The Pocket Knife

[Pura Vida]

Ahh, Ship of Theseus...

48
In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped...

Tao Te Ching - Lao Tsu

Happy Losar!

Raven, great corkscrew story

[TaoJones]

And a very Happy Losar to you, Pura Vida!

TaoJones

[skipperaris]

I've been through many knives in my time and even made a couple myself. My best creation was a stainless blade extending from the handle which was cased in lovely paduk all riveted together. This was meant to be a 'serious' knife about a ft long and a 1/4 inch thick 1 1/2 inch wide blade. The drawback was the blade would not stay sharp although it was easy to hone it to a good sharp edge. It is still somewhere but the paduk handle split when I was practicing knife throwing and the knife ricocheted off the target to a rock...

I have been through more Victorinox knives than I remember. Friends and family feel really original when they think it is the ideal gift for me. But they have an agenda of their own. They tend to wander off... Some have gone swimming :-(

The last I remember losing was handed to the airline as I had stupidly put it in my hand luggage and it was found by the security people. That was the end of another Voctorinox. The airline was supposed to return it to me but when I claimed it they could not trace the specific knife and guided me to a carton full of all sorts of knives to look for it. In fact they encouraged me to take as many as I wanted but I was too embarassed to take this literally and walked away with just three Victorinox. None of them had the pliers of my model.

Another good knife that I have owned is the Opinel which also can lock the blade. It starts life and stays sharp.

My considered opinion is that there is not a single knife for all my needs. I have just a few knives around. One simple riggers' knife like the one CAT MAN DO is showing, another riggers' knife by Winchard with locking blade and marlin spike, non locking shackle key and phosphorescent plastic handle which is simply wonderful for finding it in the dark. If it has stayed under the fluorescent lights for a while it is as good as a torch with almost spent batteries.

Then there is a fairly decent Victorinox which will do most things and finally I have a decent Leatherman multitool which is also very reliable although I've managed to brake a knife blade. Leatherman are supposed to replace them for you but for now I just had it roughly welded together which has left a knick and like this it will cut any rope easily.

And a bit of knife lore: You are not supposed to make a present of a knife to a friend because it may cut the friendship. So if I want to give a knife away I demand a price - no matter how low - so that the knife is sold not given as a gift.


And in Crete a knife is very personal. They are made with great care and usually have a verse engraved on the blade. The handle is black and shaped for a good stabbing grip.

A Cretan will not lend you his knife any more than lend you his wife.

And naturally you do not ask for it...
Cretans can be very sensitive.