Show us your knife

[Charlie Delta]

So I was thinking, we've got quite some of the items that most of us modern day gentlemen carry with us/wear/enjoy everyday, (and will hopefully have with us for a while to come) covered.

We've got jeans, leather shoes and boots, other leather goods, watches(this one is good too) , eyewear, (did I forget something?) but one thing that I hardly ever hear anything about are pocket knifes.

Every gentleman needs a pocket knife, you'll never know when it comes in handy, I also think it's very classy when you're having a big piece of meat at a restaurant and you've got your own razorsharp knife to cut it with.

I'm sure some of you must have a nice one hidden in your backpocket.

Show us what you've got!

I'll start:

my Laguiole knife,

these knifes are known the world over (and faked alot) but they originally come from a small town in the French region Aveyron.

Traditionally every boy in the region at a certain stage in his life would get given a knife like this, and this sort of symbolised his passing to adulthood.

Nowadays they are hugely popular and have been redesigned numorous times, by people like Phillip Starck, Sonya Rykiel and Courreges.

My family has a house 15 minutes from Laguiole, going there every summer I saw it grow from a very oldfashioned small town to a small city that thrives on the "knife industry".

A couple of summers ago I decided that I wanted to buy one of these for myself from money that my grandfather left me.

Actually being able to go to the town where these come from only made the choise more difficult, seeing as there is a different knife shop every 5 meters.

I had to back there 3 times before I finally decided wich knife I wanted to get.

What made deciding a bit easier was that I decided that I wanted a completely matt chrome one, as opposed to the traditional shiny silver with gold details. I also wanted a wood handle.

I chose to get one with a corkscrew since it's always good to be able to open a bottle of wine wherever you are and because it makes the overall appearance of the knife a bit more sofisticated and a little less "agressive" as it is such a sleek, long and pointy blade.

The shape of this type handle with the corkscrew is sometimes reffered to as the "womans leg"

Every part of these knifes is handcrafted with great care and there were versions that had the ornamental carving all along the blade aswell.

Note the typical bee on top, this is maybe the only part that I'm not 100% sure about on mine, traditionally it's a lot more detailed and the way this one is stylized makes it look a bit too much like a fly in my opinion.

Apart from the regular differences like colours, size, larger rounded handle, corkscrew or not, ice pick sort of thingy, different materials for the handle etc etc, there's also a huge variety of different details and each workshop again specialises in certain ones such as full wood handles (no visible metal apart from the blade), Damascus steel blade, ornamentely carved handles etc.

I went for a slightly updated simple classic design.

(This pattern of those small metal points is the traditional one named "shepherd cross")

Every workshop also has their own logo, some of them so awfully big and obnoxious this made picking one alot easier....

Traditionally this part is made from horn, but I wanted wood.

This didn't make the decision easier since there were lots of different types to choose from, in the end I had to choose between 3 types, Olive, Rosewood and Juniper.

I ended up going for Juniper since that's something that traditionally grows in the region. The Rosewood was also beautifull but I found it too shiny and I prefered the grain of this one.

Phew, long post, might have gone a bit overboard with the pics...

But this is truly an amazing knife and I'm still very happy with it everytime I use it.

Now show us yours!

[fre-co]

Nice knife!

I just have a swiss army huntsman for camping.

While in Corsica I saw similar looking knives to yours (to the untrained eye), I wonder if they were a local tradition too. Olive wood was very popular there, which I like a lot.

Can I be rude and ask how much?

[RAISED BY WOLVES]

I've had many knives over the years, but this was one given to me by my pops as a gift when I graduated highschool. It has been a great, durable knife, and has come in handy on many occasions.

I no longer carry it cause the cops ran up on me by my work, threw me against the wall, and took it from me. I had to go to court to get it back, and the process made me realize that it isn't worth carrying something like that in NYC any longer. If I think I'm gonna have to shank a man up, I'll just take the advice of the cocksucking cop who slammed me up against the wall warning me about the "crazzy niggers with pitbull dogs" in the PJ's and "carry a boxcutter".

[twistedtrees]

Mine's not anything close to Cotton's, but here's my cheap ($12) Gerber knife that I liked because it's a more modern, elitef-force-team, throat slicer. Good for the price:

[Charlie Delta]

While in Corsica I saw similar looking knives to yours (to the untrained eye), I wonder if they were a local tradition too.

Quite possible, I believe the original shape is very much like certain spanish knives.

Can I be rude and ask how much?

I'm not hunderd precent sure anymore but I believe I paid around €80 for mine. This is alot cheaper than it would've been had I bought it someplace else.

The really expensive ones where all very ornamental.

