didn't know about it now days i don't carry one but still have several in the car shed and house so one is always handy but it's nothing like one on your belt and things will not change until the kids stop trying to be tough by carrying them
                                              Nik

Nik:I find that astonishing.I would never have thought about that happening in Australia.I guess it shows how little I know about other places and my pre-conceived ideas.I would really like to visit Australia and New Zealand some day.People I know that have been there really loved it.Guess I will be leaving my knife at home though.Roger
Faster horses,younger women,older whiskey,and more money.

Roger,there is still the outback where it's a couple hours drive to town that has a pub and general store and the properties are measured in square kilometers where knife on the belt is still accepted but it's slowly changing as the population spreads out,where i live is still classed as a country town and it's ten to twenty minutes between towns but more houses are being built and the places where i used to trap rabbits are gone and the population has gone from couple hundred to couple thousand,the main increase in population has spread out from the city and what was a two hour drive past farms and little towns has been replaced by housing estates i used to think that by time the suburbs reached us i'd be gone but they will be here before that but by then i will move to somewhere less populated,don't get me wrong we still have some of the best hunting in the world in victoria if you want to hunt deer you get a permit and go to state forest and hunt your heart out same as ducks and quail we have game reserves in season though and then there are farmers most will let you hunt as long as your a decent sort one thing with farmers here they seem to know everything that goes on,other states are different because in the 1970's we had a premier who was a hunter and that's how we got the hunting on state land but the other states are now seeing hunters as a form of control over numbers a couple banned hunting for several years and paid big but they have listed deer as pests which wont be good animal conservationists are strong here and it's a constant fight that we are slowly winning so we are the lucky country in alot of ways i can go hunting all year round,i'm still in the good books with my ex inlaws who's farm is less than ten minutes away and they have everything you can think of to hunt and i'm usually the only one allowed but i do have to keep pest numbers down which is bit of hard work sometimes so if you come over look me up and i'll give you a tour.
                                        Nik

Nik:Thanks for the insight.It does sound like a great place.If I ever make it over I will try to look you up.Roger
Faster horses,younger women,older whiskey,and more money.