All About Pocket Knives

Jerry ,that would be the VA in TOMAH ,Wi.

I'm surprised there are two VA Hospitals that close together. That said, I remember reading that the lion's share of veterans are in the Mid-West. Maybe true, maybe not.

I know this is a little off topic , but Jerry D the TOMAH VA isn’t very big ,so a lot of us around here go to Ft Snelling over in Mpls./ St Paul ,Mn.That is huge and we get great service there . So we have 3 VAs within 3/4 hrs drive of each other. So we R fortunate. Back on topic, hope you guys and gals don’t just stop , or quit being active with your collecting and sharing.There are a lot of us Newbies,(or FNG’s) as some would say, that really could use your guidance and fellowship. JP

I had a period back in 2008 and 2009 that stands out as burnt out. But it wasn’t on my knife collecting hobby. The financial markets were in free fall and then the presidential election in 2008 was very depressing. I ordered a few knives that year and kept up w/ ordering the Case CCC knives that they offered. I was surprised a couple of years ago to find all the knives I bought from those years sitting in my desk drawer unopened. It really wasn’t the knife hobby as much as it was life in general. The pressures at work were horrible, so bad in fact that I developed hives, a heart condition, high blood pressure and my arthritis was much worse. I retired last year w/ the 2 years prior to that being a transition of my brokerage office to 3 new advisors. Suddenly w/ out all the pressure, the knife hobby rekindled in a flash. I bought a 400+ collection from a clients estate back in 2012 and finally got to go through it and sell most of it off. That lit a flame for buying, selling and trading. I still find it fascinating to handle and admire all kinds of knives. When one brand gets boring or I decide I’ve had enough, I switch to something else and learn all about that brand and start collecting those knives. I find that the more you handle and research the more you enjoy this hobby. I love taking a knife and putting it through my clean up process and watching a knife come back to life and look all sharp and shiny. When I am not in a mood to buy much, I enjoy getting knives out of the display case and clean and oil and maintain them. My admiration for fine craftsmanship never gets burnt out. It’s so enjoyable to get reacquainted with knives I bought years ago and remembering why I liked it so much in the first place, that never gets old.
Anyone feeling burnt out on the hobby is probably feeling burnt out or down from all the chaos in the world today. The one thing you can count on is the feeling of enjoyment when you handle a knife that is a work of art and craftsmanship. The answer to burn out is probably more of the knife hobby and less of the depressing news and routine of work and life. All of us are stuck in our routines right now w/ all quarantines going on. Get out of the rut and spend more time on the hobbies, I think you will find that they still satisfy.

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:33 pm When you reach the point where you look at a knife, are attracted to it but need to go look in your records to make sure you don't already have one, maybe it's time to slow down. Just a thought.

What's wrong with duplicates? I tell my self I need more than one just in case I wear one out. I've never worn one out, don't ya know, but I'm prepared just in case. It's the belt and suspenders approach to collecting. lol

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:32 pm

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:33 pm When you reach the point where you look at a knife, are attracted to it but need to go look in your records to make sure you don't already have one, maybe it's time to slow down. Just a thought.

What's wrong with duplicates? I tell my self I need more than one just in case I wear one out. I've never worn one out, don't ya know, but I'm prepared just in case. It's the belt and suspenders approach to collecting. lol

The belt and suspenders approach to collecting? More information please.

cudgee wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:38 pm

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:32 pm

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:33 pm When you reach the point where you look at a knife, are attracted to it but need to go look in your records to make sure you don't already have one, maybe it's time to slow down. Just a thought.

What's wrong with duplicates? I tell my self I need more than one just in case I wear one out. I've never worn one out, don't ya know, but I'm prepared just in case. It's the belt and suspenders approach to collecting. lol

The belt and suspenders approach to collecting? More information please.

We have a saying over here, "belt and suspenders...." It refers to someone who wears both a belt and suspenders at the same time, which I do from time to time. Kind of like coving all the bases.

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:43 pm

cudgee wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:38 pm

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:32 pm

What's wrong with duplicates? I tell my self I need more than one just in case I wear one out. I've never worn one out, don't ya know, but I'm prepared just in case. It's the belt and suspenders approach to collecting. lol

The belt and suspenders approach to collecting? More information please.

We have a saying over here, "belt and suspenders...." It refers to someone who wears both a belt and suspenders at the same time, which I do from time to time. Kind of like coving all the bases.

SSK, Agree with U about getting some of the knives out from years ago.My friend of many years slipped me a Boker Barlow 494 this morning , he’d lost it many years ago found it and when I slid that in my hand and next to my old Wilbert ,worn smooth by my pocket, damn near cried. The spark has lit my fire again . How about anybody else.We could all use some good stuff right now. JP

