A quick Lowe's pickup

[Hvymax]

I had a pocket clip break on my last EDC and picked up the Crescent (the wrench people) knife. I'm honestly impressed. After a few weeks the ball bearings make it open like it's assisted from the flipper without a spring. It takes and holds an impressive edge easily maintained with a few strokes on the ceramic every few days. The blade and frame are very heavy duty. The extra heavy liners are almost as heavy as a frame lock. It's smooth exterior carriers comfortably considering that I really like a thin frame lock. Jimping on the back of the spine are great for a finger for extra control and the flipper is an effect guard to keep my hand from sliding into the blade. At $20 it's a solid bargain.

 

[Mauser9]

Nice and good to know. Latest I picked up is a Sog Trident assist.

 

[Jeepnik]

A number of places I worked started making noise and telling folks they couldn't bring knives into the facility. I started using Milwaukee knives and not a peep because they were tools. I guess the red handles make them unusable against humans.

 

[eveled]

Thanks for the review.

Most tools make pretty good weapons anyway. Ridiculous to ban knives in a tool environment. People are dumb.

But I too like to roll as non tactical as possible. Just easier to justify a knife from a tool maker than one with punisher skulls on it. People are dumb.

Edit to add : I might start ending ever paragraph with People are dumb.

 

[Mobuck]

Years ago, I was looking for a cheap, decent quality fixed blade knife for a pickup 'go bag' and noticed what's called a 'duct knife'(?). It's used to stab through and cut HVAC ductwork. With a bit of careful sharpening, this 'tool' took a very good edge and turned out well when a suitable sheath was cobbled together.
I commented on this on another forum and was laughed off the page UNTIL someone else actually looked at the 'tool' and found the same results I'd related. Lots of 'knives' are made for looking nice or appealing. Tools are made for 'using'.

 

[Hvymax]

Years ago, I was looking for a cheap, decent quality fixed blade knife for a pickup 'go bag' and noticed what's called a 'duct knife'(?). It's used to stab through and cut HVAC ductwork. With a bit of careful sharpening, this 'tool' took a very good edge and turned out well when a suitable sheath was cobbled together.
I commented on this on another forum and was laughed off the page UNTIL someone else actually looked at the 'tool' and found the same results I'd related. Lots of 'knives' are made for looking nice or appealing. Tools are made for 'using'.

Malco DK1!!! I carried one for decades. I had a Park Cop arrest me once because he determined that the tool bucket on the floor of my truck was full of deadly weapons!!! When I explained to the Judge that I was a Sheetmetal Worker and Malco made specialty tools for the industry it was thrown out but I was still out bail and a few days work. Worthless Barney Fife parkies. I really only scored this because that's where I was when I needed a new knife. It's built like a comfortable tank and the blade is solid and a really decent steel. I could probably use this with a hammer to slit duct to start taps.

 

[BearBiologist]

Working for the Feds, I had daily screening through a metal detector. I carried a simple lock back, about a 3" blade. The security guards knew me by name and that I was a biologist, so they didn't say a word when I passed it through in the tray.

 

[the_leper_colony]

Working for the Feds, I had daily screening through a metal detector. I carried a simple lock back, about a 3" blade. The security guards knew me by name and that I was a biologist, so they didn't say a word when I passed it through in the tray.

I worked in a federal building years ago, where they would NOT let you bring a pocket knife through security. BUT you could walk into the supply room there, and get a government issue letter opener that looked like it was designed as a Soviet assassination weapon, six inches long and sharp enough (right out of the package) to draw blood. OR if you preferred something with a little more heft, you could get a four foot stainless steel drafting straight edge, that definitely could kill (my boss used one to terminate rodents). So the building security was basically sayin', "You can't bring your Boy Scout pocket knife into the building, but see the supply room clerk and he'll fix you right up!"

As @eveled observed, "people are dumb."

As always FWIW, IMHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[Hvymax]

I was at Lowe's again and they're $13 now!!!

 

[Watertender]

I was at Lowe's again and they're $13 now!!!

At that price buy a couple extra just to put away incase you lose your 1st one

 

[BearBiologist]

I worked in a federal building years ago, where they would NOT let you bring a pocket knife through security. BUT you could walk into the supply room there, and get a government issue letter opener that looked like it was designed as a Soviet assassination weapon, six inches long and sharp enough (right out of the package) to draw blood. OR if you preferred something with a little more heft, you could get a four foot stainless steel drafting straight edge, that definitely could kill (my boss used one to terminate rodents). So the building security was basically sayin', "You can't bring your Boy Scout pocket knife into the building, but see the supply room clerk and he'll fix you right up!"

As @eveled observed, "people are dumb."

As always FWIW, IMHO, YMMV, etc.

Might have been the fact I had a security clearance or, we were a DOI building with biologists from different agencies.

 

[Jeepnik]

Okay, I worked in four federal prisons. In none of them did I have contact with the inmates. Three, women's minimum security, men's medium and men's medium/ maximum security prisons I drove up to o gate signed in and drove to the mechanical buildings which were licated outside the perimeter.

