The Gondola Knife From Italy

B.Mauser

B.Mauser

Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
2,348
My father was career US Army, a veteran of Vietnam and The Persian Gulf War. My child hood was moving from one
Army post to the next. In the 70's when I was 6 my father was stationed in Germany and the whole family went. My youngest
sister was born there.


While there we went on a vacation to Venice, Italy. We walked around shopping for souvenirs and sight seeing. We ate lunch
in the central square and after lunch went on a glass bottom boat ride. After the boat ride we did a little more shopping as we were leaving.


That's where I convinced my parents to let me buy my first knife.



It was a small silver pocket knife that looked like the gondolas I watched cruise the canals that day. I remember my mom

asking me to try to find something else I wanted instead of the knife. I didn't give up and convinced her to let me have

it, probably with the help of my dad.


Later that day we make it back to my dads new Volvo he bought in Sweden. We are on the highway headed back to our hotel

when I remember the knife and get it out of my pocket. I open it up and am looking it over when my sister announces to my

mom "Brian has a knife" in that tattle tale voice sisters do so well. So being the expert I clearly was at that age I

said something like "Oh calm down its not even sharp" and proceed to run the blade down the side of my hand to show her it

was not sharp enough to worry about.

So of course it cut me pretty good and I was immediately bleeding from a cut about an inch long. She starts screeching and

yelling that im bleeding. My mom looks back, hands me a wad of tissue and tells my dad we need to pull over.

My dad stops and goes to the trunk for his first aid kit.As he finishes bandaging me up the Guardia pull up behind us to see why we are stopped on the highway.


So after all that my dad gets to explain the story to this nice police officer who was luckily very understanding.


I dont know what ever happened to that knife. I might have lost it not long after or my parents might have never returned

it. I just cant remember.



I recently found the same knife on eBay. It was being sold by the daughter of a man who bought it while stationed in

Germany with the US Army just like my dad.


I bought it and it brought back these old memories so I thought it would be fun to share it here.


Brian


Gondola%20Knife_zpshpve2anp.jpg


Gondola%20Knife%203_zpsjy5bwska.jpg


Gondola%20Knife%202_zps3xroppea.jpg
 
I thought it was just MY sister who was like that! :D

Interesting knife :thumbup:
 
As I often tell people, one of the universal truths in this world is that a boy, no matter how well-instructed, when first handed a pocket knife, will cut himself within five minutes. All you can do is give him a small blade, have the bandages ready, and hope it won't be too deep.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Awesome story, Brian! It's so great that after the years, you not only have the memory but you now also have the knife! Thanks for posting!
 
Trout Hound said:
As I often tell people, one of the universal truths in this world is that a boy, no matter how well-instructed, when first handed a pocket knife, will cut himself within five minutes. All you can do is give him a small blade, have the bandages ready, and hope it won't be too deep.
Click to expand...

So true! :thumbup:
 
Trout Hound said:
As I often tell people, one of the universal truths in this world is that a boy, no matter how well-instructed, when first handed a pocket knife, will cut himself within five minutes. All you can do is give him a small blade, have the bandages ready, and hope it won't be too deep.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Lol...about five years ago, when my nephew was seven, I gave him an old Boker stockman that I was no longer using. I thought he was old enough to have his first knife, and as we were going on a hike that day I thought it was apropos. Before we left the house I had to wash the dishes. I had given the boy some basic guidelines on knife usage, with the promise that he receive more hands on instruction once we got to our destination. Despite my repeated warnings to be safe and not play with the knife, I heard the familiar sound of a slipjoint opening and closing several times. As I was finishing up he walked in clutching his finger and sheepishly announced, "I cut myself." Shaking my head, I took him to the bathroom to clean and bandage his cut.

He was very saddened that the day he received his first knife was also the same day he lost it.
 
It took me about 30 seconds. My dad got a black SAK Classic as a promotion from work. He let me hold it, with a strong admonition to "be careful." I closed that sucker right on my finger before he even got his shoes off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jack Black said:
I thought it was just MY sister who was like that! :D

Interesting knife :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Hi Jack.

Ha ha we cant be the only lucky ones.



Trout Hound said:
As I often tell people, one of the universal truths in this world is that a boy, no matter how well-instructed, when first handed a pocket knife, will cut himself within five minutes. All you can do is give him a small blade, have the bandages ready, and hope it won't be too deep.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Makes sense to me.:thumbup:

jerok8 said:
Are you sure you didn't just buy your OWN knife from your OWN sister?
Click to expand...

Yes that would be hilarious but I am sure. :D


popedandy said:
Now that would be funny!

B.Mauser, congratulations on getting something with sentimental value that brings back good memories.
Click to expand...

Thank you!



kamagong said:
Lol...about five years ago, when my nephew was seven, I gave him an old Boker stockman that I was no longer using. I thought he was old enough to have his first knife, and as we were going on a hike that day I thought it was apropos. Before we left the house I had to wash the dishes. I had given the boy some basic guidelines on knife usage, with the promise that he receive more hands on instruction once we got to our destination. Despite my repeated warnings to be safe and not play with the knife, I heard the familiar sound of a slipjoint opening and closing several times. As I was finishing up he walked in clutching his finger and sheepishly announced, "I cut myself." Shaking my head, I took him to the bathroom to clean and bandage his cut.

He was very saddened that the day he received his first knife was also the same day he lost it.
Click to expand...


Funny,so much like my first knife. Thanks.






Trout Hound said:
It took me about 30 seconds. My dad got a black SAK Classic as a promotion from work. He let me hold it, with a strong admonition to "be careful." I closed that sucker right on my finger before he even got his shoes off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...



Ha ha that's a good one. I hope you had better luck out growing it than me. I still get my self pretty good a couple times a year.
 
kamagong said:
He was very saddened that the day he received his first knife was also the same day he lost it.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes: :D

Strangely, I don't remember cutting myself with mine (didn't take photographs of knives in those days!) :confused: Mind you, between the khukris and the clasp knives I was given as a kid, I'd have probably lost an arm! :D

B.Mauser said:
Hi Jack.

Ha ha we cant be the only lucky ones.
Click to expand...

:D :thumbup:
 
Great story. Voyages "abroad" are often an opportunity to get a first knife, for a boy. That as my case during a trip in Livia, a Spanish enclave in Southern France. I remember very well the small bright green acrylic navaja, but I don't know her fate, probably my parents felt uncomfortable with the very sharp end. No sister seating near me in the car, mine was already living her owne life being 14 years older than me. :D
 
I'm overdue for a tetanus booster, but no sign yet of my jaw locking up.
I have a gondola like OP's that my Dad got when we were in Europe in 1967. I traded it from him years or decades later.
 
B.Mauser said:
Later that day we make it back to my dads new Volvo he bought in Sweden. We are on the highway headed back to our hotel

when I remember the knife and get it out of my pocket. I open it up and am looking it over when my sister announces to my

mom "Brian has a knife" in that tattle tale voice sisters do so well. So being the expert I clearly was at that age I

said something like "Oh calm down its not even sharp" and proceed to run the blade down the side of my hand to show her it

was not sharp enough to worry about.

So of course it cut me pretty good and I was immediately bleeding from a cut about an inch long.
Click to expand...

I did the exact same thing when I was a kid. It's funny how close your story is to mine. I was riding in the back of my dad's car with a friend, and I had a SAK that had been abused the way a knife belonging to an 8-year-old tends to be, which is to say it was pretty dull. I said something along the lines of "Look how dull it is" to my friend and ran my thumb along the edge. You know how the rest goes. :rolleyes:

You can teach your kids knife safety all you want (my dad certainly did), but sometimes it takes an experience like that for the lesson to really sink in.
 
I remember my very first pocket knife was a toy. It had metal baldes and tools, but they were blunt. I had to prove that I could handle the toy responsibly before I got the real thing, which ended up being a 4H lobster when I was 8. I don't remember cutting myself right away, I was far more scared of getting my knife taken away than hurting myself.

Same thing with a gun. I had to show that I could handle toy guns responsibly, then a BB gun, then finally came the real thing.
 
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