My good cop buddy used to sell office supplies at the local flea market on Sunday mornings when he was a kid. Every time I saw him he would tell me that one of the really old-timers used to shuffle to his vendor table and tell the same story every time. Between selling hubcaps and annoying customers, he’d say to my young buddy, “Son, did you know that when I lived in Mexico, if you owned two knives you owned the world!!!?” My buddy got a chuckle out of it because the location would change every couple of weeks, “Son, did you know that when I lived in Peru that if you owned two knives you owned the world!!!
At the age of 14 I knew a lot of truths and that definitely wasn’t one of them. Today I’m not sure what happened to that old timer but I can certainly tell you that having a knife on your person is better than not having a knife at all. Why? Duh…for protection! And to look cool man. Even having a butter knife is better than being without. And having a one decent blade is better than having two lousy, cheaply made ones.
I’m not talking about strutting around with a machete in your back pocket. I’m talking about carrying a small fixed blade or a folding blade. No matter the choice you make, it should be of a good quality. Durability is one of the first things to look for, regardless of whether it is a fixed-blade or folding blade. A good fixed blade can be deployed quickly, while a folding blade take a bit longer and some practice to get the blade out quickly.
Flea markets are notorious for carrying a lot of junk, but once in a while you might find a gem. Depending on where you live, certain items are going to be in surplus, while other items are hard to find. Trying to find a balisong (butterfly knife) or a switchblade was hard to do if you lived in California in my time. These things are so common in states like North Carolina, but they weren’t common when and where I was growing up.
Read more – Spotter Up
(Featured image courtesy of spotterup.com)