Archival Utensils

I've been shopping from Cornell library's Human Ecology Historical Photograph collection for new utensil sets. I love the elegant presentation and the grouping of tools by function. Each photograph reminds me of the first frame of an Eadweard Muybridge motion study. I'm waiting for a pair of hands to enter the frame and activate each items use value.

Camping dishes should be light, strong and effective

Strainers of all kinds from a wire basket for blanching to puree strainer for pulping.

Canning: Knives and sharpener, spoons and lifters, Funnels and ladles - all invaluable in preserving and pickling.

Camping: A hunting knife well-sheathed, the not-to-be-forgotten screw driver and pliers, a compass to guide you, with matches protected from the water and even the corkscrew.

Glass ovenware

Equipment - general

Cake and mold pans

Archival Pocket Knives

A.C. endorsed Opinel (Tom's model)

Discontinued Victorinox (L.L.'s current pocket folder)

I've been shopping for another knife ever since I saw a gent in Seattle cutting leather straps with a self sharpened Randall's Adventure knife.

Unauthorized obsession

Tom and Sara both say NO to a jungle survival knife. Admittedly, I'm not sure what I would use it for save for opening boxes or cutting up cured salamis. A Randall would be overkill for my needs since it would spend most of its life in a kitchen drawer (too large for daily carry).

My second choice would be an Oregon made knife by the William Henry studio. Back in the day, I used to catch and release these from the display case of our favorite, now closed cutlery shop in Portland: George & Son Cutlery. A staff member once described William Henry as the CC Filson of pocket knives: high level of workmanship, local production, best quality materials. At the time, William Henry issued fewer, special edition knives and the lower end of their price point was still semi affordable (though painful enough that I never made a purchase).

William Henry pocket folder

Another pocket folder from Oregon's Lone Wolf Knives

I've asked Tom to suggest some alternative folding knives to William Henry or Randall for daily use. Although he's steadfast in his support of the Opinel as the best bang-for-buck user knife, here's what he selected from Garret Wade's knife counter:

Tom is very fond of this brass Japanese folder, since it reminds him of his beloved scribing knife.

Sheepsfoot blade German-made Sailor's knife.

The famous French Douk-Douk. Featuring a Duk-Duk spirit from Papua New Guinea on the handle. The other Opinel, in a sense: very popular with the FFL and throughout the French Colonies (although I didn't find one in Morocco).

The safest option that Tom approves for Lesli's use.

For fixed blade knife users, try making your own. It's a basic process of finding a blade and mounting a handle. Here's one that Tom made for his timber framing teacher.

Tom's own custom creation