I was getting a vintage blazer adjusted last month and the tailor noticed my pocket knife. He said he treats his shears the same way I baby my blade edges. He told me "sharp is sharp, doesn't matter if it's cloth or steel" and that really hit me. Now I'm thinking about my knife maintenance totally different, like it's part of a bigger craft. Any of you guys find connections between your hobbies you never expected?
I used to think any old sports jacket with a patch pocket was worth grabbing, but after visiting this place on 3rd Street last weekend, I saw a 1960s wool blazer with these tiny moth holes and a crooked lining. The seller told me to look for straight stitching and clean wool before even checking the fit, and that honestly made me rethink the three jackets I grabbed from other shops last year. Have you guys ever taken a close look at the inside seams on a jacket before buying?
I used to dry clean all my vintage wool blazers the same way as my newer synthetic jackets, and the wool ones kept shrinking and losing shape after 3 trips. Last month I tried hand washing one with cold water and a mild soap like a friend from a forum told me, and it came out perfect no shrinkage at all. Has anyone else found a specific method that works better for older wool jackets without wrecking them?
I was reading a vintage denhead blog last night and they said Lee actually designed that left chest pocket in the 60s and 70s to hold a folding hunting knife. I always thought it was just a random extra pocket, has anyone else actually used theirs for a blade or is it just me?
I was out at my buddy's cabin near Ely last weekend, trying to split some damp birch for the fire pit, and my favorite custom Puukko just snapped right at the tang. The blade was a 3.5 inch carbon steel from a maker in Michigan, and I'd had it for about 2 years before it gave up. I ended up using my backup Mora knife to finish the job, but now I'm trying to figure out if I should send it back for a repair or just replace it with something tougher. Anyone dealt with sending a broken custom blade back to the maker before?
I was digging through a bin at the Portland Flea Market on Saturday, wearing this old 70s Pendleton I found at Goodwill last month. Out of nowhere I felt a tug and heard this awful ripping sound. My EDC knife had clipped onto a metal shelf and the clip caught the lining of my blazer as I turned. I pulled away too fast and tore a 3 inch gash right under the arm. I was so mad I almost walked out but the guy selling had a sewing kit under his table. He helped me stitch it up with some matching thread we found in his junk drawer. Now the blazer has a visible patch but honestly it gives it more character than it had before. Has anyone else wrecked a good jacket because of a knife clip catching on something?
I always thought wood or bone was the only way to go for a real pocket knife. Then a guy at the Knoxville blade show handed me his custom with textured G10 and I couldn't believe how solid it felt in hand with no slip. Anyone else come around on a material they used to hate?
I crossed 150 custom pocket knives last weekend and for the first time I started asking myself why I keep buying. Each one has a story but honestly some just sit in a case. Do you guys aim for a specific number or just stop caring about quantity after a while?