A Wicked Trio

As I've mention before I have a quite a few knives. I like blades, they always give me enjoyment and I find my fascinated by them. Lately, my interests have run to the tactical, the large and Bowies. Tactical folders have been in my pockets for many years now and I have quite few of them. There's one in my pocket every day without fail.
Bowies are a part of our American history. They were widely carried in a certain part of our countries development, they were carried by Confederate soldiers and greatly feared by United States soldiers. At one time they were the only knife that was illegal to carry. Today they have made a resurgence and quality ones can be had for just a couple hundred dollars. Excellent ones by custom makers can go for 5-10 THOUSAND dollars, look at the fantastic fighting bowies made by Bill Bagwell. During and after the bowie reign, the Arkansas toothpick was on the scene. A very large double edge knife, it too was greatly feared as a combat tool at one time.

Take a look at this deadly trio. The first and largest is my Cold Steel Natchez Bowie. Huge, wickedly sharp and beautiful. It is capable of severing a persons hand or arm, as they say, clean off. The next is a rarely seen folder, a Benchmade Balisong AFCK. The AFCK stands for Advanced Folding Combat Knife. This was the first tactical folder I ever had and carried it daily for many years. This thing was so freaking sharp I cut the tip of my thumb off and DID NOT FEEL IT!  Yep, scary sharp. Notice the hole in the blade, word was they paid Spyderco a fair sum of money for the right to use that hole.
Next up is an Arkansas Toothpick, a Damascus dagger made by an unknown artist probably in Turkey or Pakistan. It has buffalo horn scales on a full tang and Damascus steel guard. If I remember right it has 576 layers or some such number. The edge is like a jillion tiny razors ready to cleave through flesh.

I call these fellows the Wicked Trio, look for yourself. Pretty deadly looking huh?

 

 

Since they aren't seen often I've include a pic of the AFCK on it's own.

 

 

Now imagine this guy giving you the look on the street with a Bowie in one hand a Toothpick in the other,

 

 

For shits and giggles take a look at the picture behind me that hangs in my dining room. Fitting artwork for groups, I say .

Grandads Knife

Here is my latest project, my Grandpa Carder's Old Timer pocket knife. He carried this little stockman for many years. Unfortunately, he didn't take care of this tool. When I got it from my father it was rusted, corroded, it had no snap and was hard to open. Now, it's quite a bit better. The rust is gone, corrosion is under control and the snap is back. Now comes the tedious work, polishing the pits on the blades away.
   The nickel silver has come out good and the scales are in nice shape too. I have the back springs and brass liners cleaned up and polished. When done it will look like no other Old Timer, with high polished blades and fittings.

The snap took a while to achieve due to the rust and crud in the pivots and between the springs. A lot of oil and elbow grease managed to take care of this issue. It's starting to look pretty good, considering what is was a week a go. So Stephen, I know you have a thing for Old Timers, what do ya think about this little guy?

A Camillus USMC Knife

Take a gander at this knife. It's a modern day interpretation of the WWII KaBar. This one is done in stainless steel  but still utilizes the traditional stacked leather grip. It also has a stainless pommel and guard. This is a big knife, running to an overall length of 12 inches with a 7 inch blade. I have put a matte finish on the blade and sharpened the clip. I got this gem at a small town gun show, new, for 40 bucks. It has a heavy black leather sheath to which I have added black nylon 3/16" leg ties.

I Like Knives

I like knives. I really do. It's possible I might have every knife I ever bought, traded for, was given or found. That being said, in this recent move there are a couple that I have yet to find. But I will find them rest assured. I do want to modify my opening statement. My house was broken into once long ago and a significant number of automatic knives were removed from my possession. I replaced them with a lesser amount of better blades.

Take a look for your self.
This is the gang...

The roll of folders and a few others...

