Small point of interest

[Nix]

For the past 10 days or so, I've been gone on a road trip to Minnesota.

I was planning on staying in a small cabin and expecting to do some hiking, perhaps a bit of canoeing, and the usual activities of daily life. I mulled over my options and took the following tools along on my trip:




Now, I did not carry all those tools every day. Most days saw just the Farmer X and the Classic carried.

No surprise, the only tool I ended up using was the Vic Classic. I carried it in the watch pocket of my jean or front pocket of my trail pants. As a result, it was always easy to pull out for quick use. I ended up using the scissors, the blade, the nail file, and the tweezers on the Classic.

Never used the other tools. Obviously, if I had not had the Classic I could have used the Farmer X's scissors, and all the other tools had cutting blades. But it is an interesting point that all I really needed (in the case) was the mighty Classic. 

Something to consider.

I may try a Vic Classic 30-day challenge at some point. Why not? Maybe Chuck Yeager was over-packing with that massive Executive he favored..........

[GoatDragon]

The venerable Classic strikes again! 

May I inquire as to what sorts of tasks you used your Classic for?

[pfrsantos]

So, you're turning into Carl...

 

 

[Nix]

May I inquire as to what sorts of tasks you used your Classic for?

Why, of course......

Scissors: Opening packages of trail mix or nuts. (I prefer opening the long tube-like packages with scissors.) Also, trimmed one torn nail with the scissors.
Blade: opening small food packages. Splinter removal (when tweezers weren't up to the task.).
Nail file: smoothed aforementioned torn nail.
Tweezers: Splinter removal and tick removal (No ticks in this episodes were not harmed.).

Super useful tool!   

[Nix]

Carl....?

But, yeah, probably.....

[GoatDragon]

All the name Carl is making me think of right now is this old (and slightly stupid) youtube video.



I hope you didn't do what he did with your classic... 

[pfrsantos]

Carl....?

But, yeah, probably.....

Our old friend cbl51. He has lots of posts on minimalist EDC and his Classic is famous.

[pfrsantos]

Check this out:

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,77315.msg1697362.html#msg1697362

[VICMAN]

No surprise, the only tool I ended up using was the Vic Classic.. But it is an interesting point that all I really needed (in the case) was the mighty Classic. 

Something to consider.

I may try a Vic Classic 30-day challenge at some point. Why not? Maybe Chuck Yeager was over-packing with that massive Executive he favored..........

Nice pic and tool selection Nix!

The Classic really is a very capable tool for something so small.

[Aloha]

I carry a Manager daily ( extra tools vs Classic ) but a mighty 58mm.  I can attest to this might tools ability to perform well above its size. 

Its great o hear your 58mm served such a role for you.  I will not be without my 58mm. 

 

[Marc_in_NS]

Nix, I love the 58mm package, I carry a Vagabond on my keychain. I hope you had a nice trip!

[pfrsantos]

The Midnight Manager has been on my fixed EDC for quite some time. It's possibilities are endless. Even in formal attire it's an accessory that never looks out of place.

 

[ThePeacent]

Carl....?

But, yeah, probably.....

Carla, aka cbl51 (born year?) aka jackknife on other forums.
A wise man who entered his road into minimalism years ago and seems to be autonomous, happy and even wiser ever since. 

A wise man who has much to tell and teach especially to us the young'uns! 

PS: If the man who broke the speed of sound got by with an Executive, you ought to reach a similar achievement with your Classic 

[pfrsantos]

Carl....?

But, yeah, probably.....

Carl, aka cbl51 (born year?) aka jackknife on other forums.
A wise man who entered his road into minimalism years ago and seems to be autonomous, happy and even wiser ever since. 

A wise man who has much to tell and teach especially to us the young'uns! 

PS: If the man who broke the speed of sound got by with an Executive, you ought to reach a similar achievement with your Classic 

FTFY... and Carl!

