On Pocketknives: Ralph Settle

As an addendum to my original post on pocketknives, I've asked some others to share their own knives and the stories behind them.

I mentioned in my original post that it was my friend Ralph (author of the fictional blog A Ralph Down South) who inspired me to carry a pocketknife. Ralph was born and raised in Inman, South Carolina, and carries a Buck 505 "Knight," like his dad. He has included his thoughts on that knife, as well as story about his grandfather's Buck Stockman.

My grandfather carried Bucks his entire life. He grew up during the depression and very much knew the value of a dollar. Buck knives were well made…in America…and always got the job done, plus they were affordable. His motto “if the knife is worth anything, the man who made it would have sharpened it from the factory”. Buck never let him down in that regard, they always came razor sharp. I still remember the last knife my grandfather was given, the Buck Stockman. He had the same knife for years…he did not replace a knife for the sake of owning a new knife. To him a knife was an old friend, trusted and reliable. He used the knife everyday of his life, from working on tractors or cars, whittling a childlike “pipe” for grandchildren (a small stick and the top to an acorn), to castrating hogs. Eventually Gran (what I called my grandfather) lost his old knife somewhere. It could have been in the barn, in the house, in a patch of woods or pasture. None the less he was in the market for a new one. The Christmas of 1993 my dad gave Gran a Buck Stockman. He was complete again. He used his new knife for 3 months and it was in his pocket the morning he passed away that following March. Putting his knife in his pocket was as routine as a pouring a cup of coffee and a kissing my grandmother on the cheek to start the day. My dad was given the new Stockman back after Gran passed away and while moving Gran’s old recliner (ironically the one he passed away in as well), we found his old Stockman. I guess it’s fitting that we have two Buck Stockman’s to remember him by, one for my father and one for me.


Ralph's grandfather's Buck Stockmans

That said I wear dress pants and suits most days of my life. Gran was dealt a much more friendly hand in life as he was able to farm most of his. He did not make a ton of money but he lived a rich life. The Stockman fit his life, three blades, large and robust. The Buck 505 Knight is slim and has but one blade. It fits well in dress pants and does not protrude out and become visible for the whole world to see. It is still very much a Buck. It holds an edge and has been very reliable. I thought I had lost it once but it was in the cushions of a friends sofa…a pattern emerged, knives like furniture.


Ralph and his dad's Buck 505 "Knights"

2011 Duck Hunting Trip

Two weekends ago, before ice and snow brought Atlanta to a grinding halt, I headed to South Carolina for what will likely be my only hunting trip of the 2010/2011 season. A classmate of ours from graduate school invited us down to his family's plantation for the weekend, which was obviously an offer that we couldn't refuse. Here are some pictures from that trip.

Before we headed down to the Lowcountry, my friend Ralph and I were able to go hunting on Friday morning on some land that another of our friend's has up near Greenville.

Ralph (of the soon-to-be blog, A Ralph Down South: an online tour of the places Ralph has thrown up in the southeast), on the lookout for ducks.

Ralph's Browning A5 Stalker and the wood duck that he got.

The lake we were hunting on, as the sun came up.

Unfortunately, I came up empty-handed that morning.

After we wrapped up, we headed down to our friend's plantation, which is down near Edisto, in the ACE Basin. They've got about 600 acres of impoundment and are right next to the Combahee River. For those in the know, this means a TON of ducks.

In order to get ready for the hunt the next morning, we decided to stay up around the fire until about 12:30 AM drinking some of America's finest macrobrews (Natty Light and Busch Light, of course), and two pints of Mr. Boston Rock & Rye (which is delicious, by the way).


The next morning, my friend William and I were set up in our blind and ready for the ducks.

A view from our blind at dawn.

William and his dog, Joe, after downing a drake shoveler.

After the hunt.

