President Lyndon Johnson's Knife

[davide]

Does anyone know what type of knife LBJ carried? There's a presidential recording where he complains to a representative at Haggar that (among other things) his knife keeps falling out of his Hagar pants pockets.

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/prestapes/lbj_haggar.html

It's a hilarious conversation, and I strongly suggest giving it a listen. But be warned, it's quite lewd.

 

[pogo]

Thanks for posting this! It was very amusing that his knife fell out of his pocket.

 

[ericb445]

The LBJ tapes are great. I like the one where he talks about his bung hole lol. Times where really different back then.

 

[scattershot]

He was a pretty crude guy.

 

[GregS]

He held meeting in the crapper, while he was sitting on the pot. He was a genius.

 

[mark greenman]

If it wasn't for the Vietnam war, LBJ would have been considered one of the greatest presidents in American History. He was a master hardballer who knew every member of both houses, and just how to bend them to his will. No other president was ever able to pass as much legislation in as short a period as LBJ.

Now that I know he carried a knife, I'm an even bigger fan! Thanks for the link.

 

[Seals]

I heard he used to give guest and friends Case Eisenhower pattern knives.He was a Texan through and through so i imagine he favored many different patterns but didnt think a hellofalot about it.

 

[jackknife]

On more than one web site, I've read where he gave out Victorinox classics to friends and visitors.

 

[2brothers]

My Dad has a medallion and pen that LBJ gave to him when he (my Dad) worked in Austin.
He would sometimes visit the Lincoln dealership where my pops was parts manager to sign for new cars.
My Dad needed change for a $100 and the safe was in the owner's office across the drive
so he takes off and kinda half runs in there, looks down and his feet are off the ground.
Secret Service guys had him by both arms before he made it all the way through the first door.
LBJ was in the office with the owner.
Johnson heard about the "altercation" so after signing the documents he gave the pen and a medallion to my Dad.

He has lots of stories about all the things they did for Johnson both there and his ranch. Crazy stuff.

 

[davide]

If it wasn't for the Vietnam war, LBJ would have been considered one of the greatest presidents in American History. He was a master hardballer who knew every member of both houses, and just how to bend them to his will. No other president was ever able to pass as much legislation in as short a period as LBJ.

Now that I know he carried a knife, I'm an even bigger fan! Thanks for the link.

I haven't read it yet but I've heard that Robert Caro's Master of the Senate is a great biography of LBJ that details the qualities you just described. John Frankenheimer directed an HBO movie about him that wasn't bad called Path to War.

 

[JNewell]

I haven't read it yet but I've heard that Robert Caro's Master of the Senate is a great biography of LBJ that details the qualities you just described. John Frankenheimer directed an HBO movie about him that wasn't bad called Path to War.

I'd say Path to War was great. LBJ could/would have been a towering figure, far eclipsing FDR in my opinion, but he let himself (and the nation) become entangled in Vietnam. I had my boys watch the scene on the voting rights act this summer so they could understand what it meant to have Obama running for president. In the living memory of their father, people like Obama couldn't even vote. They need that perspective, but I'm way OT now.

 

[davide]

I'd say Path to War was great. LBJ could/would have been a towering figure, far eclipsing FDR in my opinion, but he let himself (and the nation) become entangled in Vietnam. I had my boys watch the scene on the voting rights act this summer so they could understand what it meant to have Obama running for president. In the living memory of their father, people like Obama couldn't even vote. They need that perspective, but I'm way OT now.

It's interesting to see that he was very liberal an in favor of government intervention and yet also supported knife rights. It just goes to show that the stereotypes about what liberal and conservative mean have changed since his time. But now I'm OT too.

Does Case still make the Eisenhower?

 

[starboard]

The Vietnam entanglement was substantial, to be sure, but at least he took care of that "JFK problem" right quick.

 

[Praxis]

It's interesting to see that he was very liberal an in favor of government intervention and yet also supported knife rights. It just goes to show that the stereotypes about what liberal and conservative mean have changed since his time. But now I'm OT too.

I'm not sure he actively supported knife rights, he just carried them like many other men (and some women) of his generation. Hard to believe that we have gone from such positive views to such negative views in just a couple generations.

Also, to keep on topic, as a professional historian/teacher, I think it would be a great teaching tool for college students to assemble a collection of knives of the same style owned or carried by various presidents in American history. I've seen a couple knives owned by Jefferson and Washington. I'm sure there are others out there from different presidents. Might make them rethink some of the biases against knives.

 

[dd61999]

Lyndon Johnson was not a great president, He increased government spending and created the welfare monster that we have to deal with today.

 

[JNewell]

OK. The part that really cracked me up was when Mr. Hagar asks "Where would you like us to ship them to?" C'mon!

 

[Esav Benyamin]

What should I do with this thread? It's turned almost completely political, which was not inevitable. It doesn't belong in the Political Arena, especially with Registered Users here. Whine & Cheese would be an insult to the original topic.

Closed.