I really like old, well used knives. It probably began in grade school when I discovered a pocket knife lying in the middle of the road while I was riding my bicycle. It was a great pen knife with yellow scales and very sharp stainless steel blades with probably 25% of the blades sharpened away over time. I don't recall the brand but it was several grades above what I was accustomed to. It was my pride and constant companion for quite some time. So now when I see blades "used up" it pleases me because I know the owner of that knife was employing it for its intended purpose.

Ed

I have my Grandpa's knife. It's a well used Camillus three blade stock knife.
He used it for a multitude of things for a long time.
He was a tobacco chewer and used the cake type. The smallest blade is discolored as he only used it to cut off a chunk of tobacco.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

My grandfather chewed Mammoth Cave Twist tobacco. Naturally, my cousin and I had to try it as pre-schoolers. We didn't care too much for it.

Ed

I thread that makes me warm and fuzzy. I admire used guns and knives. So many collections have both that have no signs of usage. I have some knives and guns with real character, as they have been used and loved for decades.

I think I need to step back from the OPs conclusions. Worn blades seem to Occur more from poor sharpening practices than from the use itself. Mostly it comes from folks not sharpening the edge, but rather the blade.

At the things we call "Knife and Gun" shows, it provides endless amusement to see a blade with sharpening marks all the way up the blade. I'm sure the owners at the time were doing the very best they could. It just looks like they were spending hours removing material that didn't need to go away. Heavy handed work goes hand in hand with finding old stones with grooves and valleys. Makes me assume they fell to the same style of work.

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Dick Burg

I have some knives that are pretty well-used, and some that don't get used much. This old Anza is about as well-used as anything I have.



I bought it at a motorcycle swap meet sometime in the early '80s. It has been either in my pocket or in a tank bag for several hundred thousand miles of motorcycle touring. It has done a lot of roadside repairs, cut a lot of cigars, sliced a lot of salami and cheese and a lot of other chores around the campgrounds.

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Not in jail.

The top Buck I have had for 35 years. Got it free because the tip was broken off. Had it professionally redone and carried it for 7 years of construction work which is largely responsible for its' appearance. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I have quite a few well used knives but it is my wife that does the pictures. I have several bone handled knives that are virtually smooth handled from wear. One Case XX stag handled trapper has been worn completely smooth from years of carry. Hopefully I can get the wife to some photos in the morning.

I've had the Gerber since new (over 35 years) and it was always sharpened on a Lansky. Still a lot of blade missing.

Ed

Most of the sharpening done on my pocket knives comes about after I have done damage to the blades by using it for what ever task comes up and it is the tool I have at hand . To me that is what I have a pocket knife for ,and over time the blades go away and change shapes but they just keep working.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Here are a couple of mine.

This one was a broken knife that I found at a gun show years ago. I think I may have paid five bucks for it. Nothing fancy at all...but I think it looks classic.


The top one is a Case trapper with stag scales worn smooth from years of pocket carry.


And another Case trapper with worn stag scales. Like others have said, my knives are tools, and though I try to take care of them, they all see plenty of hard use.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

Cool, I have a few old Camillus, Ka Bars and Randalls.

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

I bought a Swiss Army Knife like this one when I was stationed in Alaska in the mid 1960's. Took it to Vietnam, and carried it in the patch pocket of my jungle fatigue pants. I was in a chopper once, sitting with my butt about three inches off the floor; the knife slid out of my pocket and was lost. I wrote to my wife who sent me the one pictured. It was my everyday carry for about 35 years. As you can see, the knife has been sharpened some, and the point stands a little proud of the knife frame when closed. Somehow I broke the red plastic and glued it back on. Finallly the plastic scales had worn enough that the Swiss insignia was exposed; it is very sharp metal and I kept getting little cuts on my hand when I used it. I decided the knife deserved retirement and got another one as close to this one as I could.

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I wonder how many gun guys got their start collecting, buying or trading old knives when we were too young to get firearms. I did.

I was a Marble protege, my Dad taught me the correct way to shoot marbles and I practiced a lot. Old guys will remember, we shot marbles in school at recess, before school, lunch hour and at any chance. I won so many marbles that some days I had to take a sock off to carry them home. When I was in the 5th grade kids my age would not shoot with me, I started in on the Jr high guys and it wasn't long till they banned me from their games. In the 6th grade I had to shoot with the high school guys. Wasn't long before I was taking a sock off to carry marbles home because all my pockets were full. I had an old Aggie marble of Dad's, it was death on lighter glass marbles. I soon had a business going, trading marbles for pocket knives and old baseball cards.

They were in the attic when Dad sold the farm, he knew my brother and I would be ticked, yep his farm, but he promised it to us. Dad sold it, bought a house in town and moved before we knew it was gone. I called the new owner to see if I could get my stuff, he said nope, goes with the deal. Cigar boxes of knives and baseball cards, many were given to them by their grandpas from chewing tobacco.

I currently have a mix match bunch of knives as you describe. Some were my Paternal grandfathers. One has a wood replacement scale.

Sorry to fall off on a rant but some days old knives cut open old marble/knife wounds.

I have carried this special edition Marbles Large Stockman made in 2001 in Gladstone MI - USA. There were less than 25 made like this and while it was meant to be a collectible, I carry and use it every single day. It's one of the sharpest knives I've ever seen and will hold a great edge - made form Carbon Steel.

Marbles is now gone as we know it and they sold their name to have cheapo knives made in China.

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Buck,Randalls,K Bar??