William and I had an outstanding morning. We both managed to limit out in just under and hour. We were covered up with ducks, though they were mostly spoon-bills. In fact, between the two of us, we shot 10 drake shovelers, one hen shoveler, and one teal. No complaints, though. We had an awesome hunt.

The plantation was beautiful and amazing. Here are a couple of photos, though they don't do the place justice.




That night, after an afternoon dove hunt, we celebrated in the only fashion appropriate for the ACE Basin. We headed over to bustling metropolis of Yemassee for a steak dinner at Harold's Country Club.

Harold's is a local institution and was definitely the place to be on a Saturday night, though we didn't stick around long enough to have enough to drink to actually participate in karaoke. Next time...



All in all it was an awesome trip. On Sunday, before the snow hit, we even got to go quail hunting at our friend Kyle's parents' farm. Not a bad way to spend a weekend.

A special thanks to Rusty, James, and Kyle for their generosity.

Second Annual Fun Pants Party

Myself and the other hosts of the party

This past weekend, a number of friends from grad school and I hosted the Second Annual Fun Pants Party down in Charleston. Last year's party was just a pub crawl along Upper King (in ridiculous, fun pants, no less), but this year we hosted a beforehand cocktail party at the Carolina Yacht Club, before preceding to a pub crawl along East Bay. The actual crawl part was somewhat waylaid (in a good way) due to the awesome band, Unkle Funkle, who was playing at Johnson's Pub, our first stop. A good time was had by all, and I'm pretty sure that our 50+ crowd of people in ridiculous pants made the place a lot better than it normally is.

As an added bonus, the party was graced with the presence of none other than Social Primer himself, Cooper Ray. Be sure to check out Cooper's article, including additional pictures, over on the Social Primer website.


A view of the harbor from the Carolina Yacht Club

Southern States Flag Belts

Are you a Southern who's jealous of your South Carolina friends always sporting their South Carolina flag belts? Well, it's finally your turn.

A hat tip to Greg at Manifold Destiny for this one, Tennesee-based company Traditional State makes belts, dog collars, and other products featuring the state flags of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. These are definitely going on my Christmas list. Check them out below.

Alabama

Georgia

Mississippi

Tennessee

Texas

Recommended: Palmetto Cheese

Photo taken from this blog (because I was too lazy to take my own picture)

For those of you who have been reading this a while, you may remember my Southern Staple: Pimento Cheese post, or my other post when I made my own pimento cheese--which brought about a reversal of my 24 year objection to it. Well, the other day my mom spotted some Palmetto Cheese at Costco and picked some up. After giving it a try, first on crackers, then on a sandwich, I've got to say this is the best store-bought pimento cheese I have had. Really, this stuff almost makes making your pimento cheese a moot point.

She bought the regular, not the jalapeno, and it was not too sweet or too mayonnaisey, with sharp cheddar and just the right amount of heat. I would like to give the jalapeno a try, though. Interestingly enough, according to the website, they use Hellman's mayonnaise; this is sure to stir up trouble with those who insist on using Duke's.

On top of being delicious, this stuff is made at Pawley's Island, SC, so obviously they know what they are doing. According to their website, it is available at Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Costco, Harris Teeter and Bi-Lo (and some other place called Central Market, which I have never heard of). You may have to request it, but I suggest that you do.

Ellie's Bow Ties review

A couple of weeks ago I gave an endorsement for Ellie's Bow Ties based on what I had seen so far, though without actually trying one of the bow ties myself. Well, after writing that, Ellie's husband Andy got in touch with me and he and Ellie were generous enough to offer me a discount on a tie in exchange for a writing a review. Well, I picked out the Red Plaid Wool bow tie (which can currently be seen on the website), and it arrived this past Friday.

While it may seem convenient to write a positive review on a product that was provided at a discount, I am being completely honest when I say that this may be the most well-made bow tie that I own. The standard width and length are both good, it has a nice weight, the fabric is soft, and it ties nicely.

