The History of the Pocket Knife.

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Very cool! I have had a love affair with pocket knives since my 10th Birthday. When I was growing up birthdays were a pretty big deal at my house. Usually though there was only one present. I got my present and was excited as usual. I opened it and then we had supper. After supper my dad said come see boy. He pulled from his project a little box and said "I have another gift for you". I thought WOW 2 PRESENTS! When I opened that box and saw my first pocket knife I nearly fell over. "My dad said that a man should have a good knife"! I still carry one regularly! I have daughters, and I hope to pass my pocket knife to them or their kids one day! Thanks for posting this!
 
I always have at least one on me. Have had a Buck 305 since the late '70s. I busted off the tip on the main blade shortly after I got it. It makes a handy screwdriver now.:D
I got my first pocket knife at a gun show when I was 10. I was so excited. Took me less than a day to cut myself pretty badly with it.:eek: I'll bet everybody on here who got one as a kid can tell a similar story.
I lean toward Spyderco Delicas now.
Jim
 
Used to be that a small pocket knife was part of a gentleman's "kit". We thought nothing of carrying then to school, to work or play-it was just something you had with you along with-as one grew older-a wallet, comb, hankerchief and so on. It was oerhaps the first piece of a young boy's kit. Sadly those days are gone forever. It's a shame when I have to stop at my car and empty out my pockets of everything that might remorely set off a metal detector before going to court.
And yes, I cut the snot out of myself with my first one-and my son did the same with HIS first one. Guess it's a rite of passage. Anyway my pocket knife of choice is the Swiss Army Kinfe Huntsman or Tinker. The reason behind this is that about 15 years ago I was in Walmart and saw that they had a clearance on some Swiss Army knives. I asked how much. Was told $9.99. I asked how many they had and was told 4 huntsmans and 5 tinkers. I said "I'll take them all." :D
Anything that needs a bigger kinfe, I go to the tool shed and get a saw or a cane knife.
 
i have been carrying a pocket knife of one kind or another since i was about 9 or 10. i just don't feel right without it in my pocket. last few years has been a CRKT m16 12z, i still have my first swiss army knife, those tweezers came in handy plenty of times. any yes i cut myself pretty bad with my first knife
 
I have many fine knives, but doubt that any are better values than the Swiss Army ones.

I think I have 17 of them, in various sizes and models, some duplicates.My fancier pocketknives include stockman and trapper patterns from Puma, Carl Schlieper (Eye Brand), and Case.

But when I carry anything else, I find myself wanting some tool that I'd have had on a SAK.

My first pocket and sheath knives were at age eight. Maybe 10 on the sheath knife, which I still have. It is from Anton Wingen of Solingen, their Othello trademark. It's a Bavarian style hunter with 4.5 inch blade. Has nice stag handle scales.

My most high tech folders are probably from Fallkniven. One is their delightful, lightweight U-2 model. The blade core is a very hard, sophisticated alloy that really holds an edge. Fallkniven products aren't cheap in either sense of the word. They are exceptionally good. www.fallkniven.com They do have US dealers, some offering nice discounts. Prices on their site are in Swedish kroner.

I feel undressed without a knife.

My son got his first at age 6, a fancy Scout model from Camillus. He never cut himself. I gave him a Fallkniven S-1 to take to Iraq, but he was afraid that it'd get damaged or lost or confiscated, so took a Ka-Bar USMC knife. He relies now mainly on a Leatherman tool, but wears a Benchmade lockblade folder with a tanto blade.

My daughter carries a Victorinox Classic in her purse, with dark green handle. She uses it a lot, especially the scissors.

I was surprised last week when my SIL accepted a similar Classic, as he isn't a knife or outdoors person. He said that he'd watched my daughter use her knife so much that he wanted one. That was good news!
 
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Thanks for posting that article HAWKEYE10. Good reading. That first Case jack knife in the article is an old Tested Case. It is rare. The Schrade stockman is a good one also. I just can't imagine guys growing up not carrying a pocket knife, but like CAJUNLAWYER says, you got to remember to leave them at home or clean your pockets when going to court or flying. They will take them and you don't see them again at airports. I collect lots of knives. Boker, Henckels, Bulldog, Case, Schrade, Kershaw, Gerber, you name it. Neat interesting hobby.:)

James
 
Two of my most treasured items are my wife's grandfathers' pocket knives. One is a Shrade brand "safety button" knife, which was his work knife. The other is a Rodgers brand two bladed, dress knife. Both were purchased in 1920 and are in as new condition. Now that I think about these are my only two safe queens.
 
