Last month, my grandson Logan (11) went on vacation with his best friend and his family. The dad is their little league coach and works hard with them as they are good athletes and even better human beings. The dad is a police officer and a knife guy.

He took the boys to Smokey Mountain Knife Works and told them to pick out any inexpensive knife they wanted.

He was floored at the massive inventory and took hours to nail one down. He told the dad that he had saved money from his summer of grass cutting and could he pay for his knife himself.

This is not fancy or high quality but it is his and what he chose:





Logan now wants to collect so I have given him another to add to the pile.



He has the bug I never caught.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Rusty, what your grandson told the dad says so much about how he has been raised and what kind of man he will become. You have a grandson to be proud of....congrats.

BTW, that's a neat knife he picked out.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

Love that story Rusty! Thanks for sharing it. I think Logan will need a display case real soon as his collection grows.

Good for him, but I can't help but feel sad due to the fact that if he takes either one to school he will end up in handcuffs. In grade school we all had a pocket knife, and in high school most guys carried a Buck 110 on their belts.

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Only a cold warrior

I remember my first day attending school in a Cub Scout uniform, complete with the official Cub Scout pocket knife on a brass chain attached to my uniform belt. Clip blade, can opener, bottle opener, leather awl, that knife had just about everything that later made Swiss Army knives so popular and useful.

That was over 60 years ago. Today I would be expelled from public school for possession of the knife, and not allowed back in until I completed counseling to correct my actions in joining an organization that excluded females and required the Pledge of Allegiance at every meeting. Obviously, merit badges that required individual commitment and effort shouldn't be tolerated because of the damage it might do to other peoples' little self-esteemers (believe it or not, they actually taught us how to build fires, catch fish, snare small game, cook our own food, survive in the wilderness, and other useless stuff).

Maybe another time I will share my experiences when I showed up a day or so late for a Boy Scout camping trip on my motorcycle, with a really cute girl on the back seat, and a few adult beverages. Up until that day I didn't know that Scoutmasters were capable of language like my drill sergeant later instructed me with.

Disclaimer: No animals were injured in the production of this post, nor were any innocent teenage girls, and I think my Scoutmaster survived after his emotional outbursts and a good peaceful nap without my motorcycle around the campsite.

Thanks for letting the youngster become a collector, something he can enjoy for a long time and while your at it, teach him to recognise quality so his collection will appreciate as he adds to it!

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Sam
S&WHF 333 S&WCA 2198

Steer him over to Bladeforums.com. There is a lot of knowledge over there about modern knives, traditionals, collecting, using, modifying and making knives and much more. It will help him refine his taste in knives and appreciate quality in both expensive and inexpensive knives.

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Not in jail.

Awesome wow !!!Love this Smokey and Shepard Hills are Awesome

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Spin The Wheel

Even tho they are made in China, MTech are very good knives at their price level. I sell a lot of them in my shop. The variety is endless

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Super Snooper

My first knife-at age 12-was a Boy Scout knife, over the years I think the can opener got the most use. Yes, carried mine to school in the 1960s, nowadays......

Looks like a good first “boy’s knife”, as it were.

Along with the normal use for daily chores, it behooves you to teach the boy also the art of knivesman’s fighting. There are many videos and classes you can look into. Michael Janich is a great resource. All boys should learn to be able to defend hearth, home, and country with their carry knife.

Make sure that he learns safe knife handling and etiquette as well.

I can sympathize with his difficulty in picking out a knife at SMKW. I stopped in a couple of months ago and was glad I didn't have my wife with me. As it was, I spent 2.5 hours looking, and could have spent all day if I hadn't committed to be home by dark that day!

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Pisgah

Great story, thanks for sharing.

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Jorge

I collect knives, too, mostly bowie's. I found Case still made my Dad's pocket knife and bought 3 new ones. One for me, and my two brothers.

When my son was about six or seven a guy I worked with asked me if I thought if I thought my boy was old enough to have a pocket knife? I told him that kid was born about half grown and I thought he could probably handle it. My friend gave my son a new Craftsman knife. I had a long talk with my son and explained that it was a tool and not a toy. I also instructed him on the use of the knife and if he was careless with it I would take it away for awhile.
About a week later I noticed he had a nice straight cut on his thumb and I asked him how did he hurt his thumb? He looked me right in the eye and said "I hit it with a hammer." I kept a straight face and said "I see". I didn't have the heart to take it away from him, but I realize I probably taught him to lie. He's in his 50s now and I would bet money he still has that knife.