[twistedtrees]

I no longer carry it cause the cops ran up on me by my work, threw me against the wall, and took it from me. I had to go to court to get it back, and the process made me realize that it isn't worth carrying something like that in NYC any longer.

So what's the deal with not being able to carry self-defense stuff in big cities? I'm moving to Chicago and a friend who lives there was saying even pepper spray is illegal there. But they'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands...

[RAISED BY WOLVES]

Quite possible, I believe the original shape is very much like certain spanish knives.

I have one of those that pops brought me back from Extramadura, Spain as well. A beatiful knife.

[fg0d]

I got two of these muthafuckas hanging on the wall.

[snugglepony]

can't link to better pictures because my work blocks "weapons" sites (jesus...), but i've carried a benchmade 690 for the last five or six years. here's an ebay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Benchmade-690-Rosewood-Carbon-Fiber-Plain-Edge-MIB_W0QQitemZ110147442104QQcmdZViewItem

it's a beautiful folder designed by allen elishewitz: rosewood and carbon scales, titanium frame/liner, and mine's numbered 27/1000 from the first production run... doubt i'll ever need another pocketknife!

[Charlie Delta]

So what's the deal with not being able to carry self-defense stuff in big cities?

Carrying a knife is illegal in Amsterdam for sure, I always have it with me and I've never had any trouble with it though, but I do have it in a leather sleeve in my bag in a pouch along with my camera, tripod, handsfree set etc. So it's not that obvious.

The cops do random "weapon searches" in certain area's and I'm not sure if I would be able to talk them out of taking it from me. That's also what I meant with it looking less agressive by having the corkscrew.

But it really is just a pocket knife.

[poly800rock]

i don't have a picture off hand, but i bought a benchmade butterfly knife last year. i remember telling me ex how much it cost, and she almost hit me.

[Charlie Delta]

^ hahaha!!!

[soundbomber]

[keagan]

when I lived in detroit I carryed a 7'' switchblade...

I don't carry anything anymore but a 2'' swiss army knife, and that I only carry for the bottle opener and nail file.

[aziz]

Live by the knife...die by the knife.

[jayrock]

Well played, sir. I also have a Laguiole knife, sans corkscrew with a horn tip handle and a key chain attachment. It was given to me as a gift.

They had an interesting paper that came with the knife, which I've so kindly reprinted for everyone. Please excuse any typos, as I just flew through this rather quickly.

Laguiole

The world's most elegant cutlery

In a throwaway society, here is an object you will keep for the rest of your life, then leave to your grandchildren -- Laguiole, the world's most elegant knife. To the French, this is the tool of choice for uncorking the Beaune-Greves, slicing saucisson, spreading pate, coating a slice of country bread with roquefort. Or gutting a trout. Or opening a letter.

In short, Laguiole cutlery is for living well.

Not just another Jacques Knife

The Laguiole (pronounced Layol) originated as a herdsman's knife and is a blend of Spanish and French craft influences. Knives in this style were first produced commercially by Pierre Jean Calmels in 1829; corkscrews were added to the knives in about 1880 when the distribution of wine in bottles, rather than in barrels, became popular. Le Sommelier, the corkscrew made by Societe Laguiole, was introduced in 1995.

Each piece original and handcrafted

Each of our knives and corkscrews is authentic in its provenance, hand made in Laguiole by Forge de Laguiole, founded in 1987 to restore the craft of knife making to this small town in the Aveyron region of South Central France. Forge de Laguiole, a prize winner for design in the European Community competition of 1992, employus about 90 people in all.

Each Laguiole is an original piece, hand-fashioned from brass, 440 stainless steel, horn tip or precious woods, and engraved with the distinctive Laguiole Bee. On the corkscrew the bee is stylized but present, resting at the tip of the worm. Open a knife or corkscrew and hold it: nothing fits the hand like a Laguiole.

Some knife models have a poincon(sp), a spike useful to sailors leather-workers and other who neeed to poke holes. French hersmen use the poincon(sp) to poke holes in sheep or cows bloated from eating green forage.

The cross of small rivets on many of the handles allows countrymen unable to attend Sunday services to creat their own place of worship by opening the blad and planting the kinfe in the stony Aveyron ground. Should you feel called to do so, it is perfectly acceptable to plant your Laguiole, for the same purpose, in the soft turf of the golf course.

Bee of fly?

No one is sure; there is evidence for both. Some say the decoration on the sspine of the knife represents flies which torment cows and sheep, and shepherds for that matter, in the summer. Others insist that it is an imperial bee awarded for loyal service to citizens of the Laguiole region by Napoleon the First in the early 1800's. History supports advocates of the bee -- these insects appear to have decorated French knives since the 1700's.

