The Buck 112

I bought a custom Buck 112. Instead of brass I went for the nickel silver with rivets. I marveled at the form, an old design.

Should I get Ironwood? Crelicam? I chose Dymalux Walnut. It didn’t cost extra and gave the 112 a sense of nostalgia.
I splurge on the blade instead. I could have gone with 440HC in satin or mirror polish. Or S35VN. Rather I chose Magnacut and cost me fifty bucks more. With the finger groove just because. It will be six to eight weeks, hand made, but it came early.

It had come home to me and into my hands. Opening makes a loud snap, strong, pronounced. I hold it first in my right, then my left and then back again. Squeezing hard to feel the grooves meld in my grip. Close, open, Snap! Close, open, Snap! Close, open, Snap!
Will I whittle wood? Will I cut rope? Make feather sticks? Cut my steak? Imagining, I look at my Buck on top of my spiral notebook. Waiting for me.

— DB 4/30/25

Hope yours was better than mine.

Surely you’ll be disappointed. You’re probably thinking that I want a Porsche or something exotic. Nope. The kind of car for me is neither classic nor modern. First, my criteria and how I got to it. I like a car that’s not new, meaning no recent offerings at a dealership. So a used car will do for me. Next, I want a car that’s reliable but still has some good miles to it. Cars today and in the recent past can go upwards of 200,000 miles and can still be driven hard. So anything with 90K on it, will do. It doesn’t have to be new looking either. I don’t mind a few dings here and there. Though I would like a clean car. Now, let me explain how I got to realize the car for me. I’ve been borrowing my father-in-law’s 2000 Toyota Camry. It’s got about 92K miles on it. It drives like a dream. Get this, I used to scoff at Camrys because they’re just so plain vanilla. Now who’s got the last laugh? Not me of course. It’s got this utilitarian dashboard that is so cool. It’s not quite classic as in a 68 VW bug but almost. So I drive this borrowed car to and from errands around town. It’s got one of the smoothest ride I’ve driven. The way I drive it is even funnier. You’d laugh. I drive it like my father-in-law. He’s in his 70’s. When he got this brand new, paid cash right off the dealer lot. He drove it slow and steady. Like he took care of it. Easy on the pedal, slow on turns, stops at bumps, he’s ever so delicate with his driving. That’s how I drive now. I can’t even tell you how I was before. Word from the wise, there’s more to life than driving fast. So I enjoy driving this car a lot. And I’m thinking of getting one like it. Works for me. I’ll have no monthly payments and I’d even saved on gas. Though it’s not as good on mileage as a hybrid car, I would still not have spent as much money buying a newer hybrid because a Camry goes for half the price of most Prius(es). I suppose that’s the satisfaction I get. The fact that I didn’t open up my wallet and let go of my savings, but still be able to get around. I’ve had to overcome quite a lot of stigmas for used cars such as the fact it’s older and maybe not so reliable. Or it’s not the latest and greatest. Or it’s not impressive, or it doesn’t have a new car smell, or enter your reasons here: __________. For whatever the reason, none of it makes a difference, now that I’ve found the car for me.

It seems that when something goes wrong with computers, electronics, cell phones, etc. I always end up getting the wrong end of the stick. Yeah, I’m the go-to person when it comes time to un-stuck gadgets and things but when I start my questions as to how things got to the way they were, meaning “not working”, I seem to always get the bad rap. I end up having to explain myself why I’m asking the questions. Or I have to reword the questions just to make sure I don’t make the other seem incompetent. Back when I was an IT professional, that was my job, to ask how things broke. Each information I get gets me closer to an answer, and hopefully a solution to the problem. But what’s wrong with asking questions? It doesn’t mean I think the person incompetent or even broke the computer/phone/toy/iPad etc. I just need to fill in the unknown variables like in a math problem [x + y = z]. If I know x and y, then I can solve for z. What irks me is that the minute I ask what x or y is, I get a kind of resentment or push back and it’s hard to pry those variables without having to explain why I need them. Or miscommunication ensues which follows a lenghty argument and apologies must be said, “no, what I meant was that when it stopped working, what was the last key you pressed?” I didn’t say you deleted the file accidentally.” I suppose I should reword my questions to be more understandable, true. Sometimes simple questions like that can activate the defense mechanism in people. Now, I have to overcome the person’s shield as well as fix the computer/TV/iPad/iPhone/camera…

First I must confess, I don’t need another camera. No Nikon FM2n or FE2. The reason I thought I needed one is because I simply thought I wanted a smaller camera to take along to work (long story as to how I got here but I will reveal in due time). I already have a Nikon F3hp. A professional camera at that! Why should I bother to get a FM2n or FE2 just because the thought of carrying a “slightly” less bulky camera would be reason enough to get another one. So after a stint on looking through eBay, my desire subsided and reality hit me saying, “Stick with the F3 and stop collecting you dummy.” [Deep breath, in and, out]. Whew.

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