I have a weakness for the Boy Scout knife pattern, although I was never a Scout. I was a Cub Scout for one year, and never had an official Cub Scout knife, although I remedied that earlier this year.
Sad to say, it's difficult to find a Boy Scout pattern knife made with carbon steel blade and tools; most new manufacture knives of this pattern are made of stainless steel, which seems fundamentally wrong with a scout knife. A scout knife should be made of carbon steel, should have a nice dark patina from use, and should smell slightly of 3-in-1 oil.
This old Ulster scout knife is a pretty good sample. Judging by the pictures provided on eBay it has handle scales that are properly fitted; can't tell if they are bone or synthetic, although I'd guess the latter.
If some manufacturer really wanted to update the pattern for the 21st century (s)he would use titanium for the blade and tools, and G-10 or carbon fiber for the handle scales. That would make the scout better suited for pocket carry; they tend to be a bit heavy in the steel versions.
My own EDC (Every Day Carry) knife is a Wenger Swiss Army Soldier model, which is basically the same four-blade pattern as the scout, but lighter and more pocket-worthy due to aluminum handle scales. I've carried this one for about 7 years now, it's a 2001 production model, so it reminds me of the attack on the US that took place on September 11, 2001. If this scout knife I purchased today is pretty good in quality it might replace the Wenger as an EDC knife; we'll see.
1 comment:
Great memory!
I never was a scout, either. But really jonesed for a boy scout knife when I was 8!
Got one when I was 10, and never was away from it.
In the Navy, I was an a/c in helo's, and I always carried a Swiss Army knife, the kind with a phillips screwdriver head.
We weren't allowed to carry tools..
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