Tuesday, April 01, 2008

New hardware

Been stupid-busy of late. J-O-B is going non-stop right now, and I'm stuffing five pounds of shit into the ten-pound bag.

The Kraut is coming home from an extended stay with her fam (The FIL is not doing well, cancer, again), and I must drive long distances soon to see to the safe return of her and our mutts, all of whom I've missed terribly over the last 10 weeks they've been gone.

I've found that life mostly kicks you when you're down (as I've been recently), but every once in a while, good fortunes turn in your favor, and when least expected.

I was reading an issue of Field&Stream several years ago when I ran across an article about field survival craft, and more to the point of the article anyway, a tool. I was intrigued, as the specific blade had earned the respect of an old bushcraft expert, Mors Kochanski. I have a fascination with fixed blade knives, so I cut out the article and resolved myself to finding one, sticking it in a folder I keep for just such non-sense in my armory.

I looked for a local source of this knife, only to find it generally available via internet, specifically Sportman's Guide. Now, I don't have a problem with stepping into the age of light and reason and ordering stuff online, but things like knives are, for me anyway, a personal item, and I am wont to handle such things for at least a few moments before making a decision to purchase. It's a tactile thing, needing a reading of weight and balance in the hand to determine its friendliness. Couldn't find one, so I let the issue drop and the article sat in its folder as a reminder.

Last week I needed to get a couple of tools for another project I've been wanting to tackle for a good long while (project gun, soon to be posted, I hope), so I walked a couple of blocks to a little family owned hardware store that's been running continuously since 1930. Strolling the aisles, I stumbled upon not only the particular model in the old article, but several others.

Picked up the red-handled job that I found so intriguing in the aforementioned article, the Craftsmen 561, a very elegant and simple Morakniv Classic 2, which I think will become my new favorite hunting companion blade, and a utilitarian 711, which has already found its way into my Bug-out Box.

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2 Comments:

Blogger NotClauswitz said...

Nice looking knives - occasionally I resist the itch for a tactical folder.

12:47 PM  
Blogger theirritablearchitect said...

My problem is that I'm not one to put to use the expensive folders that I own (PLENTY of those), so these rather utilitarian knives are excellent, in that their cost is such that I don't feel that I'm abusing them when I'm just, ya know, cutting something with them.

12:53 PM  

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