Ed (short - promise!) Story Time - "Old Pocket Knives"

[moparedtn]

Looks like a couple of old, sort of raggedy pocket knives to most, right?
Well, to me, they're a little bit more than that - they were Pops', you know.
I've had them near me ever since he passed, going on 13 years ago now...
Until yesterday, that is...

We attended the Cruise In at the Farm down in Bulls Gap yesterday
( 9-23-23 Cruise In at the Farm )
and while there, I was going through my pockets whilst sitting in a lawn chair in
front of Fred, grumbling whilst looking for a lighter or some such.
A bit miffed, I wound up dumping all contents of my "cargo" shorts on the ground beside me - and later on, I made
an attempt to pick everything back up and put it all back in the assigned pockets...
Except...you guessed it....these two fellas, hiding like they were in the freshly mowed Johnson grass.
I did a total senile on them, distracted as I was by a really nice day and an equally nice drive and show and all.

The loss wasn't discovered until much later at home.
I feverishly went through everything at home, looking for them to no avail - and finally tried to resign myself to having
lost those knives forever.
You know, old forgetful Ed - and they're just junky old knives, right?
The "old" Ed would have been dancing online looking for newer, better ones in a heartbeat - but that wasn't happening
last night. Didn't even occur to me... "Oh well". *shrugs shoulders*

Well - turned out, not so much.
It ate at me, enough so I decided I was actually going back down there today (half hour away) to look for them,
as much of a futile needle in a haystack type search as that was going to be.
Didn't matter. I had to at least try....
Bonus! Lisa actually agrees to go with me, too!
Good thing, too...

Yep, she was the one who spotted them first - and it was then that the true impact of these silly-assed little knives
upon me was felt. I literally had to gather my thoughts back up before we could leave there to go home for a moment...
Thank heavens she puts up with me.
Thank heavens stuff like these damn knives actually do mean something to me nowadays, too.
Since I spent a majority of my life with such stuff not always mattering to me, I consider it an indication of slight
improvement of my soul, really - and I now understood why it all had to happen to begin with, too.

Damn silly-assed little knives actually taught me a lesson!

 

[demonram]

I know, it’s not so much the knives, as it is whose they were! In those two little old knives are memories. The knives are easily replaced, the memories of how and why you have them, are irreplaceable! I’m happy you found them, I still have a few from my dad, that one day my son will have. That sir is what it’s all about! Take care!

 

[33 IMP]

Glad you found em Ed. When I misplace my pocket knife it drives me nuts, even though I have five others to choose from. But there's no sentimental attachment like yours have.

 

[threewood]

Glad you found them. I hate losing anything but anything sentimental would really eat at me. My grandad's knife. Don't carry it often but it does get carried

 

[moparwacko]

Old timer on the left?

 

[Cranky]

I still have a couple of knives of my dads too and even though I don't consider myself sentimental, I must be since I still have them. Thing is, not having any boys, I doubt the girls will care enough to keep them and will probably get sold off in an estate sale. Maybe I should have one now instead of waiting.....

 

[khryslerkid]

Almost a miracle you found them at all. Someone else might have seen them or a car could have ran over them, squashing them into the sod. Might be that Pops still wants you to have them.

 

[moparedtn]

Old timer on the left?

Yes sir - and the other is this:

Neither one are worth much in the world of knife-tradin', I'm sure.
Doesn't matter one bit to me.

 

[moparedtn]

I still have a couple of knives of my dads too and even though I don't consider myself sentimental, I must be since I still have them. Thing is, not having any boys, I doubt the girls will care enough to keep them and will probably get sold off in an estate sale. Maybe I should have one now instead of waiting.....

Grandboys?

 

[Ron H]

to me, they're a little bit more than that - they were Pops'

Great story with a great ending! I know the feeling well, good and not good results. In any case, something from your dad is priceless. Let me share a story please.

My departed dad gave me a gold Franklin-Longines watch my mother gave him in 1953. Was engraved with my folk’s names and date. He wore it for 20 years remembering it growing up. I lost it; last I ‘could’ remember, it was in the console in my Dakota as I was taking it to get a new band. Unexpected repairs cropped up on the truck taking it to my shop. Figured it was lifted then. Shop owner is a friend; but recall his guys sometimes not locking the vehicles back when in the lot. Called and wrote letters to every jeweler and pawn shop w/i a 100-mile radius. Even went to some pawn shops looking. Posted a reward with photo in the local papers. Was sick about this. Lol, YOU know the feeling.

Here’s an embarrassing part. Some FIVE + years later, was cleaning out a cabinet that was rarely used, stuff in there for – years figuring time to get rid of it. As I’m digging way back, can’t see back there, pull out this baggy – with my dad’s watch inside! Oly chit! THEN, my brain fog came back. I did take it out of the truck and we were about to leave for a few weeks to Costa Rica and had stuffed some relished items in hiding in case our house was broken into. How in dee…I had no recollection will never know. Only thing I can think of, is I did this hiding stuff thinking of it last minute, like half-hour before heading to the airport…erasing any recollection, I guess, being in a hurry.

Bad? My dad and I used to play golf when he was still able. Many great memories. He gave me his pristine sand-iron from the 40’s he used for 40 years. Some scum-wads stole it from my trunk, along with the Ping irons I had just had fitted for me from their AZ factory, I never got to use. Didn’t care about those – BUT that sand-wedge..

 

[moparedtn]

Almost a miracle you found them at all. Someone else might have seen them or a car could have ran over them, squashing them into the sod. Might be that Pops still wants you to have them.

You know I look for reasons things are steering me towards doing and seeing stuff these days - and damn
sure this time, that happened. Hard as I tried to blow it off, inside was the voice saying "go find them".
Guarantee the same voice pointed her right at them, too...

We did some sleuthing off pics taken at the show to pinpoint where Fred was parked, did some rudimentary
reading of tracks in the grass and wala!

 

[moparedtn]

Great story with a great ending! I know the feeling well, good and not good results. In any case, something from your dad is priceless. Let me share a story please.

My departed dad gave me a gold Franklin-Longines watch my mother gave him in 1953. Was engraved with my folk’s names and date. He wore it for 20 years remembering it growing up. I lost it; last I ‘could’ remember, it was in the console in my Dakota as I was taking it to get a new band. Unexpected repairs cropped up on the truck taking it to my shop. Figured it was lifted then. Shop owner is a friend; but recall his guys sometimes not locking the vehicles back when in the lot. Called and wrote letters to every jeweler and pawn shop w/i a 100-mile radius. Even went to some pawn shops looking. Posted a reward with photo in the local papers. Was sick about this. Lol, YOU know the feeling.

Here’s an embarrassing part. Some FIVE + years later, was cleaning out a cabinet that was rarely used, stuff in there for – years figuring time to get rid of it. As I’m digging way back, can’t see back there, pull out this baggy – with my dad’s watch inside! Oly chit! THEN, my brain fog came back. I did take it out of the truck and we were about to leave for a few weeks to Costa Rica and had stuffed some relished items in hiding in case our house was broken into. How in dee…I had no recollection will never know. Only thing I can think of, is I did this hiding stuff thinking of it last minute, like half-hour before heading to the airport…erasing any recollection, I guess, being in a hurry.

Bad? My dad and I used to play golf when he was still able. Many great memories. He gave me his pristine sand-iron from the 40’s he used for 40 years. Some scum-wads stole it from my trunk, along with the Ping irons I had just had fitted for me from their AZ factory, I never got to use. Didn’t care about those – BUT that sand-wedge..

Thanks very much for sharing that - I really appreciate it.
Yep, watch found = equal parts "I'm a dumbass" and elation for sure. Weight of the world, lifted - if only for
a moment.
Golf clubs, though - ouch man. "Sport of gentlemen" my ***, damn thieves.
I've still got my hackin' sticks in the closet, no fear of those ever getting stolen - cheap-assed AND LH means
not even a meth-head wants 'em.

