What Knife Does One Bring To A Wedding?

Fashion dilemma. What knife does one bring to one's daughter's wedding? Something classy and befitting the occasion, certainly.

After much research (be forewarned, Emily Post is silent on this matter) and deliberation it was decided - a nice stag handled Case medium stockman in stainless steel.

One must select fashion accessories with an eye to the occasion

Simple, elegant, classy. It was a great wedding!

Addiction

Yesterday I paid a visit to my favorite Case knife dealer and picked up a few nice folders - a stainless Swayback Jack and carbon steel Medium Stockman, both with really nice stag handle slabs .  This morning I was adding them to my knife inventory and figured it was time for a group portrait.  I normally individually photograph my knives both for inventory/insurance purposes and in case I want to use the photos in this blog, but I had never taken a 'group photo' of my small folders in their storage case.  I set up the camera and took a quick photo:

What you see above represents just a fraction of my collection, and holds only my small  pocket folders I don't put to regular use.  Frankly, very few of them have or will ever see any real use.  They are eye candy - to be held, admired for their fine workmanship and unique design or construction elements, then to be put away for future admiration sessions.  And so it is with most of my Case pocket knives.  About half of this collection is made up of Case knives, most of them higher grade examples with exotic handle materials or limited edition designs.  There are a few 'workman' grade Case blades in the picture, ones I hold in reserve in case I lose my daily carry knife (which is the one knife in the picture with the blades opened).

I also have a clear bias towards one style of knife, regardless of maker.  That is the traditional three-blade stockman pattern:

I've carried a knife of this style for most of my adult life and think there's no finer example of a classic American pocket knife pattern.  That's why my collection tends to focus on stockman pattern knives.  All of the knives in the bottom row are stockman patterns by different manufacturers.

Looking over the collection a few observations struck me beyond my obvious slobbering admiration for Case products.

• Country of origin is not an indicator of quality.  I have examples from the US, Germany, England and China in this collection.  Some American knifes are the worst executed of the bunch.  Some of the best executed were made in China.  In fact, the knives in this collection that were made by Buck are an interesting example of what I'm talking about.  The folders made in Buck's Chinese factory are better fitted and finished than similar knives produced in their US factory.  Now, the US produced Buck folders are not bad, it's just that their Chinese knives are clearly better.  And cheaper.
• There are huge holes in my collection - time holes that is.  I've been interested in knives most of my life and I've been 'accumulating' since I was a teenager (back when teenagers could legally buy knives).  The holes represent two factors.  First is available cash.  Providing for a growing family is expensive, particularly on the paltry salary of a junior Army officer.  As the kids were growing up there wasn't much spare cash to put towards knife collecting.  As I needed a blade I'd pick one up cheap at the PX, or go haunt places like the late, great Cumberland Knife & Gun shop in Fayetteville, NC hoping to grab one of the less expensive production blades by talented designers like Al Mar.  But the real hole was created by loss and theft.  At one point I had a whole duffle bag full of knives 'disappear' during a move from Fort Belvior to Germany, and I've lost perhaps a dozen knives during the normal course of my military duties.  I have, quite literally, dropped knives around the world.  Perhaps it's my way of dropping bread crumbs to make sure I can find my way back.  I dunno.  But on the training grounds and battlegrounds of Germany, Korea, Central America, Saudi Arabia and Iraq I've managed to lose something close to a dozen knives.  Some were lent out and never returned, some fell out of the sheath during late night road marches, some decided they'd try to beat me to the ground during parachute jumps, and a few were actually broken in use.  So what I have today is a collection that mostly reflects my collecting activity of the past decade.  I remember many of the knives that are no longer with me. Most had a good story to tell.  
• I'm clearly a traditionalist at heart.  The world is full of folders designed on state-of-the art CAD systems and constructed using materials more suited to the Space program than pocket knives.  They are great products, but I'll have none of that in my collection.  If a pocket knife isn't made of steel, brass, wood, bone or stag I won't even give it a passing glance.  Gimmie' my knives just the way they were back in the good old days, when John Wayne was making westerns, you could still buy 100 octane gas and taking a pocket knife to school wouldn't get the SWAT team called out.
• And last but not least - it's a great time to be collecting knives!  The availability and quality has never been better (really, it hasn't).  The Internet, on-line shopping and on-line auction sites have fundamentally changed knife collecting.  It's just a lot more fun today than it was 20 years ago.

