The death of the pocketknife

[Fordzilla]

I figured yours was full auto. I can't carry one here anymore as I no longer have a badge. Probably would never be an issue but have found that the Gerber is just as quick & easy. I know several old Cutlers that used leaf springs. Nice looking selection!

[Jamo]

Roscoe...throwable?

[Bobcat]

I`ve got one of Rudy Ruana`s that looks similar to the 20B except no finger grips .... stamped RH Ruana , Bonner , MT , also have a forged knife from Bagwell ... about 7 inch blade , plus numerous Gerbers and several service/aircrew survival knives .
That Ruana is made like a tank .... not real fancy , but a real working knife .

[Roscoe]

Does your Ruana have an "M" stamp next to R. H. Ruana? If so, it was made by the old man Rudy himself. Really collectible but I would not part with my Ruana's. I can actually shave with mine.

Roscoe

[Bobcat]

Roscoe .... mine doesn`t have the "M" stamp , unfortunately . However , I`ve had this particular knife for over 20 years and wouldn`t part with it for the world .... and it`s still sharp . Would you believe that back then , I paid a whopping $50 for it ??
I feel the same way about my Bagwell knife . It`s showing scratches etc , but I`ll keep this one also until I`m gone . I visited Bill Bagwell at his forge in the FL panhandle many moons ago , had lunch with him , watched him custom make the handle to fit my hand and then install it . Also watched him put the final edge and polish on the blade . Took that knife and a handmade sheath made by his wife home with me .
My Gerbers are good knives , but these are my favorites .

[Roscoe]

Yeah, I know what you mean. A custom knife may cost a bit more but they are unique and something to take pride in. I used to collect custom made knives but back in 98 when I started my Cobra build I sold all of them except a few Ruana's and my Bill Pease folder. All told, I sold about 30 knives.

This is a McBurnette folder:



This by Jimmie Lyle:



This one by Walker:

[Bobcat]

Roscue .... very nice knives .
Some years back , a friend of mine took me to Herron`s shop here in Aiken and I got to watch him make a knife and look at a lot of other knives in production . The man was/is a real artist . Wish I had bought one of his knives back then when he was just starting to get national recognition .... oh well , if a bullfrog had wings , he wouldn`t bump his butt when he landed either.

Bob

[trularin]

Aw sh!t, I'm really in trouble now.

[Tommy]

Down here in Alabama, any adult male who cannot produce a pocket knife on request is immediately referred to as a carpetbagger.

[Maricopa]

This is sad commentary on today's society. I carried a Swiss Army every day in jr and sr high school (and I'm only 43). Today I carry a non-auto version of Roscoe's Benchmade and can't image going through the day without something to cut, pry, scrape, etc. with. And for the record, I've had to cut myself out of a seatbelt when the mechanism broke. Shi'ite happens.

[Joe Wicked]

I too carried a buck lock blade in Jr. and High School. I grew up on a farm and a pocket knife was a way of life. Small rural town were everyone either works on a farm, farm support industry, or at least has a close relative that does (grocers, police, etc...). Still have a lock blade, but a cheap one. I don't remember what happened to the Gerber I used to have. Can't carry it in to work so it just sits on the shelf next to my keys most of the time. I am only 35 (36 in May).

[Wes Tausend]

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Great thread, Roscoe.

Well, like cobrabill, my rail company doesn't want me to carry. I guess they do still allow up to a 3.5 inch blade which is not too shabby. So, in view of this, in my grip, I carry a straight bladed Chicago Cutlery 3-Inch Paring/Boning Knife. Great for apples, cucumbers etc.

For hunting, I carry a Buck Pathfinder. It's small enough to slip into a back pocket, yet large enough to gut a deer. If it gets broken splitting a hipbone, it's warranted for life. It replaced my unhandy, huge, homemade Bowie style that I made as a kid in case I ran up on a bear. My back-up is a Ranger, same warranty.

In my pocket, I carry a tiny "Saturday Night" stealth knife with a 1.5 inch blade, scissors and a nail file. Before they would let me in, I had to take it all the way back to my car, when I went to Kennedy Space Center. It's been with me for over 5 years without getting lost and that is a record. One side of the plastic handles fell off long ago. It just barely lets me open packages and snip a hangnail or small rocket gasket.

I did have to stab a conductor to death with it once. And you all know ...dead conductors don't talk like the one left alive working with Bill, so we are still allowed to carry. I had to stab him 487.6 times with the tiny blade, in between blowing the whistle. One of the handles fell off at 203, like I said.

The official cause of conductor death was determined to be some kind of rash or insect bites, which still left me and jackknives in the clear. I told everybody I just thought he was sleeping again, and they felt sorry for me having had to work alone most of the trip. So I recommend such a small knife for everyone.

Wes

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[Paul F]

What's with this thread Roscoe. There is no name calling, or shouting matches, or rants, or politics. Just good old conversation.

Maybe a knife fight will break out.