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For the past couple of years, work has had me running around like my hair was on fire; maybe I'm getting too old to do my job the way I think it ought to be done. But anyway, this holiday weekend has been a welcome break, and I want to use the opportunity to express my thanks for some of the kindness that's been shown me here on The Porch, some of it going back to August! 
THANKS #1
I did some kind of GAW in July, and one of the winners was Greg (WhittlinAway). When I came home from vacation in August, I found a little package from Greg containing a nice note thanking me for the knife he'd won and a coin in keeping with the tradition that one always "pays" for a knife, rather than accepting a "gift" and setting oneself up for some kind of unfortunate calamity! But Greg's coin was not American currency. Instead it was a wooden coin that he had whittled himself!
Note that it's a little larger and 2 or 3 times thicker than a quarter, and I can't make heads nor tails of the very impressively carved "bas relief" inscriptions on it!
But it somehow looked vaguely familiar, and pulling out a knife I carry every day, I suddenly saw the light! (See how Greg did the math there??
)
When I was a lad, I was occasionally told, "Don't take any wooden nickels." But, Greg, I'm very grateful to have THIS wooden coin, and it's been in my "knife wallet" in my LRP ever since the coin arrived! :thumbup:
By the way, that's not the only example of Greg's whittling talent in my possession. Earlier this fall, he sent me a Vic Recruit that he had "tuned up" for whittling, filing off the keyring attachment and sharpening the pen blade specifically for cutting wood. Along with the knife, he sent me the bust of a guy with a hat that he'd carved. Although I don't carry the bust in my wallet, I have managed to get my wife to let me keep it on the kitchen table so far!
Thanks again, Greg, for the Recruit and the "cool cat" in the hat.
THANKS #2
Also sometime in August, I admired an old Barlow that Shawn (Wurrwulf) had obtained recently. We exchanged some correspondence about ideal features of Barlows, and then he wrote that he had something he thought I'd like. A little later, this massive Remington Big Daddy Barlow arrived! Beautiful bone and something about the shape of the pen blade is really attractive to me. I still haven't assigned this a slot in my "carry schedule", but at 5" closed, it's an obvious candidate for the "Big Knife" category in my weekly rotation! And yet, this huge knife is tiny in comparison to Shawn's generosity and thoughtfulness! :thumbup: I also think its cool that he sent this soon after he became a Big Daddy for the first time!
THANKS #3
This gift also goes back to a family reunion on the last Saturday in August, I think. One of my younger brothers (and I think of him as a little brother, even though hes been taller than me since I was 12) was there, and presented me with a Buck 110 and sheath that hed had in one of his toolboxes for years, according to him. He said he never uses it, since he finds a one-hand opener much more convenient when he has to cut a piece of radiator hose or whatever he needs to cut as he restores classic cars. (He worked for GMs Tech Center for 30 years, and retired soon after all the GM stock he received as retirement benefits over the years became virtually worthless. But shed no tears for him, as he has turned down 6-figure offers for at least one of his restored Corvettes!) With the help of some links that Frank (knarfeng) sent me, Ive been able to date the knife to 1967, so its about to turn 50! Im glad and grateful to my bro Terry to have such an American icon, but I really cant see me carrying it very often; it weighs a ton, I have trouble disengaging the lock to close the knife, and, truth be told, I think a Buck 110 is one of the least appealing traditional knives out there as far as looks go!
THANKS #4
Ive never hunted deer (and havent been hunting at all, or even fired a gun, for almost 50 years). But thanks to Randy (r redden), I got a big Buck right around opening day of Michigans firearm deer season!
Even though Randy has spent a lot of time at the hospital recently with family members having serious health issues, he still apparently found time to get a bunch of knives in the mail a couple of weeks ago!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-you-to-Randy-(r-redden)-for-your-generosity!
Randy kindly sent me a Buck 371, the Chinese-made version of the Buck 301. Ive been looking for a used 301 at garage sales and flea markets for awhile, but this 371 is a fine substitute. It has attractive black nubby G-10 covers with blue accents; stainless blades, bolster, and liners; pleasing pull on all the blades; and is just a very solid, well-made, large stockman! :thumbup: Thanks, Randy! Here are some photos:
Thanks again, Greg & Shawn & Ter & Randy!
