I have spent the last 5 days trying to write a THANK YOU post to WhiteBuffalo58.
You guys know from my posts that I am not real good with words and if you have been
in chat you REALLY know!!

Anyway...I was very surprised to see a package from WB when I was picking up at the
Post Office the other day. I raced home and tore it open.....WOW!! Rob really took
care to think of what I might like and I am blown away!!

I have posted an old Norton Stone from my Gramps and a Norton pocket hone too.
Opened the box and there was another fine Norton stone in its original box!! SWEET!!
I now officially have a Norton collection........very cool and something to build on.

Also in the box was a really nice Schrade Old Timer 97OT!! This is a somewhat rare
'end of days' single blade 97OT with yellow buzzcut derlin handles. I was raised on
Old Timers, Shrades and Uncle Henrys and I LOVE this knife!! Thanks WB, you really
shouldn't have done it.......but SO glad you did. I snooped around here a little
and found another posted and also a single blade 97OT in blue derlin for a Farm Group.

Rob, your generosity humbles me man......I don't recieve gifts very well brother, so
sorry this post has taken a minute. I DO really like and appreciate these items and
they will always hold a special place in my collection. It will be one of the
'Cornerstones of my Collection' for sure as it represents what the spirit of this hobby
is all about. A MOST sincere THANK YOU friend!! I am still so excited about this, it
has really made my week!!

AAPK is the best,
Sincerely,
Trevor


viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14553&p=115739&hilit=97OT#p115739

These 2 knives have been with me for the past 20 years or so. Since they came from my Dad and Grandpa, they are definitely the cornerstones.

_________________
A Fistfull Of Value-Grip One

WOW WB58you DA man

_________________
"On the Road Again"Willie Nelson

What a wonderful thread!!!!

I really want to hear more about why certain knives became people's cornerstones!!!



This is very, very creepy because you could almost sign my name to it and it would be true!

In thinking about this, I'm needing to distinguish between cornerstones (knives that have most influenced me) and the current EDC choices - they're different a bit.

I got my first knife when I was 8, and was told by my grandfather and father never to carve backwards. It was an Ulster BSA knife and while at my grandfather's summer camp in Vermont, I went down to lake, got a piece of drift wood and carved backwards, slicing open my thumb resulting in a very bloody drive to the hospital for stitches. That knife still sits on my work bench. It's in horrible shape and I've replaced it with this, which is the image of a pocket knife that I see when I close my eyes. This is the first cornerstone.


camper-leaves by Pinnah, on Flickr

When I was in high school, I got my first real man's knife. I poured over Herters catalogs weighing the choices and saved up my money and bought a Buck 110. This is the second cornerstone.

Somewhere in college I fell out of the habit of carrying a knife. Tried various multi-tools as I got into backpacking and bike touring and ended up rejecting them all. Can we count knives tried and hated as anti-cornerstones?

Then about 5 years ago I got a used Opinel #8 while trading bike parts and haven't been without a knife on me since.

The Buck 110 and Opinel #8 are really the cornerstones of what I like to use - folding lockers. But the 110 is too big for pocket carry and the Opinel #8 is a tick too small. My most commonly used knifes (in order of use) are: Opinel #9 drop point, Buck 500 and Buck 112. I also have a Schrade 5OT for times where I must carry something smaller and more discrete. Here are most of the lockers together.


Folders by Pinnah, on Flickr

I want to underscore the bit about a working man's ethic. Was talking about this the other day with somebody else and the comment was why I don't prefer a "nicer" knife. I drive a Subaru, not an Audi. I wear Dickies and Wranglers, not "slacks". I wear a Timex, not a Rolex. This isn't a dig at nice knives in anyway. I get it and would be embarassed to tell you how much I spend on bikes and skis!! But even my Buck 500, which I love, is out on the outer edge in terms of bling factor. I definitely have really good friends that I won't carry that knive when I'm with them. Putting on airs sort of thing.

_________________
Dave "Pinnah" Mann, Bahston, MA
Dave's Nordic Backcountry Skiing Page

Perry ya can't beat that pair

_________________
"On the Road Again"Willie Nelson

Thanks garddog!

_________________
A Fistfull Of Value-Grip One

Phinnah ;there were never truer word written and I know all to well about backwards whittling the thing is my Gramdpa warned me I remembered the exact day and it was with that Kamp King

_________________
"On the Road Again"Willie Nelson

Great thread WB!! Great knives! Great stories.

I'm kinda new to this whole knife thing but I've definitely been bitten by the steel spirit.

I started carrying a VIC SAK a number of years ago, but the Kershaw Leek pushed me over the edge.

As of today, Easy Opens have flooded my steel desires, and the newly rehandled easy open knife, by none other than the man who started this thread is what is the cornerstone of my collection:

_________________
SCOTT

http://www.pocketknivesblog.com

Thinking of you johnnierotten! Hang tight bro!

scott, that's a great looking knife!

_________________
Dave "Pinnah" Mann, Bahston, MA
Dave's Nordic Backcountry Skiing Page

Hey Scott, is that Mastadon?

_________________
A Fistfull Of Value-Grip One

Yeah, yeah....that's it!
Either that or cow bone. I can't remember what WB told me now.....

_________________
SCOTT

http://www.pocketknivesblog.com

Thinking of you johnnierotten! Hang tight bro!

I like it no matter what it is!

_________________
A Fistfull Of Value-Grip One

Perry, the bone on Scott's knife, does look a lot like Mastadon ivory. Wish I could say I aged it that way on purpose, but it did that just from the enviroment it was in for the past 15 years. I ended up with about 3 or 4 pairs from that same batch of bone that look like that. The rest of the slabs came out with some nice internal marbleing, but don't have that brown outer bark.
I have to give kudos to Kaleb for his mini tutorial on cutting up bone. Before that, I had pretty much written off my bone pile. He showed me that there was alot more usable stuff there then I thought.
Thanks for the compliments on Scott's knife guys, I feel like i'm startin' to get a grasp on how it's done. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have some nice material to work with, and it was already a pretty cool old knife before I did anything to it.

WB

P.S. Trevor my friend, you are most welcome!

Well so it is cow bone then? No matter what it is, you did a great job. I would let you do one for me.

_________________
A Fistfull Of Value-Grip One