Page 28 - Blade (February 2020)
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KNIFE TALK |
One of the author’s recent acquisitions, a penknife
by Joseph Rodgers & Sons, “Cutlers To Her Majesty.”
As the author noted, “she’s a real pencil sharpener!”
or kid should ever be without. as examples. Our schools are no longer
Looking back I feel it was not the fact a place for practical learning, making
that I could make money with knives, but tools or being prepared for emergencies.
that I could make things with them. All I People have forgotten that knives save
needed was time, some coaching, practice more lives than they take. However, we
and the knowledge that knives were very still have places in which to teach. Th ere
important tools for a kid to have. I was so are church camps, scouting events, your
proud of that first pocketknife. I was the yard, picnics, family gatherings, maybe
luckiest kid in town. I had a knife, a dog even a city park. Don’t give up! Th ese are
and could ask for no more. just a few places that I remember and
I did a little research for this article, inspired me to write an article again.
looking for the price of a pencil in 1946. To me the knife is a very special
I was unable to find how much one cost implement that has contributed more
back then, but I did read that the fi rst to our quality of life since man became
sharpened pencil was sharpened with a a user of tools. I am proud to be a
knife! Henry David Thoreau worked in knifemaker, proud of what my knives can
his father’s pencil factory and invented a do. Had I never sold a knife, I would still
pencil that was voted best of all pencils. be making them and searching for the
Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck legend of Excalibur. I am very thankful
both wrote their great novels with pencils. to the friends I have made down through
the years while talking and teaching about
ENCOURAGE the NEXT and making our champion, the knife.
GENERATION So where do knifemakers come from?
Today the knife gets a bum rap. Folks Memories!
consider it a weapon and are more afraid Thanks for sharing time with me.
of knives than guns. Schools banning
knives have made our children more Yours truly,
dependent on someone else to save them Ed Fowler
from jammed seat belts and exigent eafwb@wyoming.com
circumstances that could easily be relieved edfowler.com
with a simple, friendly pocketknife.
If we wish to invest in the future of our For the latest knives, knife news, trends
champion, the using knife, we will be and more visit blademag.com, BLADE®’s
well advised to spend a little time with popular Instagram page @blade_
kids, showing them the value of a knife magazine, and on Facebook and Twitter.
and teaching them to use it for what
they are interested in doing. Th ere are
lots of games and crafts that can be used
28 BLADE FEBRUARY 2020