Stay sharp!

EDC

There's a lot of heavy breathing that goes on in knife and knife-related forums regarding the concept of the EDC knife.  In case you are not up to speed on web-speak, EDC = Every Day Carry; that is, the knife you chose to carry with you every day.

Seems a lot of internet commandos just can't bear the thought of leaving the house with anything less than an 11" combat Bowie strapped to their side 'just in case'.  In case of what I'm not sure.  Perhaps a zombie attack.  Or an asteroid impact.  Or an instantaneous world-wide Ebola outbreak.  Or...  well, you make something up 'cuz some of their reasoning resides at the far edges of normal human imagination and paranoia.

Now I'm not against big knives.  Lord knows I've got my share of them in my collection.  But I don't wear them to Wal-Mart.  However, I do carry a pocket knife regularly.  Roberta would perhaps say compulsively.  I normally won't even go out to the mailbox or walk the dogs without a knife in my pocket.  Or go to Wal-Mart, or on a day hike, or out to do yard chores, or out to do some fishing.  A pocket knife is part of my daily 'kit', and goes into my pocket before my car keys or wallet.

I simply can't imagine daily life without a pocket knife.

Earlier this year I wrote about my search for a suitable replacement for my venerable Uncle Henry pocket knife. At the time I sang the praises of the Chinese-produced CRKT Pocket Classic Stockman.  It was and still is a great knife.  Perhaps the best value in a pocket knife available today.  But the Chinese connection started to weigh on me more than I thought it would.  I started looking for a replacement for my replacement.

After a few weeks of searching I decided to give an old American classic another look and I picked up a new Case medium stockman to try out.  Since I'm wary of carrying a highly finished pocket knife around with me, particularly one that costs as much as a nicely finished Case, I settled on Case's line of working pocket knives that sport the synthetic G-10 handle material.

Case Pattern 10316 SS Medium Stockman

At first glance this knife lacks the elegance of other Case pocket knives.  The G-10 scales (similar to Micarta) are somewhat blah looking and the blades have a rough satin finish.  But on closer inspection it's clear Case put the effort into finishing the knife where it really counts.  The bolsters are nicely rounded and polished which means the knife won't be poking holes in your trouser pockets.  The knife includes brass liners which helps the blades open and close smoothly.  The blades all have a good (though not great) 'walk and talk'.  Overall the knife is well fitted, with the scales blending nicely with the stainless steel bolsters and the brass handle pins nicely flushed and polished to the handle scales.

It is a very nice working knife.  A worthy EDC knife, and one that is made in the USA.  I can now sleep guilt-free.

So the next time you see me at Wal-Mart ask to have a look at my knife.

Stay sharp!

Brian

I Like Ike

Dwight David ('Ike') Eisenhower is one of my personal heroes.  An outstanding soldier, statesman and outdoorsman, and a rabid golfer and football and baseball fan.  His story is classic American.  A kid from a lower middle class family, through talent, hard work and just a bit of luck earns a slot at West Point and is launched on a career that takes him to the pinnacle of military success and ultimately the White House where he becomes one of the most successful and beloved presidents ever to serve.  Then, like George Washington, he wanted only to return to his farm to tend his cattle and get in the occasional round of golf.  And a few hands of poker.  And maybe some fly fishing and pheasant hunting.

Ike was a guy's guy.