 

[Nix]

Ahhh....cbl51!

I forgot. 

Marc, great trip. J'ai appris beaucoup de français!

[Marc_in_NS]

Nix, peut être que Samedi soir ont pourraient pratiquer ce beau language?


Jazz from Paris...with Stephane Grappelli

[Nix]

Oui! Bien sûr!

[pfrsantos]

Ahhh....cbl51!

I forgot. 

Marc, great trip. J'ai appris beaucoup de français!

How can you forget Carl?!

 

[cbl51]

Uh, did I hear my name mentioned?
 

Nix, you are entering Ito the world of the mighty mite, the 58mm SAK's. 

A member of the cult will make contact with you soon, and you will be taken blindfolded to the inner circle to be sworn in.

 

[pfrsantos]

Uh, did I hear my name mentioned?
 

Nix, you are entering Ito the world of the mighty mite, the 58mm SAK's. 

A member of the cult will make contact with you soon, and you will be taken blindfolded to the inner circle to be sworn in.

 

Need help getting the butter and the quail?

 

Show content

The lard & chicken combo is just for the non-minimalist milestones...

 

[cbl51]

All kidding aside, I think what friend Nix is finding out is, that the mighty 58 will do for most things in 21st century life. The truth is, going about our lives in modern times, there's very little need for a larger knife, with the sole exception of food preparation. Then we have kitchen knives. My old much beat up Wenger slim chefs knife is an indispensable tool in my kitchen. But out on the streets a little pen knife sized cutter is fine. There's no comanches coming over the hill to takeout scalps, theres no buffalos to skin, and dealing with kindling for the campfire is a rare thing.

I have to tell you guys I didn't come up with this minimalism thing. I grew up watching my dad use his little Case peanut for 99% of his cutting jobs.  Dad was NOT a knife nut by any stretch of the imagination, and knives were not anywhere on his radar. But...he knew a small sharp blade was a handy thing to have, because when you need it, nothing else will really do. If dad needed more   blade thanks little peanut, then he'd use the small machete he had in the car truck, or a hatchet. Growing up on the 1950's a pocket knife was something all men had on them if they had their pants on. Almost universally it was a small one or two blade little thing, about 2 3/4 to 3 inches closed. Back then there wasn't the plastic blister packaging of today, but things arrived wrapped in a heavy brown paper with that brown tape holding it shut. Or that white cotton twine wrapped around it. A small knife was used on a daily basis for opening packages, sharpening pencils.

Back then Bic had not yet revolutionized the ball point pen market and either fountain pens pr the more modern 'cartridge' pens were the ink pens of the day. Unreliable or leaky. So most tradesmen and even office personnel used a pencil for notes and other informal written stuff. Pencil points break so a small sharp knife was needed if you wanted to sharpen your pencil and a wall mounted sharpened wasn't around. You kids don't realize how the pen market and improvements have influenced modern life.

The small pen knife was such a part of life back then, there was usually some stand up cardboard displays of them up by the cash register of the five and dime stores and drug stores next to the combs and nail clippers. Women carried them in their purses and school kids had them in the coin pocket of their jeans. It was just normal. The term "pen knife" was used to describe any little one or two blade pocket knife about 3 inches closed length, give or take a fraction of an inch.

Being the old crock that I am, and growing in that period, I was always drawn to the smaller tools. It really was a different era. Now, most people don't even bother to carry a knife at all!

I find myself carrying my old Wenger SI as my main pocket knife, but the little classic on my keyring is used the most. Dong a lot of fishing in my retired life of leisure the small scissors deals with monofilament fishing line so well!

[LoopCutter]

I carry a Vagabond as an EDC. The 2 blades, 3D Phillips, Scissors and orange peeler are my essentials for grandfather tasks. 

I just a couple yrs younger than Carl, and everyone had ONE pocket knife if he was responsible.  The unresponsibles would loose theirs. 