 

[moparedtn]

Glad you found them. I hate losing anything but anything sentimental would really eat at me. My grandad's knife. Don't carry it often but it does get carried View attachment 1529967

That is VERY cool! I've got an old Craftsman 3 blade also, which is marked "Craftsman Stainless USA".
It's actually a neat little knife, can't remember where I got it...

 

[demonram]

I still have a couple of knives of my dads too and even though I don't consider myself sentimental, I must be since I still have them. Thing is, not having any boys, I doubt the girls will care enough to keep them and will probably get sold off in an estate sale. Maybe I should have one now instead of waiting.....

Heck, have one of things you don’t need, keep the sentimental (it’s there) for them to do what they wish. You might be surprised, looking from above.

 

[demonram]

Grandboys?

I still have one my grandfather bought for me when he went to Canada, in 1970. It’s got a picture of a Mountie on it.

 

[Ron H]

I've still got my hackin' sticks in the closet, no fear of those ever getting stolen

Thanks much. Can’t help but think you were dang lucky to find those. Lol, not one to think much on Divine intervention; but? I can hear my dad saying ‘what were you thinking’ when I pulled some dumb-*** chit…thinking as I lost his watch, saying it from above.

Not to hi-jack your post, but my dad was as even-keel as anyone could get, rarely saw him get angry, or didn’t show it. Never smacked me, he left that up to our mother, lol. On the other hand, he could be blunt to a fault sometimes. He was a decent golfer, beat me 7 out of 10 times when he was still able. Blunt? One time hit my drive into the woods and we found my ball. I hit a high-risk shot and got lucky getting it back on the fairway around a dog-leg.

He didn’t see the shot (I think taking a swing of his beer) asking me where it landed. I was happy, telling him – what’s he say? “You ain’t that ******* good.” About fell over laughing. Yeah, if I’d a hit that shot 50 times it would have been just deeper in the trees. Haven’t played golf in nearly a decade, much as I was a nut for it. Just lost the gumption – longer story on this.

Sorry pard, back to your regularly scheduled program

 

[demonram]

Thanks much. Can’t help but think you were dang lucky to find those. Lol, not one to think much on Divine intervention; but? I can hear my dad saying ‘what were you thinking’ when I pulled some dumb-*** chit…thinking as I lost his watch, saying it from above.

Not to hi-jack your post, but my dad was as even-keel as anyone could get, rarely saw him get angry, or didn’t show it. Never smacked me, he left that up to our mother, lol. On the other hand, he could be blunt to a fault sometimes. He was a decent golfer, beat me 7 out of 10 times when he was still able. Blunt? One time hit my drive into the woods and we found my ball. I hit a high-risk shot and got lucky getting it back on the fairway around a dog-leg.

He didn’t see the shot (I think taking a swing of his beer) asking me where it landed. I was happy, telling him – what’s he say? “You ain’t that ******* good.” About fell over laughing. Yeah, if I’d a hit that shot 50 times it would have been just deeper in the trees. Haven’t played golf in nearly a decade, much as I was a nut for it. Just lost the gumption – longer story on this.

Sorry pard, back to your regularly scheduled program

That’s what a lot of these threads do, stir up old memories. Nothing wrong with that! We’ve all had so many, it takes something to trigger one and it’s nice to share. There are a few here, that are the best at bringing those back.

 

[33 IMP]

Old timer on the left?

I've had two locking Oldtimers, favorite knife ever. Managed to lose em both. Arrrrgh!

 

[moparedtn]

I've had two locking Oldtimers, favorite knife ever. Managed to lose em both. Arrrrgh!

I used to pick out Case pocket knives at flea markets and such and use them for work.
Busted a lot of blade tips off in those things, not to mention lose them often...
Then they got collectible and my fun was over.

 

[Don Frelier]

I have a knife at home most wouldn't give me 50 cents for it.
It's a royal Canadian mounted police jacknife.
Probably from a souvenir shop near the border
I found it in the neighbors flower garden when I was about 5 years old.
The plastic side molding is missing on one side.

Somehow I never lost it and amazing enough I know where it is right now.
I'll post pictures when I get home.
( been working out of town far too long...)