By preliminary, I mean I hope readers will be kind and,if I say things that are wrong they will help me to get it right.  Anyway, here it is:

 The “Trapper” pattern pocket knife emerged in the 1920’s and quickly overtook the Barlow as the leading American pocket knife form.  Although no pattern for pocket knives or for just about anything else emerges “whole cloth” or totally new, the Trapper seems to me to come about as close to that as possible.  It is not difficult to see the…

This is the most recent text to accompany my gifts of pocket knives to a few friends. Again, I've left out the illustrations (primarily because I haven't conquered the technical ability to steal them and post them in the text). In any case, perhaps the text alone will be of some interest.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!!

Teepees, tomahawks and…

As I reported in a previous blog, every year I send a few friends who are not collectors and know little about knives an inexpensive pocket knife (very inexpensive) which illustrates a traditional pattern. Along with the knife I send a short note about the pattern - at least what I have come to learn by spending too much time on the internet. This was the text I sent along with a Barlow knife. (I have removed the photos I send as I steal them from the…

Every year I send a few friends an inexpensive pocket knife (very inexpensive) which illustrates a traditional pattern and I send along a short note about the pattern - at least what I have come to learn by spending too much time on the internet. What follows is one of my "texts" shall we say. This one is about the "Sodbuster". Enjoy it.......or if not, ignore it. (I posted this a while ago on another knife discussion site. I hope that is OK with the…