Thread to share about your Carothers / CPK Grail(s)

Casinostocks

Casinostocks

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I thought that this would be quite a fun topic and as the thread starter as I am also hoping that I will be changing my own OP a bit later on to be able to contribute and to share my own grails. It would be awesome to not only see your enthusiasm and feel your pride in the form of pictorials so that we can also vicariously join your joy, but also your to read about your own thoughts as such commentaries would be greatly appreciated.

I know that we have some very esteemed CPKers such as Bob, Gus, Ivan, Justin, Trevi, etc (in alphabetical order) who already own some fabulous Grail pieces, but I'm also hoping that some of the more incognito types would surface with some surprising pieces. To Nathan, Jo, Lorien and Mark: you are all also very welcome to come in and make us all drool :)

In closing, it doesn't matter if you are the newest of CPK-Owners and only own 1 CPK piece. Please feel free to share and share alike.
 
This is a great thread to share my CPK Grail, I just got my CPK Light Chopper with terotuf scales in the mail today thanks to @jbomz.

I am pretty excited. I can't wait to get it out in the woods and put it through its paces. Of course the first thing I did was see how it chopped into some applewood I had piled up for my smoker. It did well. But the picture I want to share is one that made me happy for an unexpected reason, FINALLY a knife that doesn't look tiny in my hand in pictures! I don't have the largest hands in the world, but in photos they definitely tend to swallow up a knife handle. The LC has a handle big enough even for me :)LCresize.jpg
 
I just posted these recently, but I'll go ahead and post them again cause I never pass up a chance to show off my grail:D
I'm a one trick pony! But I still can't believe I was lucky enough to snag Nathan's personal carry DE UF in 3V and Cocobolo!:)
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Gus, are all of your UFs in that satin finish? Are those handles in Cocobolo?
 
I'm looking forward to see where this goes.

One of the things I never fully accepted is the whole grail concept. I get the idea, but every time I thought something would be a grail, I've build it up in my mind to the point it was sure to disappoint in some way.

So now I look for things that have something special that really appeals to me in some specific way, and appreciate that for what it is. Then my journey continues.

For example my set of Micarta users in Sagewood sheaths. They aren't different in a collectable way, but preform so well for thier specific tasks that they are very valuable to me as tools.

In contrast I have my old Cocobolo Skinner with a sheath Nathan made by hand I just couldn't bring myself to use. Even if Nathan made a new identical one it just wouldn't be the same. This one was made so early in his knifemaking compared to now, and so awesome to have a matching hand made sheath he made, it's irreplaceable. Like a classic car. Even if they make an identical one now, it's not the same. So this one is a pure collector, no tool value to me.

I guess my avatar pic lends some insight into something I really like but don't have. That specific engraving for example. Certainly something I'd love to get some day.

My personal favourites out of what I do have are my wood pieces. No pics at this time. I've only sold a small number of wood ones and mostly regret doing that but then again the current owner deserves them too.

Sometimes something looks really beautiful, like that second UF in Elmax that Gus showed, as a companion to something else. Where the pieces create a sum greater than the pieces individually. Gus has the plain Elmax UF, pure utilitarian contrasted to the Cocobolo UF, as a collectable. That UF is better with him that it was with me which is why he has it now.

Sometimes something I really like turns out to be something someone else really loves and that piece makes thier way home to them.

That's just how collecting goes for me!
 
To me a Grail item is not that ultimate item which is perfection in every way that supplants all else. In my opinion, it is that item which you yearn for and you strive to align the Sun, the Moon and the Stars in Andromeda to acquire one (bit of a hyperbole but you get the idea!). This can be something as exciting as getting an EDC to some whereas for another person it could be taking a selfie with Momma Jo's Queen Dagger! It's what titillates you in the thrills of the hunt and the pleasures of the chase for it, because you know it exists out there and you articulate and motivate yourself to own it :)
 
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No advertising here Bob. If an intended fun and informative thread turns out to be hijacked by some dabbler, I will close it down. The thought had not occurred to me but it's always possible that someone will take things nefariously but I really think that almost all the regulars on here are way above that sorta fray. Let's give ourselves some more credit, eh?
 
In all honesty, I really only have one Grail knife, it is my Lone Wolf T2 Ranger with Walnut scales. That is the only true "Grail" knife of mine. But in the more colloquial usage of the term, here on the forum, with the sense of a knife that you have long wanted and strove for, my LC certainly counts. I'll just post another picture. My first chop with the chopper:
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Casinostocks said:
No advertising here Bob. If an intended fun and informative thread turns out to be hijac, ked by some dabbler, I will close it down. The thought had not occurred to me but it's always possible that someone will take things nefariously but I really think that almost all the regulars on here are way above that sorta fray. Let's give ourselves some more credit, eh?
Click to expand...

Actually, the intent in posting an over the top piece had to do with Shivs and, as represented in the post, the beginning "Grail??? Not for everybody" was a reference to such piece not so being. But rather than create a controversy, the piece and text referring to it have now be deleted, even though the point was that Shivs were/are one of my grails. At your pleasure.
 
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I am glad there is not a standard definition of Grail, but rather everyone's individual interpretation within a continuum. The FK was on my list as a Grail, and I was able to get one (the "chase" is one criterion for my Grail definition, maybe the most important if I had to rank my criteria), and I'm happy as a clam about it. Not much of a Grail to someone else....

Great thread. Looking forward to following along.
 
I'm very glad for Justin that he had the presence of mind to put some of that special hustle of his to work once he went all-in and not just-in on CPK. I wish I had his drive for the hustle, but I didn't so kudos to the young man.

Back onto topic: is the Elmax UF they only type bearing that gold inlay lettering?
 
Just for sh*ts and giggles, Nathan ought to consider making a plastic training knife and then name it the CPK-Grail. This ought to solve all the unnecessary ego driven issues out of the way and finally put the subject matter to rest :D
 
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