A boy and a pocketknife. Dad says, “Son, this is a knife. Not a toy. It’s sharp, and if you are not careful, it will cut you.” Boy says, “Yes, Dad!” And, of course, is absolutely delighted to be entrusted with a knife.

A couple of days later, boy, careless, cuts himself. (Hell, we all did!) But he learns the truth of his father’s words, and he learns the nature of a knife.

It is a good thing, to give a boy a knife.

(And, truth be told, every now and then, I still cut myself with a knife. Six decades on. Just life’s way of keeping me on my toes, and the knife’s way of telling me, “See? My nature has not changed.”)

I like knives a lot.

That's a nice comment, Arlo.

He hasn't cut himself yet but he has declared that all things that need cutting or opening are now his job. He has already sharpened every pencil in the house. I have to follow him around with a Dust Devil.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

When Logan got home from school today he had a package waiting for him from member jlrhiner. I'll just let the pics tell the tale.

We were both speechless.











Jim, Logan said: "thank you and friends for life".

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

There was a knock on the door and I was handed a package from pawngal addressed to Logan. My heart almost stopped. I knew waiting for him to get home after his ballgame to open it was going to be tough.

The look on his face!!!

Again I will let the note tell the story:











We are touched beyond words. There are truly some splendid examples of human kindness on this forum.

Becky, thank you and Ruthie, Logan and I won't soon forget.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I don't think I ever felt a knife was special . Had a little 2 blade 305 buck with a 2" blade more or less . . Don't remember if I had a knife on me in middle school but have a couple case trappers so probably had on in my pocket all the time . By case in highs school it was ether a puma game warden in the '70's or a case large folder . Today its a ZT0350 in my pocket and ahave some KoA I take hunting .. Still have most of my knifes some with broken blades some still very useable . MY mom and then my wife seems to keep all sorts of stuff I've set aside over the years but to me like a carry gun is just a tool .

I am not the knife person that everyone here is and that's my fault but in my limited capacity I know that these knives are indeed "special" as they each have a history and a human story behind them.

Logan is rapidly on his way to becoming a "knife guy" and is starting to realize what he has.

The fact that these gifts meant something to Becky, Jim and myself is not lost on him.

If these knives are nothing else, they qualify as "special".

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

My Grandson turns 18 this weekend so I need to pick out a couple of special knives for him. Can't say he has caught the collector bug yet but he likes them. His preference runs to straight blade/sheath knives. He did pick out one several years ago but it is a high $$$ custom knife so that stays with Grandma for awhile yet. It is in a case with his name on it and in my safe.

Rusty, thank you for the kind words, much appreciated.

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Super Snooper

Re: the original post:

That knife looks very, very similar to the now-defunct, and made in China, Gerber Icon (minus the yellow seat-belt cutter, of course). The Icon is a decent knife, not great, but decent. You can still find them around.

Gerber Icon Linerlock Folder 4.15" Plain Edge Blade - KnifeCenter - 30-000068 - Discontinued


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I was six and was out in my grandmother's detached garage. I found a metal locker that had belonged to a recently departed (good riddance!) step father. In the locker was a single blade Camilus knife. I took it inside and asked my granny if I could have it. She said "Sure". I carried it to school and in my jeans at home for several years until replaced by other knives.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I have far more good memories from knives beginning in my very early years than any other such things. I have been blessed to be able to own and carry knives since a very young age. My dad taught me well from the beginning to understand the valve of a good pocket knife, and those make up the bulk of my extensive accumulation of knives. I'm still a sucker for them today. My sons and grandchildren ( yes, both girls and boys) have received knives from my accumulation from the time their parents were comfortable for them to have them. To this day, when they come to see me, they (especially the grandsons) want to see any knives I have accumulated since the last time they were here. Warms my heart! And they know that none of my knives will be missing when I pass from this life and that they will be able to choose from among them at that time with the caveat that I will tolerate no fist fights among them in the process.

I enjoy sitting down at times and just going through all of them to hold and see them once again. Some of them are definitely special, due to their previous owners or just the fact that when I see and hold them, they make me smile real big! I cannot imagine life without a few good knives, and I'm glad my kids feel the same way. Even my wife finally figured out how handy a good pocket knive is, and she always has one on her person.