Eisenhower's official White House portrait

Sometime in the early 1950s Ike picked up a pocket knife from a dealer in Texas.  It was a Case Pattern 63 double ended pen knife.  Apparently Ike fell in love with the knife and ended up giving examples away as rewards and mementos.  He even had the blades engraved with his initials and date for special events like Presidential Dinners.  I won't dive too deeply into the relationship between Eisenhower and this knife since the knife author Gary Moore covered the topic in a great little article he wrote for Knife World Magazine in 2006 titled 'Ike's Knives'.  Follow the link and have a read.  It's a great story!

A week ago I was visiting my favorite knife store and I spied this little beauty.

Case Pattern 6263 'Eisenhower'

I'm not sure how much I like the lime green handle scales, but the history of the knife and Eisenhower's engraved signature on the blade meant it had to come home with me.

Apparently this pattern is very popular with Case collectors.  Case produces it in a number of styles, varying the handle materials and releasing them with and without the engraved signature.  Seems collectors can't get enough of 'em, and Case makes small variations from year-to-year to keep the addiction going.

Historical connection aside, this is just a great little knife and makes a great gentleman's pocket knife.  It is small and carries easily and inconspicuously in the trouser pocket and the rounded bolsters means it won't wear through the pocket.  The main blade is just long enough to be useful - cutting string, pulling staples, slicing an apple, carving up a steak (one of Eisenhower's favorite activities) or whittling on a pencil end.  Just a great little knife.  No wonder Ike loved 'em.

So that's it.  I like Ike and his favorite knife!

Stay sharp!

Brian

So A Man Walks Into A Pharmacy...

And finds a knife store!

Back in June I attended the 2011 Blade Show here in Atlanta.  The W.R. Case & Sons knife company was set up showing off their wares.  If you've never seen a W.R. Case factory display it is amazing.  It's like they set up your rich uncle's study on the showroom floor, with deep carpeting and oak display cases holding hundreds of beautifully finished folding knives.  It's a jewelry store for real men.  I often say that Case knives "sparkle like Christmas", and the Case factory displays are specifically designed to highlight the high polish and unique handle materials Case uses on their knives.

Anyway, as I was looking at the knives in the display cases and leaving nose prints all over the place I asked the factory rep if they were doing any sales at the show.  Most of the other factory booths were selling knives to the show attendees and I'd already filled my backpack with new and exotic blades.  The Case factory rep told me that Case was not doing sales because they did not want to undercut any of their dealers who may also have a booth or table at the show.  His comment made sense; Case is highly reliant on their authorized factory dealers and wants to protect them as much as possible.  Many of these dealers are small mom & pop hardware or sporting goods stores that have been selling Case knives for decades.  Case promotes the idea of the Case knife as a uniquely American product that is still available in small town stores - it fosters the idea of small town America that is part of the perception they build around their products.

During our conversation the factory rep mentioned that one of the biggest Case dealers in the southeast was located just a few miles from where the Blade Show was taking place.  I pressed him for more details, and while he couldn't remember the name of the store, he did drop an intriguing bit of information - this dealer was also a pharmacist and he's got his knife store set up in his pharmacy.  I knew that CVS or Walgreens wouldn't be letting any of their pharmacists sell knives out of their stores, so this place had to be an independent operation.  Some internet sleuthing quickly turned up what I was looking for.

Tracy's Medicine Center
Tucker, Georgia

Hmmm... apparently Mr. Tracy isn't shy about the fact that he's both a pharmacist and a knife dealer.  See Mom, knives and drugs do go together!  And Tracy isn't just a nickle and dime knife peddler, he's a Case Master Dealer.  That means he sells LOTS of Case knives.

I just had to see this place in person so a few weeks after the Blade Show I headed up to Tucker (about an hour from where we live).  Tracy's was easy to find - it about the only business with English language signage left in the neighborhood.  An outpost of Americana in a sea of 'se habla Espaniol'.  I imagine Mr. Tracy feels a wee bit isolated.

