"The first is that the “safety” mechanism that protects against accidental flip-opens is completely unnecessary and is far more likely to keep you from opening the knife when you want it to be open. "
I'm going to disagree. When I carry my leek, safety mechanism off. When I don't carry my leek, i turn it on to prevent my ambitious toddler from having an accident. Pull the knife out, throw it on the counter and not have to worry about it being in reaching distance.
“It’s like a Kershaw Leek that costs the same amount of money and isn’t as good, plus it’s made in China.” This is my new pet peeve. The “high quality” Chinese products that sell for the same price as things made in non-shithole countries. A few months ago I was buying some socks. I was sick of going through socks so quickly and I was willing to pay more for quality wool socks that would last. I ordered some from “Darn Tough Vermont” and they are great. Merino wool, comfortable, durable, made in the USA, and an unconditional lifetime warranty. They’re like $25 a pair but with the guarantee, you only have to buy them once. Then I discovered there is a company here in Utah “Grip6” that also makes merino wool hiking socks. They knit them in Utah with wool that is grown locally and processed and spun in the US. They sell for about $19 a pair. They also have an unconditional lifetime warranty. I ordered a few pairs from them because, all other things being equal, I would rather support the more local company. I’ve been really pleased with them. They are super soft and they have padding in all the right places and stretch in all the right places. What makes me angry is there is another much larger sock company here in Utah (Stance) that everything they sell is made overseas, they don’t have a lifetime warranty, and they sell for around the same price as the US made ones I bought from Darn Tough and Grip6. Obviously they could produce them in the US and still maintain a competitive price point because there are other people doing it! That means they’ve made the conscious decision to do their manufacturing overseas when they don’t have to. They probably couldn’t maintain their same margins and their celebrity endorsements and their licensing deals but they could make it work. I’m sure it’s not healthy to get so worked up over socks but here I am. Anyways, I heartily recommend the Grip6 and Darn Tough socks.
I am a massive Grip6 customer for the belts and wallets, and I have a lot of Darn Tough socks.
This "upscale Chinese" thing is VERY MUCH A THING and you particularly see it on Massdrop and other "buyers group" sites where they will make a huge jizzy deal about some headphones or something from a PARTICULAR CHINESE SUPPLIER. Every time those morons try to sell me a $215 Chinese keyboard I want to take my $89 Unicomp from June 6, 2008, on which I am typing this response, and bash it over their stupid heads.
How much have your fingers and palms polished the space bar and lower ledge of the Unicomp? I hate modern keyboards. Trackpads too. I had so much trouble trying to figure out how to use Asus' trackpad with the laser software I ended up just buying a small wireless mouse.
"How much have your fingers and palms polished the space bar and lower ledge of the Unicomp?"
Not much, to be honest... and this is a keyboard with perhaps 20,000 hours of use on it. My old Model M boards are better than the Unicomp but I've been too lazy to convert them to USB.
I've been typing on an M for 10+ years and recently got a Unicomp because I wanted a Windows key (don't judge me). They redid all their tooling in the last couple years so apparently the quality has improved quite a bit. I ended up selling my M because I preferred the typing feel of the Unicomp. I think they sound better as well. More thock less ping.
If you haven't already you should check out the new Model F reproductions https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/. He's working on doing a beamspring reproduction right now as well.
Took a look -- I like his dedication and the amount of thought that's being put into it, but for that kind of money I could have a USA-made original Model F restored and then some rather than buy a Chinese reproduction.
I ordered a belt and a wallet from Grip6 too. They are kind of unique and I didn’t think I’d like them but I really like what they’re doing with American manufacturing and I wanted to support local jobs. I actually love them. They are really well designed and functional. You really should try the socks. I think they’re a little more comfortable than the Darn Tough ones. The wool is finer/softer. Time will tell if they hold up as well as the Darn Tough.
