Everything simpler?

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"Simple" is not always "convenient" , modern living has its place , but the 24/7/365 mass surveillance really upsets me :(.
 
abcdef said:
Nostalgia is fun, but I wouldn't trade modern dentistry for all the black powder and pelts and cow pies you can imagine.
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Surgeons did not begin washing their hands before surgery till around 1800. I hesitate to think about their knives, scalpels and bone saws. Also at that time 43% of the world's newborns died before their 5th birthday.
 
Prior to the 20th century, most people did nor brush or take care of their teeth at all. It wasn't uncommon (and was often expected) that your teeth would go bad by around age 30 or so.

Jim
 
Very good thoughts, this is what I wanted to get people discussing, all the various ideas and opinions. The parts that I have liked the most are being content with what we have and the free things in life, count your blessings, appreciate the modern conveniences but do not forget to enrich ourselves in friends and family, take the time to to tell them you love them, put down the electronics once and awhile (after, of course, arranging the the get-together first :D ), hard work never hurts anyone but work smarter, and it's okay to have lots of knives and have modern ones as your favorite.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
Thursday:
Make kids lunches
Take kids to school
Go to bank
Go to work
Make dr appointment on lunch break
Go back to work
Pick kids up from school
Make dinner
Go over homework with kids
Finish tomorrow morning's spreadsheet
Watch Ellen with the wife
Sharpen a knife
Do the dishes
Put Frontline on the dogs
Feed the dogs
Start a load of laundry
Watch some nonsense on tv
Move laundry to dryer
More tv nonsense
Fold laundry
Go to bed

Saturday:
Load camping gear into car
Drive to lake
Unload camping gear
Pop up tents
Go fishing
Gather wood
Make fire
Hot dogs for dinner(or fish if you're lucky)
Roast marshmallows with kids
Tell ghost stories
Catch fireflies
Have a drink with the wife after kids go to bed
Look at the stars

Kind of a no brainer. I know which day I'd prefer to have.
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That is awesome. Of course, my life (and many of us) is similar. :D

I count the hours every week until I can get in the car with the family and drive 2.5 hours to our place in the woods. Every weekend from May to Oct. That’s what keeps me going. :thumbsup:
 
SharpieB said:
That is awesome. Of course, my life (and many of us) is similar. :D

I count the hours every week until I can get in the car with the family and drive 2.5 hours to our place in the woods. Every weekend from May to Oct. That’s what keeps me going. :thumbsup:
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I mostly live to troll celebrities on twitter, but you're right, camping is fun.
 
I don't know what the OP means by simpler, but I started delving down the rabbit hole of some high cost knives before stopping to realize that while I was knee deep in G10 and V10, and CM154 I find myself asking myself the same question. What's wrong with wood and 1095?
 
I'm pretty dang old . I lived thru the times that are only abstract history to the young . Ancient history of the dark ages before personal computers , internet and cell phones . Very different in fundamental ways that impact the essential perception of reality .

It's not easy these days to take care of routine necessities of life without some computer / internet savvy . It can even make life simpler and easier in some ways .

Humans are tool users . But a tool can be used wisely to improve our quality of life or the exact opposite .
 
Many of us needlessly complicate our own lives. You can achieve simpler simply by uncomplicating.

1. Get at least seven hours of sleep nightly. Go to bed and wake up at the same time. Guard that diligently.
2. Learn to say no. Don't over commit. Squeeze less out of your day, not more.
3. Be content with what you have. Guard against envy.
4. Live well within your means. Save and invest, but certainly do not tolerate unnecessary debt, and most debt is absolutely unnecessary. Get rid of all credit cards. Doing these will remove a HUGE amount of stress for many people.
5. Eat well. Eat simply.
6. Spend time alone and recharge. If you aren't comfortable spending time alone with yourself, learn to get comfortable with yourself.
7. The best gifts can't be set down and don't need to be stored. Let those who give you gifts know that. Movie tickets, spotify/pandora subscription, restaurant gift cards, donations in your honor to favorite charities, etc. I have one kid who gives me meats - bison, kangaroo, alligator, rabbit, etc. Another donates to the local animal shelter in my name.
8. Less is more. If you truly must collect or if the hunt turns you on, hunt and collect things that are small, require little cash, and only a modicum of storage. I now collect small copper coins for that very reason. I could equally see myself as a post card collector.
9. Spend more time experiencing and seeing than purchasing. One of my goals is to visit every state park in Virginia over the next two years. If I get it done in two years, great. If it takes longer, great.
10. A library card is the most powerful tool you can own. And it costs nothing.
11. Simplify your wardrobe.
12. Be thrifty but be generous.
13. Be honest but be kind.
14. Happiness for most is a choice. Make the choice.

re knives. I just don't buy many more. A couple of years ago I offloaded many by giving them away. If I buy one now, I give at least one away.

Since Christmas I was seriously contemplating getting a Worksharp Ken Onion. Then realized last week I couldn't provide myself a truly adequate reason why. My three small pocket stones and single bench stone are more than adequate. Very happy now I didn't jump the gun on that.
 
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leghog...Very, very awesome post. You covered a lot that most of us don't even think about but would be but would be much better human beings
if we did!
 
Monofletch said:
Simpler. Most people can’t put their stupid phone down for a day.
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Goes both ways IMO. I don’t get people who are always on it but I REALLY don’t get people who brag about not using it. The knowledge of the entire world in a pocket is a powerful thing.

To the original question. Fixed blades for me. I have nice fixed blades and expensive ones, custom ones and ones with great steel. My most used fixed blades are a 5 dollar kiwi chefs knife, a 10 victorinox tomato knife and a 13 dollar mora companion. They just work better. Geometry and ease of sharpening win in the end for me.

Folders...I use them enough to benefit from higher wearing steel so hap40 and m4 is where I’m at there. If I could get a sak in one of those steels then maybe...;)
 
For me, part of simplifying means "less" of whatever it is that is being simplified. Reducing the number of knives I have and just sticking to a few ol' reliables would definitely simplify things for me.
 
I think I got more hits on YouTube for reviews on the Old Hickory 7" butcher as an outdoor knife than any other single model I've ever searched for

 
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