I walked into the store and rounded the aisle holding cold remedies and was greeted with this sight:

Oh, there's more!

And yet more...

I love mashup of 'Home Health Care' and knives.  It works for me!

And a bit more...

By my estimation almost one third of the pharmacy is given over to knife sales.

When I entered the store I noted a guy about my age with a brushcut poking through the displays.  He commented that if I wanted to look at anything he'd be happy to help me.  This was Brett Tracy, the pharmacist and owner.  I took him up on his offer, and he proceeded to take me on a slow and careful guided tour though the display cases, not trying to make a sale but to demonstrate the variety, uniqueness and beauty of the knives Case produces.  It quickly became clear that Brett doesn't sell Case knives because they turn a good profit.  He sells them because he's a Case fanatic and he's found a way to subsidize his own addiction.

Yes of course I bought a knife from him.  Or two.  Or three.  I won't admit publicly.  And I've been back at least once and I'll be back again soon to do some Christmas shopping (a great excuse, eh?).

If you are in the Atlanta area and have an interest in Case knives I encourage you to drop by Tracy's.  You won't be disappointed!  They are located at 3171 Tucker Norcross Road in Tucker, GA.

Stay sharp!

Brian

The Case Congress Knife

I stumbled across this video on YouTube this morning.  Two observations:

1. The Case Congress knife is bee-utiful!

2. I've never seen a video made by this guy before, but it is obvious he understands the concept of production values.  While he's clearly not from around here, he speaks better English than 99% of the fanboys posting their garbage on the web.

A great review and a great historical perspective.  Enjoy!



Guess what's next on my shopping list.

Stay sharp!

Brian

Just In Case Santa Anna Makes a Comeback

I figure what better knife to inaugurate my new blog with than the Bowie knife.  Is any knife more American than the Bowie?  Well, yeah.  Like the early English trade knife patterns, but I digress.

Jim Bowie was a scoundrel, land speculator, scofflaw, slaver and, many claim, a murderer.  He also just happened to be at the Alamo and dying of tuberculosis when Santa Ana decided to teach the uppity Texicans a lesson by wiping them out.

Jim Bowie.  Without the knife.

Several years before the Alamo, while living in Louisiana and Mississippi, Bowie had cause to use a big ol' hunting knife on a few folks.  One of these fights, originally arranged as a formal duel, devolved into a melee that ended with Bowie disemboweling the sheriff of Rapides Parish.  He used a big knife his brother Rezin had given him.  This was the infamous Sandbar Fight  that established the legend of Jim Bowie and the Bowie knife.

But what did the first Bowie knife look like?  Who knows.  Whatever Bowie was carrying at the Sandbar and at the Alamo has been lost to time.

An early pattern Bowie, commissioned by Jim Bowie's
brother Rezin.  This is probably close to the style of knife
carried by Jim Bowie.  This knife is on display at the Alamo
in San Antonio, Texas

What we do know is that it was probably made in Arkansas by a local blacksmith and it was most likely nothing more than an enlarged butcher knife.  Historians are pretty sure it didn't look anything like the Bowie knives we see made today.  The blacksmith's name was James Black and he did a good business in knives.  A number of his blades exist in collections today but none have been identified as the Bowie knife, the original carried by Jim Bowie at that Alamo or a close authentic copy.

A picture of James Black, reputed to be the blacksmith
that created the first 'bowie knife' for Jim Bowie's brother Rezin.
Note the knife he's holding in his left hand.

No matter - by the 1840s the Bowie knife and Jim Bowie's death at the Alamo had become the stuff of legend.  American cutlery manufacturers couldn't make Bowie knives fast enough.  Literally.  To fill the gap the English stepped in with their own interpretation of the knife and they exported tens of thousands of 'bowie style' blades and finished knives to the US right up into the early 1900s.