However, for whatever reason, I think the thing that I might be the most impressed with is the slider. It is very well sewn and I like the black material and black slider. Also, I love the label and think that it is a great touch.


So now, having actually experienced one of Ellie's Bow Ties myself, I can honestly say that I think these have to be the best bow ties you can get for your money (if not just the best bow ties, period). At $23 these things really are a steal, so I suggest going and buying one today.

Oh, and the best part is, these ties are made right in the great state of South Carolina. That is definitely something that few other companies can boast about.

Ellie's Bow Ties

Several months back, a member on a certain men's clothing forum that I frequent posted a picture of a bow tie that his wife had recently made for him using leftover seersucker material. We were all quite impressed, and a little later he came back to us to let us know that his wife had made some more bow ties, if any of us were interested in one. After that, they began offering more choices in fabric as well as options for customization (length, width, shape, etc.). Since then, Ellie LaVeer's cottage business seems to have taken off. There was an article about her in The State, Columbia, SC's newspaper, and there is an interview with her over on E.J. Forbes' blog.

You can check out her current selection at www.elliesbowties.com. In addition to bow ties, she is now making ascots and pocket square, and she can convert your long ties into bow ties for only $23 (something I hope to be taking advantage of in the future). Speaking of prices, they are hard to beat as all bow ties are $23, which includes shipping, though you will have to pay sales tax if you are in South Carolina. While I have not personally tried one of her bow ties (yet), I have seen plenty of pictures and read enough testimony to give them a high recommendation.

Luden's Outfitters closing

Since I, like most superstar bloggers, am awesome at breaking news stories before they come to the attention of the masses, I thought I would inform you that Luden's Outfitters down in Charleston is closing its doors after 140 years. I found this out last week on a forum that I occasionally post on, but you may have actually read about it in the Post & Courier article that was published back on April 6th.

For those who are unfamiliar with Luden's, it is a store down in Charleston where one might go to buy some waders, a kayak, a bow tie or a Barbour jacket. It's a little off the beaten path (i.e.- not right on King Street or the touristy part of East Bay Street), but worth visiting before they close the doors. While the article does a pretty good job explaining about the history of the store, I think that for a lot of Charlestonians it represented one of the things about the city that didn't change, no matter how many million dollar condos were built or how many Ohioans flooded the city.

Upon hearing about the closing, I asked one of my classmates, practicum teammates, Charleston native, and all-round badass, Charles Fitzhenry (pictured adjacent) if he had heard the news. He said that he had and had gone in there the day that their "Going out of business" sale started. In talking with one of the guys there, he was told that their landlord jacked up the rent on their lease and that they couldn't afford it (seemed to me like kind of a strange reason to completely go out of business). Anyways, the guy said that they were going to kind of see where things go with the economy and maybe open it back up again when things get better. This is all secondhand information, though, so take it for what it's worth.

Although I was disappointed to hear that Luden's won't be around any longer, I can't say that I was completely shocked by the news. At least in Charleston, if not everywhere else, I think that the outfitter/clothing store model is becoming increasingly difficult to pull off. Because there are so many retail options out there, especially with the internet, there doesn't seem to be much need for a store to be a "pretty good" outfitter and a "pretty good" clothing store (which I think would pretty accurately describe Luden's). These companies need to choose one or the other and be "really good" at whichever they pick. An example of this in Charleston is M. Dumas & Sons. From what I understand, they used to be much more of an outfitter than they are today, but they seem to have really minimized that portion of their store and are now mostly sell preppy clothing to tourists (which is a great market). To some extend, I feel that LL Bean also falls into this category.

Anyways, although I only visited Luden's twice, I am sad that I won't be able to drop in there next time I am down in Charleston (nor be able to pick up a belt with their logo on it).

South Carolina as viewed from Charleston

I'm not sure how long this has been around, but I saw it on the internet and after my experience living in Charleston and being around Charleston people, it seems pretty accurate.