Tradition? Memories? Faith in the reliability?
Remembering them as unaffordable when I really needed one?
The heft?
Oh, and the wait from the factory, when I called in late 2002, was 3.5 years. I only got mine in just over a year - by finding a knife dealer in Solvang that had exactly what I wanted on order.
The 14 is a rather large knife - with the first few inches of the blade shaving sharp on both edges.
I watched a two captured officers stripped naked by the body searcher -- using only his 14 to cut away everything the poor bastards had on their body..... The freaking knife went through everything..
The poor bastards were so afraid of that crazy little Irishman, and so terrified of that big flashing blade - they stood there dumbfounded, speechless and very obedient....
To see that big bright bastard flashing about your "essentials"....demands respect...
I'll not bad mouth any of the new and excellent blades being mass produced at reasonable prices-- I own a lot more than I need or can justify!
It's kind of like when you can afford what you REALLY want to pass on the the kids or grandkids - you might want something with a history and charm from a famous knife making family..
Semper Fi
Here's my Strider Knife made in San Marcos near you Travis:
I also have a Gerber Bowie knife. I keep one in each vehicle. The Gerb is almost a cutlass actually and she has been christened already...albeit against an animal. If in serious trouble, I will use them. They are both very deadly even in an amateur's hands. I think it's advantagous for a full grown man to have a knife that will both stab and cleave (not just cut) effectively. Never let anyone get your knife away from you....like a gun. I cannot imagine using my knives on a human unless I am in deep doo-doo and then if pulled, it is going promptly to work or as I said before, someone deserves to be dispatched that personally....something I sure hope doesn't happen because it will de facto infer that I have suffered an unbearable loss already. This all reminds me of the Long Riders blade fight scene. That recent TL Jones/Bernicio del Toro rather unbelievable flick had a lot of up front blade use concentrating on cutting. It made for good cinema but my common sense view was that if you are that close and capable, why not just kill your opponent and reduce your own risk exposure instead of all that tendon slicing and whatnot....blame Hollywood or Kurosawa.
