Modern Vespa

My traveling companion of almost a decade 'collapsed' last night in an Aberdeen, South Dakota hotel room while dutifully attempting to slice up the oversized noodles in a paper tub of Walmart microwave lasagna (surprisingly tasty, I might add).

It had been injured in a drop last year that left it with a broken handle piece, and apparently suffered internal injuries that although weren't obvious at the time, contributed to it's ultimate demise on evening last when it's blade suddenly went limp, and flopped freely about, unable to either retract or lock when extended for service (There IS a human analogy to this situation that I shall not delve into here).

I purchased the flippy knife almost ten years ago at the Badlands Travel Center near Kadoka, South Dakota, along interstate I-90. I had just begun my part time tour bus operator semi-career of humping various charter runs throughout the region, both tourist and high school trips.

I had been in the need for a folding edged device to be able to more easily open packaged food items while out on the road on bus trips, as well as a myriad other purposes that one doesn't realize until encountered.

A floppy flippy folding knife is a sad thing, a very, very, sad thing.

Still, duty- bound, with blade flailing pitifully, but with one last duty to fulfill, the little folding knife gave it's all and spent every last ounce of it's being in this world to provide me one last hotel room supper.

Then, it was.....gone.

I cleaned it's now uselessly floppy blade of drying lasagna innards, dried it off with single-ply hotel toilet paper, then solemnly place it into the dark confines of my overnight bag to be transported home and laid to rest in a dignified manner on our/it's familiar home turf, perhaps under the shading maple tree in our back yard.

Godspeed my little flippy friend....God speed.

If you can resurrect a CB900, service a Rocket III, and ride a trombone laden Vespa in Sturgis, surely you can resuscitate Flippy. Probably just a leaf or coil spring to be replaced. C'mon Bones! Get in there!

Lucky guys having freedom in the USA, the dictators in the EU are slowly but surely banning all knives here, France a few years ago, Germany yesterday, our freedom goes out of the window, to keep letting lunatics arrive.

But......but....how will you slice your giant microwave lasagna noodles down to a manageable size for hotel room consumption?

I suppose one could resort to plastic pic-nic ware, but doing so just reminds one of the superficial and fleeting nature of 'life on the road' when a tool of substance and heft can invoke a sense of welcome homey-ness to an otherwise alien and lonely time.

In spite of the untimely loss of my one-finger flippy knife, life does go on it seems, and even in the face of adversity and mayhem something can be salvaged, as demonstrated to me this morning when right in front of my eyes, I watched as some sort of carnivorous bee (?) landed on my parked bus's windshield and commenced to re-liquify and slurp down the dried remains of another insect that had met a messy end out there on SD highway 281 northbound.

I found a measure of solace in this small but profound lesson about the circle of life, and moving on.

When I return home this evening, I will clean the cat box, give Graham a bottle cap of 2% milk, and brush Gracie's fine, soft, fur, then settle into my generally worn out recliner, watch a few Red Bull downhill cart races on Youtube...and begin a search for the next flippy-knife....perhaps a classic stiletto switchblade would be nice this time around?

They're Italian, you know!

The knife served you well.
I have EDC'd a blade everyday for the last few decades. Always bothered me when I snap a tip (doing something stupid) and hated sharpening them.
I've been carrying an Exceed TiRant razor for almost a year now and while not perfect for all tasks I always have a sharp blade/point.
I shamelessly stole this pic from the internet (because I'm a terrible photographer) but the only difference is I use the serrated blades which are plentiful and cheap!

My 'servicing' of my Rocket III consists of oil and filter changes, and yanking off a wheel now and then for the shop to mount a new tire for me, otherwise my mechanical involvement in the bike consists of me fretting about the upcoming costs for it's 20,000 mile service, and wondering if we have enough equity in our paid-for house to be able to borrow enough to get it done.

The old CB900 didn't require anything other than some cosmetic resurrecting, removing owner-added crap accessories, and re-installing proper un-crap items to get it closer to what it was when sold new in '81.

I'm afraid that the flippy knife is....'toast'.

I have carried some very nice, designer-named pocket knives, and loved all of them. A Chris Reeve Sebenza was one of my all-time faves.

However, I have now come to the conclusion that I am terrible at keeping knives sharp, and I tend to use them fairly hard. I now carry these WorkPro utility knives, which are incredibly compact, surprisingly well made, and astoundingly inexpensive. And I can just replace the blade for a new sharp one any time it gets a bit dull, or even just has too much packing tape adhesive on it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08X6X8132

The Tirant Razor (mentioned above) is also very nice -- it is in between a utility knife and a nice pocket knife.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QVWTRWL/

Not quite the 'WOW' factor of a West Side Story Eye-talian switchblade, but a lot more practical in a jeep-ish sort of way.

I'll consider one.

