The Pocket Knife

It's inevitable ... as we get closer to Christmas, we often begin thinking of gifts we have received in the past that for one reason or another have stuck with us. For me, it was a stocking stuffer from my Mom when I was eight years old ... a pocket knife.

This particular knife was an "official" Boy Scouts of America model that I had been wanting for most of the preceding year. It not only had the obvious knife blade, but a bottle opener with screwdriver tip, a leather awl and a can opener. It was shiny, and was the first "real knife" I could call mine. It was in my pocket every day after that. I loved knowing I had it and it really made me feel (as the Boy Scouts  taught) "always prepared".

I don't remember when I lost that knife. I'm sure it was one of those traumatic childhood memories I have since forgotten, but it was by no means the last pocket knife in my life.

When I was about twelve or so, my Granddad Gray showed me some of the finer points of stick whittling while sitting on his back porch watching the squirrels scurry about his back yard gathering acorns for the upcoming winter. His tool of choice was a classic Schrade Old Timer - a 3 blade model.  When we were done with the whittling lesson, he carefully folded the blade into place and laid the knife in the palm of my hand with the instructions, "Keep it clean and sharp and it will last you a long, long time." It did, and still holds a nice edge.

These days I own several nice pocket knives. A couple still get carry-time and get used for everything from opening mail to cutting fresh flowers from the garden. But most are kept stored away for safe keeping, one day to be passed on to my son and grandson. And I still enjoy pulling them out occasionally to clean and sharpen them as needed, whether they need it or not.

So, if you have a young man on your Christmas list this year, and you wish to give a gift that will show them you consider them responsible and "grown up" enough to handle such a gift, consider a quality pocket knife. Granted, they won't be able to take it to school to play Mumbletypeg in the playground with their buddies like we did back in the day, but it will give you a great opportunity to sit down with them and show them how to properly use it, care for it, and understand that its a tool and not a toy. It will be quality time well spent, and a quality gift that just may stick with them the rest of their life (pun intended).