Our church had a rummage sale on Saturday. Afterwards, the wife and I stayed for the cleanup. Once we had boxed up the remains to be hauled off to the Goodwill, there were a bunch of old boxes left, and I do mean old. People use old boxes held together by several layers of tape to take their stuff to rummage sales. At least that has been my observation. Breaking down boxes like that is tedious, unless you have a box cutter, or a pocket knife. Fortunately, I rarely go anywhere without a pocket knife of some sort. When I leave the house I go through my checklist to make sure I have my keys, phone, wallet, ID and my pocket knife. If I make it out of the house without one, I have a bunch, I feel lie something is missing. I go back and get one.
So, I pulled out my knife and went to work on the boxes. As there were a lot, I asked if anyone else had a knife to help. No one did, in a room of maybe 12 men and 15 women. I was surprised. Growing up in the Midwest, a pocket knife was just part of what nearly every guy carried. A knife is a useful, convenient and portable tool. Why wouldn’t you carry one? Now, I guess I can see how some of today’s people might not carry one. You can’t carry one to school like I did. Kids seem more concerned about they look, and maybe they don’t want the lumpy look. But, I found it odd that a bunch of guys my age and older were not carrying one. Maybe people farm out all of their work on the house and property to other people, so they have less need for a knife. Or maybe they are just out of fashion. I don’t know. At any rate, I guess I will just keep being the guy who says yes when folks ask if anyone has a knife.
I would never leave the house without my pocket knife or medicine bag. For gardening, I always have a gardener’s multi-tool and a hori-hori knife.
I prefer the small pen knifes that can be had for a couple bucks and do everything from cleaning fingernails to cleaning teeth and cutting cardboard. On the other hand, i have had so many confiscated at airport security (and once for jury duty screening) that I don’t carry them much. For real cutting, I prefer utility knifes and have a number of them since I never remember where I last used one and have to buy another.
As a stagehand I feel naked if I don’t have a knife. It drives me crazy that I can’t take one when traveling.
A carry a Macgiver type Swiss Army knife at all times. Like you, I have carried some sort of pocket knife since I was a kid. The other day I was in the restroom at work, notided the cold water faucet handle was loose. Pull out my knife, which has a Philips head screwdrive, and fixed it in aoubt 20 seconds. Quicker than I could have looked up the number and called the maintenance man.
I carry the Swiss Army one on trips. Day to day I carry one of the others, letting aesthetics dominate my choice. My favorites change, but currently I really like a titanium blue, torsion bar, bird’s beak blade one I have. I enjoy the craftsmanship that went into it.
Steve
If you’re ever in the Knoxville/Gatlinburg, TN area, check out Smoky Mountain Knife Works. (Maybe you’ve heard of them.) They carry a huge array of knives from the cheapies to the best. Great prices, too. They have a web site and you can order online.
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/main_front.jsp
I always have carried a pocket knife, too. I’ve often not had it and wished I did; but I’ve never had one on me and wished I didn’t. Never know when you’ll need one.
I used to carry a knife for cutting empty boxes an’ whatnot. But now whenever I have to deal with one of ‘em I just whip out my crack torch and light her up. Fourth of JUUUUU-ly!!
I used to carry a pocket knife on me at all times. Then I got one confiscated by airport security, and then my whole house got packed up for the remodeling, and I haven’t found and unpacked my remaining pocket knife yet in the months since. I should probably go out and buy a new one or two.
Pocket Leatherman
What we’ve learned here is that Alexandrians are armed. Or tooled anyway.
Much as I like a good pocket knife, the 40 some foot dead oak I just cut down and am cutting up for fire wood would have never yielded to one of them.
For that I love my Stihl pruner and my chainsaw. Get the pruner that extends to 18 feet and has the exchangeable blade. It has a nice little hook on the end so the blade does not come off the limb. Wonderful tool. I own the small arborist chainsaw the Stihl makes, and borrow a larger one if needed. I still suck at sharpening the darn things. Guess I dont have the patience.
Steve
This one was chain saw all the way. The lowest branches were at about 20 feet. The darn thing was leaning toward the power and phone lines so I had to set up a triangulation chain puller with a “come along” in order to not take out power and phone for us and the one neighbor beyond us. The darn thing fell precisely where I “aimed” it. Maybe I should have been a lumberjack. Next job is to cut it into 16 inch segments and cart the whole kaboodle out of the forest to our wood pile where I can split it ready for winter heating. I do the splitting by hand for exercise.