- Joined
- Jun 30, 2005
- Messages
- 4,248
I have an old Army buddy that is an incredible scrounger in old firearms, military surplus, and sometimes knives. When he does come across a knife someone is trading he will usually send me a cellphone pic and ask my advice on it. So a while back he sends a pic and it's an old US made Schrade 171UH. Says a guy was wanting to add it to a trade for some old surplus ammo he had and asked if it was worth the $5o the guy was asking. I responded with a "He## Yea, and if I had the cash I'd buy it off you!". Told him how I always wanted one of those as a kid. He said something about me and knives and said thanks.
So I'd pretty much forgotten about that until a few months back. His son, now a Captain in the Army, had invited me to his wedding once he got home from Afghanistan. Told him there's no way I would miss it as I've known him since he was 8 years old. So the weekend arrived and the wife and I drove up to Fontana Dam Resort in the Smoky Mountains. Good times were had, and me an his old man enjoyed being the old Army guys among all those young'uns. So the next morning the wife & I swing by my Army buddy's cabin to hang out before heading home. While the wives were talking he pulls me back to the bedroom and goes "Here I got something for ya" and throws that Schrade 171UH on the bed. Per him and the wives I looked like a kid on Christmas morning, I think he even said something to the effect of Don't stab my eye out.
As a kid I use to look at the Schrade display case and that 171UH took up a big chunk of real estate in there. I wanted one bad, but my Papa never did cave in. He was a practical man and didn't see any use in that knife for a 8/9? year old kid. Think I tried to argue I could use it fishing or something, to which he'd just look at me blankly. So now I have one and it serves no purpose other than to make me smile. Holding it in my adult hand I don't even think I could of wrapped my hand around it as a kid. Regardless, it's finally mine now.
So I'd pretty much forgotten about that until a few months back. His son, now a Captain in the Army, had invited me to his wedding once he got home from Afghanistan. Told him there's no way I would miss it as I've known him since he was 8 years old. So the weekend arrived and the wife and I drove up to Fontana Dam Resort in the Smoky Mountains. Good times were had, and me an his old man enjoyed being the old Army guys among all those young'uns. So the next morning the wife & I swing by my Army buddy's cabin to hang out before heading home. While the wives were talking he pulls me back to the bedroom and goes "Here I got something for ya" and throws that Schrade 171UH on the bed. Per him and the wives I looked like a kid on Christmas morning, I think he even said something to the effect of Don't stab my eye out.
As a kid I use to look at the Schrade display case and that 171UH took up a big chunk of real estate in there. I wanted one bad, but my Papa never did cave in. He was a practical man and didn't see any use in that knife for a 8/9? year old kid. Think I tried to argue I could use it fishing or something, to which he'd just look at me blankly. So now I have one and it serves no purpose other than to make me smile. Holding it in my adult hand I don't even think I could of wrapped my hand around it as a kid. Regardless, it's finally mine now.
:thumbup:
(I've been told more than once not to poke my eye out.)
Great story :thumbup:
