KTJohnson Loc: Northern Michigan

God & an Old Timer Knife

Cool & true story, please read. Sunday, March 3rd, 2024

Last summer I took down a long section of barbed wire fence on our property. Later on I noticed that I was missing a small pocket knife that I always carry. It’s very small, closed it comes in at 2 ¾ inch. I liked it because it did almost all the jobs I needed it to do and it didn’t take up much room in my pocket.

I looked all around the house and in all our chairs – nothing. Then, I figured I might have lost it while kneeling down and unhooking all the strands of barbed wire from the T-posts.

After I had taken the fence down I mowed the grass and weeds short along the stretch where the fence had been. So, I went out and looked back and forth along that section several times finding nothing.

That section is along the edge of our property on the perimeter that I always walk with our dogs. Every time I walk them I go slow along there looking down, back and forth searching for the knife.

Today I did the same thing because the snow is gone, the grass is tamped down from the winter’s snow and hasn’t started to grow yet. I got about ¾ of the way through that area and stopped. Again, nothing. This time, I started to pray. I talk with God a lot but I had never actually taken the time to mention the knife. So I prayed something like this, “Lord, I know that little knife is pretty insignificant, but I really liked it, and if I lost it in this area, please help me to find it.” Simple, short.

I opened my eyes, took two steps, looked down and there it was off to my left about two feet away. It was rusted and open with the small blade out. Coincidence? I don’t think so!

Picture one is the fenceline.
Two is the Old Timer knife.
Three is it after cleaning it off.
Four is the Old Timer compared to the other one my grandfather had given me, yellow and though still small, it takes up a lot more room in my pocket.

Moral of the story – Always ask for God’s help FIRST, no matter how insignificant you think the problem might be.

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

pendennis

Great story, and a great knife. I own a couple of Old Timers in my collection. High quality cutlery, and the size that you have is perfect for the gentleman.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I had one of like that which had been my Grandfather's but it wasn't branded Old Timer=they started in 1958. One day in 12th grade (62-63) my PE class was inside because of rain, and we were working on some posters and stuff for the coach and a couple of us pulled out our pocket knives to trim edges etc. While being passed around to use, someone stole that knife.
I got a small Buck at the town hardware store that was identical, except for black Bakelite scales. I carried that for years, even to Vietnam, the small blade broke one day in Nam, but the stub made a pretty good flat head screwdriver, so I didn't replace it. Years after I got home, college and married on a cross-country drive in the mid 70s my wife put it in the center counsel ashtray after using it to open something, I was driving in high speed interstate traffic so no free hand to put it in my pocket. A couple of hundred miles later we stopped for lunch and "no knife" in the ashtray. I believe it bounced out on a rough patch of road and went down into the center shift slot of my AWD wagon. At the next servicing, my Mechanic looked, but didn't find it. To replace it I bought what Buck now calls the 375 with nicely grained wooden scales. A few months ago it went missing from my pocket so I got another from Amazon and the day it was delivered as I was moving my power lounge chair I heard a sort of rattle, tipped the chair a bit and there was the missing knife. So I now have two, one to carry and one on my desk.

NateB

Love it! It can be easy to think that God wouldn’t care about little, insignificant things like this, but your story proves the opposite. He cares about our problems, no matter the size!

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Great story!!! glad you found it .
I usually just replace things when lost and they soon appear!!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I didn't keep records when I was a kid but I estimate that I have carried a knife with me for about 75 years now. Got into scouting around the age of 9. The knife was in my pocket pretty much continually. When airlines started restricting them I had to check them but when I got to my destination they went back into my pocket.

Many years later I started a farm and when that happened I usually carried a Buck folding knife. After a couple years on the farm, I switched to an assisted opening knife. It looks like you're using a switchblade but it's subtly different. The assisted opening knife blade has something on it that you can push with your thumb to start opening. The blade is spring loaded so once you get the blade started, the spring takes over and the knife opens and locks. A switchblade has a button you can push that starts the whole process. Some places have laws prohibiting switchblades but assisted opening blades are readily available at Walmart.