Jan 19, 2023·edited Jan 20, 2023Liked by Jack Baruth
If any of you knife enthusiasts would like a graphic or some lettering etched on the blade or handle. my new laser can etch stainless. https://rokemneedlearts.com/images/knife.jpg BTW, that's a bread knife, not a mohel messer. Contact info: rokem@netzero.net
So I ask this with genuine curiosity; what is the purpose of these types of knives and the whole “EDC” thing? Is it just gadget fetishism? I work a spreadsheet job and have never needed a knife in my day to day, and if I were to need something it is as easy as fetching a knife or Leatherman or other tool out of the kit I keep in each car. Is it a personal defense thing? I have (insert handgun) for that, and minimal confidence in my ability to win a knife fight. If it is just a gotta have it thing, cool, no judgement here, knives are cool and I have several, but they’re all for a purpose (hunting, box cutter, etc etc) and for EDC I always felt like a Leatherman or equivalent is more useful day to day.
The whole EDC thing is definitely an attempt to masculinize the white-collar life and/or possess some sort of tools and items in a world where we can't carry swords or guns or heraldic shields.
But a good knife is better than nothing in many cases.
I have a couple of walking sticks made by Brazos, a twisted sassafrass Brazos and a cheaper Trail Blazer made from an unidentified wood and sold by Walmart for just $15. Both are Made in the U.S.A.
When people ask me why I use a walking stick I either mention tendonitis and a tibial plateau fracture, the fact that using a staff is an old Jewish tradtion going back before Moses, or, if they aren't weenies, that you can carry a walking stick places where they won't let you carry a weapon. A 55" hardwood walking stick should be able to keep anyone who isn't carrying a firearm at bay and there are actual martial arts related to staffs and walking sticks like the French La Canne. https://www.nycsteampunk.com/bartitsu/manuals/TheWalkingStickMethodOfSelfDefence1923.pdf
I started carrying a knife in boy scouts (cub scouts maybe?). I even carried a small pocket knife to 6th grade. If you find me without a cutting tool in my pocket or on my kit, I'll buy you a beer.
You don't realize how often it comes in handy until you have one on you for a year or two non-stop.
My job is military, but I'm mostly an excel ranger, not an airborne one. That said, I still manage to find daily uses for my pocket knives.
All that being said, for me, a lot of it is a hobby. I like knives, I love the woods and doing woodcraft bullshit with gorgeous fixed blades. I like knowing I can make stuff with a knife (feather sticks, dead fall traps, shelter...). I like the craftsmanship that goes into a quality cutting tool. And I really like making them super sharp.
My "EDC" is a Spyderco Native. I've owned and lost a couple Leeks and really liked them, but chose the Spyderco simply because it was made and can be serviced (sharpened) at the Spyderco factory in Golden, CO., about 15 minutes away from my house (also, pretty much across the street from the Holidaily Brewing Co BONUS!).
My desk job mainly involves knife fights with boxes, packing materials and the occasional over packaged item in my lunch box. I almost always win but the victory is much easier with a decent knife on hand. As for personal protection? Much better to show up at a knife-fight with a (insert handgun).
re Leatherman I usually only need the knife anyway, either just to open a box or to cut a fool (just kidding, or am I?). If I need one of the tools on the Leatherman then I usually just get the actual tool, although I will say that the wire cutters are better than 90% of the Chinese crap on the shelf at the big box stores.
They're just a widely useful tool to use and abuse from food prep and sharing (hey can I have some apple?), to opening packages of all sorts, to breaking boxes down (which I do use my EDC Delica for and it always sharpens up right quick on the SpyderCo SharpMaker I got to assist my unskilled self in sharpening), to being used as an inappropriate prybar or lever point, to quickly trimming something, etc.
That carrying a multiuse and flexible tool, not even for defense, that has been with mankind for thousands of years is considered odd might be more of a $CURRENT_YEAR America convenient life sort of thing.
