How can we explain to the average person our fascination with knifes. One who has used and handled knives for 40 plus years. Skinning and preparing game and fish to table fare. The appreciation and feelings we have when holding a tool that has been used for thousands of years by mankind.

A good knife does not have to be an expense item although there are some very good ones that cost a bit. My father hunted in Canada every year in the 60's and one year brought home 2 Mora hunting knifes for my brother and me. I have used that knife for 50 years on every thing from rabbits and squirrels to whitetale deer. He most likely paid 10.00 for it. It is priceless to me.

I also have a Normark Swede 45 folding knife my mother put in my Christmas stocking when I was 12. I have used it from camping to cutting shingles when roofing. Again she most likely paid 15.00 dollars for it. Again it is priceless to me.

A man who uses knifes day in and day out looks to the practical and not the flashy. Anyone else have a knife that has become a trust friend who is always there? Everytime I use my cherished knives I remember a time long ago.

Edged tools - knives. Edged tools - broadheads. There is a certain attraction to a keen edge on a finely designed and crafted tool. A thing of beauty.

Roy Case, a well known bowhunter of yesteryear, sometimes closed his published articles and letters he wrote with, "Keep 'em sharp." Those words resonate through the years and are as meaningful today as they were back in the day.

"I remember a time long ago."

When my Grandpop wasn't using his pocket knife, he was sharpening it. I witnessed him accumulate a good number of folders with narrow blades.

I am addicted to knives/hatchets/tomahawks/double and single bit axes ! most likely any blade that takes a good cutting edge.... lots of stuff here to keep me busy !

I have my grandpa's Marble knife he got from Kellogg cereal box tops. He was quite the whittler and had many knives with just the finger opening groove left. I also have a few more knives than needed;)

Can't understand why anyone would carry a dull knife. Used to work with a guy and you couldn't tell which side of the blade was the sharpest. Seemed like every time he touched a utility knife he needed stitches or at least tape.

I can relate! I also find that sharpening an edge...ANY edge...is very relaxing and therapeutic for me. I cannot imagine shooting a deer with a broadhead that I didn't sharpen myself.

When I go into a hardware store, even if it's for nuts and bolts, I find myself drawn like a magnet to any tool that has a sharp edge. The "Riddle Of Steel".......

I collect knives, drawknives, hatchets, and axes. I have some of them displayed on the walls of my work shop.

Very nice Osage Outlaw. Love the hatchets. There is something about an old knife that has seen lots of use. The farmer that lived next door to me had an old butcher knife that had a blade like a fillet knife. It had been worn away. I would take him small game and fish in trade for an ice crème. He had one of the old grind stones you pedaled. Had a small water can that dripped on the wheel. Everything from axes to knifes got sharpen there.

I don't have a fascination with knives but after seeing this thread I had to stop and count.....came up with 9. Might have missed a couple and gave my grandson and old Buck 120. Funny how we just accumulate them. I also have an old Normark Swede with a quarter of a scale missing and the tip broken off. Think it was my first hunting knife and it's been in my arrow making box for more than 40 years. Still use it to scrape old fletching and glue off of aluminum.

Still have the first knife I ever bought with my own money. Bought it 45 years ago, when I was 7. Others have come and gone, but that one is going to my son!

I love all types of knives, but I am still drawn to the simplicity of good ol' slip joint knives. I have a real fondness for Opinel knives.

A knife given to you is to be kept for a life time. The only time it may be given to someone else is if there is a desperate need, it is NEVER to be sold. I have 2 totes in my basement that weigh about 40# total, full of knives I have collected (that is not all of them). Some are my dad's, some have been given to me over the years, some I have won, and many purchased. Some are what I call Give Away Knives: Good knives, inexpensive price when purchased, to give to others. Some old pen knives with broken blades. I collect knives, I am not a knife collector. I have only given away one knife that was ever given to me. A knife is not a luxury but a necessity. DANNY

Nice collection, Osage Outlaw. I still have my first knife I bought with my own money in 1956 as a 12 year old. A Western bird knife.

I will be hunting caribou sometime this winter with my friends from Northern Saskatchewan. They are artists with any sort of edged tool simply because it is a way of life for them from an early age. We never worried about students carrying a knife when I was a school Principal in that community. People only used knives to hurt each other there when they were drunk or drinking and we sent students who were drunk or drinking home.

DDave

Maybe a couple

The above knife was made for me as a gift. Handle is Corsican ram horn. This is another custom made folding knife.

This is one I knapped for a friend who's son is in the Marines. Has a Marine coin on the handle.

This is one I knapped for a friend who's son is in the Marines. Has a Marine coin on the handle.

Nice, Jon.

Clint, love that collection of drawknives. I stuck with a single drawknife for many years, but bought several lately. I see how I could easily get carried away with them and am practicing personal restraint trying not to.