Agreed, and I really do like my flippy-knives. I've owned quite a few, and they've always been my favorite variety.

But I just hate sharpening pocket knives.

You could always go with a small sheath knife.

Too 'showy' for a bus driver, especially with high schoolers aboard.

Better to keep an edge in the little zippered bag along with the hair rollers and skin creams, etc.

Folders are perfect travelers tools.

This one has single hand operation, but I am terrified of it, so it just sits in a drawer.

I have to re-teach myself how to open it each time I take it out.

I have a Gerber similar to what Jess showed that is my go to. Its blade is also coated in packing tape adhesive.

My utility knife. I've had it for at least five years. It replaced two of the non-CX models that just plain vanished. Might have been due to being custom colored, but that's water under the bridge.

Care and feeding consists of the occasional sharpening with one of those handheld ceramic rod gadgets and packing tape is routinely removed with Goo Gone.

Wish it could fly with me, because then I would take it everywhere with me.

I have many, many more folders than this, but this is the collection of knives I have actually carried for enough time to be called a favorite.

From left:
Chris Reeve Sebenza
James Brand Chapter
Kershaw Chill
Kershaw Ken Onion Leek
Kershaw RJ Martin Groove
Spyderco Sage Titanium

And finally, my current carry, the WorkPro Folding Utility Knife

All of these are quite well used, and could use some serious degumming.

Gah! I almost forgot one of my most cherished (and now unobtanium) knives: the Giaco Whatever Maker Knife, with a magic mechanism that either works like magic or cuts your hand open.

This Gerber has been through the wash more than some jeans I own. It's by far my most used knife.

It falls into the replace 'razor blade and worry not about sharpening' category.

I have two of these as well -- though I don't think I have carried either one of them for long enough to make it into my Cherished Knives drawer.

Adding a touch of thread drift towards [SSR].

Unable to resist shiny objects, I've just ordered this James Brand "Palmer" utility slider.

I just can't help myself.

Is there a flash drive on the other side? Real opportunity missed if not. James BOND utility slider.

Hah! No, I don't think so. Just a utility knife.

I'm sort of a Philistine when it comes to collecting great knives. I just have one that I'm really fond of. It's a Benchmade folding knife with a 4-1/2" blade. Nothing fancy but a very effective tool.

The knife on my Leatherman multi-tool is pretty good too. But it's too bulky to carry in a pocket and tedeous to open.

All the MV hipsters must be out riding. I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet.

Perfect for enjoying some stinky cheese and cured meat while admiring your fixie leaning against a tree.

I own one, but have never found it to be especially useful as an EDC. But it is a classic.

I bought a toolbox full of misc tools from a neighbor a few years ago. I never got a chance to go through it until about 6 months ago. This US Army issue folding knife was in the mix. Nothing fancy but I thought it was neat.

I hear that the Swiss had more pointy, saw-ey, screwdriver-ey things in their folding knives.

Also perfect for your local steak house when you ask for a sharp knife and they bring you one of those damned serrated knives that kind of tear your $50 medium rare into shreds. That sharp Opinel will give you the cleanly sliced meat you need. And if she asks tell her it's a flashlight in your pocket.

When I was 7 or 8 my uncle took me to a Remington store in Burlington, MA to buy me my first knife. It was a Victorinox Swiss Army - Alox 'Electrician.'

Shortly after I sliced the top of my arm wide open just above the wrist 'sawing down a branch to use for a marshmallow stick' while camping.

I was more scared that my uncle was going to yell at me and take the knife away than I was the bloody mess that was my arm.

Almost 40 years later I still have the knife (and the scar).

Dammit. After a break of several years, I now find myself cruising all the latest knives and knife reviews. Which is how I ended up with probably 50+ folders. I really don't need another knife, and yet... there are so many really interesting ones out there now.

One that just floated to the top of my list -- and fairly reasonably priced -- is this Civivi Elementum folder.

Must. Not. Hit. Purchase!

You can't get dinner for 2 for that price anymore. Treat yourself. You deserve it 😁

Flippy probably committed Hari Kiri at the shame of having to help serve up that atrocious meal. He was meant for better things! And just to rub 170% of your recommended daily salt intake into the wound you posted pics of that last shameful act on the interweb!!!

https://www.amazon.com/portable-usb-blender/s?k=portable+usb+blender

I have many blades.

My Kershaw Leek is the one that almost always comes along wherever I go.

I have been carrying this CRK Sabenza for the past 13 years, just remember its a knife not a screw driver and you will be fine....

One of my all-time faves as well. I think I only stopped carrying it when I got the Sebenza.

I really like how compact that is.

Does it require any tools to change the blade?

What's it called?

Are they still available?

I have the sickness as well. Civivi makes good knives.

I have been on the wagon since 9/27/22.

This was when I knew I hit rock bottom: