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Oh man o man !! Sweet
What "Traditional Knife" are ya totin' today?
- Thread starter jackknife
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This combo seems to pop up a lot in my posts. The Camillus is everywhere I go, and the Oregon Trapper just because it's awesome. My esteem for the #43 never wanes. Everything about it rings true with me.
I'm now almost 3 1/2 months into my year of carrying the Camillus Engineer on a daily basis, and it really hasn't been too tough. Carrying an ever-changing secondary knife to show off, has kept away the "collector's monotony" that comes from wanting to show off something exciting on the porch. But from the perspective of my time away from Bladeforums, and actually doing things in real life, the companionship of the Camillus has been a very positive experience. I certainly never feel that the Camillus can't handle the job.
I do sometimes lament not having a small coping secondary blade, and this is the largest drawback to me carrying a traditional scout. The cap lifter works great, but the flathead screwdriver that mostly gets used as a small pry bar is maybe a little too short for my tastes. The can opener is pretty close to useless, as it's too fragile for me to risk using for its intended purpose, which it doesn't even perform well. I'd much rather have a more modern style of can opener. The punch is the bee's knees. No regrets there. The spear blade is a good basic shape for everyday utility work, although I might prefer a clip overall.
As I look closer at my time with the same knife every day, the little things come to mind. My hand has memorized the shape of the knife, and now instantly finds that perfect grip, causing other knives to actually feel quite foreign in my palm. I can pick the knife up without looking at it, and open up any tool I need, having committed the position of all the implements to memory. It helps that the scout only has two nail nicks to memorize, as the can opener and awl don't need them, and all aspects of the knife seem to be in direct relation to the location of the bail and fob.
I've grown so used to closing the spear blade, that I instinctively rotate the bail from the blades path without even thinking about it. I love to use the U.S.A. gimp shield as a worry stone throughout the day. I've found my absolute favorite stone to sharpen the main blade, taking into account the type of steel, the steel hardness, the thinness of the grind, and the level of polish on the edge that works well for me. I know how many times I can strop the knife before needing to take it back to a stone. I've developed my own little cleaning and lubrication routine around this particular knife, now knowing exactly where the Camillus prefers to hide dirt and debris.
All in all, it's been a great experience thus far. I can't really say whether I'll keep going for the entire year. A new knife could come into my possession, that's just too wonderful not to carry every day. It's also possible that the allure of ironwood 77 Barlow might become too great. But at this juncture, I'm doing just fine with the Camillus. My growing connection to this scout is compelling enough to mitigate any minor reasons not to complete the one-year journey.
I'm now almost 3 1/2 months into my year of carrying the Camillus Engineer on a daily basis, and it really hasn't been too tough. Carrying an ever-changing secondary knife to show off, has kept away the "collector's monotony" that comes from wanting to show off something exciting on the porch. But from the perspective of my time away from Bladeforums, and actually doing things in real life, the companionship of the Camillus has been a very positive experience. I certainly never feel that the Camillus can't handle the job.
I do sometimes lament not having a small coping secondary blade, and this is the largest drawback to me carrying a traditional scout. The cap lifter works great, but the flathead screwdriver that mostly gets used as a small pry bar is maybe a little too short for my tastes. The can opener is pretty close to useless, as it's too fragile for me to risk using for its intended purpose, which it doesn't even perform well. I'd much rather have a more modern style of can opener. The punch is the bee's knees. No regrets there. The spear blade is a good basic shape for everyday utility work, although I might prefer a clip overall.
As I look closer at my time with the same knife every day, the little things come to mind. My hand has memorized the shape of the knife, and now instantly finds that perfect grip, causing other knives to actually feel quite foreign in my palm. I can pick the knife up without looking at it, and open up any tool I need, having committed the position of all the implements to memory. It helps that the scout only has two nail nicks to memorize, as the can opener and awl don't need them, and all aspects of the knife seem to be in direct relation to the location of the bail and fob.
I've grown so used to closing the spear blade, that I instinctively rotate the bail from the blades path without even thinking about it. I love to use the U.S.A. gimp shield as a worry stone throughout the day. I've found my absolute favorite stone to sharpen the main blade, taking into account the type of steel, the steel hardness, the thinness of the grind, and the level of polish on the edge that works well for me. I know how many times I can strop the knife before needing to take it back to a stone. I've developed my own little cleaning and lubrication routine around this particular knife, now knowing exactly where the Camillus prefers to hide dirt and debris.
All in all, it's been a great experience thus far. I can't really say whether I'll keep going for the entire year. A new knife could come into my possession, that's just too wonderful not to carry every day. It's also possible that the allure of ironwood 77 Barlow might become too great. But at this juncture, I'm doing just fine with the Camillus. My growing connection to this scout is compelling enough to mitigate any minor reasons not to complete the one-year journey.
Whetstone39
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This will be my lineup through the weekend, as I am taking a road trip to Kansas City for barbecue and baseball 
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Just in Case
Prester John
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Hey, no puns, David!
Just in Case
Just kidding.
Those are two sharp-looking classics.
Prester John
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Now that is gorgeous.
black mamba
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Gonna EDC this'n for a while.
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A beautifully lit image, Dave. Cool knife.
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This pair as always in the bottom right pocket.
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- May 18, 2014
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How Nice, Ron!
Eeney, meeney, miney. moe. Got a bunch o' barlows all in a row(s). I was getting ready to take the red handled Case 6205R out for the day when the rest of the pack asked for a brief moment in the sun and fresh air. OK, that's done. Back to the basement for them. The 6205R, pictured cavorting on top of the others, rides pretty well in my front jeans pockets.
- Stuart
- Stuart
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Gonna EDC this'n for a while.
Those Schrade Heritage knives are really nice. I had a few that were marked with the year of manufacture on the shield. One of them was 1983, the year my oldest son was born. I gifted it to him years ago on his birthday. I hope he still has it!
Man, that's a nice old Knife, Gev! Look at that stag!
Nice berries too. I like to pick them and put them on my cereal for breakfast.
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Kinda forgot until lunch time, I'm carrying this Colonial to
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Much appreciated, Gary !! It is an honor to be the steward for a time
May your berries thrive this year 
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Thanks Harvey!
They are all beauties Stuart!Eeney, meeney, miney. moe. Got a bunch o' barlows all in a row(s). I was getting ready to take the red handled Case 6205R out for the day when the rest of the pack asked for a brief moment in the sun and fresh air. OK, that's done. Back to the basement for them. The 6205R, pictured cavorting on top of the others, rides pretty well in my front jeans pockets.
- Stuart