I wonder if one of those 'drawknives' is actually a fleshing knife? I have one that looks exactly like it. The straight one, in the last picture, right above the axes. Are the metal bezels on the handles solid steel or wire wrapped?

Got Buck 110. Don't need anything else.

I have a soft spot for Bowies. Lance

Nice Lance. One knife I don't have.

Great bunch of knives Jeb.

Jeff, I believe you are correct about that fleshing knife. I bought it to use as one. I've got a freezer full of hides.

Not in position to photo and post my most current knife that I carry which was custom made by Osage Outlaw. He made me an outstanding knife that did the job for me this past hunting season.

The only thing better than a knife.......a bigger one.

My favorite among the dozens I own.

Phil/VA nice knife. My damascus knife above was made by a guy in South Africa .

Are the two points artifacts? Looks like coastal plains material.

My dad used to work in a packing plant in western Nebraska. We used to have them green river trade style knives all over the farm. Great for cutting bales and general farm work when he started slowing down and I was done "touring the world" for Uncle Sam, I found a bunch of them in a cabinet in the barn. I asked what his plans were for them, he said take them and use them. They're the best knives you'll ever use. They used to kill 1200 sheep in a shift with those things. I still have them and love them. Some day I'll rehandle them. Nybubba 1

Clint I got mine over 30 years ago. Had it through a stint in the fur farming business, trapping, deer hides, turtles, all sorts of stuff.

Jon, mine was made by a gentleman in Texas. I got the picture from him so I don't know about the points. This is the knife he made for my wife, the handle is Prickly Pear cactus.

Very nice knives Phil.

Interesting the the folder with a sheath and the Corsican ram horn handle fix blade knife also came out of Texas.

I work 'knifing' dies all day (I make steel rule cutting dies) so I get sort'a used up on sharp edges ;-)

That said, I like a good, sharp suited-to-the-task knife, and it doesn't hurt if it's easy on the eyes. But I'm not sentimental about tools, even good ones.

I do own a fair few...

Oh that's what you call it. A fascination.;-)

Lately I have been having a fascination with pocket knives.

Wooden handle Schrade rope knife 1917-1946. 1950's Colonial melon cutter. With double bolsters.

This is my latest everyday carry, Crooked River Hunter by Bench Made, one hell of a well made knife and the blade is fantastic.

I have tools I am not sentimental about but a knife given to me by my father who has been gone for 23 years. Yep that has sentimental value to me. That is what makes it special to me.

I have and use all of my late father's handtools. I think of him EVERYTIME I use them. I have his crosscut handsaw that I made a wood scabbard for and it sits in a special place behind the back seat of my truck. One could say that my dad "goes to work" with me everyday.

From the little Swiss Card with a blade in my shirt pocket to my Ontario machete and many folders, fixed, hatchets, broadheads and axes in between. Including the blades and tools I have forged,- I love 'em all!

Some of mine.

That is all I pics of.

"Ontario machete".....

Oh yes...the machete. Everytime I go into a store and I see a machete, I have to hold it and see how well it's balanced. If it is well balanced (and that's not as common as one may think) I MUST have it! Here's an Ontario I got from Cabala's many years ago.

Jon, I'm digging on that drop point. Was that made from a wood rasp? Nybubba

NY Bubba that was made out of a farriors rasp with an osage handle by a guy in Nebraska.

Just some of mine

Some high dollar knives

Some high dollar knives

Who says a big knife can't do small jobs

Who says a big knife can't do small jobs

No better knife for cutting big mushrooms free than a big ol Bowie.

Ron what is the story on the second one from the bottom. Looks like it has seen some years and use!

Dont know where that image came from. Try this

Nice blad of all types. Thanks for showing. I get bogged down looking at good knives. They don’t necessarily need to be fancy or expensive, just good.

Jon Stewart - what is the heavy blade knife that looks like buffalo horn handle?

Ron - it takes a big man to carry and use a big knife. Nice blades and very nice stag.

Osage - looks like you have a nice fleshing knife hanging with the drawknives.

Knifeguy - nice Bowies.

I have a couple that I would like to post but they came back from Europe and the markings might be offensive.

So instead I’ll post my little carving job. I like it and it sure is handy!

This shows the other side. I patterned it after a Hudson Bay hawk I saw one time long ago.

The carving serves a functional purpose - a good grip.

I have a couple more to do for sale but sort of lost the creative spark. The muse left me.

I'm missing some that have been added but here are some pocket knives.

An old puukko from Finland.

WW1 bolo.

Couple of Pumas from the 60s.

Some older stuff, throwing knives, butchers, etc.

My latest sheath knife made out of 01 tool steel by a young man from NC, forgot his name.

Small hatchet.

Hi Matt. Nice hawk. Hope all is well. Morels aren't far off. Anvil is doing fine.

("Ron what is the story on the second one from the bottom. Looks like it has seen some years and use!")