The fourth was a men's maximum security. Again, no contact with inmates. You checked went through a metal detector and were patted down n. Your tools were inventoried and you were escorted to the work spaces. On the way out your tools were inventoried again.

In none of these did they even blink at various cutting tools, much less things that could do serious harm to a human.

I, also, worked in Socal FDA facility from construction to startup and for several years after. 9-11 occurred during construction. Access went from driving on site and doing my thing to being background checked, and signing in with security but only if you had previously notified them you would be on site that day. Vehicles were checked for explosives. No big deal about tools.

Startup and beyond getting through the gate remained the same. Getting in the building required metal detectors and searches of whatever you brought in. Again, no one blinked if you brought edged tools. The only issue I ever had was with a Remington Power Hammer. The guard didn't know what it was and initially refused to let me bring it in. His supervisor was a bit brighter and cleared it.

The reason for this dissertation is to show that places that have need of high security often have personnel up to the task. With the one glaring exception, the TSA.

 

[Hvymax]

Might have been the fact I had a security clearance or, we were a DOI building with biologists from different agencies.

I've worked my share of nukes. If it's in the tool bucket it's fine. I used to spring for boots with carbon fiber toes and shanks so I could get through the metal detectors.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

20+ years ago when my son was little, my ex-girlfriend and I took him to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail. We got to the USS Constitution and they had TSA level screening and found my Victorinox Swiss Army knife and said I couldn't take it in and they couldn't hold it for me. It was either dump it in their drop box or don't go onboard. I had had the knife for about 30 years at the time and my GF knew it was sentimental to me and so she volunteered to stay back and hold it for me while my son and I went on the ship. I thought she'd want to go on when we got back but she was good calling it a day. I still carry the knife daily, so I've now had it over 50 years. The big blade has been repeatedly sharpened down to half its original size, the red scales popped off a few times and were glued back on, the corkscrew wobbles due to a weak spring, and the lanyard ring anchor wore through years ago and the ring is long gone.

It brings back memories of fishing with my dad - we were at a lake up in the mountains west of Boulder CO when I was 12 and if they weren't biting I often spent more time exploring than fishing. While roaming the shoreline, I found an old windbreaker that someone forgot and this knife was in the pocket of that jacket. It seemed to be in like new condition back then, and probably was. Up until then, I'd lost every pocketknife I got, but somehow managed to keep track of this one. Somewhere there is a picture taken that day by my dad of me posing with my trophy 3" perch and another one I took of dad holding a similar fish - which was all we caught, but the memories are priceless.

A couple weeks ago, a friend brought me a S&W model 28 that he needed shipped and it had Pachmayr grips on it that covered up the SN. So I whipped out my pocketknife and pulled out the combo bottle opener/screwdriver blade and he chuckled, pulling out his own knife which was the exact same model. I think it was called the Camper. Large/small knife blades, bottle opener/large screwdriver, can opener/small screwdriver, and the back side has a corkscrew (instead of a Phillips), and awl. No toothpick or tweezers. His was "only" about 20 years old and in much nicer condition than my 50+ year old example.

 

[Hvymax]

20+ years ago when my son was little, my ex-girlfriend and I took him to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail. We got to the USS Constitution and they had TSA level screening and found my Victorinox Swiss Army knife and said I couldn't take it in and they couldn't hold it for me. It was either dump it in their drop box or don't go onboard. I had had the knife for about 30 years at the time and my GF knew it was sentimental to me and so she volunteered to stay back and hold it for me while my son and I went on the ship. I thought she'd want to go on when we got back but she was good calling it a day. I still carry the knife daily, so I've now had it over 50 years. The big blade has been repeatedly sharpened down to half its original size, the red scales popped off a few times and were glued back on, the corkscrew wobbles due to a weak spring, and the lanyard ring anchor wore through years ago and the ring is long gone.

It brings back memories of fishing with my dad - we were at a lake up in the mountains west of Boulder CO when I was 12 and if they weren't biting I often spent more time exploring than fishing. While roaming the shoreline, I found an old windbreaker that someone forgot and this knife was in the pocket of that jacket. It seemed to be in like new condition back then, and probably was. Up until then, I'd lost every pocketknife I got, but somehow managed to keep track of this one. Somewhere there is a picture taken that day by my dad of me posing with my trophy 3" perch and another one I took of dad holding a similar fish - which was all we caught, but the memories are priceless.

A couple weeks ago, a friend brought me a S&W model 28 that he needed shipped and it had Pachmayr grips on it that covered up the SN. So I whipped out my pocketknife and pulled out the combo bottle opener/screwdriver blade and he chuckled, pulling out his own knife which was the exact same model. I think it was called the Camper. Large/small knife blades, bottle opener/large screwdriver, can opener/small screwdriver, and the back side has a corkscrew (instead of a Phillips), and awl. No toothpick or tweezers. His was "only" about 20 years old and in much nicer condition than my 50+ year old example.

Would have been hilarious if he said he bought it to replace the one he lost along with his windbreaker years ago.