My most used knife.

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  • cb51

    Active Member
    I hate to admit I was a knife nut for most of my life. I obsessively carried at least three knives on me at all times, and I wasn't happy if one of them wasn't up to fighting off Chinese paratroopers or injuns on the war path. I even dropped lots of money on Randall made knives.

    Then the epiphany. Happened in my mid 40's, and I looked at all the stuff I had collected and thought "What the hell am I doing?" Sold off all the Randall's, gave away a lot of the other stuff to friends, nephews, niece, brother, and boy scouts. The reality dawned on me of "how much knife do I need walking around Montgomery country Maryland?"

    I've always liked miniature things, a hold over from my ultra light backpacking days. I'm always wondering how small can an item be and still function at it's intended task? I never liked single blade knives, seemed too much of a one trick pony. I had carried a boy scout knife my dad gave me at age 12, until I joined the army and carried the issue 'demo' knife that was in effect an all stainless steel scout knife. Then I got into Swiss Army knives after the army.

    For the last 20 years or so, a little Swiss Army knife, the littlest they make in fact, has been taking over as my edc knife. It rode on my keying so I couldn't leave home without it, and more anymore I used it for all my pocket knife stuff. In spite of having a blade barely over an inch, it opens mail, cut open boxes and plastic blister packages, cut string, in addition to dealing with all kinds of small phillips and flat screws, cleaned my nails, snipped things that needed a scissors, and even pulled splitters with the tiny but effective tweezers. I think the first one was like 7 dollars at Walmart, and it lasted a few years before the wifey glommed onto it and it was other keyring. So I bought another one at Walmart and by that time it was like 8.99. Still a steal. Bestthing about it was,it went into all kinds of government buildings downtown with no problems.

    I liked it so much, and used it so much, I made a leather pouch sheath for it to go on my keyring. That way the knife wasn't really attached to the keys, and it made things a lot easier to be able to just pull out the knife, use whatever blade/tool I needed, and put it back. Of course, once the wifey saw the leather sheath, it got transfers to her keyring, so I had to make another one. You long term married guys know how that works, right?

    Victorinox makes a fine product, and it's rare to wear one out, but I managed to wear out my little keyring Swiss Army knife in about 10 years. Being a sub 10 dollar knife, it was my beater knife. The knife I used when I didn't want to mess up what was in my pocket. Or the knife I took on trips and didnt mind if the luggage thieves got it. It took a while, but that nonsense stopped. Little by little I stopped carrying the other knives. Now, retired and living in Texas, I still don't seem to need much knife in my day to day walking around town life. I'm doing more fishing than ever, but I have my old Buck sheath knife in my fishing kit.And the scissors on the little Swiss Army knife go right through fishing line. If I'm doing home repair or garden stuff, a Stanely 99 is one the garden/tool kit. For self protection, there's a firearm in my pocket. Texas lets us do that. But even back in Maryland, I carried a stout blackthorn or hornbeam walking stick and pepper spray if I went "downtown", so knives never figured as a weapon to me. Growing up in northeast D.C. I learned how effective a padlock with a bandana through it was in keeping my lunch money.

    So here I am, a happily retired guy living in a warm climate and fishing every other day, with the littlest Swiss Army knife on my keys, and happy with it. Weighs almost nothing, takes up almost no room, and can be replaced at the next box box store I come to for the cost of lunch at a chain restaurant. It's been about 20 years now I've carried one, and I love these little things. Leaves room in my pockets for other stuff like the Bic lighter for my pipe, tobacco pouch, little bottle of hand sanitizer, and the RONCO pocket defibrillator in case of a vapor lock.

     

    todbiker

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 11, 2012
    1,245
    Laurel, Maryland
    bang for the buck

    I don't carry the small one everyday, but in reality it would be more useful on your average day than the folding 3" blade clipped to the inside of my pocket.
    I do have a couple of them and use them for cleaning my nails and the tweezers are great for splinters.
    It reminds me of the dewalt cordless set of tools I bought 15 years ago, that cost $400ish and the $20 B&D cordless screwdriver that actually got used well beyond it's $20 cost.
    The other thing for me is I try and avoid using the knife in my front pocket so as not to needlessly dull the blade, as I suck at sharpening them. :crazy:
     

    TexasBob

    Another day in Paradise
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 25, 2012
    2,485
    Space Coast
    I've never done leather work- how hard is it to make a little sheath like that?

