- Joined
- Oct 10, 2014
- Messages
- 457
(Sorry for the incoming wall of text. TLDR: I lost my favorite knife, an pricey custom, and I'm sad about it.) I had a pretty upsetting day yesterday.
At work on Wednesday night, I reached into my pocket and realized I was missing my knife. It was an A2 A4, a 3.25" collaboration between Andre Thorburn and Andre van Heerden. Green and black g10, with a custom pocket clip built and fitted by AT at my request (because the g10 one kept snapping). I got it about a year and a half ago, and as soon as I took it out of its pouch I knew it was the perfect EDC. I sold off most of the rest of my collection, customs, midtechs, and production pieces (except for a couple, which I loved too much). It kicked every other knife out of my pocket, and I carried it almost every day for that year and a half. I wouldn't say I abused it, but I never had any problem using it for daily tasks either...I figured, why spend so much cash on something just to keep it at home or tucked into my pocket? I loved that damn knife. It was handsome, even kind of beautiful in a utilitarian way. The proportions were perfect, ergonomically and aesthetically. The grind, the swooping swedge at the top of the blade, the milled g10 on the perfectly shaped scales. Of course, there's the fantastic fit and finish and the perfect flipping action too. Fuck.
So anyway, I had it in my pocket at work Thursday night, as I did most nights. I work in a restaurant bar. Had a pretty busy evening, and at the end of my shift when I pulled my trusty bic out of my pocket I noticed the knife wasn't there. Cue panic mode. I took a cursory look around the bar and restaurant, too tired after a 7 hour shift on my feet to look thoroughly. Plus, I was the opening bartender the next day, and there would be no cleaning crew that night. So I went home, knots in my stomach, and tore my house apart hoping I had left it there. I knew I hadn't, because I take my knife every day and would have noticed earlier, but it made me feel better to search. Of course I didn't find it, and went to bed feeling nervous and bummed out. So I show up to work half an hour early yesterday, and tear that motherfucking bar apart. I looked for it high and low, behind coolers and in places it couldn't possibly be, places that no human eye has seen in years. Then I went through the restaurant. I checked lost and found, I checked the keg cooler, the walk in freezer, the safe, office, bathroom, and kitchen, every place I could think of. I searched the dumpster area, the parking lot, and all over my car three times. I put up notes, and asked all the staff to keep their eyes peeled, but...I don't think it's coming back.
My guess is that some random customer found it on the ground and snagged it. The worst part is, they almost certainly have no idea what they've got, and will probably beat the shit out of it using it to pop beers or as a screwdriver, or just leave it in a drawer or something. When I bought that knife I pretty much got out of my insane high-end knife obsession because, well, why bother when you've got the perfect EDC. As I'm sure some of you can relate to, the insanity of spending hundreds or even thousands on a knife can seem...maybe not reasonable, but not-so-nuts when you're in the throes of knife collecting. By the time I got into customs, it somehow made sense to drop a grand on, like, a really really nice Thorburn. Now, it seems a little crazy to me. Plus, now I'm a student, and work a lot less, so I won't be replacing that particular knife...at least any time soon. I realize this may sound like I'm fishing or something, and I'm sorry if it does--I genuinely am not trying to do that. Just sharing my tale of woe, because my girlfriend and friends think I'm crazy for spending that much to begin with (not that they're wrong). I'm just super bummed about my favorite knife, my constant companion and perfect, if overly expensive, every day carry.
At work on Wednesday night, I reached into my pocket and realized I was missing my knife. It was an A2 A4, a 3.25" collaboration between Andre Thorburn and Andre van Heerden. Green and black g10, with a custom pocket clip built and fitted by AT at my request (because the g10 one kept snapping). I got it about a year and a half ago, and as soon as I took it out of its pouch I knew it was the perfect EDC. I sold off most of the rest of my collection, customs, midtechs, and production pieces (except for a couple, which I loved too much). It kicked every other knife out of my pocket, and I carried it almost every day for that year and a half. I wouldn't say I abused it, but I never had any problem using it for daily tasks either...I figured, why spend so much cash on something just to keep it at home or tucked into my pocket? I loved that damn knife. It was handsome, even kind of beautiful in a utilitarian way. The proportions were perfect, ergonomically and aesthetically. The grind, the swooping swedge at the top of the blade, the milled g10 on the perfectly shaped scales. Of course, there's the fantastic fit and finish and the perfect flipping action too. Fuck.
So anyway, I had it in my pocket at work Thursday night, as I did most nights. I work in a restaurant bar. Had a pretty busy evening, and at the end of my shift when I pulled my trusty bic out of my pocket I noticed the knife wasn't there. Cue panic mode. I took a cursory look around the bar and restaurant, too tired after a 7 hour shift on my feet to look thoroughly. Plus, I was the opening bartender the next day, and there would be no cleaning crew that night. So I went home, knots in my stomach, and tore my house apart hoping I had left it there. I knew I hadn't, because I take my knife every day and would have noticed earlier, but it made me feel better to search. Of course I didn't find it, and went to bed feeling nervous and bummed out. So I show up to work half an hour early yesterday, and tear that motherfucking bar apart. I looked for it high and low, behind coolers and in places it couldn't possibly be, places that no human eye has seen in years. Then I went through the restaurant. I checked lost and found, I checked the keg cooler, the walk in freezer, the safe, office, bathroom, and kitchen, every place I could think of. I searched the dumpster area, the parking lot, and all over my car three times. I put up notes, and asked all the staff to keep their eyes peeled, but...I don't think it's coming back.
My guess is that some random customer found it on the ground and snagged it. The worst part is, they almost certainly have no idea what they've got, and will probably beat the shit out of it using it to pop beers or as a screwdriver, or just leave it in a drawer or something. When I bought that knife I pretty much got out of my insane high-end knife obsession because, well, why bother when you've got the perfect EDC. As I'm sure some of you can relate to, the insanity of spending hundreds or even thousands on a knife can seem...maybe not reasonable, but not-so-nuts when you're in the throes of knife collecting. By the time I got into customs, it somehow made sense to drop a grand on, like, a really really nice Thorburn. Now, it seems a little crazy to me. Plus, now I'm a student, and work a lot less, so I won't be replacing that particular knife...at least any time soon. I realize this may sound like I'm fishing or something, and I'm sorry if it does--I genuinely am not trying to do that. Just sharing my tale of woe, because my girlfriend and friends think I'm crazy for spending that much to begin with (not that they're wrong). I'm just super bummed about my favorite knife, my constant companion and perfect, if overly expensive, every day carry.
.