Carry a knife and you’ll be shocked how much you use it. I dont EDC but i have one at my desk at work and pretty much one in reaching distance all times at home and one in my jacket pocket.
I use my pocket knife every day at work. I carried a multi tool on my belt for a few months: actually weeks, now that I think about it. I’m in a trade that requires large, heavy tools for the most part. I never used anything on the multi tool except the knife blade and having it on my belt drove me crazy.
I do like them though. I just got a Leatherman for a nephew in the military and they are definitely lovely pieces of work.
I've carried a leatherman c33Tx (knife) daily for almost 20 years but it has screwdrivers and a bottle opener. Feel naked withouth it. The blade is almost exclusively for opening boxes.
somewhere around here i have a 10" approx flip-open knife and scabbard i got in toledo, spain, in '57. horn or bone handle in the frame. you flip a little tab on the side and then push it against a spring to sling the knife open. it's got a scene in enamel on the blade. the seller got a half-dollar off me and drove the point of his house demonstrator just through my coin. he wanted me to do the same thing with my new purchase but i demurred. cost nearly $60 back then
Jan 18, 2023·edited Jan 19, 2023Liked by Jack Baruth
The leek is affordable, until you buy the lynchNW clip, which is also affordable, and the custom finish LNW titanium prybar, which is not affordable, but which is cool and useful. It is also not likely to slice through a finger.
An acquaintance of mine sometimes does runs of prybars.
Aside from the usual features he drills and presses magnets in to hold bits and a friction fit cut to hold the bit for use; however, the ti material wears the bits so that the friction fit stops working over time.
The Leek is probably one of the first two knives I bought myself(along with a tanto Griptilian, which I also never carried) and I just never liked it. It feels so delicate, which is fine for some things, but for a knife to EDC, I simply couldn't get comfortable with it. Granted, at the price point, there is not a whole lot of great USA-made stuff, but I was always partial to the Kershaw Skyline, which has unfortunately been discontinued. It feels much more solid to me, granted with a slightly more fiddly deploy. There's some very nice Japanese-made stuff at a bit higher price point, but realistically, I don't know who else has the manufacturing economies of scale to make knives here at that price point. Maybe Gerber, but they seem to only recently be coming back to more quality oriented knives. I am jealous of people who can buy one decent knife and be done with it - a couple cheaper knives quickly degenerated into several dozen significantly more expensive knives.
Common scam now is to accept payment on eBay then never ship the product; some percentage of buyers will never demand a refund, and even if they do it's like getting a no-interest loan for a couple months. Happened to me a few times.
"Prior to Sep 11th you could carry a Leek on a domestic flight, something I did a few times, because the blade is just 3 inches long..."
I don't give a flying fuck about knives. I have a silly Leatherman that sits in my kitchen junk drawer and I don't think I've ever used the blade; rarely do I encounter a situation where my old Stanley utility knife isn't sufficient and worst case I have use my house keys to open a box. Never understood the fascination with carrying one at all times.
BUT! Not being able to carry a wimpy pocket knife on an aircraft is the sort of thing that triggers me and feels worthy of further discussion. And if one is okay with that, isn't it worth wondering why you can't pack a regular sized tube of toothpaste, or why we're still going barefoot through the metal detectors over 20 years after that idiot tried to blow up his shoes? Does any of this really matter?
As is often the case, George Carlin was prescient in 1999: "I'm tired of some guy with a double digit IQ and a triple digit income rooting around inside of my bag for no reason and never finding anything...it's just one more way of reducing your liberty and reminding you they can fuck with you any time they want."
One important reason I own firearms is BECAUSE MERICA. I don't edc any of them— I follow the "avoid stupid places and stupid people at stupid times" rule— but I treasure the right to choose to edc (in my state, anyway). It rankles me that a responsible adult isn't allowed to carry even an unloaded handgun, or a loaded toothpaste tube, aboard a plane.
