Posted on 02/18/2018 2:22:48 AM PST by vannrox
My carry knife of choice has always been an Uncle Henry in stockman style. 3 blades, < 3” long. Razor sharp at all times.
Even while in the Army Guard, forget the bayonet or the fancy fighting knives, my Uncle Henry did the job.
Trimming tenons, chip carving, putting up fur, it's all I ever needed.
Free advice to the room, learn to sharpen knives. The right way. A razor sharp $10 knife will always be better than an $80 screw driver.
I carry a pocket knife and a 9mm everywhere. Cheap pocket knives. Lost one at a OKC Thunder game recently. Forgot it was in my pocket.
Ping.
Something similar happened to me several years ago. I always carry a Swiss Army knife (not unlike yours, but mine has a corkscrew and no tweezers), a Gerber folder, and an original Leatherman, all of which I’ve carried for at least 20 years. I was in the Charlotte NC airport, and had put the knives in my checked-in bag, but forgot that the Leatherman was on my belt. The TSA guy didn’t confiscate it, but let me go find a box and check it through.
More advice to the room. Don’t be intimidated by persons who think “razor sharp” is important. “Sharp” is important. A $10 knife, sharpened after every use, even if not to perfection, even with a kitchen ceramic rod, is better than a $100 knife waiting for the owner to find time to make it perfect.
Crocodile Dundee cost 9 million to make. It grossed 300 million.
Croc 2 cost 15 million and grossed 200 million.
Croc 3 only grossed 39 million.
I have all three on the shelf. Quality entertainment.
Every day, two spyderco harpies, one spear point fixed blade, a gerber tool, electricians scissors, marlin spike, and a small adjustable wrench.
I catch plenty of crap from people, but who the first they go to with “hey, you gotta knife?”
My response is usually, “yes, why don’t you?”
For the record I’m a machinist and yes I work with my hands., and I had plenty of knives taken from me in good old catholic schools, when I was a youngster, usually because some weiner saw me using it for a proper purpose and ratted me out to the teacher.
Nowadays I keep a little CRKT knife on me at all times, Leatherman when I'm working, and a big Uncle Henry SHRADE when hunting and or camping. The little CRKT gets the most action doing things like opening packages of other tools or hardware, batteries, or the occasional prepackaged food item. It's also useful for making a little air hole on the other side of the drink hole in your general store to-go coffee.
I’ve carried a pocket knife pretty much every day for the last 50 years or so (couldn’t have it in boot camp, though; they took all that stuff away from us, but we got them back when we got out of boot). My current pocket knife is a two-blade, couple gadget Swiss Army knife, which I’ve had for about ten years now.
I have a box filled with pocket knives that I’ve acquired over the years, in varying shapes and sizes and quality. Habit, I guess.
I’d feel naked without a pocket knife.
I also carry, on my belt, a 3” Buck knife and a Leatherman, each in its own scabbard.
Not a day goes by that I don’t use at least one of these tools for some task or eventuality.
I’ve always been handy with my hands, and do all my own carpentry, most of my own plumbing, and most of my small electrical work. I have a well-stocked and supplied workshop in my garage, and I spend lots of time in there, just tinkering. I love it. It is one of my sanctuaries.
I was in a walmart a couple years back buying 22LRs. They had a little spinning display deal with $3 pocket knives. 1 bought all 23 of them. Not bad knives. I don’t worry about sharpening. :)
For many years I kept a small extremely sharp Barlow in a front pocket. Used it for everything including gutting deer. Lost in in a field while rabbit hunting. Picked up a new one at a gun show but it never felt the same. Gave it to my youngest son.
Started toting a leatherman. I keep the current ‘wave’ model’s primary blade, very sharp. It does so many things, I don’t know how I got along without it.
I got started with the Delicas because the blade length is just under what was allowed in carryon pre-9/11. I had been carrying them for 2-3 years before 9/11 hit.
“Free advice to the room, learn to sharpen knives. The right way.”
I couldn’t agree more. I have almost as many sharpening tools, honing stones, etc., as I have knives.
Same here about flying, which I do/did a lot.
One of my favorite knifes wound up in the hands of TSA because I forgot to pack it in the checked baggage.
I got the Delta AmEx Gold Card because it covers free checked bags. So the knife goes in there. I usually put it back in my pocket at baggage claim, long before I head out the door.
A real PITA to check a bag, but like you, I feel vulnerable without it. Plus, I usually takes trips of a week or more.
On 9/11/01 I was out of the country. I carried a commemorative 75th anniversary Boy Scout knife and I could not get it or me back into the country days later unless I got rid of it. I could not even put it in checked luggage or visibly throw it away (pain). I had to write and sign a release to give it away before I was allowed to board a plane to return to the US. Insane snowflake alert.
Bucks good. Uncle Henry better. My UH is the first knife I ever bought that I could shave with "out of the box". Had to sharpen all the rest to that state. I am NEVER without a knife AND a small tape measure.
Me? A knife and two (2) .380's. And, a 9mm in my computer bag.
Growing up we played stretch and chew the peg all day long then hit the farmers field to carve up some cucumbers and sweet potatoes to hold us over until dinner.
My grandpa’s CaseXX in my pocket daily. Buck Lite in the work truck and another 100 or so in a box. Mostly Case, but also various other brands.
bump
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