One for my Dad

[btb01]

I've been "collecting" knives (if that's the right word; I buy them, I carry them, I use them; I guess that's collecting?) since I was a kid. It's a hobby (again, not sure that's the right word, but we'll go with it) that was introduced to me by my dad. We did a lot of camping growing up, and I was given my first knife early on, probably around age 6 or 7. My early knives were traditional - a Colonial scout knife I shared recently in the off-topic thread, an old Camillus-made stockman that belonged to my grandpa - but as I got into my teenage years, my interests drifted toward more modern knives, particularly Benchmade. I didn't come back to traditionals until the last year or so. My dad's knife interests always leaned more towards multi-tools, lots of SAKs, Leathermans, etc.

It was an interest we somewhat passively shared. I don't remember as a teenager or adult ever sitting around and "talking knives" with my dad, but we both enjoyed them and took interest in each other's knives. As I've sort of rekindled my interest in pocket knives (traditional knives in particular) over the last year or so, one thought that I've had many times is, "Man, I wish I could share this with Dad." You see, my dad died a little over 8 years ago. He was an avid motorcycle rider, and sadly he died in a motorcycle accident. He was riding along a curvy road through the Ozarks back in NW Arkansas where we lived and lost control of his bike coming around a curve. He laid the bike down, and probably would have walked away with just some road rash, but as he laid the bike down, there was a van coming around the curve in the opposite direction. The van struck him, and he was killed instantly. (Sorry, that's the sad part of this post, but it's part of the story.)

I think Dad would have enjoyed a lot of these traditional knives, especially GEC. It's just the sort of thing he would have appreciated. So I often think about how I would have liked to share some particular knife with him, something I could have bought him for Christmas or his birthday. I've also been on the lookout for a special knife that I could carry and think of him, something that particularly reminds me of him. This is what I got, a Case Harley Davidson Mini Copperlock. It seemed fitting.

The pins were on dad's vest he was wearing at the time of his accident. Those two were given to my uncle by the funeral home director; he then gave them to me. My uncle, brother and I went out to the scene of the accident a few days later and found two others, as well as a few broken pieces of the hard saddlebags Dad had on his bike. Here's a photo of my dad on his Road King:

Anyways, thank you guys for reading. I'm guessing a lot of you have stories about your love of traditional knives and your dads. I'd love to hear some of them, and see the knives that are special to you because of their association with your dad.

 

[fishcakes]

I had a very similar relationship with my dad(with regards to knives) he and i had a bit of a falling out, but were working our way back slowly.

For his birthday i sent him the same model of sak id seen him use all the time when i was a kid. He had the damn main blade sharpened down to a toothpick. I also sent him a buck lockback (a 503 i believe).

Great story and an awesome knife. Im sorry for your loss.

Hopefully those pins and knife will bring a bit of relief when the bad feelings hit, and you can look at those items with a bit of hope, and a fond memory or two. Best wishes brother

 

[Vaporstang]

Thanks for that heartfelt story - very touching. I still remember my Dad giving my first knife around 6. He told me if I cut myself he would take it away. First thing I did was grab an apple and run outside to slice it up. Sure enough, I cut myself. I never told him LOL.

The bird and fish knife pictured reminds of fishing trips we would take together, although these weren't made back then. It is such a warm memory that I own two. We were occasional hunters and fishers. However, he would take my brother and me every year on a fishing trip to Wisconsin since I was five. Of course as I approached twenty I stopped going and the same with my younger brother couple of years later. Many years later, we went on one final trip that happened to be during 9/11. Very surreal listening to the happenings on a radio - no TV was available. I asked him at the time if this reminded him of Pearl Harbor (he had joined the Navy at age 17 in 1943 during WWII); he said no - it reminded him of JFK's assassination. He passed away the next year - I am so thankful my brother and I went on that last trip.

 

[Tdhurl1103]

It's great to read stories of sons and their fathers. My father died when I was 10. That was 1979, and it is unknown if he was into or even carried a knife with him. I inherited some personal items of his after his death but a knife was not among the stuff I got. I sometimes imagine what it would have been like to know him better. Had he lived into my adulthood I think I might be a whole different person now, having made different choices based on him, maybe. It's weird to comprehend.

I'm a father myself, my son being 14, and he has absolutely zero interest in knives. I have given him a small fixed blade that he uses when we go camping, and a SAK Cadet He uses to open Lego boxes and do some toy projects. He appreciates them, but isn't a fan. Some years ago he was in the cub scouts. I was off in the sandbox doing you know what, and so his Mom taught him how to whittle on their little outings and camp outs. I was happy for him. But I was also crushed, because that to me is a father son thing. He eventually lost interest in CS, and has not wanted to do anything like that ever since.

I've tried to get my 16 year old daughter into knives, and she's enthusiastic sometimes, but I can tell she's only interested at the moment because I am.

Maybe one day, one of my kids will ask me a tough question about a knife. I can hope, can't I?

 

[jblyttle]

I dont know that I have anything of meaning to say or add other than to say thank you for sharing that.

 

[jprime84]

Special memories. He looks quite happy to be on that Harley!

 

[r redden]

Barrett sounds like you had an exceptional Dad. Thank you so much for sharing. My father passed at an early age when I was young and I missed a lot of the hang around time with him that I so wish I would have had. I don't have many things that he gave me but I do have this knife and it is a cherished possession. I have no idea what ever happened to the sheath but the knife I have had over 50 years and it was old when he gave it to me. I can't make out the first line on the tang but the second line says Solingen third line says Germany. It says Buffalo Skinner on the blade and the reverse side of the tang has a 50 stamped in it. I don't know if it's worth $1.00 or $1000,000 but for me it doesn't matter because no amount of money could buy it.