I have Dads old Keen Kutter. He owned it forever. Older brother told the story of dad an uncle Pete getting into a heated discussion and dad pulled the knife. How can you date an old knife ???
 
I got my first pocket knife at age 6. A boy growing up on the farm uses one daily. Throughout my school years a boy was considered odd if he didn't have a knife in his pocket at school. When I was 13 my dad gave what is probably the favorite of all my knives, a Schrade Uncle Henry. It spent many years and miles in my pocket. Skinned a lot of game from squirrels to deer with that knife. The blade is heavily worn from use and sharpening. After 42 years it now occupies a place of honor in a cabinet, replaced with another of the same model I found a few years ago when I learned that Schrade was closing it's door. If I'm dressed, I have a pocket knife.
 
P&R Fan
I bet if you sent that 305 back to Buck they would replace it! They could say user abuse but more often than not, they just fix or replace it!.. Oh, and they will sharpen it for $7!

I'm sure they'd fix or replace it, but I like it the way it is. I've fixed many things with it over the years using it as as a screwdriver. Many times my old Rotary Mazda would need some adjustment, on the side of the road, in a rainstorm. The old Buck worked mighty well.:D
It's one of my most prized possessions. I have lots of knives, but this one's a keeper.
Jim
 
I got my first pocket knife at age 6. A boy growing up on the farm uses one daily. Throughout my school years a boy was considered odd if he didn't have a knife in his pocket at school. When I was 13 my dad gave what is probably the favorite of all my knives, a Schrade Uncle Henry. It spent many years and miles in my pocket. Skinned a lot of game from squirrels to deer with that knife. The blade is heavily worn from use and sharpening. After 42 years it now occupies a place of honor in a cabinet, replaced with another of the same model I found a few years ago when I learned that Schrade was closing it's door. If I'm dressed, I have a pocket knife.

A salute goes out from a fellow "Cabotian"...

Edmo
 
Another SAK fan here. The only problem I've had with them is losing the tweezers and toothpick. So I ordered a half dozen of each. Haven't lost one since.

I've got a couple of bucks, and one custom Shelor knife, but the SAK is the only one that gets used.
 
One day when I was in 5th we had a substitute teacher who was a retired principal from a neighboring school district. In the afternoon he somehow got a splinter in his hand and without looking up asked "Who has a sharp pocket knife?" We looked around at each other a little nervously and he looked up and said sharply "Don't give me that blank stare, I know what the rules are but this is a rural school and I know farm kids, who has the sharpest knife?" I'm still proud that he felt mine was the sharpest of the many offered him ;D.
 
My dad gave me a knife for my birthday . I can not remember what kind it was . Just a pocket knife with the standard blades . Pretty cool to me anyway . We went fishing out on a wall along a lock and damn . Of course I had my new knife in my pocket . Fishing was slow , go figure , so I whipped out my knife and started to cut on a stick . Well I was dinking around and managed to find out how sharp it was . Really sharp, I sliced the end of my finger . Great no bandaids or anything to cover it with . So quickly shoved it in my pocket and worked the pocket around it and squeezed it to get it to seal .You know how you bleed when you cut the end of your finger . Well it worked and my dad never knew .Sat there all day and no fish .
 
Interesting stories. It amazes me how we can be from different parts of the country, different upbringings, some city some rural but we have so many things in common, like carrying a pocket knife and cutting ourselfs with the first one, and many more after that too!! I have had many knives but the one I carry is the old buck 301, it just holds an edge better for me.
 
I collect folders by the scale material. I'm a big fan of pearl and abalone. Mammoth Ivory is very cool. My daily carry is a Victorinox Camper or Huntsman Lite. I dismantled and inspected a Piper Cub with it one day when the pilot insisted that I did not have the authority to do so. Ask any LEO what his favorite four words are; "You can't arrest me."
 
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