 

 

 Some fixed blades and folders. the large double edged knife in the center is one I made when I was 14 or 15.Made of unknown quality of stainless with walnut from a civil war plantation house. Next to it is a large one I made from a cross cut saw blade, with purpleheart wood and silver pins. Above them is a green river knife that I put water buffalo horn scales on. Miscellaneous others too.

 

Here are some Harley Davidson knives by United, these have cryogenically treated blades and are SHARP. Some SOG knives and Cold Steel offerings too. Gerber knives and mulitools too. Top left is a Mel Pardue auto and a couple of Rob Dalton autos as well

Here are the Italians. Direct from the old country. What a shock I had when I had to replace the Italians that were stolen. I bought the originals from the A B Coltiere factory for six to 13 dollars each. Shipped in a tidy bundle labeled as BOOKS. Fast forward to the infamous day and the new ones direct from Italy were twenty-five to seventy dollars each. OUCH!

 

 

Here are the autos. Five Italians, One MicroTech, the Benchmade Mel Pardue, A ProTech Godfather and two Daltons.

Here are the ones I have made. From the top, the stainless double edge I made as a teenager, then a camp knife made from the steel from a cross cut saw blade and finally a patch knife made from cross cut steel and white tail antler tine with gimping and silver pins.

In my hunting fanny pack there is a Cold Steel Master hunter and a Gerber folding saw. MIA from the move is a Buck 120. I think that's it. I think.

The Gig

Yesterday, I went to apply for two J O B S that Cherry spied on Craigslist. My first stop was the yes, beauty shop, top get my mane shorn. A lotta hair hit the floor. The second stop was a pawn shop looking for some temp (30Hours) help. No applications, they only wanted resumes. GREAT! I open my portfolio, opened a file within and handed him a resume with references. He was impressed that that came out fast. I then asked if he wanted to see the certificates I had for classes in people handling. He was surprised and commented that he too had taken some people handling classes. This guy is going ot make a decision very soon.
   The next stop was the KC headquarters of a nationwide janitorial company. I had to go to Kansas City to fill out an application for a part time job in Kearney, a small town 7 miles from me. Quite a few folks their filling out app's and I was the only, shall we say, not of color? Take a number, fill out an app and then wait for your number to be called for an interview. So about an hour later my number is called. I wished the HR lady a good morning and hand her my app, resume and some other documentation. I tell her I'm there for the part time job in Kearney and she smiles, scans my papers and asks if I can stay around for a while! So finding a seat with a cushion on it I settle in for the long haul. Some time later she asked me to come back to the offices and fill out a ton of papers. She took a picture of my smiling mug and made an employee ID card, gave an employee handbook and some other stuff. I watched a video on how to clean an office which looks like cleaning my house to me. So pending a background check I will be working 15 hours a week cleaning an office close to home. This one pays more than the pawn shop but has less hours.
Now for the interesting stuff. I was reading the employee manual and got to  the section about weapons. Of course it says you can't carry a weapon at work. Then it goes on to break State law and say you can't have a weapon in your vehicle in the parking lot. And these rules extend to the customers we may service. Missouri is one of the states that recently ruled you CAN have a weapon in your car in the parking lot of a business that doesn't allow weapons at work. Then I noticed that they also "forgot" to place the State required sign on the door stating no weapons allowed. The Missouri legislature has some very clear guidelines as to the signage require for this. Any way, not revealing what was in my truck, I was carrying an SOG Trident in my right front pocket. And you know what? I didn't freak out and go on a murderous rampage. Nary a violent thought entered my mind.  Here's a pic of my favorite cap, which I was not wearing (unlike some of the, uh, intercity applicants) my Trident and a sneaky little thing I have for carry in government offices. A Blackie Collins glass filled resin knife with assisted opening using beryllium copper springs. Not detectable by metal detectors! Ha ha, take that you minions. Even with a plastic blade it will cut. It's not intended as an every day knife or to use regularly but as a last ditch item for use in places that want you to disarm. I wish I had remembered this jewel when I went to the disability hearing. I did have it when I went to the vocational rehab interview though.