    Your using two of the best tools you could have a forum board where you ask for help or direction where you have to wait and hope someone will answer you request for help and a computer with access to the internet (just another tool) use a search engine (google) and ask leather sheath for Swiss Army knife.

    https://www.google.com/#q=leather+sheath+Swiss+Army+knife&*

    https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Accessories/c/SAK_Accessories

    https://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_store.html?ttl=Victorinox%20Swiss%20Army%20Pouches%20and%20Sheaths&cat=vn&a=sheath&

    Might find want your look for or an idea

    I normally look before I ask, like when I'm shopping at a store, if I can't find what I wanted I'll ask for help but that's just me. :rolleyes:
     
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    dontpanic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 7, 2013
    6,631
    Timonium
    I carry a Leatherman PS. It has no blade. I always have a knife anyway. This also makes it TSA compliant and I have carried it through airport checkpoints. It has a carabiner to attach to your key ring as well. If you eant a blade thier model CS has one.

    https://www.leatherman.com/style-ps-25.html
     

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    cb51

    Active Member
    I've never done leather work- how hard is it to make a little sheath like that?

    Oh man, it took me about 15 minutes and I'm not even a leather worker. Ihad a scrap of leather around, and I layer it out with the knife on top of it and folded it over to make the sheath. Marked with a pencil where I wanted to see it, and cut the leather off leaving a good amount extra. I made the stitches very close to the outline of the knife so it wold fit snug, and after seeing it up, then trimd off the excess leather close to the stitch line. Of course, the better half wanted one too, and my second one was a bit better. Daughter then wanted one, and my third was better. I had to go to Tandy Leather company to get another scrap of leather, and made the third one a bit thicker leather for long term sturdiness. Also made them a tiny bit deeper so the keyring is the only thing sticking up enough to grab the knife by and pull it out. Or squeeze the bottom like a toothpaste tube and the knife comes up.

    Make a pattern out of paper to see how it all fits. Or easy to work cloth of some sort, and it it's oaky, you can take the pattern apart and lay it out on the leather to mark and cut it. Sewing is done using waxed linen thread.
     

    BossmanPJ

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 22, 2013
    7,057
    Cecil County
    I always carry a Spyderco Delica 4. Smaller, and will handle most cutting tasks. For utility I carry an original Leatherman multi tool in the leather sheathe. I use it more times in a week than I can count.
     

    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    I carry cheap knives. Too afraid I'll lose a really nice one and be pissed. If I had a job where I was using it all the time I would definitely carry something nice.

    With that said I've never broken or had an issue with my Walmart knives. They don't hold an edge as well as my Al Mar but do the job. No rusting issues either.
     

    StantonCree

    Watch your beer
    Jan 23, 2011
    23,932
    I've got EDC benchmades and Spydcos but I found out a leatherman is 1000xs more useful then a 200 knife. I do love my triage but I had 3 skeletools that see the brunt of all my knife use. Even built some of my kids toy and furniture with the leatherman when I didn't feel like going to the workshop (25 steps hahahaha)
     

    Atlasarmory

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 2, 2009
    3,359
    Glen Burnie
    I have the same knife in my pocket right now. that key chain leather case is to cool. I'm going to try and make one for my knife tonight
     

    C&RTactical

    Active Member
    Jul 24, 2013
    407
    Great Write up. I kind of become that way as well. Sold/gave away off all my "tactical/social" knives save one because it has been too abused to give away. I carry that one and a Handyman Swiss Army Knife. The Handyman is a bit big, but I am never unprepared with it. Though I am looking to add a checkered aluminum paneled Spartan or the sort to possibly replace both.
     

    Atlasarmory

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 2, 2009
    3,359
    Glen Burnie
    Well I made it. I usually dry out my leather in the oven on low and then dip in wax to water proof it. Tonight I didn't feal like waiting for the oven so I figured I would zap it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time. Looks like I'll be making a new one tomorrow
     

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    Ian

    Dontre member
    Mar 13, 2012
    208
    Damascus-ish
    I have a few "fancy" knives, but the one I carry every day is a cheap Old Timer, I got from my great grandfather. Sharpened so many times, there's a hook in the blade.
     

    BMassBMore

    Active Member
    Apr 22, 2013
    167
    Baltimore
    I can't imagine only carrying a little SAK. I carry a Spyderco Manix 2 black blade. It's the perfect size, good heft, holds an edge really well. I never leave home without it.
     

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