Jud Brennan made that for me in 1979. He hand forged it from an old buggy spring, the handle in moose horn with steel bolsters. It's a throwing knife and is heavy. I won the national knife throwing Championship with it in 1980 at Friendship Indiana. I used it to win the Michigan State Champaionship three years in a row, the last year I threw perfect 50 score. The record still stands.

My current blacksmith is making copys of the knife available on my website

Here's my favorites that get used regularly. Stanley Bailey 2, and #3 with hock irons

So that's why it's so cool. I from Nebraska.

Fisher: The only knife I posted with horn is sitting between two sheaths. The handle is corsican ram horn. It was a gift from my Marine buddy and was made in Texas. It came with the saddle sheath which I don't like so I had the second sheath made.

Knife porn.......LOVE IT!!!!

My two new Valentine’s Day presents to myself ... lol LT Wright NextGen ... really nice, 3” blades . I’m a bit of knife buff ... it’s not like its an expensive hobby .. or nuthin’ ... aggghhhhhhhhhhh

I kinda like a 3-4” fixed blade, full tang and a folder when afield ... it’s just a matter of which ones ??

Good thread!

reddogge said, "An old puukko from Finland."

I had one on my hip in 1955

Nice hat, Ron!

Ben, I really like those hitech knives. What is the handle material? Did you make them?

You have a nice assortment that spans about 50 years. I have a similar assortment. If family or friends need anything cut, they can certainly rely on us!

When I was a young man I wanted a Randall knife. I was not willing to wait 2 long years - that was almost forever! Well about 10 years ago I happened to glance in a mirror. After asking the guy who he is, what he was doing in my mirror, and why he looked so old - we had a long talk. Then I learned that the Randall wait was 5-6 years! Considering my potential expiration date, via the interweb I immediately ordered a Randall with no waiting time. I was able to choose from finished knives to select the stag that I preferred. The dealers must have some kind of good system because the knife was brand new, required no waiting, had more options than are permitted to order, and yet cost less than if I had sent in the order and waited. Since receiving the knife, I have been trying to wear out the knife. I hope someday someone looks at the knife and shakes his head with disgust and mutters how could someone use and even sharpen this knife? Maybe someday when that guy in the mirror is on his last hunt, I might stick that knife in a tree at a trailhead to give some young hunter a big thrill.

I loves knives so much that I started making my own here is a few of them. These are all forged blades made by hand and hammer.

First knives I made

Fighting knives

Nice blade shape squirrelkiller.

That's some fine brew there Squirrelkiller. I wouldn't want to have very many, though. Good looking knife too!

My three favorite "everydayers"

Have always liked sharp things. Started shaving with a straight razor about 5 years ago and have several old razors that I have brought back to life with a repolish and hone. Shave your arm sharp and shave your face sharp are two different levels of sharp. Lost manly skill...……..

Now days a Moore Maker in yellow, in my pocket. Just dad made a sheath for it for a fellow! Other is a Boker.

Wish we had an edit function. I had target panic.

Just got these old High carbon knives. I hope to modify them into something more interesting.

My Randall Bowie.....

Another Bowie of mine

The other "Papa Bear". Uncle Henry Papa Bear lockback knife, no doubt inspired by the success of the Buck 110. This and other Uncle Henry knives were named after Henry Baer, the CEO of Schrade Knives.

I confess to being a knife nut also. I love to pull out a beautiful knife with lots of file work and polished horn scales to work on a deer. It always get comments like "you are not going to use that knife." Yes that is what I make them for. It does take a little longer to clean up. While doing so you are inspecting and admiring it once again. Proper use don't hurt them. >>>>-----> Ken

Best thread of the year by far ...

... thanks to all those who have made a contribution.

Here I thought you guys had a problem with buying to many bows! Man I was mistaken! Lol

Jason

Hey Clint! I've somehow acquired several more drawknives since this thread was active last... but then quit cold turkey ;^)

I would feel weird without my CRKT Carson Design M-16 folder clipped to my pocket,it's my EDC.As a boy we all had a small folder in our pocket at school so we could play"mumbly peg" or "spread eagle"out on the playground at recess.This will put you in big trouble today!

My wife thinks I am crazy with all my knives, I showed her this thread and she just shook her head and walked away.

You're perfectly normal. Does she know how many bows and guns and fishing rods you own? (My first project for retirement will be to take a thorough inventory!)

Here is the knife that Clint (osage outlaw) made for me in a knife swap.

A few I have made.

The Randall Model 5 with a 7” blade that my late wife ordered for me in Jan 2014! I rec’d it 2-1/2 years after she passed in Sept of 2018. Lance

A Cold Steel Trail Master with a Sambar Stag handle that I bought at this years mountain man trade show. This is after I got it cleaned up, sharpened and buffed. I had to repair the sheath too. This one’s going stumping with me! Lance

Here’s a before of the Trail Master.

My Bill Bagwell Riverboat Bowie that he made for me when we went bear hunting together.

Ron, that Bagwell looks like the inspiration for the Cold Steel! Lance

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