The left hand must be punished
 

I'm a handy guy. I like to fix things. I got my first Leatherman tool for Christmas some years back and I remember wondering "Oookay. Thanks." Not long after that it became clear to me that the Leatherman was the best gift since my first two wheel bike. I could take care of something right then and there. It beats a Swiss Army Knife, hands down. When I upgraded from their first model to the Supertool I became even happier because the tool/blade locked in place when deployed. Now when I crush my knuckles, I know it's because I was using too much force, and not because the tool collapsed.

Oh yeah. Knuckles are made to be mashed. They're like bumpers for the other more delicate parts of your hands. How do I know the other parts are more delicate? Because I keep stabbing them. And slicing them and skinning them and smashing them. *sigh* I managed to give myself another inch long gash this morning. Right at the hinge of my left thumb. I know better. I swear I do. I must just forget and need to have my memory refreshed or something.

I use knives all the time. At any given moment, I'm carrying at least two or more. Knives, not individual blades. My mom got me a nice Buck Crosslock for my birthday a few years back (this is the carnivore I fed this morning :( ), the Leatherman, a small Swiss Army Knife for delicate work, etc. I have my heart set on a knife for my next birthday present. A Boddington knife from Anza Knives. I keep them sharp. I have had them Scary Sharp, but practically speaking, only my planes can stay that way. The knives are working tools, not art objects. I strongly recommend reading the Scary Sharp article. It does work, I have used it and the results are UNbelievable.

But my poor left hand, thrust into the line of fire, or steel, again and again. I must be a slow learner. I can still count to ten without taking my shoes off though, I'm happy to say. Watching my dad amputate the last half inch of his thumb one day on the deck keeps me honest about really big motions with sharp tools. Am I the only one with ten times the scars on the left than the right?

I'm a equal opportunity maimer. ;)
I've used a Lansky Diamond System for the last 15 or so years with great results.

I've gone through any number of pocketknives, and a Leatherman. I currently like the BuckTool, because there's a smooth surface on the outside whether it's in knife or pliers mode. But I mostly use X-Acto...

And, even though I'm left handed, my scars are pretty evenly distributed.

a leatherman squirt lives in my pocket every day. the scissors get the most use. Oh, and i never cut myself. i do, however bang my head into things by accident sometimes.

I'm a Gerber fan myself.. I've had a locking Gerber multi-thingy for a couple years now after my leatherman bent out of shape

Also just purchased a new Gerber Paraframe I knife.. and i freaking love this thing. Light aluminum handle, surgical steel blade, and a dark titanium powder coating all around
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...itt/gerber.jpg

I like the Micra for on my keychain which I have on me almost all the time. I'll grab a Swiss or standard leatherman or other tool if I know ahead of time.

I also love the Gerbers ... I have their multitool (although I do need to get one of the more recent ones), two EZ-outs (straight and serrated), both the big and the little Paraframe, an LST that turned out to be 1/500 of some signature edition (not expected or noticed at time of purchase), a couple of other folders that have been quietly sitting in boxes over the years, and, my most favorite, a Mark I.

I like spyderco , i have an enduro , a dragon fly( COOL Little blade ) , and one of there TOTALY useless multi tools ,
I have a few different gerbers , bucks , But i am currently digging on an Emerson hard wear folder .

Now as to knife scars , I have more on my left hand , includeing one between my index nuckle and the Fuck You finger nuckle from a crok stick sharpner , i had a buck folder SOOOOO sharp and was dressing the edge , well i wasent paying attention and just slid the tip between my nuckles , weird that it didn't bleed much , but i could see thru the hole , and it HURT for a LONG time !!!!!

