c/blades-and-blazers

4

jason328•1d ago

Stop using WD-40 on your custom knife pivots

I was at a knife meetup in Denver last Saturday and saw three guys drenching their $400 custom flippers with WD-40 because they thought it was the same as proper pivot oil. One of them ended up with a gummy mess that took me 20 minutes to flush out with isopropyl alcohol. Has anyone else had to fix someone's blade after they got lazy with the wrong lube?

9

kevin_wells46•2d ago

Took my vintage Pendleton blazer to a blade meetup and the lining got snagged

I was at a custom knife swap in Denver last Saturday and leaned against an old workbench. The rough edge caught the silk lining on my 1970s blazer and ripped a 4 inch gash. Anyone else have a wardrobe mishap at a knife gathering?

22

veraw47•3d ago

TIL a $7 thrift store blazer can look like a $200 one with one simple trick

I found this beat up old Pendleton at a Goodwill in Portland for $7 and figured why not. The problem was the shoulders looked all lumpy and the collar wouldn't lay flat. I tried steaming it twice and even took it to a dry cleaner but nothing worked. Then I remembered an old tailor told me about using a damp cloth and a hot iron on the inside of the collar and shoulder seams. I tried it last Sunday and I couldn't believe how the fabric just relaxed into place and the whole jacket suddenly fit me right. Has anyone else fixed a vintage jacket with just water and heat?

22

carter.thea•5d ago

Question about that guy at the flea market who said my knife was a 'fake'

Last Saturday at the Portland Expo, this older collector pointed at my vintage Case trapper and told me the patina was 'wrong' for a 1970s model, but he couldn't tell me why beyond that. Has anyone else dealt with gatekeepers who talk down your gear without backing it up?

2

ray_carr•7d ago

Talk with a tailor made me look at blade shapes different

Was getting a vintage tweed blazer fitted at this old shop in Portland last Saturday and the guy mentioned how the lapel roll reminds him of a drop point knife. Said both have a curve that guides the eye naturally. It hit me that I've been picking tanto blades for looks but ignoring how the shape actually performs in my hand. Anybody else ever have a random hobby cross over change how you see your EDC?

15

cooper.nathan•7d ago

Heads up: those 'restored' vintage wool blazers on eBay might be poly blend fakes

Bought a sweet plaid number last month that the seller claimed was 100% wool from the 70s. Tag looked legit, label was worn out. Got it home and did a burn test on a loose thread. Smelled like plastic and melted into a hard bead. 100% polyester. Ran into a guy at a knife show in Denver who said he's seen the same thing from 3 different sellers. Theyre taking old generic jackets, swapping the tags, and passing them off as vintage. Check the inside seams for a care tag hidden under the liner. If theres no trace of original labels or the stitching looks too clean, walk away. Anyone else run into this?

0

allen.amy•8d ago

Finally gave in and tried a frameback knife after swearing they were overhyped

I always thought framebacks were just a gimmick for people who liked showing off skeletonized handles, but I picked up a cheap one from a guy at the Portland knife show for 40 bucks last weekend. After carrying it for a week and using it to break down boxes at work, I totally get why people like the solid feel and the easy cleaning. Anyone else have a knife design they avoided for years and then changed their mind on?

7

joseph455•8d ago

Compared two vintage wool blazers side by side and the difference was night and day

I grabbed a 70s Pendleton and a 90s Bugatchi from the thrift store last weekend for $15 each. Threw them both on and the Pendleton fit like a dream straight off the rack, no adjustments needed. The shoulders sat perfect and the lining was still in great shape after 50 years. The Bugatchi was boxy and stiff even though it was newer. Has anyone else found certain decades just fit your body type better than others?

14

the_spencer•8d ago

Found a trick for heating my vintage blazer lining when pressing it

I picked up this old 70s herringbone sports jacket with a heavy acetate lining. Every time I tried to iron out the wrinkles in the lining, it either melted or got all shiny. After ruining one sleeve lining last month, I tried laying a sheet of parchment paper between the iron and the lining material. Set the iron to low heat and it pressed out everything smooth in under 5 minutes without any damage. Has anyone else used parchment paper for delicate jacket fabrics?

1

jamie_price•9d ago

Hot take: most people here are way too precious about blade steel

I was at a knife show in Nashville last weekend and this guy spent 20 minutes lecturing me about why M390 is garbage compared to CPM 20CV. I just nodded along. Later I looked up the actual difference in edge retention tests. Its like 3% in real world use. Three percent. And people act like one is a broken hacksaw and the other is a lightsaber. Meanwhile I sharpen my VG10 every 6 weeks and it works fine. Has anyone else noticed the steel snobs are usually the ones with the dullest knives at the meetups?

13

dixon.ryan•9d ago

Took 4 hours to match the thread on a vintage blazer button

Old 1940s tweed sports jacket lost a button, spent hours hunting for the right thread color at Joann Fabrics. Finally found a 40 year old spool of brown silk in my grandma's sewing kit that matched perfectly. Anyone else waste a whole afternoon on something this dumb?

20

anthony426•10d ago

Just realized a simple way to stop my knife blade from wobbling in the handle

I had this old custom folder where the blade kept getting a little loose after a day of cutting. I tried tightening the pivot screw but it would just wiggle right back. Then I remembered a trick someone mentioned about using a tiny drop of blue thread locker on the screw threads. Let it sit for 10 minutes before tightening and it's been rock solid for two weeks now. Anyone else use that stuff or do you have another fix for pivot wobble?

