1960's northern Ohio. I grew up on a farm of sorts, and worked there along with the commercial greenhouses starting at age 13.
My first knife was a Camillus sawcut barlow with a broken clip blade with close to a third broken off. I had no money for knives and found it on the ground somewhere. It was the first of many found knives. I had that knife until I joined the army in 80 and it was taken from me upon entering boot camp.
My second knife was like a giant swiss army knife with everything oversized. Even the Fork, spoon and clip blade knife were full size like you would eat with at home. I recall the "made in Japan" stamp but not the brand name. I gave it to my cousin who talked me out of it when I was getting ready to move to michigan in the summer between 10th and 11th grade. By then I also had a broken black cat, as well as a broken, butchered on a grinding wheel Imperial fishing knife. Still have that left, along with two others I found over the years. The XX Large camping knife I found while walking along power lines on a 5 mile section between roads where poachers often did their thing.
Most of the knives I found broken were the victims of people throwing them into trees. I've seen it happen. Usually the handle went first, but at times the tip. The throwing momentum would cause a vibration in the knife that would move through the knife often causing damage by shaking the grips at the correct ( or incorrect as you were) frequency causing the pins to break, sometimes a weld.
The sheffield made cowboy bowies with 5 inch blade and narrow, thin grips were often sold with western cowboy kits with belt, holster, canteen and compass. I could never afford one so naturally I wanted one growing up. By the time I was 12 I actually thought that was what real cowboys carried. To this day I have a weakness for that style though I long ago learned they are uncomfortable for any real work, not to mention thick bevels, poor edges etc. Re profiling was a big, frustrating job then with Arkansas medium stones at best.
I was an adult and in the army before I began getting knives I liked, not ones I found. I began with a KaBar lockback for my "sam browne" belt and chose a basketweave belt sheath to match. I got others like the Schrade LB7 which I liked except for the stainless. This was the beginning for a dry spell for carbon/alloy steel production knives in most places I shopped such as hardware stores, and gun/knife/fishing type places. Terms like "surgical steel" were used, or names that meant whatever the company wanted like "schrade + " ( actually one of the better stainless steels then, 440A. 440A was the S30V of it's day signifying decent steel. No, contrary to statements here 440C was never thought of as, or performed like "the first super steel". That place and designation goes to ATS 34/154cm)
Old Timer and Uncle Henry had some nice 1095 folders, and Gerber released one of the first really high performance steel folders made with the "V" steel Sportsman 2 ( Vascowear, from '82-3 to about 86). They also had one high priced folder in M2 that goes for big bucks today. They also had Fixed blades in L6, as well as M2 HSS.
The rest is modern history, so to speak. Steels like 440V followed closely on the heels of Vascowear and M2. It took me over 20 years to finally get one of those "V" steel Vascowear Gerbers. The beginnings of being a steel junky.
I have replaced all of my old knives with the exception of that giant swiss army type camping knife. It was heavy, unwieldy, primitive, and not even close to ergonomic but it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. The non traditional , impractical bowie knives continue to catch my eye but that's about it. If I'm going to carry a fixed blade bowie I want it to at least cut. I still like the old Black Cat. It sure takes a great edge and is very easy to sharpen. The lock works fine if you don't use it to throw it into oak stumps. I did replace that Camillus Barlow but I had to make do with it in Remington colors. It still has it's tip, and cuts well. The old inexpensive imperial Ireland and Ideals are well represented in my collection and their thin carbon steel blades cut as well now as when I paid $2.99 to $4.99 for them brand new. The "V" steel Gerber is worth about 250% of it's original value. I wouldn't sell it for a stack of money as tall as me.