BigV , have you ever seen this place , http://www.knifecenter.com/
They have about EVERY thing edgey , good prices aswell

Urrrgh! Even reading this thread makes me break out in a cold sweat. Because I have to take Coumadin, I am not safe near knives of any kind :worried: Last summer I dropped a steak knife while I was setting the table and it managed to land point down into the middle of my bare foot. I left a trail of blood all over the wood floors, out the door and down the sidewalk as I ran to my neighbor's house for help putting pressure on a tiny little puncture which turned so dramatic :(

Some advice for the gals who handle tools, be aware that using exfoliants for your face (or any other places) will cause your fingertips and palms to become like glass. It is impossible to hold onto anything without concentrating, unless you really grip almost anything will slip out of your hand, with unfortunate results.

1) I *love* knives.
2) I lose knives.
3) Therefore, I buy few knives, as I will lose them.

I have a Schrade Uncle Henry folder in the camper that I strap on while camping out. It has been thoroughly abused and neglected, yets serves me well without complaint...and, because I don't carry it daily, I haven't lost it in twenty years.

SOG Vision. 8.37" of silky smooth titanium.
http://www.medfordtools.com/sog/fold...es/vision2.jpg

Where I go, it goes. Except the airport. Sometimes.

NYPD confiscated my last knife of similar proportion - a negotiated compromise to a felony arrest. Bastards. So I got this one. Which I keep a little more discreetly.

a negotiated compromise to a felony arrest

Care to elaborate ???

Yeah, I cough up the knife and they don't book me on a felony charge. I got nailed carrying a kevlar/stainless-steel 9" Benchmade Stryker which, incidentally, I bought in person at the knifecenter.com's warehouse on the Baltimore side of DC back in '99 way before anyone ever heard of them. Too bad they don't make the exact model anymore - that was a helluva good knife. Or, for some cop or cop's brother-in-law, still is.

left hand for sure. two nice one's stand out. one about 1" on my thumb and the other about the same length on my middle finger. i am though missing a small chunk of flesh on my right pinky.

You call that a knife?
 

This is a knife!

I have four of those multi-tools and don't know how I ever got along without one.

Two Gerbers, one Leatherman and one no-name that I got as a doorprize for ordering a subscription to the Navy Times. Love the little things. I also have two combat-carry knives, both from Smith and Wesson. One is the 24/7 model and one is too old for me to remember or read on the blade. Both are still razor sharp though, thanks to my Dremel.

I probably have a few penknives around somewhere that I can't find or remember.

Brian

Nice blades every body ,
Now the question IS , DO YOU REALLY NEED and USE THAT KNIFE ???
As beestie pointed out you can get busted for carrying a big blade , I have to go into secure places on ocation so emptying my pockets infront of ARMED guards happens , a small knife raises less eye brows than a big serated tanto point curved auto opener .
So as I said do these fine blades EVER get used for any thing but opening mail and spliting the occational bagle ??

I live in Virginia where my blade is perfectly legal. However, I work in DC where only the criminals have access to weapons. I have to walk about a mile from my client's site to my car and when I work late (as I have been lately), I can encounter some interesting characters to say the least. I have had some close calls. Hopefully, it will never come to that but I'll take a felony over an assault anyday.

All of my folders are legal in Pennsylvania.

As everyone knows, I try to avoid visiting neighboring states as some of my other typical pocket contents tend not to be viewed as kindly on the wrong side of my state line.

LBN, is that a Cheeto mashed into your forehead in that picture? That must have been one hell of a party!

I don't carry tools. I carry a cellphone so I can call a mechanic who knows what he's doing.

Clean your monitor woman! It's just a reflection of yellowish/orangeish lighting. :lol:

I carry a very small blade on my keychain. I usually remember to remove it before I pass through courthouse security. Sometime I forget. So far, they have never spotted it. Hope it stays that way, if I forget again.

It is a decent tool. The Swiss Tech UtiliKey Very small, cuts packages and cords very well. I use the phillips head screwdriver pretty often. It's the right size for smaller screws. It would be of no value in a self defense situation.

http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecent...s/keyarray.jpg

thats not a knife
THIS...is a knife

http://www.vahistorical.org/sva2003/spoon.gif

i see you've played knifey spoony before

There is no spoon.