- GT
THANKS #1
I did some kind of GAW in July, and one of the winners was Greg (WhittlinAway). When I came home from vacation in August, I found a little package from Greg containing a nice note thanking me for the knife he'd won and a coin in keeping with the tradition that one always "pays" for a knife, rather than accepting a "gift" and setting oneself up for some kind of unfortunate calamity!
But Greg's coin was not American currency. Instead it was a wooden coin that he had whittled himself!
But it somehow looked vaguely familiar, and pulling out a knife I carry every day, I suddenly saw the light! (See how Greg did the math there??
)
When I was a lad, I was occasionally told, "Don't take any wooden nickels." But, Greg, I'm very grateful to have THIS wooden coin, and it's been in my "knife wallet" in my LRP ever since the coin arrived! :thumbup:
By the way, that's not the only example of Greg's whittling talent in my possession. Earlier this fall, he sent me a Vic Recruit that he had "tuned up" for whittling, filing off the keyring attachment and sharpening the pen blade specifically for cutting wood. Along with the knife, he sent me the bust of a guy with a hat that he'd carved. Although I don't carry the bust in my wallet, I have managed to get my wife to let me keep it on the kitchen table so far!
Thanks again, Greg, for the Recruit and the "cool cat" in the hat.
THANKS #2
Also sometime in August, I admired an old Barlow that Shawn (Wurrwulf) had obtained recently. We exchanged some correspondence about ideal features of Barlows, and then he wrote that he had something he thought I'd like. A little later, this massive Remington Big Daddy Barlow arrived! Beautiful bone and something about the shape of the pen blade is really attractive to me. I still haven't assigned this a slot in my "carry schedule", but at 5" closed, it's an obvious candidate for the "Big Knife" category in my weekly rotation! And yet, this huge knife is tiny in comparison to Shawn's generosity and thoughtfulness! :thumbup: I also think its cool that he sent this soon after he became a Big Daddy for the first time!
THANKS #3
This gift also goes back to a family reunion on the last Saturday in August, I think. One of my younger brothers (and I think of him as a little brother, even though hes been taller than me since I was 12) was there, and presented me with a Buck 110 and sheath that hed had in one of his toolboxes for years, according to him. He said he never uses it, since he finds a one-hand opener much more convenient when he has to cut a piece of radiator hose or whatever he needs to cut as he restores classic cars. (He worked for GMs Tech Center for 30 years, and retired soon after all the GM stock he received as retirement benefits over the years became virtually worthless. But shed no tears for him, as he has turned down 6-figure offers for at least one of his restored Corvettes!) With the help of some links that Frank (knarfeng) sent me, Ive been able to date the knife to 1967, so its about to turn 50!
Im glad and grateful to my bro Terry to have such an American icon, but I really cant see me carrying it very often; it weighs a ton, I have trouble disengaging the lock to close the knife, and, truth be told, I think a Buck 110 is one of the least appealing traditional knives out there as far as looks go!
THANKS #4
Ive never hunted deer (and havent been hunting at all, or even fired a gun, for almost 50 years). But thanks to Randy (r redden), I got a big Buck right around opening day of Michigans firearm deer season!
Even though Randy has spent a lot of time at the hospital recently with family members having serious health issues, he still apparently found time to get a bunch of knives in the mail a couple of weeks ago! http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-you-to-Randy-(r-redden)-for-your-generosity!
Randy kindly sent me a Buck 371, the Chinese-made version of the Buck 301. Ive been looking for a used 301 at garage sales and flea markets for awhile, but this 371 is a fine substitute. It has attractive black nubby G-10 covers with blue accents; stainless blades, bolster, and liners; pleasing pull on all the blades; and is just a very solid, well-made, large stockman! :thumbup: Thanks, Randy! Here are some photos:
Thanks again, Greg & Shawn & Ter & Randy!
- GT
Some well-deserved gifts GT, and from some of our most generous Porch members. Well done guys :thumbup: Look forward to seeing more of these beauties, as well as your wooden nickel GT