Conventions, traditions and care

French tradition advises that when you receive a knife as a gift, you must offer a coin in return to assure that the knife doesn't cut your friendship with the person who gave you the knife. Also:

-Once in a while, place a small drop of oil at the junction of the blade and the handle.

-Never snap a blade closed, ease it closed to maintain the edge.

-To sharpen, use a high quality oil, water or diamond stone, or a ceramic sharpener. The pocket knives are T12 stainless stee. The table knives are 440A stainless.

-Please don't sharpen the pocket knives all the way to the tip of the blade. Doing so shortens the blade and it will not seat proper in the handle.

-Do no soak the wooden or horn tip handles in water; oil the wood from time to time with a fine wood polish. Wipe horn handles clean with a soft cloth. Polish brass bolsters with any high quality brass polish. Please, never soak a Laguiole or put a Laguiole in the dishwasher.

-All of our horn handles are horn tip -- matched from the solid tip of the same cow horn. Torn tip is denser, more stable and has more depth and characters than the hollow part of the horn more commonly used in knife handles.

Authenticity

As with many fine products, there are imitation Laguioles. Some are made in France, other in Asia. The Laguiole you have bought is the only onge forged and made by hand entirely in the town of Laguiole. Many of our models, but not all, bear the mark "LAGUIOLE ORGINE GARANTIE," certifying that they are made in the Canton of Laguiole, conform to strict technical specifications and are made in adherence to traditional methods of hand assembly. This mark is available only to a company which conforms to the demanding criteria of the French issuing organization.

Thank you for buying a Laguiole; we hope you enjoy it. The quality and workmanship of every piece is guaranteed. Should you have any questions about the care of use of you knife, or would like to klnow more aobut this or Laguiole products, call us at [empty]

That part about closing the knife slowly is especially true! The first time I tried to close this little fucker, it just about chopped off my thumb! Luckily my heavy duty thumb-nail was there for the save.

[Charlie Delta]

^Nice, better pics later?

Did you also get a cent with it?

To "pay" the person who gave it to you?

Getting given a knife supposably is bad luck, you should always buy it.

Hence the symbolical cent payment.

In a throwaway society, here is an object you will keep for the rest of your life, then leave to your grandchildren

This is what I was trying to say in the firts post basicly

[Guest Airjamie]

The infamous microtech scarab. Not as large as the halo and definately not as cumbersome. Its funny that i still see people buying halo's...the mechanisms on the newer models make them look like antiques.

[jayrock]

Yes, I gave a coin to the "gifter," if you will.

It's just a little guy and I mostly just use if to open letters and whatnot, but it is nice to have a sharp blade on call if needed.

the bee

opened

I need to get a digital camera, because this camera phone isn't cutting it.

[fre-co]

I knew I had seen that name before.

I saw some Laguiole cutlery knives in the department store when we were buying cutlery and read the leaflet that came with them.

[Charlie Delta]

Note the differnces between Jayrock's and mine.

His are the traditional colours and material combination.

That classic bee is so much nicer than mine though....

[mizanation]

i too grew up carrying a knife. i had several growing up, some given to me, some i bought. after moving to new york, it's just not worth the hassle. also, with the heightened security at airports, it's not even worth it to travel with one. i actually had to throw away a brand new pocket knife that i bought when it got snagged in the airport security check.

so, no more knives for me.

[Charlie Delta]

^sorry to hear that Miz,

I knew you would pop up in this thread though....

[l3ootlegs]

um, cool

I don't have a knife with me. but i got those...

http://www.suck.uk.com/photos/key-bottle-opener4.jpg

[thomas_highstreet]

why do you carry knives? you gonna stab someone? or do you whittle?

[mizanation]

yeah, i had a few nice ones.

the sharpest blades i've ever seen were in japan. the area where my grandma was from, niigata, is famous for their knives. they perfected the art of blade making during japan's warring feudal times. my friend requested that i bring back a good cooking knife from japan. luckily, they had knives from all over the world at tokyu hands, and the salesman recommended that i get their finest knife, which, coincidentally, is made in niigata.

when i tested the knife with my friend, we sliced through paper just by touching it. it was really scary how sharp that thing was.

my grandma had a little knife that looked like a tiny katana with a plain wooden sheath. i always wanted to carry it around, but i would probably get thrown in jail if a cop every frisked me.

[proteus]

Though it's illegal for us to carry knives, I like the ones by Strider with the cord wrapped handles. Ok technically they're combat knives but still.

[Biff15]

[twistedtrees]

why do you carry knives? you gonna stab someone? or do you whittle?

I used to think the same, then I started carrying one & find that I use the thing all the time. Plus what's the phrase...rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6....so yeah, shanking mu'fuckers.

[TokenIndianKid]

SOG Pentagon Elite II

has served me well