Was the knife it self illegal or were you carrying it some place that knives in general weren't allowed?

I usually carry two knives, both swiss army. A little two blade, screwdriver, file unit for delicate work and a medium size ~16 tools for more manly work. Plus a ~6" fixed blade sheath knife when camping/hiking. I've lost the larger swiss though and have been contemplating a leatherman or one of it's cousins but I'm not sure I want to be carrying a belt knife around all the time; sometimes I'm not wearing a belt. For those of you with a leatherman do you ever just put it in your pocket?

I use my knives at least every other day at least though not always for cutting stuff. The flat sided phillips on my small knife is perfect for case screws.

As to the topic on hand the only single edged tool scar on my hands is actually from an axe on my left thumb. So I guess my left hand is more cut up but it's a pretty small sample set.

I dunno. I'd call that a machete.

what Lab said and actually the cheeto is on the inside and referred to as a "toomah" (hey, we have to find something that made him so nutty, i mean cheesy) erf. i digress.....

Aren't the serations going the wrong way on that pig sticker?

I also have a Gerber folding knife - because you never know. Plus - I just like knives.

I've also got a leatherman tool. A buddy of mine gave it to me for being best man at his wedding many years ago. I use that thing all the time. It's seldom the best tool for the job, but it's almost always the closest tool for the job.

xoxoxoBruce gave me a leatherman tool he got from his workplace. I have used it constantly.

I'm a knife salesman; I handle the Cutco line. Two of them are practically joined to me at the hip most days: a Cutco 1884D Two Blade Trapper, just plain as from the factory in Olean NY, on my belt, and an 1888 Mini Pocket Knife Plus in a handle color that's no longer available with my name on it -- which option is still available. It lives on my keychain and goes to church with me even if I leave the other at home on my other pants.

Scars? Well, one at the base of my thumb on my left hand, a little fingernail-shaped mark from getting a little excited with a customer's Wusthof. It had a good edge. I think I managed a sympathy sale on that occasion. Cutco knives come sharp enough to comfortably dry-shave. Veteran Cutco Vector reps can tell you the harrowing tale of sharp knives known as "The Monkey Story." Just one more weird thing that happened in Texas...

I like Leatherman tools a LOT for their overall utility, but for edgeholding and cutting efficiency give me Cutco, Cold Steel, or a custom blade. After all, to rephrase a remark about rifles, the only interesting knife is a sharp one that cuts well. Victorinox or Wenger Swiss Armies are great little pocket tools, but I sure wish they'd harden their blades some. However, I've never seen a Swiss Army corroded. I think Cutco and Swiss Army get their little scissors attachments from the same source; they look identical.

The King Tut exhibition at the LACMA in Los Angeles -- where it durn well better be with that name -- features Tut's golden dagger. It's lovely, the way a jewel is lovely. I got within noseprint distance of it in its individual Lexan column-slab-thing, both sides and looking down the edge. It's got an edge like a butter knife. It's a bit slenderer than I thought. I still want one.

I do suffer sometimes carrying my leatherman when I am not wearing a belt. It's uncomfortable and awkward, like a roll of quarters in your pocket, but square in cross section. With rare exceptions, like swimming, or exercising, on the occasions when I choose to leave it behind, I mostly regret it. Not because I found something wrong I couldn't fix, but I might. The Leatherman Supertool I carry most often is an extremely versatile tool. I have used every built in tool for its designed purpose, more than once. Additionally, folded closed, it makes a serviceable hammer; extended can be used as a probe to reach into a narrow space; I have gripped it in my fist to add power to my punch; I have unintentionally used it as a circuit breaker tripper when removing the base of broken incandescent lightbulb (we were both quite dim :eek: :shocking: :wstupid: :crazy: :litebulb: :smack: ). My original Leatherman
was so well exercised that I could and would take it out and whirl it around like a butterfly knife to deploy the pliers as a nervous habit. The new tool is too stiff for that though. I think for non-belt days, the best solution is to get another tool (like I needed a "reason") that is tiny enough to ride in the pocket comfortably.
I have a great book called Bushcraft. It is by this fella that needs only a knife to clear some ground and make a shelter, etc. He has a chapter on Axecraft. His hand drawn illustrations are very good and informative, with a check mark for "do it this way" and an X for "Stop before you hurt yourself". I had to re-read a section about a manuver with the axe a couple of times before what I thought was a typographical error became chillingly clear. He described a move where the axe is headed downward and toward one's feet. He said "...be careful you don't make your toes longer or shorter." Huh? ... Oooohhhh. Ewww. :shivers: An axe leaves little room for error once commited. Be sure you make room before the axe does.