On the farm I had a flail mower which I used for all sorts of things. Occasionally I would run over a hose or some drip line and the mower would instantly wrap it all up and jam. Then you have to lift the mower, put a log under both ends and crawl under it to cut out the stuff that got wrapped up. When that happens it's really essential to have a knife you can open and use with one hand.

I used a knife with a clip that held the knife at the top of my pocket, where it was always easy to grab without having to dig into my pocket to look for it while I'm under the mower.

If you need a knife like that, be aware that the clips on the knife are made in two orientations, right and wrong. The right orientation has the clip on the opposite end as the hinge for the blade. The wrong orientation has the clip on the same end as the hinge. When you pull the knife out of your pocket and the clip is on the wrong end, you have to turn the knife around to get your thumb on the blade to open it. With the clip on the end opposite the hinge, when you pull the knife out of your pocket your thumb is already positioned to start the blade opening. The one I like is made by Gerber.

Of course it's also useful to have the knife sharp. I think the only time a dull knife is useful is in a knife fight. If you cut someone with a sharp knife, it will heal fairly cleanly. If you cut someone with a dull knife that person stays cut for a long time. Since I don't get into knife fights I like to keep my knife sharp because then it works like it's designed to. I used to have an array of sharpening stones and diamond plates and stuff like that. But eventually I changed over to a Harbor Freight 1" belt sander. When I started, they cost about $30 but the last one I bought was about $50. Probably more now. The sander comes with a 1" x 30" belt with about an 85 grit. Way too coarse. Online you can get belts with 500 or 1000 grit that will fit. They do a really nice job and the edge comes out nicely polished and sharp. If it doesn't get too dull, one pass to the right and one to the left makes the knife really sharp. I had one at the farm and one in the kitchen.

The body of the blade would eventually crud up but for that I had a grinding wheel. I bought a scotch-bright wheel, which is designed for deburring and it really does a nice job polishing flat surfaces. Used it a lot on field knives (about 1" x 8" blade with a square end. The blade is thin and flexible so I can put it in my back pocket). The flat end doesn't poke holes in my pants, the sharp edge is pointed off to the side, and if I sit down, the blade is flexible enough to fit to my butt shape. One of those knives spent most of the day in my back pocket for probably 25 years.

Field knife

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

My home town is in farming country in Western Kentucky, right where the Mississippi & Ohio meet.

Students were restricted to folding knives with a blade of 3-4 inches, unless you were in Agriculture classes at the High School and then you were required to carry a folding or fixed blade at least 4" but less than 6". Farmer's everyday tool, don't you know?
The teachers also carried pocket knives. Our third grade teacher came along and found some pf us playing Mumble Peg. She stated we were doing it wrong, pulled up her skirt, kneeled down and pulled a 4" folder from her dress pocket and proceeded to give lessons on the fine art of Mumble Peg.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn she could teach knife fighting also.

huyenguyen408

I prefer my Leatherman, it came with its shear, wear on my belt, so unless I used it and forgot to put it back (very rarely) then it never gets lost. Other than barber wire, this set can cut almost anything, it help me to finish all kind of works, especially in emergent cases that I needed a tool right away.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

My 'old timers'. Japanese carving knives and a Stanley No 199. The carving knives have hollow, flat backs and the bevel is only on one side, like a chisel with a side handle. A very easy knives to use and keep sharp. I use them to mostly carve instrument necks but they're useful for cabinetmaking as well.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

KT, I don't think it was a coincidence either.

tshift Loc: Overland Park, KS.

AWESOME what more needs to be said. Thanks BE SAFE!!

Tom

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

WOW, you really cleaned it up nicely. I have that same knife on the table by my chair but your knife looks cleaner. I agree, it was not just luck at play. Happy for you!

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

tcthome Loc: NJ