23

elliot54•11d ago

Had a chat with an old timer about knife sharpening angles, changed my mind

I was at a knife swap in Portland last Saturday, talking to this guy who's been making custom folders since the 70s. He said he always sharpens at 15 degrees per side for everything, even hard use blades. I've always done 20 for tougher tasks, thought his method would chip out instantly. He handed me his personal EDC that he's used for 3 years, edge still had no chips and shaved hair off my arm. Now I'm rethinking my whole sharpening setup, has anyone else tried going that low on a 1095 blade?

17

taylor174•11d ago

Stopped by a thrift shop in Portland that had a whole bin of 80s sports blazers

I was digging through a Goodwill off Hawthorne last weekend and found about 15 old wool sports blazers, most from the late 80s. One was a Boston College jacket with leather patches on the elbows, still had the original owner's name stitched inside. I grabbed three of them for $12 total, which felt like a steal considering what vintage shops charge now. The thrift manager said they came from a estate sale of a guy who collected them. Anybody else find good blazer scores at random thrift spots lately? I'm curious if these are worth keeping or if I should resell a couple.

19

brookefox•13d ago

Stopped by a vintage shop in Portland last weekend and noticed something weird about their blazers

I was browsing this place called Vintage Vault in SE Portland and every single 70s sports jacket they had used horn or bone buttons. Not a single plastic button in the bunch. Is that a standard thing for that era or did I just get lucky with one store's stock?

19

river_rivera45•14d ago

Guy at a car show in Ohio taught me how to sharpen a pocket knife on a coffee mug

He walked over while I was struggling with a dull blade on my vintage blazer lapel and showed me the exact angle to hold it against the rim, and now I never leave home without a ceramic mug handy.

23

gavinh26•14d ago

Had to choose between a custom folder and a vintage blazer for the same budget

Last month I had $300 burning a hole in my pocket and couldn't decide between a custom G10 knife from a local maker or a 70s Pendleton blazer I found online. I went with the knife because I figured I'd use it more, but now every time I see a sharp herringbone jacket I second guess myself. Anyone else ever pick one hobby over the other and regret it later?

10

kai602•17d ago

Wasted $50 on a knife sharpening system that didn't work

Bought that guided rod sharpener from the mall kiosk last month. Made my favorite Opinel blade worse, not better. Anyone else just stick to a simple stone instead?

16

lily_gibson13•17d ago

The wool blend in my favorite blazer shrank after a rain - now I pre-treat everything

Honestly, I used to just toss my vintage wool sports jackets on after a hike without thinking about moisture, but last fall my go-to 1960s plaid blazer shrunk 2 inches in the sleeve after a drizzle. Now I spray all my jackets with a waterproofing mist before I even step outside with my custom folder. Has anyone else ruined a good piece of outerwear by ignoring the weather?

6

thomas_brown•18d ago

I spent years sharpening my pocket knives wrong and didn't know until a guy at the flea market in Eugene showed me

I always used a pull through sharpener on my Benchmade 940 because it was fast and easy. Some older guy selling vintage letterman jackets at the Springfield flea market casually asked why I was ruining my blade edge. He handed me a simple $15 Norton stone and walked me through a few passes, and the difference was honestly night and day. Has anyone else had a random stranger completely change how you do something simple like that?

18

thomas.piper•20d ago

Took me 5 tries to get the patina right on a handmade blade

I was working on a custom blade and wanted that dark, aged look. First two tries with vinegar left it blotchy and weird. Then I tried mustard and it just looked like someone sneezed on it. Third try was instant coffee and it came out too yellow. Fourth was boiling in apple juice and it actually looked okay but faded after a day. Fifth try I used ferric chloride at 4 parts water to 1 part acid and let it sit for exactly 8 minutes and 30 seconds. Has anyone else had a finish that took way more attempts than you'd expect?

28

brookefox•20d ago

Swapped out my usual clip point for a wharncliffe blade on my EDC knife 6 months ago

I used to think clip points were the only way to go for everyday cutting, but after slicing through 50 cardboard boxes at work last month, the wharncliffe’s straight edge handled it way cleaner. Anyone else made a blade shape switch that surprised them?

7

kelly.robin•21d ago

Best week I've had in a while with a vintage wool blazer find

Found a 1960s Pendleton blazer at a thrift store in Des Moines for $12 last Saturday. It fits perfectly and the patina on the brass buttons is unreal. Any tips for removing a faint mothball smell without dry cleaning?

4

noah248•24d ago

PSA: That vintage blazer I thrifted was a size too small the whole time

I wore this 70s wool blazer from a shop in Austin for like 6 months before a tailor pointed out the shoulder seams sat about an inch too high. He said the sleeves were pulling at the cuffs and the lapels never laid flat because of it. Now I always check the shoulder fit first since that's the hardest part to fix. Anyone else ever realize they were fighting a jacket that just didn't fit right from the get go?

8

the_logan•24d ago

Just realized vintage sports jackets from the 70s had way bigger lapels than I thought

I was measuring my new thrift store blazer against a 1974 catalog I found online, and the lapels were nearly 5 inches wide. My tailor said they used to cut them that big to balance out the wider ties guys wore back then. Has anyone else noticed old jacket proportions throwing off your modern fits?