The diecast hobby has irritated the heck out of me. Models that are exclusive to retailers not located anywhere close to around here, people buying up cartloads of models at once, only to list them at $20 or more on that auction site everyone here either loves or hates, and the fact that retailers dont' stock all batches, ever. While most of the premium brands I collect--Siku, M2 Machines, Auto World, Johnny Lightning, Greenlight are easily found online. Matchbox and Hot Wheesl are usually not sold online through any official channel; and only found in stores. COVID 19 meant I would write off Walmart completely, which after the closing of the small regional Magic Mart chain; was the only place that stocked a decent selection. And even without that in mind, I still don't see it reasonable to be checking several retailers which ARE NOT in my regular rounds for buying sundries. To the point, I've mostly got back into the older pieces pre-1990, as well as modern pieces from the premium models. And guess what--my bank account balance has never been better; and I am more selective. Matchbox has had licenses with a few departments--San Luis Obispo, CA; Boone Co., MO; Wilton, CT; among others; in which the members of those departments are other forum members on diecast boards I'm on. Their departments, quite often, have bought loads of extras for PR purposes and the like, and I've been able to get models I couldn't find that way. These guys and even some others who are both forum members and in senior positions with those departments have also made promotional issues they had specially made for their departments available to other forum members as well. One of the pieces in my collection, a helicopter, was made for Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service out of Midwestern Canada, and not generally offered to the USA, I was able to got through the help of a fellow collector on another board who is a Paramedic Supervisor with Toronto EMS; and has one of the largest model ambulance collections in the world. Turns out, he was good friends with the employee at STARS who had the models done, and I was able to both support STARS and add the model to my collection.

But, the knife hobby. I can generally find decent old knives at prices I can afford if I look long enough.

Sometimes I think I'm getting burnt out, but I think it's just old age , I'm slowing down. I perk back up the next time I walk into a Knife Show or a gun show, antique store, second hand store and find a knife. I went into my regular gun store today just cuz I was driving by. I had bought out all the knives he had a few months ago and he said he wasn't going to get any more. I walked in there today and he has several so I ended up buying a Crosman lock back that is definitely a Camillus pattern.

I went from feeling. to feeling. in a matter of minutes!


Cody, you mention collecting diecast models. There was some diecast models when I was a boy in the 50s that were imported from England, they were called Dinky Toys. They seem to have been put out of business by Matchbox toys but the Dinky Toys were far superior in detail and quality then the Matchbox toys.

I have not heard of them mentioned since I was a kid and even though I've looked for them on eBay I haven't seen them. Are they around are they still around? Is anybody collecting them?

orvet wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 2:14 am Sometimes I think I'm getting burnt out, but I think it's just old age , I'm slowing down. I perk back up the next time I walk into a Knife Show or a gun show, antique store, second hand store and find a knife. I went into my regular gun store today just cuz I was driving by. I had bought out all the knives he had a few months ago and he said he wasn't going to get any more. I walked in there today and he has several so I ended up buying a Crosman lock back that is definitely a Camillus pattern.

I went from feeling. to feeling. in a matter of minutes!


Cody, you mention collecting diecast models. There was some diecast models when I was a boy in the 50s that were imported from England, they were called Dinky Toys. They seem to have been put out of business by Matchbox toys but the Dinky Toys were far superior in detail and quality then the Matchbox toys.

I have not heard of them mentioned since I was a kid and even though I've looked for them on eBay I haven't seen them. Are they around are they still around? Is anybody collecting them?

As I recall, Meccano made them until the late '70s, when Matchbox bought the brand. Matchbox had the trademarks since the early '80s, and thus Mattel now has the trademarks. For many years, they were simply stamping regular models with a Dinky logo on the bottom for sale in the German market (and I have one of those as well, a BMW X5). However, Mattel recently has been licensing the rights to the name to Atlas Editions, a European magazine publisher, who, as of late, has been making some very nice reproductions (unfortunately, in China) of certain issues. Unfortunately, as they are designed for the European market, they aren't easy to find in the USA without paying exorbitant shipping from Europe or HK. I have one original Dinky, the Triumph Spitfire, as I'm a big fan of British roadsters. It has steering, suspension, an opening hood, and best of all--all metal! I have a small list of them that I have been meaning to find. First I heard of them was when I found a tank (I want to say it was a Sherman) with chain treads at an antique show as a teen for $5. I ran out of money and wasn't able to afford it. Little did I know it was an early piece, and worth 10X times that.

I just did a search on eBay and actually found some. Some of them said they were marked England which all the ones that I had were marked England. Unfortunately all of mine are gone I think my brother probably ended up with them 50 years ago.

orvet wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 2:14 am Sometimes I think I'm getting burnt out, but I think it's just old age , I'm slowing down. I perk back up the next time I walk into a Knife Show or a gun show, antique store, second hand store and find a knife. I went into my regular gun store today just cuz I was driving by. I had bought out all the knives he had a few months ago and he said he wasn't going to get any more. I walked in there today and he has several so I ended up buying a Crosman lock back that is definitely a Camillus pattern.

I went from feeling. to feeling. in a matter of minutes!


Cody, you mention collecting diecast models. There was some diecast models when I was a boy in the 50s that were imported from England, they were called Dinky Toys. They seem to have been put out of business by Matchbox toys but the Dinky Toys were far superior in detail and quality then the Matchbox toys.

I have not heard of them mentioned since I was a kid and even though I've looked for them on eBay I haven't seen them. Are they around are they still around? Is anybody collecting them?

Was kind of feeling the same way a while ago ,then read this post originally by Glennbad ,not sure, anyhow since then been reaching out of my comfort zone. Got more active here at AAPK, Went back to what gets me going again. Found some old ads ,had fun with them, got involved with the boys knife group here. Didn’t realize all those that were stored away , some in there forgotten.And been thinking about mentoring a youngster that may be interested in Cutlery and it’s history. I don’t know near as much as many of you out there, but what the heck! This thing of ours is changing , and we all have a part to do if we want to pass it on. Hang in there all ,and be safe.

My interest in the Hobby is kinda like the Tides of the Ocean.

Sometimes my interest is High.....

Sometimes Low....

But like the Ocean, my enjoyment of the hobby is always there.

Surfs Up

Ken

Nope!