Rusty,
Your story has made me smile real big and made my day. What a treasure for Logan. I am very pleased to hear of his interest and appreciation for these knives. And my heart is also warmed considerably by the generosity and thoughtfulness of Pawngal for making this happen! Logan has indeed become the recipient of a very special and appropriate gift! I'll bet he will have them for a very long time.

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So long ... Ken

Here are what I picked out to gift grandson for his birthday this weekend.
I'll also let him pick a MTech from the shop.

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Super Snooper

That's just down right handsome!

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

He got these from member "misswired".

Thanks Bob from both of us.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Are the stag-handled folders by Boker? I can't make out the logo.

My first knife was gained by saving box tops and begging my parents. After many promises to be careful I got the knife. It was a folder with black plastic scales with imitation jig work. One day while "whittling" on a stick with a dull blade to blade folded back and zipped across the bottom my left forearm, leaving me a reminder of it to this day. Really no big deal, taught me about cheap knives, dull knives, being careful. Besides It was only the beginning of the many leaks I have sprung over my life time. Most of them minor. My wife not long after we got together. "YOUR BLEEDING" Me, "ya, I do that sometimes". As long as I bleed I am alive. Its only when you can't bled any more that you have a real problem.

After a bit of digging, we believe they are Pakistani. They seem to be solidly made.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Out of the wild blue yonder Logan got a surprise package from Lee Barner. Inside was a beautiful Ducks Unlimited collectors knife.

Sorry for the poor pics as Logan used his own hand-me-down phone.

Lee, we both thank you for this thoughtful, heartfelt gift.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Shows you what kind of people our members are. I have carried a knife of some kind every day since kindergarten. I'm not really a collector, but just appreciate quality knives.

This one was like one my father had, just something different in a quality blade.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

This reminds me of my first knife. My dad gave it to me over 30 years ago, I think I was 12 or 13. It was a Swiss Army knife. The Explorer model. Along the way my dad and I took it to a knife show and had the plastic scales replaced with rosewood scales. I used to carry it every where, but at some point it took on too much sentimental value so I stopped. I still have it. I also used to take it with me to high school, and this was late 80s/early 90s in Southern CA. Never had a problem. Even had a teacher who said that she thought of me whenever she watched MacGyver because of that knife.

Kansasgunner & I went in that place on the way to Charlotte several years ago and spent too much time & money in that place. Was a really great experience!!!.

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SWCA LM#2190 SWHF#414

Rusty, that knife is from NE DU 91/92. it is # 24 of 100. the first 100 sponsors that year got that knife. lee

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VFW, NRA, VVA, S&WCA 1758

A personal favorite.

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My oldest son just crossed over into Boy Scouts this weekend. I gave him his first knife on this occasion. A Swiss Army Knife Huntsman with sheath. I carry a SAK Camper daily and have for 20 years.

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SWCA #2922

Great place! Also check out. Allaboutpocketknives.com

Yesterday was Logan's birthday and he got a surprise package from Kevin (wood714).

Logan is plumb tickled with these and so am I. He is up to 32 knives now.







Thanks Kev.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

A complete surprise from pawngal!!!

USPS delivered a small package today. I looked at the return address. When I saw Okoboji, Iowa I did a triple-take and started palpitating.

Inside, in a jewelry box, were these two little beauties earmarked for Logan.

He and I were both floored at the level of thoughtfulness and beyond cool factor. Becky, "thank you" seems so inadequate. You have cemented your kindness and graciousness forever in our hearts. We are proud to call you "friend".

Bless you.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Rusty, I saw those while I was making a knife order and said to myself, gotta get a couple of them, I know a good home for them. Too bad the Chinaman didn't put 4 strings on them!

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Super Snooper

I have both of my two oldest grandsons well-started on a knife collection. The older one in particular really took to it. He can spend hours going through my knife box and admiring and asking about each of them. I have three more younger grandsons (and a granddaughter and will introduce them when the time is right. I also have a plan to give each one a Ruger 10/22 including the one granddaughter. Have already done the two oldest and am constantly on the lookout for good buys on 10/22s, especially deluxe sporters or the earlier walnut stocked carbines.

My recently departed mother got dad, brother, and I each a Leatherman for Christmas one year. Within a month we had all injured ourselves with them! But a great present that is always with me.

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Uvidíme se později, aligátore.