And I wouldn't. Machetes are lighter-bladed, of medium-carbon steel so they're at lot better at being bendy and tough than at holding their edge, and are for brush clearing, which is why a machete blade looks like a machete blade and not like a large clip-point Bowie -- the config. in the pic. Clip point Bowies are a design to take an axelike, very sturdy single edge utility belt knife -- the frontiersman's answer to a stone axe -- and give it a fighter's thrusting point. It's successful enough at this that the US military uses blades of that shape in all their fighting/survival knives and some of their bayonets. Google up "Jim Bowie Sandbar fight" and see what you find for an early success of the Bowie blade form.

BigV, we should talk. {heading over to my profile to see if email addy needs update}

{edit to add} It did. Necessary verification rigamarole completed.

And next busted bulb, use the raw-potato trick. Stick the 'tater into the busted mess of the bulb so the filament post and the glass shards dig into the potato, then turn the potato to unscrew the bulb's remains. Anyone who then tries to cook and eat the potato... deserves to. Or had better be making the bucks with a glass-eating geek show!

I have unintentionally used it as a circuit breaker tripper when removing the base of broken incandescent lightbulb

Oh yea, I made that mistake once, except that it was my finger, and the breaker didn't trip.

And that is a mistake you only make ONCE.

I always carry mine in my purse. But perhaps that's not the route you want to go... ;)

Hoch aye, it takes but a wee space in a sporran, and it's aye more handy than a dirk, e'en for the most veteran kilt wearer!

_______________________
...Weird sgeans inside the gold mine...

That was a joke, UG, not a technical description. :rolleyes:

I have unintentionally used it as a circuit breaker tripper when removing the base of broken incandescent lightbulb

Some of the guys I work with carry leathermans and will wip them out for any reason , I DON'T carry one for the reason stated above , i work around TOO much live power AND the leatherman tool are FAR from the best ,
As to that knife shaped slab of steel that NBN showed , in the marines , in the field , newbys would have some thing like that , and learn REAL quick that it was useless and heavy , I ' ll take a few bics of some USEfull field blades , hell I 'll lay out ALL my blades for comment .

Ok folks here is the blades i could lay hands on quick ,
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11268176@N00/47303485/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/31/47303485_378cc1f1d3_o.jpg" width="720" height="540" alt="b1" /></a>
And here are the big blades ,
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11268176@N00/47303486/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/33/47303486_826ccf1715_o.jpg" width="720" height="540" alt="bb1" /></a>

The three at the bottom are my field blades from the USMC ,
Kbar on the left , Marines MUST have a K-Bar !!!
Tanto point , This was my newby knife , I carryed it for 3 years in the field . The old guys approved , hell the gunny approved when it came time to cut open ammo crates .
and a Bianchi Knight Hawk , expencive but the BEST field knife EVER !!!!
My LT freaked when he knoticed I had the same field knife as him ,

Oh the top big blade is a Machete a friend brought back from El-Salvaror for me , he saw it and said " OH THAT IS SOOO Chris !!!"

:mg: :faints:

drool.

I knew you were a real cutup. ;)

You got a Mauser for the bayonet in the middle?

And the Bianchi: yep. The blade of the knife, and its heat-treat, and its associated tang, are where you want to put your money. Get a high-end blade, recommended by people who've done very tough knife chores, and the knife just keeps working. The blade works well, everything else just seems to fall into place.