John Farnam's rule against stupid people, places, and times is a splendid rule. It will keep you out of a lot of trouble. It's also worth noting that Mr. Farnam...the man who coined the phrase you're using...also carries multiple firearms and knives on his person at all times. The man nearly clanks when he walks. He doesn't move fast, but in his late 70's now he's not going to outrun trouble should it find him and hasn't really been able to for quite some time.
I love the leek. I've lost a few of them over the years. But if I'm doing ken onion stuff it's gotta be the blur. The grip-tape - ala skateboard - on the scales is oddly satisfying. I have a black one in s30v and I bought my wife a green one with the
cheaper blade steel. It's her purse knife.
That said, you're completely right about the leek being so good that it gets shit from internet experts for not being unique enough or whatever. That's poppycock of course. Just look at a Sabenza for instance, there's nothing revolutionary going on there, it's just fantastic. That's what the Leek does. ...at least it looks that way from my foxhole.
And I also fully endorse anything from pro-tech. High quality stuff.
Heartache... I lost a d2 leek in my late father's back yard while I was trying to yank old motorcycles around in the months after his passing. I'm comforted that it's in the loamy soil of my childhood home.
I have literally said the exact same thing in one of these comment sections. I own two blurs. A tanto and a regular with the better steel. I also own a leek and have lost 3 more
I have a Kershaw Leek and a Turbulence that I keep around the house that I use all the time. My EDC is a Benchmade 940 though which I would replace with a Leek if I ever lost it. All great knives. I've taken the clips off every one of them because, in my experience, the only thing they're good for is to get caught on something and pull the knife out of my pocket and lose it forever. I'd rather fish around in my pocket than to risk losing another knife.
I've got a friend I've given three Leeks to. She lost the first two, but has managed to hang onto the one I equipped with a deep carry clip. (No, I wasn't dating her. Yes, you may question my sanity.)
I have a few Benchmad pocket knives for carry when I'm not at work. When I'm actually at work I tend to carry disposable stuff that I won't mind losing. Milwaukee utility knife, HF flathead screwdriver, Channellock Griplock pliers.
Channellock has quite a few tools that fall into the MISA-Reasonably Affordable category.
I have a leek that I really like except for one thing. The handle material is high quality and well done, but too slippery for my hand. It’s relegated to household duty instead of a carry knife. But it holds an edge and is very well made. I also have an ember with. 2” blade. I love it and it’s perfect to carry in places where blade lengths are restricted. Kershaws are some of my favorite knives, which also include a Benchmade and a few Spydercos.
As of the beginning of this year, Automatic knives are legal in Pennsylvania. I’ve never owned one and don’t know that I will, but does anyone have any recommendations?
"The first is that the “safety” mechanism that protects against accidental flip-opens is completely unnecessary and is far more likely to keep you from opening the knife when you want it to be open. "
I'm going to disagree. When I carry my leek, safety mechanism off. When I don't carry my leek, i turn it on to prevent my ambitious toddler from having an accident. Pull the knife out, throw it on the counter and not have to worry about it being in reaching distance.
Good point.
“It’s like a Kershaw Leek that costs the same amount of money and isn’t as good, plus it’s made in China.” This is my new pet peeve. The “high quality” Chinese products that sell for the same price as things made in non-shithole countries. A few months ago I was buying some socks. I was sick of going through socks so quickly and I was willing to pay more for quality wool socks that would last. I ordered some from “Darn Tough Vermont” and they are great. Merino wool, comfortable, durable, made in the USA, and an unconditional lifetime warranty. They’re like $25 a pair but with the guarantee, you only have to buy them once. Then I discovered there is a company here in Utah “Grip6” that also makes merino wool hiking socks. They knit them in Utah with wool that is grown locally and processed and spun in the US. They sell for about $19 a pair. They also have an unconditional lifetime warranty. I ordered a few pairs from them because, all other things being equal, I would rather support the more local company. I’ve been really pleased with them. They are super soft and they have padding in all the right places and stretch in all the right places. What makes me angry is there is another much larger sock company here in Utah (Stance) that everything they sell is made overseas, they don’t have a lifetime warranty, and they sell for around the same price as the US made ones I bought from Darn Tough and Grip6. Obviously they could produce them in the US and still maintain a competitive price point because there are other people doing it! That means they’ve made the conscious decision to do their manufacturing overseas when they don’t have to. They probably couldn’t maintain their same margins and their celebrity endorsements and their licensing deals but they could make it work. I’m sure it’s not healthy to get so worked up over socks but here I am. Anyways, I heartily recommend the Grip6 and Darn Tough socks.
I am a massive Grip6 customer for the belts and wallets, and I have a lot of Darn Tough socks.
This "upscale Chinese" thing is VERY MUCH A THING and you particularly see it on Massdrop and other "buyers group" sites where they will make a huge jizzy deal about some headphones or something from a PARTICULAR CHINESE SUPPLIER. Every time those morons try to sell me a $215 Chinese keyboard I want to take my $89 Unicomp from June 6, 2008, on which I am typing this response, and bash it over their stupid heads.
For those not familiar with Unicomp, that would be assault with a deadly weapon. (Typed on an IBM Model M, the Unicomp is upstairs).
How much have your fingers and palms polished the space bar and lower ledge of the Unicomp? I hate modern keyboards. Trackpads too. I had so much trouble trying to figure out how to use Asus' trackpad with the laser software I ended up just buying a small wireless mouse.
"How much have your fingers and palms polished the space bar and lower ledge of the Unicomp?"
Not much, to be honest... and this is a keyboard with perhaps 20,000 hours of use on it. My old Model M boards are better than the Unicomp but I've been too lazy to convert them to USB.
I've been typing on an M for 10+ years and recently got a Unicomp because I wanted a Windows key (don't judge me). They redid all their tooling in the last couple years so apparently the quality has improved quite a bit. I ended up selling my M because I preferred the typing feel of the Unicomp. I think they sound better as well. More thock less ping.
If you haven't already you should check out the new Model F reproductions https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/. He's working on doing a beamspring reproduction right now as well.
This speaks directly to my interests!
Took a look -- I like his dedication and the amount of thought that's being put into it, but for that kind of money I could have a USA-made original Model F restored and then some rather than buy a Chinese reproduction.
I ordered a belt and a wallet from Grip6 too. They are kind of unique and I didn’t think I’d like them but I really like what they’re doing with American manufacturing and I wanted to support local jobs. I actually love them. They are really well designed and functional. You really should try the socks. I think they’re a little more comfortable than the Darn Tough ones. The wool is finer/softer. Time will tell if they hold up as well as the Darn Tough.
If any of you knife enthusiasts would like a graphic or some lettering etched on the blade or handle. my new laser can etch stainless. https://rokemneedlearts.com/images/knife.jpg BTW, that's a bread knife, not a mohel messer. Contact info: rokem@netzero.net
So I ask this with genuine curiosity; what is the purpose of these types of knives and the whole “EDC” thing? Is it just gadget fetishism? I work a spreadsheet job and have never needed a knife in my day to day, and if I were to need something it is as easy as fetching a knife or Leatherman or other tool out of the kit I keep in each car. Is it a personal defense thing? I have (insert handgun) for that, and minimal confidence in my ability to win a knife fight. If it is just a gotta have it thing, cool, no judgement here, knives are cool and I have several, but they’re all for a purpose (hunting, box cutter, etc etc) and for EDC I always felt like a Leatherman or equivalent is more useful day to day.
Genuinely curious here.
The whole EDC thing is definitely an attempt to masculinize the white-collar life and/or possess some sort of tools and items in a world where we can't carry swords or guns or heraldic shields.
But a good knife is better than nothing in many cases.