The fact that nobody really knew what Bowie's knife looked like didn't seem to slow anyone down - all they had to do was make it big and call it a 'Bowie style' and it sold. Early on two features became almost standard - a clip point blade and a coffin-shaped handle. Seems these two features had shown up on a James Black knife made after the Alamo and everybody just assumed that was what Jim Bowie's famous knife looked like. Rezin Bowie was always real circumspect with his description of the original knife, probably because he couldn't really remember what it looked like. But he wasn't about to admit that - there was too much money and prestige on the line!

Once the Bowie knife was burned into American folklore it proved impossible to root out. It has become a movie star. Literally. Any movie about Jim Bowie or the Alamo had to have the Bowie knife as a co-star. Just as in real life, the Bowie knife on screen became an integral part of the Jim Bowie persona. It became the iconic American blade style. Even in today's jaded age of the internet where pundits work overtime to pull down our heroes, Jim Bowie and his knife remain an almost untouched icon of the American frontier. Sure, he was a flawed character, but he was authentic! He was as big a personality and as forceful a character as his legend suggests, and the knife he carried was as authentic and as forceful as the man. By God, he was an American! Well, at least until he was granted Mexican citizenship and headed to Texas...

Virtually every knife maker - whether a large cutlery firm or a small time maker - has a Bowie style knife (or two, or three) in their catalog. Some offer entire lines of Bowies. Some independent knifemakers make nothing but Bowies. They are as popular today as they were in the 1840s.

A modern interpretation of the Bowie knife made by Case Cutlery.
This knife was a gift from my wife back in 1977.  I'm not sure
who the coon skin capped fellow is who's likeness is etched
on the blade.  Davey Crocett perhaps?  About the only thing
he and Jim Bowie had in common is that they both
died at the Alamo

If, like me, you spend any time and effort accumulating knives you will very quickly add several Bowie-style blades to your collection. They are impossible to avoid. A knife must satisfy two or three stylistic trademarks before it can be called a Bowie. First, it has to be big. Why big? Simple - Jim Bowie didn't win the fight at the Sandbar with a pocket knife. Real Bowies are big, manly knives. Girls don't carry Bowie knives, they carry dainty little pen knives. A Bowie is a man's knife. It's gotta' be big. If it ain't big it ain't a Bowie. Period. Next, it has to have a clipped blade. A clipped blade is one where a false edge is ground along the top 1/3 or so of the blade. This clip angles down to meet the belly of the knife blade at the tip. What's the false edge for? Why, for easier penetration when disemboweling your enemies. Did you learn nothing from the Sandbar Fight incident? Last, it must have a double cross guard. This is so when you are going mano a mano with your enemies your hand is protected as you thrust, slash and parry with your knife. It also helps if the knife has a coffin shaped handle because, well, because that's what James Black put on his knives and if it's good enough for James Black (and James Bowie) it's good enough for us!

Another classic modern interpretation of the Bowie.  This one is

by Buck Knives and is their Model 119 Special.  This has been Buck's

#1 selling fixed blade knife for decades.

But is the Bowie style knife good for anything other than fightin', slashin' and stabbin'? Opinions vary, and they vary very, very widely. Some consider it the ideal all-around knife. Some consider it good for nothing but killing (well, duh). That last group is mainly politicians from Chicago, downstate New York and the entire state of New Jersey. Hell, let's just throw the entire Democratic Party into the blame pool and call it a day. The truth is that this style does make a good all-around outdoor knife. I'll be fair and admit that there are other blade styles better suited for things like skinning animals or delicate camp chores like slicing food, and sometimes the shear size of the blade gets in the way. These relatively minor complaints aside, the Bowie knife is a great all-around design. Plus, it's just darned cool looking. So menacing. So ready for a fight. So damned politically incorrect. I love it!

So dear readers, your assignment for this week is to go watch John Wayne's classic movie 'The Alamo' and then go buy yourself a good 'ol Bowie knife.