You got a Mauser for the bayonet in the middle?

Actualy there WERE 2 , both misterisly dissapeared from a cousins house , "burglers broke in and ALL they took was the 2 mausers??!!?? Oh hey check out this Cool Mauser based deer rifle I just got " FStick traded one to fix up the other . See why I don't have much to do with my family !!!!!

And the Bianchi: Yep Killer blade !!! BITCH to sharpen , but it DOESN'T get dull !!! I'v cut down small trees with this knife , and the sheath is REAL , not some bull shit stapled togather thingee , Stiched and oiled ( http://www.bianchi-intl.com/ ) ,
I used to lay it out for inspection when I was in the USMC , Gunny was pissed untill he looked at it close , Sharp!!!( he layed his thumb open ONCE ) clean blade , leather treated correctly , brass shined ,
then he approved .

Sounds like the blade may be one of those wear resistant alloys like ATS34. They really hold an edge but being particularly good at wear resistance, guess how stubborn they are on a whetstone.

Situation like that, I'd use diamond hones and sharpeners... I'll see if I can find a link or two...

Eze-Laps, ultra-fine to coarse

Zip. Are you sure about the 3rd. knife? Bianchi Knight Hawk. I did a search and didn't find. bb

Good thinking UG, you just never know when you'll need to break out into close quarters combat at church nowdays. :biggrin:


God has a sense of humor........do you?

just bought these 3 on ebay for less than $150(AU) all up, including postage

http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sel...ages/MT046.jpg
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/...hunt/whole.jpg
this one is 79cm long...god damn.
http://images.marketworks.com/hi/59/...swdd3h_a00.jpg

I assume that middle one only looks like a Gil Hibben, but isn't really ... (the sheath looks too cheap for his work, and as photographed, the blade doesn't look as graceful).

It is really cool, though.

Zip. Are you sure about the 3rd. knife? Bianchi Knight Hawk. I did a search and didn't find. bb

BB, Positive , Bianchi had the knife made by solengen in Germany and made the sheath them selfs , they were only out 1-2 years , expencive ( $150+ in 1983 ) and no body wanted to spend THAT much on a field knife .

UG , I beleve it is 410 stainless , I don't rember

Very close combat; longest blade on the #1888 is about an inch. The opposition faces the death of a thousand cuts, which will take a while.
:eek: <-- Aa! Oo! Ee! Oy! Aa! Oo!...

i've got a pretty nice collection. i stumbled across THIS thread while looking for another. i had tried to get this going a while back....it's only a few but, they're classics. i'll try to post more picks. i know a couple of you will really appreciate some the collection. i use the gerber to skin deer. that knife can hold an edge!

Gerbers rock. (tee hee. This is funnier if you know their logo is the sword in the stone)

I have at least 6.

7.

Mark I
LST (special signature edition #1 of 500)
Bolt Action
EZ-Out straight
EZ-Out serrated
Paraframe
Paraframe mini
Multitool
Mini Multitool (scissors, no pliers)

Um. 9.

Assuming I remembered them all.

I can't take pictures of all of them, because I am unable to locate them all at the same time. I think there's a rule.

I like Gerber, too.

I have a few, including a camp axe that I use and love. But the Multitool is a conspicuous disappointment. In fact, it sucks. I have tried to live with the way the parts deploy, and are used, and we just don't get along. The quality of construction, the edge holding ability of the blade, not prob. But the design of the tool is really awkward for every use that isn't the pliers. Maybe I just need a majority of plier tasks to make the tool "better". *sigh*

Me too.....except the strained beets. :vomit:




Would it help if I said I'm sorry?

Heck, Bruce, any canned beet is a strain. [urp, :thepain3: ack] Canned diced beets were the bane of my young life as a six-year-old, as were buttered parsnips. While complaining about the dinner menu was an absolute no-no in my parents' home, these did in due course go off the menu.