I have a couple of walking sticks made by Brazos, a twisted sassafrass Brazos and a cheaper Trail Blazer made from an unidentified wood and sold by Walmart for just $15. Both are Made in the U.S.A.
When people ask me why I use a walking stick I either mention tendonitis and a tibial plateau fracture, the fact that using a staff is an old Jewish tradtion going back before Moses, or, if they aren't weenies, that you can carry a walking stick places where they won't let you carry a weapon. A 55" hardwood walking stick should be able to keep anyone who isn't carrying a firearm at bay and there are actual martial arts related to staffs and walking sticks like the French La Canne. https://www.nycsteampunk.com/bartitsu/manuals/TheWalkingStickMethodOfSelfDefence1923.pdf
I'll take a look at these.
That’s both blindingly obvious and something that never occurred to me. Speaks volumes about my powers of perception.
I started carrying a knife in boy scouts (cub scouts maybe?). I even carried a small pocket knife to 6th grade. If you find me without a cutting tool in my pocket or on my kit, I'll buy you a beer.
You don't realize how often it comes in handy until you have one on you for a year or two non-stop.
My job is military, but I'm mostly an excel ranger, not an airborne one. That said, I still manage to find daily uses for my pocket knives.
All that being said, for me, a lot of it is a hobby. I like knives, I love the woods and doing woodcraft bullshit with gorgeous fixed blades. I like knowing I can make stuff with a knife (feather sticks, dead fall traps, shelter...). I like the craftsmanship that goes into a quality cutting tool. And I really like making them super sharp.
My "EDC" is a Spyderco Native. I've owned and lost a couple Leeks and really liked them, but chose the Spyderco simply because it was made and can be serviced (sharpened) at the Spyderco factory in Golden, CO., about 15 minutes away from my house (also, pretty much across the street from the Holidaily Brewing Co BONUS!).
My desk job mainly involves knife fights with boxes, packing materials and the occasional over packaged item in my lunch box. I almost always win but the victory is much easier with a decent knife on hand. As for personal protection? Much better to show up at a knife-fight with a (insert handgun).
re Leatherman I usually only need the knife anyway, either just to open a box or to cut a fool (just kidding, or am I?). If I need one of the tools on the Leatherman then I usually just get the actual tool, although I will say that the wire cutters are better than 90% of the Chinese crap on the shelf at the big box stores.
They're just a widely useful tool to use and abuse from food prep and sharing (hey can I have some apple?), to opening packages of all sorts, to breaking boxes down (which I do use my EDC Delica for and it always sharpens up right quick on the SpyderCo SharpMaker I got to assist my unskilled self in sharpening), to being used as an inappropriate prybar or lever point, to quickly trimming something, etc.
That carrying a multiuse and flexible tool, not even for defense, that has been with mankind for thousands of years is considered odd might be more of a $CURRENT_YEAR America convenient life sort of thing.
Carry a knife and you’ll be shocked how much you use it. I dont EDC but i have one at my desk at work and pretty much one in reaching distance all times at home and one in my jacket pocket.
I use my pocket knife every day at work. I carried a multi tool on my belt for a few months: actually weeks, now that I think about it. I’m in a trade that requires large, heavy tools for the most part. I never used anything on the multi tool except the knife blade and having it on my belt drove me crazy.
I do like them though. I just got a Leatherman for a nephew in the military and they are definitely lovely pieces of work.
I've carried a leatherman c33Tx (knife) daily for almost 20 years but it has screwdrivers and a bottle opener. Feel naked withouth it. The blade is almost exclusively for opening boxes.
somewhere around here i have a 10" approx flip-open knife and scabbard i got in toledo, spain, in '57. horn or bone handle in the frame. you flip a little tab on the side and then push it against a spring to sling the knife open. it's got a scene in enamel on the blade. the seller got a half-dollar off me and drove the point of his house demonstrator just through my coin. he wanted me to do the same thing with my new purchase but i demurred. cost nearly $60 back then
Toledo, home of the swordmakers!