We always had larger blades within reach for farm tasks, garden duty, hunting, fish prep, etc.

The true secret to being s keeper of a BLADE was in maintaining the cutting edge.

Those that did not, just bought a new one.   

This single reason is why many a Classic can be found in dresser drawers, work desks, car consoles, tool boxes etc. just because it doesn’t cut well. The real problem of the 21st century? A throw away society.

I use tools to aid in my job, and knives are tools.  So the correct tool for the job makes my world spin better. 

Respect the blade, regardless of size, then less bandaids will be required as you age.   

That is my 2 cents. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cbl51]

I may try a Vic Classic 30-day challenge at some point. Why not? Maybe Chuck Yeager was over-packing with that massive Executive he favored..........

Chuck Yeager may have been over packing. I can't remember if it was Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker" second or third or tenth version, but at some point the famed backpacker guru retired or lost his regular knife and he went to a Vic classic as his minimum back packing knife. Of course, after that, the back packing gear shops like Eastern Mountain Sports, REI, Hudson Trail Outfitters and others all sold tons of classic's as "the backpackers knife." After all, Mr Fletcher said it was all the knife he needed. That coming from a man who spent 6 years of WW2 in the Royal Marine Commando's.

It says a lot about General Yeager that in his retirement, he'd spend up to two or three weeks at a time backpacking into the Sierra Nevada's engaging in his almost obsessive fishing for the California Golden  Trout. In his book "Press On" he stated that the Victorinox executive was up to all his backpacking needs, from keeping's nails groomed to cleaning the trout that he ate everyday if he was lucky at fishing.

GO NIX! If you decide to do a classic challenge, I'll put up my SI for the duration and just go with a classic.

[Syncop8r]

That coming from a man who spent 8 years of WW2 in the Royal Marine Commando's.

Someone should have told him it had finished a couple of years earlier. 

[cbl51]

That coming from a man who spent 8 years of WW2 in the Royal Marine Commando's.

Someone should have told him it had finished a couple of years earlier. 

My bad!!!!!!

I hate getting so old that the numbers 6 and 8 look so similar!!!!

Mistake corrected.

[Nix]

Carl, I also often find that the Classic's scissors are perfect for clipping mono-filament. The Classic (or herculean Ambassador) makes a great little fishing tool. 

I'm going to to a summer-long multitool challenge, so perhaps the Classic Challenge could take place Oct 01?

[gerleatherberman]

Hey Nix,
If you can get by with a Classic, you need to break some stuff, just to fix it.

[Nix]

 

[cbl51]

Carl, I also often find that the Classic's scissors are perfect for clipping mono-filament. The Classic (or herculean Ambassador) makes a great little fishing tool. 

I'm going to to a summer-long multitool challenge, so perhaps the Classic Challenge could take place Oct 01?

Yeah, October would work, but I'm doing a mini challenge in July. We're going to Key West for a week and the classic is what I'll be mailing to myself where we're staying at. Last time I had a recruit, and didn't use it to max, so the basic is going to handle things this year. Some bone fishing on the flats, slicing those little key limes for cold vodka tonics, some fishing line duties maybe even cutting some squid for bait. And of course trimming the end of a nice Dominican cigar in the evening.

[Nix]

Carl, I also often find that the Classic's scissors are perfect for clipping mono-filament. The Classic (or herculean Ambassador) makes a great little fishing tool. 

I'm going to to a summer-long multitool challenge, so perhaps the Classic Challenge could take place Oct 01?

Yeah, October would work, but I'm doing a mini challenge in July. We're going to Key West for a week and the classic is what I'll be mailing to myself where we're staying at. Last time I had a recruit, and didn't use it to max, so the basic is going to handle things this year. Some bone fishing on the flats, slicing those little key limes for cold vodka tonics, some fishing line duties maybe even cutting some squid for bait. And of course trimming the end of a nice Dominican cigar in the evening.

Sounds like a very well thought-out plan.