- Joined
- Apr 9, 2020
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- 929
According to the search function, it's been a few years since we've had a thread discussing sentimental knives, and I feel that I have a story to tell, so here we are.
What are some knives you guys have that are sentimental to you, and what's the story behind why?
I'll start. (It's a long one, so buckle up)
My father served in the US Air Force for 21 years. Since he enlisted at age 17, he's been carrying a Benchmade 9050 AFO out-the-side automatic every day, even if it was illegal at times. Everyone in the family knows that he was very proud of it.
As I grew up, he used this knife to pull my splinters out. He used it in our home improvement projects, and out camping. I watched him put it in his pocket and use it every day.
This knife had been around the world with
him on over ten deployments, ranging from places like Uzbekistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to Italy, to somewhere in northern Africa we were never allowed to know.
Just short of a year ago, my dad took his own life as a result of mental illnesses accumulated in service.
After his passing, most of his knife collection vanished into thin air. His ex wife had gotten to his belongings before I could, myself being across the country. I searched through what things of his I could find, keeping an eye out for this one knife that was always at his side. Weeks had passed with no luck; I even tried buying this knife second hand when I recognized it online, trying to get that piece of my dad back.
Luckily, I finally found it tucked away with his wallet and keys in a box. Finding it was the happiest I had been since his passing. It was in my pocket just in time to hear the 3 volley salute at his funeral.
After 25 years of daily use, this thing is still going strong. It needed a sharpening and take down. But after that, it runs like new.
I may not be too much of a Benchmade fan (much to my father's probable chagrin), but this knife will be with me for the rest of my life, and with my yet-to-exist children after that.
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. Now it's picture time!
What are some knives you guys have that are sentimental to you, and what's the story behind why?
I'll start. (It's a long one, so buckle up)
My father served in the US Air Force for 21 years. Since he enlisted at age 17, he's been carrying a Benchmade 9050 AFO out-the-side automatic every day, even if it was illegal at times. Everyone in the family knows that he was very proud of it.
As I grew up, he used this knife to pull my splinters out. He used it in our home improvement projects, and out camping. I watched him put it in his pocket and use it every day.
This knife had been around the world with
him on over ten deployments, ranging from places like Uzbekistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to Italy, to somewhere in northern Africa we were never allowed to know.
Just short of a year ago, my dad took his own life as a result of mental illnesses accumulated in service.
After his passing, most of his knife collection vanished into thin air. His ex wife had gotten to his belongings before I could, myself being across the country. I searched through what things of his I could find, keeping an eye out for this one knife that was always at his side. Weeks had passed with no luck; I even tried buying this knife second hand when I recognized it online, trying to get that piece of my dad back.
Luckily, I finally found it tucked away with his wallet and keys in a box. Finding it was the happiest I had been since his passing. It was in my pocket just in time to hear the 3 volley salute at his funeral.
After 25 years of daily use, this thing is still going strong. It needed a sharpening and take down. But after that, it runs like new.
I may not be too much of a Benchmade fan (much to my father's probable chagrin), but this knife will be with me for the rest of my life, and with my yet-to-exist children after that.
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. Now it's picture time!
