Moral question.

Since we are at the point of discussion for discussions sake (or just fascinated at how the words appear on the magic glow-box), I would also do my best to return the knife. Contacting the maker is a fine idea, posting on this forum and others might help as well. I don’t know if I would go as far as to put a classified in Knife World, but I have seen it done. If the owner didn’t come forward I would keep the knife in its present condition and just hold on to it. It’s a small world, and you just might run into that fellow knife enthusiast at a local show at some point and hear his tale of woe about losing that very same knife.

I have had similar experiences with packages left on my doorstop, especially alarming since I never have anything of value delivered to my home in San Francisco, my front door being a stop for the #24 MUNI line running down into Noe Valley and the Mission. FedEx is the worst because you can sign a waiver for signature and the drivers seem to have no common sense as to what a secure location is. I came home for lunch one day (the Opera House being nearby), and there was a package sitting on the step behind the gate. It turned out I was sent the wrong knife, a limited edition fixed blade; delivered to the wrong person, at the wrong address for that person, in an unsecured location on a busy city street with no type of delivery confirmation whatsoever. If I hadn’t made Grandma’s World Famous Pork Chops® the night before and forgotten to take the leftovers with me in the morning, the purveyor would have taken a big enough loss to zero out the books for that week and a collector would have missed out on a sold out run.

But tragedy averted, I dropped an electronic dime (e-dime) to Our Lucky Knife Purveyor and filled him in on my lunchtime activities. He cursed himself a fool and told me he would ship my knife out Overnight Delivery, to the correct location, and asked if I would forward the other package to its Rightful Owner. I did so, and the next day awaited the arrival of the delivery truck. When it arrived, no package for Jimmy! This gave me a nice tight knot in my stomach, as No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, and I had a vision of my precious knife was sitting on my doorstep, being eyed by the kind of miscreant you usually only find in the W&C Forum. The clock seemed to be taking its own sweet time getting to my lunch hour, but when it did I made a record breaking sprint up the hill to my flat. And a good thing, too! For there was the object of my obsession, just out of arms reach on the welcome mat. And yes, this time it was the right knife
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
If any of you guys find any high end customs, send them to me and I will MAKE SURE they find a good home!
 
I love this discussion, I love when people examine their true feelings, motives motivations. As I said not sure what I would do myself in this case, hope I would do what's right. Never had it come up. Anyone wanna come to where I live and lose a very nice custom knife? You can lose it on my doorstep ;-)

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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
"We support the new maker!"
I take Paypal. ask me how??
Circle P Knives
 
But what if the knife wanted a new owner?

I once found a really beat up SAK.

I tried to open the blade to see if it was in ok state. I could not open it. It appeared that the owner had "olied" it with glue. The red scales were deeply scratched after several openings of beerbotles.

I took the knife to its new home soaked it in gasoline for a week. At that time I was able to remove all the black gunk and opening all the components. I cleaned them up and sanded the blades for most of the scratches. I replaced the scales with some nice Bubingawood I had in the right size.
Now I carry this knife whenever I am going on an airplane or when I need a corksrew with me.

I bet this knife is glad it got lost or trown away back then....but what do I know.

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Jens Anso, jens@ansoknives.com
(check out my homepage)
Ansoknives.com
 
I'd hunt that sucker down! I hope ya at least got the money back from USPS. I myself would go to every stop the package made and grab each mailperson by the throat and check their pockets ;-) That's just me. And that's not a found knife, that's a stolen knife!!!

Well it FOUND it's way into that person's pocket
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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
"We support the new maker!"
I take Paypal. ask me how??
Circle P Knives
 
Gus really hit it on the head when he stated that he would contact the maker. If this knife was indeed special to a person, he would probably see about getting a replacement. These (or similar) Forums would also be a good bet to help locate the distraught owner. While it would be great to make such a find, the thought that this knife could have been a present, or worse yet, a piece that had been passed on by a deceased loved one, would really never let me enjoy the knife.

As far as delivery of new knives, I get nervous every time something is due to arrive. The thought of something left lying on my steps sends shivers up my spine. I use a work address. This way I know it is secure, plus I usually get it that much sooner
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A Tim Herman Sliver on the ground at my feet?? Come on! I would consider it destiny, fate, and universal will that it be delivered unto my pocket, e'er to remain. Who am I to question the road that the knife travelled to arrive there?

Out of complete moral obligation though, I would feel really really sorry for the previous owner..... but that's the best I can do.

Still grinning at Para's post too.
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Sometimes I catch myself assuming that everybody knows their way around a pocket knife. Then I remember what the first three letters of "assume" are.
- James K. Mattis
 
I would try to find the owner. I guess the method depends upon were I found it. Either posting a note around the general area, or mention it to whatever store or business it may have been near.

I can easily say this because I have lost knives. I have this thing about loosing knives, but luckily it involes finding them too.
When I was about 15, I lost my Victorinox SAK. My dad found it about ten years later in the back of a closet. Man was I glad to have that back. Then about three weeks ago, I lost my BM AFCK in a snow storm. Found it a week later, after the thaw and cleaned it up.

I know they weren't high dollar customs, but loosing a knife is loosing a knife! I actually put up a reward offer for the AFCK at my workplace.
 
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