Holy Toledo, what a sword.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154094549135
The leek is affordable, until you buy the lynchNW clip, which is also affordable, and the custom finish LNW titanium prybar, which is not affordable, but which is cool and useful. It is also not likely to slice through a finger.
My LNW prybar collection is starting to be evidence of mental illness.
one of us, one of us
to say nothing of the guitars...
An acquaintance of mine sometimes does runs of prybars.
Aside from the usual features he drills and presses magnets in to hold bits and a friction fit cut to hold the bit for use; however, the ti material wears the bits so that the friction fit stops working over time.
https://www.instagram.com/luna_precision/
I don't know if he's still doing it or not as I'm not active on fb or ig.
The Leek is probably one of the first two knives I bought myself(along with a tanto Griptilian, which I also never carried) and I just never liked it. It feels so delicate, which is fine for some things, but for a knife to EDC, I simply couldn't get comfortable with it. Granted, at the price point, there is not a whole lot of great USA-made stuff, but I was always partial to the Kershaw Skyline, which has unfortunately been discontinued. It feels much more solid to me, granted with a slightly more fiddly deploy. There's some very nice Japanese-made stuff at a bit higher price point, but realistically, I don't know who else has the manufacturing economies of scale to make knives here at that price point. Maybe Gerber, but they seem to only recently be coming back to more quality oriented knives. I am jealous of people who can buy one decent knife and be done with it - a couple cheaper knives quickly degenerated into several dozen significantly more expensive knives.
A man after my own heart.
50 bucks plus USA quality is such a sweet spot for a knife to really use for its intended purposes.
any more details forthcoming on the razor testing process?
I'm waiting for my second shipment of blades off eBay. The seller is now a month behind schedule.
Common scam now is to accept payment on eBay then never ship the product; some percentage of buyers will never demand a refund, and even if they do it's like getting a no-interest loan for a couple months. Happened to me a few times.
can’t wait!
"Prior to Sep 11th you could carry a Leek on a domestic flight, something I did a few times, because the blade is just 3 inches long..."
I don't give a flying fuck about knives. I have a silly Leatherman that sits in my kitchen junk drawer and I don't think I've ever used the blade; rarely do I encounter a situation where my old Stanley utility knife isn't sufficient and worst case I have use my house keys to open a box. Never understood the fascination with carrying one at all times.
BUT! Not being able to carry a wimpy pocket knife on an aircraft is the sort of thing that triggers me and feels worthy of further discussion. And if one is okay with that, isn't it worth wondering why you can't pack a regular sized tube of toothpaste, or why we're still going barefoot through the metal detectors over 20 years after that idiot tried to blow up his shoes? Does any of this really matter?
As is often the case, George Carlin was prescient in 1999: "I'm tired of some guy with a double digit IQ and a triple digit income rooting around inside of my bag for no reason and never finding anything...it's just one more way of reducing your liberty and reminding you they can fuck with you any time they want."
One important reason I own firearms is BECAUSE MERICA. I don't edc any of them— I follow the "avoid stupid places and stupid people at stupid times" rule— but I treasure the right to choose to edc (in my state, anyway). It rankles me that a responsible adult isn't allowed to carry even an unloaded handgun, or a loaded toothpaste tube, aboard a plane.
John Farnam's rule against stupid people, places, and times is a splendid rule. It will keep you out of a lot of trouble. It's also worth noting that Mr. Farnam...the man who coined the phrase you're using...also carries multiple firearms and knives on his person at all times. The man nearly clanks when he walks. He doesn't move fast, but in his late 70's now he's not going to outrun trouble should it find him and hasn't really been able to for quite some time.
Yeah the ancillary, "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it," applies .
I love the leek. I've lost a few of them over the years. But if I'm doing ken onion stuff it's gotta be the blur. The grip-tape - ala skateboard - on the scales is oddly satisfying. I have a black one in s30v and I bought my wife a green one with the
cheaper blade steel. It's her purse knife.
That said, you're completely right about the leek being so good that it gets shit from internet experts for not being unique enough or whatever. That's poppycock of course. Just look at a Sabenza for instance, there's nothing revolutionary going on there, it's just fantastic. That's what the Leek does. ...at least it looks that way from my foxhole.
And I also fully endorse anything from pro-tech. High quality stuff.
Keep these USA posts coming. They're fun.
Want to hear something sad? I own TWO of the green Kershaw Bumps from the original anodized run.
And have lost them both.
Heartache... I lost a d2 leek in my late father's back yard while I was trying to yank old motorcycles around in the months after his passing. I'm comforted that it's in the loamy soil of my childhood home.
I have literally said the exact same thing in one of these comment sections. I own two blurs. A tanto and a regular with the better steel. I also own a leek and have lost 3 more
Birds of a feather and whatnot...
I have a Kershaw Leek and a Turbulence that I keep around the house that I use all the time. My EDC is a Benchmade 940 though which I would replace with a Leek if I ever lost it. All great knives. I've taken the clips off every one of them because, in my experience, the only thing they're good for is to get caught on something and pull the knife out of my pocket and lose it forever. I'd rather fish around in my pocket than to risk losing another knife.
I've lost probably 3 leeks this way. One of them with the fancy d2 composite blade in blavkwash... upsetting.
Take a look at the LynchNW clip, it won't completely solve the issue but it WILL help.
I did have a deep carry clip on one of them. It wasn't the lynch nw you mention. I was something off of etsy if memory serves.
I've got a friend I've given three Leeks to. She lost the first two, but has managed to hang onto the one I equipped with a deep carry clip. (No, I wasn't dating her. Yes, you may question my sanity.)
I have a few Benchmad pocket knives for carry when I'm not at work. When I'm actually at work I tend to carry disposable stuff that I won't mind losing. Milwaukee utility knife, HF flathead screwdriver, Channellock Griplock pliers.
Channellock has quite a few tools that fall into the MISA-Reasonably Affordable category.
I have a full set of ChannelLocks. Worth the money.
I have a leek that I really like except for one thing. The handle material is high quality and well done, but too slippery for my hand. It’s relegated to household duty instead of a carry knife. But it holds an edge and is very well made. I also have an ember with. 2” blade. I love it and it’s perfect to carry in places where blade lengths are restricted. Kershaws are some of my favorite knives, which also include a Benchmade and a few Spydercos.
in nyc, we can't even order pocket knives from amazon anymore. they refuse to deliver them.
Just part and parcel of living in a major city. I wonder if I could make a living smuggling dangerous items like Kershaw Scallions into Manhattan?
Knife smuggler sounds like an honorable profession to me. It also sounds like a euphemism for sodomy.
"I was smuggling knives in my... prison wallet."
As of the beginning of this year, Automatic knives are legal in Pennsylvania. I’ve never owned one and don’t know that I will, but does anyone have any recommendations?
Pro-Tech and Microtech are the best places to start.
Depending on where you are in PA, you can play with my pro-tech or Buck 110 auto. I'm in Montgomery County and work in Philadelphia.
That’s very kind, Thomas. I’m in Chester County, myself. One never knows when our paths might cross.
Think nothing of it. If you're here you're already a friend.
West Chester here! We’ve got our own SE PA contingent.
I’m in West Bradford Township, not far from the State Police Barracks. I’ve definitely gotten your power on over the years.
Have you ever gone to the Coatesville gran prix? So fun to see old cars and bikes actually operated in a small amount of anger.
I’ve been to it once. An acquaintance, one of the world’s most interesting men, was involved in organizing the first Coatesville Gran Prix.
Hmmmm, another rabbit hole here, love practical useful things.....