Had a great day at the range yesterday! On my way home we stopped at one of our local big box sporting goods retailers. It just so happens that this is the only store in the area that sells any of the Becker line. My oldest daughter had to use the facilities so I was cruising the knife counter waiting for her when a gentleman in a turban approached me.
"Do you know anything about these knives?" He asked in a thick Indian accent.
I smiled and said, "Sure, what would you like to know?"
He went on to tell me that he had been in the country for a couple of years for school and was returning home to India in a couple of weeks. His brother in law had asked him to buy him an American knife as a souvenir.
"What are you thinking?" I asked, "Fixed or folder?"
"I'm not too sure," he answered, "what do you think is the best?"
My smile broadened as we slowly cruised down the counter past rows of ZTs, Benchmades, Spydercos, KOAs, Cold Steels, etc, with me explaining the virtues and history of each until we got to the KaBars and Beckers...
The only ones they had in stock yesterday were the 2 and the 16.
The clerk showed up right about then and I asked him to pull out the 2.
"My God!" The guy said, "this thing is very big!" I could tell right then and there that he was hooked.
"Yep, it's a beast."
"I don't know if I'll even be able to get this through customs..."
I then asked the clerk to show us the 16.
As he held the 16 for the first time, I recognized the glow in his eyes, this was the one.
"My brother will love this!", he said, "IF I ever give it to him."
The clerk, in a moment of brilliant salesmanship said, "That's the last one in stock, but we'll be getting a couple more in early next week. You could always come back then and get one for yourself, we'll have a couple more to choose from too."
The clerk gave him the box and he walked away in a trance-like state. Dreaming of bow-drill fires and skinning tigers I am sure
I've seen that look before, (mostly in the mirror), and it made me wonder: Are Beckers available in India? If so we might have our first Beckerhead from there in the not too distant future.
If not, at least he'll have one of the finest US made production knives to always remember his time in our country.
"Do you know anything about these knives?" He asked in a thick Indian accent.
I smiled and said, "Sure, what would you like to know?"
He went on to tell me that he had been in the country for a couple of years for school and was returning home to India in a couple of weeks. His brother in law had asked him to buy him an American knife as a souvenir.
"What are you thinking?" I asked, "Fixed or folder?"
"I'm not too sure," he answered, "what do you think is the best?"
My smile broadened as we slowly cruised down the counter past rows of ZTs, Benchmades, Spydercos, KOAs, Cold Steels, etc, with me explaining the virtues and history of each until we got to the KaBars and Beckers...
The only ones they had in stock yesterday were the 2 and the 16.
The clerk showed up right about then and I asked him to pull out the 2.
"My God!" The guy said, "this thing is very big!" I could tell right then and there that he was hooked.
"Yep, it's a beast."
"I don't know if I'll even be able to get this through customs..."
I then asked the clerk to show us the 16.
As he held the 16 for the first time, I recognized the glow in his eyes, this was the one.
"My brother will love this!", he said, "IF I ever give it to him."
The clerk, in a moment of brilliant salesmanship said, "That's the last one in stock, but we'll be getting a couple more in early next week. You could always come back then and get one for yourself, we'll have a couple more to choose from too."
The clerk gave him the box and he walked away in a trance-like state. Dreaming of bow-drill fires and skinning tigers I am sure
I've seen that look before, (mostly in the mirror), and it made me wonder: Are Beckers available in India? If so we might have our first Beckerhead from there in the not too distant future.
If not, at least he'll have one of the finest US made production knives to always remember his time in our country.
