Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Don't carry what you can't lose

Lots of you guys have some beautiful knives shown here, but here is the watch out. Years ago when I was just a kid my late little sister gave me a Schmidt & Ziegler bone handled stock folder. I carried that knife for years and dressed loads of deer with it. Then one deer season I felt in my pocket and it was gone. I was beside myself and spent the rest of the deer season retracing my every step trying to find where I must have dropped it. Oh it had probably been about $10.00 down at Van's Hardware back in the '60's, but Ginny had given it to me for Christmas and it meant way more to me than the cash value or any deer that walked in the woods. I never found it in the woods, but about seven days into the season it rolled out from under the seat in the truck. That knife doesn't go hunting anymore and just cuts open the tape on Christmas wrapping these days. Who among us hasn't left a knife back at a gut pile? Take it from a sentimental old guy, that if a knife has some special significance to you, it should be put on light duty where you are not going to lose it. Back when I hung out with the charter fishing guys, they would say that you never really have a good fishing lure. That you only get to use it for a while. Don't let that be your prized possession knife.

I never carried a knife when deer hunting. Sure I had my everyday benchmade. Dollarwise I would hate to loose it but otherwise no big deal. Where I hunted was easy access either a truck or atv could get within feet of anything we shot. Anyways all my serious critter cutting gear was kept in a metal ammo can in the truck. Some expensive knives as well as a couple sentimental knifes. Had everything to gut and butcher.

Whenever I used anything from the box it was washed and put back in immediately after use. If it could not be washed it was wrapped in paper towel and put in the box and washed as soon as I could. The only thing taken out of the truck when I got home before that box was my guns.

Well last halloween some lowlife pieces of chit broke into my house. Guess what they took.

Lost about four hundred bucks of replaceable stuff. But the two old buck knives that my grandfather used can never be replaced. Real stung as I never got to hunt with him. Was my only real hunting connection to him. Only good thing was for some reason I did not have my old mans sharp finger knife in the box. That is now in the safe.

I've got knifes that belonged to my Great Granddad and Granddad too. They don't get carried.
If I loose one of my everyday carry Spyderco's or Benchmade's, I'll be pissed, but can easily replace them. My really nice custom hunting knifes stay in the truck while I'm hunting at the Ranch, as I can easily drive with in 100 yards of any deer that I take at the Ranch.

I buy the damn things to use, and if I lose one I shall buy another.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful story of a precious memory recovered. Pay no attention to the ass holes.

"beautiful story'...jeez fella, are you gay or just some touchy-feelie twit that has a sore tit because someone doesn't agree with your aesthetic eye for scopes.

Either way it is unbecoming for a man.

Many years ago I lost a kind of ordinary German Solingen skinning knife that I was carrying in a belt sheath with a snap retaining strap that got snagged in some brush. retracing my steps I was fortunate to find that knife. From that time on most of the time I carry a folding knife with a clip, sheath knives are carried in my backpack.

I left a Mora Clipper on a gut pile a few years ago. I didn't bother to go back for it, as I would have spent more money for gas to make the trip than the knife was worth.

I left a pack out overnight a few years ago too. Since it had several hundred dollars worth of gear in it, I went back for it first thing next morning.

I carry my dead animal processing knives in my day pack. I don't have any that I would leave at home though, out of fear of losing them.

scratching my head over that one.

OK guys,I found it touching that the OP put a lot of value in a knife that his deceased sister had given him as a child. If that doesn't touch your heart then you have no feeling for family,or loss.

and you are absolutely correct with how you feel and reacted to the original post. I just did not see any ass hole remarks about his post.

funny. I just noticed that the entire word "[bleep]" gets bleeped, but breaking it up into it's component parts, "ass hole" does not. laughing

I didn't name anyone specifically. I wanted to see if they would identify themselves.

Years ago when all I had was a Schrade 'Walden Trapper I left it at a gut pile.
Went back the next day in the snow to get it!

10-15 years later my landlady's son stole it and a New Buck folder.
Could care less about the Buck but I will always cuss the name of her son
over that Schrade Walden Trapper.
Sure I coulda bought another one, but it would not replace the one that walked
many a mile with me including skinning everything I trapped in 3 years.
I have a Schrade trapper here some place but never even get it out

Right you are, no more pocket carry for this guy. My Reeve folder goes in a Velcro closure pouch that goes in a Velcro closure pocket in my buckle closure pack. All I'm saying is to use something that you can buy again as nothing more than a tool.

My brother gave me a Puma fixed blade in the late sixties for being his best man. It was always special to me and I never carried it a field. Someone stole if from my belongs during the commercial move from Texas to Idaho. It's the only knife I've ever lost that meant anything to me, all the rest are just tools and I tend to loose them more often than most of you.

Rick
Sorry to hear that sad tale.
Got a pic of that knife???? Maybe we could make one like it.
Although some of their grinds are not on my bucket list.
Tim

I agree they are just tools.

I quit carrying the cub scout knife my mom gave to me when I was 7 years old. Partially sentimental, but mostly its geting worn and I like my spyderco delica better because it serves as a money clip.


Otherwise I would be pissed if I lost others, but would get over it.

Never had anything stolen. Yet.

I carry my father's guns, and my grandfather's guns. I will not be parted from them.
My best shotgun is not the one I bought, but the one my father bought for his dad, many years ago. It is a Mossberg three shot bolt action with a poly choke. Best bird and small game gun I've ever fired. Taken several deer with it as well. I am nearly as fast with a bolt as most are with a pump, and it knocks down pheasants when everyone else has given up trying.
Next up would be the rifle. A glenfield model #60.22lr 17shot tubular magizine, a gift from my father.
Pistol would be the 9shot .22lr my dad owned until workmen in his home, stole it from his room. With that gun, I could harvest apples by clipping the stems. It was an extension of my will. I have never found a suitable replacement for what he lost.
(That pistol had a history, and played a role in my father/mother's marriage, so it had a hand in me. If I ever catch the thief, he will wish he had called the cops himself) (if you wish the story, PM me.)
Knives, I have a fixed blade my grandfather made for a kit, with a full tang and stacked leather rings for a grip. It rode on my hip until I passed it on to my son. The Mossberg three shot bolt action also went to him this past Christmas.
I'm careful with the heirloom stuff, but it will be used for what it was intended. A tool for a purpose, and using it, as my forebearers did, is a connection to my heritage. That link is missing if it just gathers dust on a shelf. My grandfather's knife is not high quality, wouldn't hold an edge for too long, but served me as it served him, skinning and chopping as needed. My 100+yr old Sterlingworth s×s takes to the outdoors each year for the same reason, to walk the path through history with a new companion, a continuance of purpose.

Stuff is stuff. Material things, regardless of where they came from, mean little to me.

I buy the cheap Mora knives on Amazon for carry knives. Leave the nice ones at home. If I lose a Mora or break one no big deal. They sharpen and hold an edge pretty well too.

My hands down favorite deer knife is a Buck 118 for cleaning and butchering. I have two old ones that I use, one in my pack and one in my truck. If they get lost I have two brand new ones in reserve - I'll be back in business shortly. What good is it to own something you love if you don't use it?

The two main things I see here in losing knives (apart from scumbag thieves that is) would be poor sheath design and forgetfullness at the gut pile. If you have a knife that is special and want to use it then the simple answer is to look at the sheath and make one that is a deep pouch style that retains knives better than any other style. I lost my first and only bought knife over 45 years ago which is what prompted me to start making my own as not only do I not like wasting money on lost items but the old style sheath with the dombed strap round the handle is about the least secure sheath style that there is. I have never lost a knife since that first one as the sheath design about as lose proof as it can get but worn behind the hip, it is out of the way of any brush etc that might otherwise catch and cause a lost knife from other pooly designed sheaths.

I prefer Pirate carry. Clenched in my teeth.....

Several years back my dad left his Schrade, USA made, at a gut pile of a cow elk he shot one evening. He went back later to look for it, couldn't find it though. I got him a new one at Christmas time. Next year, we are out elk hunting again. Dad shoots another cow, goes to roll her over and not 10 feet away is his lost knife from the previous year.

Years ago I was hunting deer on my own property and was lucky enough to take a deer on the first day of the season. I set about doing field dressing with my prized custom drop point hunter. Got the deer dragged out and loaded on the pickup. Must have set the knife on the tailgate of the pickup. Got home and no knife. Went back and retraced every step. Did that a few more times and finally gave up.

5 years later my wife and I were out at the property shooting some targets in anticipation of the coming deer season. We were walking across the filed towards a target when Linda yelled out that she had something stuck to her shoe. Sure enough, she had stepped on the knife. The blade actually went right between her toes.

Unfortunately the very beautiful stag handle was ruined, and there were a few pits in the blade even though it is a 154 CM stainless blade. So I invested a few bucks to have it cleaned up and a new handle installed. I still use that knife today, but have not yet purchased a replacement sheath for it.

This is really cool.

I have an old fixed blade Western that my Grandfather bought new before he shipped out to Okinawa in WW II. I'll just say from stories I heard as a kid that he used it on an enemy during the war. After that he used it on moose, caribou, deer, fish, Antelope and probably fixing a car or two. He left it at an antelope gut pile once in the 60's, drove back some 80 miles the next day to go get it.

I've now had it for 20 years and used it on moose, deer, elk, bear and antelope but no cars. That's what the leatherman is for. I've taken it out of the country but probably won't again because I'd be devestated if I ever lost it.

Only knife I lost was a pocket knife I stuck in a wood fence post after gutting a squirrel.
One year later when back in that same area I retrieved it. It sets on a shelf above my work
bench at eye level as a constant reminder to do equipment check before leaving.

I also lost a revolver that fell out of its holster when I stepped over a log in the trail. About a half
mile on I discovered the loss. I backtracked and found it also.

I lost my mind once and only made a partial recovery of that, but it works good enough for retirement.
Tim

I'm sentimental about some of my old stuff, too.

For Christmas, 1956, my grandfather gave me his 22 rifle ---- A single shot Iver Johnson Model X. I hope one of my daughters or grandkids will keep it in the family.

I have the Walther P38 (with permission slip) that Dad brought home after WWll --- I hope someone treats that one right.

My Dad never carried a knife but I have Grand dad's old pen knife.

Other posters:

Those old Pumas were jewels -- sorry you lost it.

The old Boulder, Colorado Westerns were excellent knives, also --- I still have two -- one with a hatchet.

True story: I lost a small Buck folder down the "[bleep]" once.

Had it in a small sheath on the right side of my belt.

After doing my "business" I stood up and hit the plunger before doing up my belt.

I saw the knife and sheath fall OFF my belt, make a circle, and was GONE!

It was too late to even make a grab for it.

My knife now goes on the left side of my pants, or in my left pocket, by it's self.

Virgil B.