I know this sounds like a nightmare scenario for some of you, but I'll bet it's happened to more than a few "knife people".
While very rare, I have experienced this a few times and I'll tell you there is nothing like it to reaffirm your belief that you just shouldn't be without a knife.
The most glaring example was many years ago when I was driving a beloved yet unreliable Alfa Romeo Spider down a busy California freeway. In the middle of high-speed, heavy traffic, the engine quit abruptly. After a scary coast to the shoulder, I popped the hood and quickly discovered that one of the coil wires had broken off the coil. All I needed to do was strip the wire and tighten it around the connector on the coil and I'd be back on the road. As traffic past dangerously close, I realized I didn't have a knife. There I was, looking at an expensive tow truck call at best, and a pedestrian/car collision at worst, all because I didn't have knife.
Luckily, after a short time, a CHP motor officer stopped. I explained my electrical difficulty and I asked him if he had a knife and if I could borrow it. You should have seen the "Yeah, right , I'll just put a knife in the hand of this Italian car driving freak," look I got. Eventually he pulled out a Buck 110 and stripped the wire in one stroke. A few seconds later I had the engine running and was back on the road.
I'll tell you, it's a helpless feeling. I vowed never to let that happen again and I have tried to have at least some sort of cutting edge within reach at all times since. Any other folks prepared to confess?
While very rare, I have experienced this a few times and I'll tell you there is nothing like it to reaffirm your belief that you just shouldn't be without a knife.
The most glaring example was many years ago when I was driving a beloved yet unreliable Alfa Romeo Spider down a busy California freeway. In the middle of high-speed, heavy traffic, the engine quit abruptly. After a scary coast to the shoulder, I popped the hood and quickly discovered that one of the coil wires had broken off the coil. All I needed to do was strip the wire and tighten it around the connector on the coil and I'd be back on the road. As traffic past dangerously close, I realized I didn't have a knife. There I was, looking at an expensive tow truck call at best, and a pedestrian/car collision at worst, all because I didn't have knife.
Luckily, after a short time, a CHP motor officer stopped. I explained my electrical difficulty and I asked him if he had a knife and if I could borrow it. You should have seen the "Yeah, right , I'll just put a knife in the hand of this Italian car driving freak," look I got. Eventually he pulled out a Buck 110 and stripped the wire in one stroke. A few seconds later I had the engine running and was back on the road.
I'll tell you, it's a helpless feeling. I vowed never to let that happen again and I have tried to have at least some sort of cutting edge within reach at all times since. Any other folks prepared to confess?
