Day 25 + mini challenge + favorite picture to another thread. This mini was a tough one for me. I had been taught to always treat a knife with respect. My fix blade farm knife’s I sharpened from a blank and put to scraps of wood and shaped the handle were crude, put served me well. In fact my first pocket knife a Japan trapper, with its two blades is still with me from the summer I was 8 yo and snuck to a small village about five miles away on my bike and bought still is in working order. It cleaned rabbits, pheasants I hunted after school, muskrats I trapped on my grandparents drainage ditches, and CC leaned many a fish caught during the summers and winters ice fishing on SATURDAYS with my DAD. Considering that I am now 72, were are approaching 64 years of service. I will admit, combo edges I thought were novelty items sold as tactical gear. I have changed my opinion, they are practical in some situations and I have about a half a dozen about with 2 favorites for my current needs. But last night I did recall a time I did use a tactical combo blade incorrectly, I believe it was fate I even had it with me. Part one. I was working my parking construction gig, installing a gate control panel for semis drivers to access a processing plants loading and unloading docks. It was mid winter, JANUARY thaw, snow was fading fast and walking to the dock doors to use the facilities I found a knife in the mud. Put it in my work coat pocket and did my business, then back tracking through the lot I find another knife, maybe the same area, it too caked with mud and ice as it was packed under the edge of a snow pile. Tossed both items into my truck by the tool box. Finished the job and while. Customer tested and request codes to be entered I examined my finds. Both were wet, put almost identical truck stop tactical style knives. One had a plain edge (pictured), the other a combo se edge. They cleaned up nicely, no markings, no model number just no descript knives. [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ] PART TWO - Fast forward a month or two, spring is in full swing, a Thursday afternoon 200 miles from home base, been on road since Monday morning, hoping to head toward Indy for the night and some PM WORK. I get a call that there is potential new customer with unknown gate access issues near by the university I just completed my work. I ventured that direction and met the home owner, actually the ESTATE OWNER! The front gate was a double lane access style, and appeared to have no issues as I past through. The owner in a golf cart says follow me…About a half a mile in the back is a second gate, single lane, swing gate, in the open position. I learned that it was installed last fall, been giving him fits and now will not close and the form that installed is no longer welcome back. Gave me the keys and said can you fix or tell what I need to do. Inspecting I discovered quickly that a safety loop was open, sensing a vehicle was present preventing the gate from closing. Not an easy fix, about 4 hours of work cutting a new loop in the pavement. Took pictures sent to office to send the customer a quote and schedule. In the time it took to put everything together and power down the gate, apparently the wuote was emailed to owner. He drove back out to me and wanted more of an explanation. So I give him an education. OK I need this fixed asap. I explained I did not have my concrete saw and blades with me. May be possible to rent one if there was a HOMEdepot or LOWES with one two rent. And blades I can buy. That will increase the quote total. Then said well go get your gear and come back SATURDAY!!! I can wait the two weeks the quote says. I am in a pickle, my anniversary was that SATURDAY, our fortieth. Kids planned a party. It was already 4pm. Took the covers off the controller, traced wires to a conduit, snaked it and popped out on the edge of the drive. Dug with a screwdriver and found the conduit but more importantly the loop wires and brushing the blacktop found the loop cut and then the entire loop that had been sealed after installation. Told the owner, I may be able to cut out the present broken loop and not have to cut a new loop. It will take longer but if goes as planned I have it working by tomorrow. But it will be T & M and the quote will not apply. Plus my expenses for tonight. He approves. I went to work. The big problem was the installer used size 18 wire not 14. So pulling it out by hand was not going to work, plus instead of three turns they used only two turns. The found knives come to mind, I am going try cutting the loop sealant from the asphalt. Will ruin the blades no big deal. By seven pm the COMBO BLADE folder wasBeat to heck, had cut sealant free of the asphalt the entire loop, 4 ft by 10 ft and the access run. The knife was one extremely dull knife and blade was even thinner. Left the materials in the cutout and called the owner said I will return the morning finish. I finished the job, proper wire, three loops of wire, twisted at the entry point, pulled through the conduit and connected. Gate tested!!! Then sealed the cutout and properly protecting wire, everybody was happy. I thought I had kept the Combo blade, but searching my tool box it was not found, but did the PE (pictured above)Two months later, the home owner awarded the firm I worked for contracts for 8 parking structures he owned in BLOOMINGTON, Terry Haute and Indy. Plus new equipment at four of them. Never got a thank you from my bosses, left them for retirement the following June. For the record, I would have used my normal edc knife to do the job, but fortunately I did not have to🤪. Challenge favorite (to date) [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ] Case and Opinel Outdoor [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ] My most flavorful, included testing the OHT & Opinel.
HA! That's a cool origin for your user name. Day 25 - Mini ChallengeI think we've all used our blades as screwdrivers, chisels, and pry bars at least once in our lifetimes. (Some of us still do. )My then girlfriend, now wife, and I had just to moved to another apartment and we were trying to make dinner but we couldn't find where we packed the can opener. No worries, I always come prepared for just such an occasion. My Kershaw leek took one for the team just to illustrate.
Day 26I learned early today that I had overlooked another tool fitted with a COMBO BLADE! 😊My WINGMAN, it has a nice combo blade, sharp and shaped in the similar manner of my SIGNALs. [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ] In my defense, (i feel I owe it an apology😉), the WINGMAN is used primarily as my finger extension on days my digits just will not cooperate. Especially when working with LEGOS or producing artificial purple crawlers for my fishing grandkids. The SPRING LOADED pliers make my task easier. Also, the scissors work well with the black cord I use to thread the hooks into the crawlers and tie the swivel. I checked the SIDEKICK, it is a plain edge. PS: actually LEATHERMAN does do a nice job producing function COMBO BLADES on their tools, as well as full SE secondary blades, very sharp, and stay sharp even after heavy use.
That there is the reason that I awlways carried a SAK for so many years, and joined MTO.
Day 26Breaking out my Wenger Ranger 106 for the rest of this challenge. This is supposed to be a beast of a knife in my pocket however, I didn't feel it most of the time. Even when I sat down it seemed to disappear in my pocket. Here it is helping me open a new jump pack.
I need to get a jumper. There are so many options that I don’t know where to start!
Depending on your vehicle type and amount of electronics, I recommend one with most cranking amps. Strange to me, is that the feature I use most is the tire inflator. My KIA SORENTO is AWD and the sensors detect the smallest change in tire pressure, even from temperature changes, as fall 32° to a drop of 20°, may affect a two or three psi difference in one or two tires. Then best to fill all four to 34 or 36psi. Works like a champ. AWD requires each tire to be same diameter and same pressure. If one tire goes bad it is suggested you replace all four. Just my experience.
I didn’t know that about AWD. And I just noticed that one of my tires is 5 kPa below the others.
Day 30 - finished the COMBO CHALLENGE!The three pictured are first timers in my possession. And are favorites to use as well as just admire. [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ] Center Right, a Leatherman FREESTYLE, my first combo edge that included pliers. It was a combo 🤔 pack that also included a STYLE CS. A logical purchase as the cost of the set was less than either tool if bought separately. Top Left, a VICTORINOX ONE HANED TREKKER, my first pocket folder in the 111mm, just as many I observed on MTo, and a few YOUTUBE videos. The SE part of the blade won me over, a versatile camp knife in so many skills. Bottom, a SPIRIT X, BUTTERBLADE VERSION!Had admired the SPIRITS for several years, the devotion of owners, etc, etc! The blade’s SE was my choice as I had experienced excellent edge retention on VICs SE BLADES. It has not disappointed, and looks like a work of ART even after lots of use. Dedicated PE and SE blades will remain my first consideration choosing my daily carry, yet as result of this past 30 days I now have a new respected for the utility of a combo blade with two favorites for my special needs. The OHT and the OPINEL OUTDOORS. THANK YOU FOR HOSTING ELEVENBLADE Did only two of us finish
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