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Post by Fogg on May 18, 2024 1:59:23 GMT 12
You learn something every day don’t you…? I have a thing about knives. As in beautifully designed & handmade artisan designs. Ideally with an interesting history or backstory. There’s an amazing small privately run shop in Brussels - with a delightfully friendly & knowledgable lady owner running it - and I’ve been slowly adding to my collection in recent visits.   Today I went back into her shop to browse my next purchase - and of course bought more than I planned to - including a nice historic sailor’s knife (German-made but based on old English sailors’ knife design). See this Otter:  Anyway, as I was leaving she opened one of her drawers and gifted me a contemporary sailor’s knife by Wichard (pic below). I’ve never even heard of them before let alone seen one. Love it (in a contemporary kind of way). Anyone else seen / used / got one of these Wichard things? marine.wichard.com/en/knives/offshore-range/blade-shackle-key-models/blade-shackle-key/part-10126 |
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Post by GO30 on May 18, 2024 14:18:16 GMT 12
Brussels, the home of the EU's official banana specifications. Yes they created the rule of what constitutes an official Banana. Must have shit boating and motorsickling up there if they have the time to consider how bent a banana is allowed to be. But happy to see there can't be poverty if non-compliant banana bend means most can't be eaten.
Yachting knives like that are common, I've had on near my entire existence. A few dads brought us Sabot kids them after my cuzzy was killed by his lifejacket. We were shown how to cut our way out of an upturned dingy and/or slashing straps on the life jackets to escape.
My 1st one was basic SS all over then some decades ago I brought a set of Musto wet gear and it came with a genuine Swiss Army made one. Same as most inc that Wichard. Good strong blade and shackle key. I have never sharpened the Swiss Army but decades later it'll slice you before you even know it's done it, the blade is unbelievable in the way it keeps an edge but then as it is a safety device I am cautious what I cut with it.
I'm more then quite surprised you've never seen one before, you can but them, or a version of, in most Chandlers if not them all.
Oui hang on a moment, weren't you in the States dodgy solar flares?
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Post by Fogg on May 18, 2024 15:22:03 GMT 12
Yes I was in the US. Now Brussels.
The whole EU bendy banana thing was a myth dreamt up by a struggling & frustrated British journalist who was sent to Belgium as their European correspondent.
His name was Boris Johnson.
As with all other fruit & veg, the EU did pass legislation about quality requirements which included a clause that no fruit or veg should have an abnormal shape.
Boris was prone to ‘bend’ the truth when he was struggling to deliver a scoop to his journo bosses back home, so sent a false story back home about straight bananas.
And the false story stuck. Such that 20+ yrs later some people in NZ still believe it.
That’s how people like Boris get elected.
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Post by fish on May 18, 2024 20:14:44 GMT 12
That’s how people like Boris get elected. Thread drift but Boris Johnson passed a law as Prime Mincer stating people were required to present specific ID when voting, then forgot to take his ID when trying to vote and got told to piss off home by the election officials. Very funny story. He voted later after remembering to take the ID mandated by his own law. I am fairly sure I have a Witchard sailing knife, but it is on my auto inflating LJ which is on the boat. It has the same type of plastic handle, is folding, can be opening with one hand (super handy when you have your hands full) and has a bull nose / blunt nose you you can't inadvertently stab your inflated LJ or liferaft. I've used it once in anger and it sliced through loaded up 14mm spinnaker sheet without even touching it. Like a hot knife through butter. Seriously, I swear the knife didn't even touch the spinnaker sheet and the sheet parted like the Red Sea in some biblical story. |
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Post by fish on May 18, 2024 20:17:52 GMT 12
Sorry, my knife is a Gerber ez out. Not a wichard... Bullnose point is a major safety plus. And can be opened with one hand.  |
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Post by em on May 19, 2024 8:36:20 GMT 12
I really like vintage Sabatier knives , light and easy to sharpen they just need a bit of care to stop them rusting . We have a couple of NZ made Svord knives , I have a utility knife and my wife has a skinning knife for rabbits and possums www.svord.com/SvordCatalogue/ . The best value knifes I had when I was cooking were Italian knives by Sanelli , really nice balance and super comfortable handles , son #1 stole the boning knife for a fishing trip and lost it and the rest got knicked from catering gig . |
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Post by GO30 on May 19, 2024 9:10:38 GMT 12
Yes I was in the US. Now Brussels. The whole EU bendy banana thing was a myth dreamt up by a struggling & frustrated British journalist who was sent to Belgium as their European correspondent. His name was Boris Johnson. As with all other fruit & veg, the EU did pass legislation about quality requirements which included a clause that no fruit or veg should have an abnormal shape. Boris was prone to ‘bend’ the truth when he was struggling to deliver a scoop to his journo bosses back home, so sent a false story back home about straight bananas. And the false story stuck. Such that 20+ yrs later some people in NZ still believe it. That’s how people like Boris get elected. That post raised a interesting discussion this morning about 'believing'. Ended with an agreement there are 'degrees of belief' and the first stage, for lack of better term is 'Not that I've sussed but that sounds like it is the sort of dumb shit that happens', a sort of belief but with no grounds to support it if pushed. Most interesting on this most glorious of mornings.
But then Google Duck Duck (I'm a little over googles nana algorithms) said this -
Could be a interesting thread this 'degrees of belief thing'. In todays world more that's even more applicable than ever before I'd say. |
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Post by GO30 on May 19, 2024 9:17:34 GMT 12
The edge and ability to hold it on that Swiss Army has made me a serious fan. In rural all are equipped with a pocket Finn Wolf's for the just in case moments. When any serious butchery needs to happen out come the NZ made Victory.
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Post by Fogg on May 19, 2024 17:56:36 GMT 12
The best quality knife grade steel in the world is apparently made in Sweden. They send it to Japan for them to make knives. A few Swedes have decided they should try using their own product to see what happens. The result is what you see at the top of this picture (32 layers of handmade Damascus steel attached to an olive wood handle: 😊  |
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Post by em on May 19, 2024 18:44:19 GMT 12
Stunning
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