Lotta What's

What's important to me...

What I believe in...

What I've had. Actually I've had 4 generations of these. 1967, 1968, 1975, 1983. Why I let them go I don't know. The '67 was a real beast.

What I really want...

What I spend my money on. Yeah, I have a lot of knives, guns and a money gobblin' Harley

What really gets my attention, fills my mind...

Disclaimer: All images found widely on the public Internet, available to anyone. This constitutes fair use. I own none of the items shown. The images are merely used as examples.

The Knife

When we traveled to Virginia I was very put out by leaving my knives at home. I told Cherry as soon as possible we were going to by a knife in Virgina and Son could either keep it or ship it back to me. Upon landing and being picked up by Son I asked him to take me to a knife dealer in the morning. The next morning I asked when we were going to leave and he told me to hold my horses as it was my birthday and then handed me a box. A blue box. A blue box with the letters S O G on it. Inside was an SOG Trident with spring assist opening and built in belt cutter. I felt much better then. It's nice and sharp and I did get it back to Missouri. My father-in-law traveled with us and then he drove a car back for our niece. Our larger carry on luggage, gifts and such went with him and we traveled back with just our under seat bags. I still had no knife on the flight though.

What A Quandary

Very soon Cherry and I will board a plane and travel during the peak of the holiday travel season to Virginia. In Virginia I will see my new grand-daughter for the very first time. I'm very excited about this! Next in line will be my wonderful daughter-in-law and then will be My Pride, my son. Then will come the new vehicle in their lives. More on that later.

My quandary is, we are flying with no checked luggage, carry on only. So, I will not be checking a gun case and going through the TSA procedure. That means I will be traveling ungunned and unknived. Now, I can ship the knives but not the guns. I don't see the need to do a dealer to dealer transfer and all that entails. So, I'm thinking the boy might have to lend me a piece while we're there. Further trips East will have to be TSA chaperoned or made by wheeled vehicle. It's been a long time since I was with out a gun or a knife on me.

On to the new vehicle. I've wanted one for some time now. Son has upstaged me. Look at this monster that is his new daily driver. While we are out there I'll get a better picture. It's a 1969? M35 2.5 ton "Deuce" that's been bobbed. He loves it!

The stuff I like. Oh, yeah that's what I like

I made my 4 week report to the authorities(unemployment office) this morning. If you get up at a decent time you can beat all the slackers and be in and out lickety split. November 21 will be an anniversary for me. It will be officially 1 year of unemployment. What a sucky anniversary.
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I spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon getting the outside stuff done so let the cold blow and the snow fly. I put the grill away, picked up my "I'll put it away later" stuff, and stored away miscellaneous things in their proper places. Tomorrow I'll see about getting the Wheel Horse project undercover.
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I have a wide array of interests and have had several hobbies until I had to trim the hobbies down to spare the budget. Here's some of my interests:
Guns
1911's
antique auto pistols (I've had my eye on some Savages lately)
side by side shotguns, old, new, plain or fancy I like 'em all
22 rifles (I have more than a few)

Motor Vehicles
El Camino's ( I'm on my 4th)
Corvettes ( I had a hard time choosing between a new Harley and a used "Vette)
Harley Davidson's (the Harley won the coin toss. Literally)
Any other motorcycle
old lawn tractors
big lifted 4 wheel drives (oh how I wish I had that '79 Bronco back)

Stuff
Knives of all sorts but especially auto's
flashlights, just ask my wife
blackjacks, if they have a provenance in law enforcement
old guns with a story

Activities
hunting ( for many years all my substantial vaca time was used for hunting)
fishing(one hobby that had to go)
motorcycling
driving way over the speed limit (ask me about the 100MPH summer)
watching women
reading (nearly anything)
carpentry
welding and fabrication
camping
ammo reloading
gun shows

Does any of this stuff interest any of you? Want me to write about any of it? Any way, a while back on Day One I told you who I am, now I told you what I like.

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