Hocky’s Corner: Not your ordinary paperweight…

H. Clay Aalders
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Hey All, from time to time Hocky sends me photos of knives and such from his collection, usually having mentioned them in the comments on the WOT.

I have heard Ethan Becker describe a knife as doing an “excellent impression of a paperweight”, but I have never until now seen an actual forged paperweight.

According to Hocky:

My “Jan the Big Swede” forged “hold down”. Very useful for “holding down” my “Knife” so the cat’s do not tear’em up

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H. Clay Aalders

H. Clay Aalders is a lifelong edged tool user. He spent the past 20 years as a woodworker and fishing guide in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Tennessee. While guiding in Idaho, Clay worked part-time writing for a local newspaper, and upon moving to Tennessee began writing for the blog The Truth About Knives - spending his last 5 years there as Managing Editor. His background is in fixed-blade hunting and bushcraft knives, but has jumped into the world of vintage slipjoint collecting with both feet since coming to work at Knife Magazine. Clay’s primary role is as Digital Editor, curating and creating new content for our website and blog, as well as maintaining the Knife Magazine social media accounts (FB/IG: @theknifemag, Twitter: @knifemagazine). He is also a contributor and Associate Editor of the print magazine.

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4 Responses

  1. So many uses, flattening down the hamburger patties, then holding down two hamburger patties at once on the barbecue, flipping the hamburgers, getting hungry. Wonder what we are having for dinner tonight? 🙂

    Reply

  2. I visited my great friend, “Barney” (Aubrey G. Barnes, MS/ABS), on Saturday. As usual, my “short” visit lasted nearly two hours! I showed him my “paperweight”. We talked blacksmithing versus bladesmithing . . . As usual, I listened and learned from this opportunity. Key points of interest: Blacksmiths use mostly “1018” steel (low carbon). Wrought iron has nearly “zero carbon”; and, cast iron skillets, e.g. Griswold, are high carbon. Also, in his review of the “Jan” piece he remarked, “There are no straight lines in nature.” He commented, “Your paperweight kind of looks like a duck.” I saw his perspective from a “side view”.

    We had some “show ‘n tell” on custom forged blades. He showed me his drawing of a “Whop ‘n Chop” he plans to forge from a 3/8 in. thick bar of “80CrV2”. We talked about my service to the “USS George Bancroft SSBN643 – Association”.

    Submarines and Knives! Enjoyed the day and life in general.

    Reply

  3. “Geesh”, Clay. My cats read “Knife” . . . I think they like the smell of the “off gassing” from the plastic sheath. Especially, “Leonard” the Alpha-cat. He will floss his teeth with anything plastic. He has used up two or three lives choking on shards of poly-something-urene. On the “Jan” piece, this is a curvy, twisty-turny construction that “Jan” said just “happened” as he built it. It swoops and dives and flips. In my hand it has a fine balance. It does not “feel” heavy. I appreciate his work. It graces the table by my La-Z-Boy.

    Reply

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