The Simple Things (Knives etc.) in Life!

waynorth

Dealer / Materials Provider
Joined
Nov 19, 2005
Messages
30,012
A frosty Fall morning, with a good cup of coffee! The leaves are turning, and the birds are taking turns foraging in the apple tree outside my window; Wee Tits, Squabbly Sparrows, more substantial Towhees. They are foraging, storing up for a trip south!
A good old 4x4 pickup truck, nearly 17 years old, and running like a top! Had it all steam-cleaned, in and out, and under the hood.
Maybe I will get some pile seat-covers for winter.

And simple knives, made from a minimum of parts, but creatively designed to be pleasing to eye and hand, and pleasing to use!

Simple%201_zpstpu6csjx.jpg


A Case "barehead" swayback, designed by Tony Bose, but not a collaboration knife. CV steel, with wonderful swedges added, along with blades that are blued for rust protection.
Then a John Lloyd stag beauty. You can't make a knife much simpler, nor can you improve the lines, textures - on and on!

Simple%202_zpsdqaal9o9.jpg


A Scagel repro, by Queen. Some call William Scagel the father of custom knives. He was indeed a huge influence, mostly on fixed blades for various uses. He made a few pocketknives, somewhat crudely shaped, but beautiful in a "folky" way.
The first one, in reddish wood, was re-handled, with a little folk art added, in the form of a copper star! The second Scagel-repro has Stag as Scagel used, along with his trademark arrowhead shield. The idea of cobbling together your own pocket knife, simply, and with a superior forged blade is so elemental! Makes stupid presidential campaigns just disappear!
;)

Simple%203_zpscq0jcbf6.jpg


Finally that classic sodbuster, a simple knife made elegant by the addition of well done faux-tortoiseshell handles. Remember the tortoise without wiping it out! Plastic handles can be a bit ho-hum, but the recent acrylics suggest the heady days of dazzling celluloid, without the downside!!

Not mind-boggling engineering, but a fine distillation of centuries of art!
 
Nice post Charlie :thumbup: I like tortoiseshell, was looking at a Sowbelly hafted out of century old turtle, with gold leaf behind, just today, but I have to say I like the faux stuff nearly as much :) :thumbup:



You can do a heck of a lot with a simple knife :)

 
Last edited:
Nice set of knives. Simple is all you need these days. Complicated things break more often. How about seeing that truck, if the mods allow it? I drove a Ranger for 20 years. Straight drive, nothing fancy and it never failed me. Today driving a Silverado, basic model.
 
Simple is best! Nice pictures and write up as usual:thumbup: I found myself chuckling as I read the part about a frosty fall morning... As I write this it is 92 degrees (which is 33 in centigrade if I converted correctly) outside here in central Texas and I just finished watering my plants:mad:
 
That Lloyd is just great! The stag is amazing and just takes the knife to a whole different level.
 
An Apple some homegrown pecans and a block of Hoop cheese and 1970's era Old Timer stockman to cut and crack open the pecans. A simple fall snack.
 
I spent the weekend in central il (tuscola). My cousins child was in a girl softball tournament she is 12.
The people, their children, the atmosphere was truly great. Had my red bone 77 Washington hj in my pocket.
Surrounded by cornfields the whole weekend and loved it
 
Those are some great details, Charlie! Almost felt like I was there watching the birds with you. Here in new england, we are in the height of leaf season. The vivid, reds, yellows, and oranges make for a beautiful backdrop. I can imagine Thoreau, hanging around Walden Pond, waxing poetic about the beauty of nature.

Oh yeah, those knives are amazing. The Case and Lloyd swayback, oh baby!
 
A frosty Fall morning, with a good cup of coffee! The leaves are turning, and the birds are taking turns foraging in the apple tree outside my window; Wee Tits, Squabbly Sparrows, more substantial Towhees. They are foraging, storing up for a trip south!
A good old 4x4 pickup truck, nearly 17 years old, and running like a top! Had it all steam-cleaned, in and out, and under the hood.
Maybe I will get some pile seat-covers for winter.

And simple knives, made from a minimum of parts, but creatively designed to be pleasing to eye and hand, and pleasing to use!

Simple%201_zpstpu6csjx.jpg


A Case "barehead" swayback, designed by Tony Bose, but not a collaboration knife. CV steel, with wonderful swedges added, along with blades that are blued for rust protection.
Then a John Lloyd stag beauty. You can't make a knife much simpler, nor can you improve the lines, textures - on and on!

Simple%202_zpsdqaal9o9.jpg


A Scagel repro, by Queen. Some call William Scagel the father of custom knives. He was indeed a huge influence, mostly on fixed blades for various uses. He made a few pocketknives, somewhat crudely shaped, but beautiful in a "folky" way.
The first one, in reddish wood, was re-handled, with a little folk art added, in the form of a copper star! The second Scagel-repro has Stag as Scagel used, along with his trademark arrowhead shield. The idea of cobbling together your own pocket knife, simply, and with a superior forged blade is so elemental! Makes stupid presidential campaigns just disappear!
;)

Simple%203_zpscq0jcbf6.jpg


Finally that classic sodbuster, a simple knife made elegant by the addition of well done faux-tortoiseshell handles. Remember the tortoise without wiping it out! Plastic handles can be a bit ho-hum, but the recent acrylics suggest the heady days of dazzling celluloid, without the downside!!

Not mind-boggling engineering, but a fine distillation of centuries of art!
i like where you're going with the idea of "simple makes for good" and an enjoyable experience to boot.
when you think of all the modern toys and machines and techno-gadgets eroding our hrs. of wakefulness, kinda nice for a change to ease up on the throttle and take stock of simple pleasures. you said it better than i.
 
oh yes today the temperature here in Norte Mudzoory Oct.17 reached 97*f. (car thermometer). iwas forgaing for Black Walnuts. we are famous for our Black Walnut trees here in Mudzoory.
 
I spent the weekend in central il (tuscola). My cousins child was in a girl softball tournament she is 12.
The people, their children, the atmosphere was truly great. Had my red bone 77 Washington hj in my pocket.
Surrounded by cornfields the whole weekend and loved it
i drive through Tuscola on my way to Dayton ,Oh. to see my sister. like most midwestern towns it's seen better days, but that is o.k. with me. they have a pizza place and a pretty good antique store there. cornfields ballgames and pocket knives, all good...
 
Great post, Mr. Campagna!

I have only one swayback, but it's a beauty - my pictures don't do it justice as your pictures do for your examples - great knives there!

DSC_4406.JPG


best

mqqn
 
I love and live for the fall, it's simply my favorite time of the year. I know the winter is creeping in so it makes me appreciate the Indian Summer like days. Combine that with walking my dogs...a very spiritual thing for me and ALWAYS a traditional knife in my pocket. No headphones, just the sounds of nature and of course, the dogs:cool:

phvRj8.jpg


A happy dog is a great thing:thumbup:

YGIbtF.jpg


6CC24O.jpg
 
Yes sir, we take so much for granted. I'm trying to slow down and appreciate the little everyday things. Oh, and I recently got my first SwayBack too. :)

_20161007_180421_zpsoednslxc.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
Agreed Paul. My soul just seems more awak in the fall. :thumbup:

Everyday I look forward to when the clock turns quitten time. I know in the next 25 minutes I will be home and when I open the door I will hear one of my favorite words as my girls call my name with raised arms and smiles that erase my day prior.

I get to hear all about the pictures drawn, the new words learned, and of course there is no time to change clothes as Im told to come play or read a book.

I spent the day this past Sunday watching my oldest, Adalynn, run up to every kid at the city park requesting them to play tag, or come see how far she can jump, or how fast she can run. I hurt when she was rejected and felt proud as she shrugged it off and went on to the next child.

I found my thumb rubbing hard on my new redbone 1965-1969 peanut Case as my daughter with a bleeding disorder jumped from heights that make me nervous, ran full out over a rough gravel path, chased kids twice her size through a maze of playground equipment, and dove head first down slides. The joy in her eyes as she played would have been worth me breaking the mighty peanut from rubbing to hard.

When she got tired we laid in the grass and I talked to her about the changing leaves, the birds flying over, and the squirrels scattering along. She asked me if we could ice-cream later and soon, she would catch what she calls, "fresh air" and she would be off again tugging on some kids hand to play.

A few days ago she found a purple alox cadet and begged me to buy it because it matched her dress. When her first knife arrived she was excited and her face beamed as she held it and ran to show mom her new purple knife. The next day it was gone as her younger adventurous sister more than likely threw it away. A heart broken little girl begged me to find her purple knife but no luck. A few knives sold and a few days later joy returned and her new pink alox cadet is now laying in bed with, in her hand, as she sleeps.

The complexity of life is made simple when I focus on what really matters.





 
Well written Brett, well written as the truth is the easiest to relay. What ADORABLE pictures of your girls. Nanc did daycare for 17yrs as it was a natural calling for her. Nanc loves children and the elderly, Nanc also worked in an assisted living facility for a few yrs until starting her own in home care business.

I've mentioned this before and others have heard of it also. Nanc had several copies of a book that highlighted the "lasts" in life, the last time we pick up our son or daughter, the last time they will fall asleep on our chest. We measure life in "firsts" as a rule. First word, first step etc... the book of lasts was an interesting look at life. Nanc would give copies to new parents so they'd cherish every moment one could with our greatest gift our children.

Thanks for your post Brett, it was beautiful like your daughters and the pictures of them. Nanc will see this post;):cool::thumbup:
 
Well written Brett, well written as the truth is the easiest to relay. What ADORABLE pictures of your girls. Nanc did daycare for 17yrs as it was a natural calling for her. Nanc loves children and the elderly, Nanc also worked in an assisted living facility for a few yrs until starting her own in home care business.

I've mentioned this before and others have heard of it also. Nanc had several copies of a book that highlighted the "lasts" in life, the last time we pick up our son or daughter, the last time they will fall asleep on our chest. We measure life in "firsts" as a rule. First word, first step etc... the book of lasts was an interesting look at life. Nanc would give copies to new parents so they'd cherish every moment one could with our greatest gift our children.
Thanks for your post Brett, it was beautiful like your daughters and the pictures of them. Nanc will see this post;):cool::thumbup:

This is so true Paul. We just buried my mother-in-law yesterday and we just lost my father-in-law 38 days ago. We have experienced alot of "last" recently. Tell the people you love how you feel while you can. It's not like me to bring this sort of thing up and I'm sorry if I derailed the thread.
 
Charlie since you posted faux tortoise shell I bought this Camillus trapper a couple of years ago and was curious if you knew anything about it.



Su3y1M6.jpg
 
Back
Top