2026 POS Exchange

[Kolvir]

I'm very busy this year, so I don't have time for any fresh humor. I know, I know, you are all crushed, but please don't let that ruin the POS exchange completely for you. It is a difficult time in the world.


For anyone who has been sheltered throughout life, POS = Piece Of Fecal Matter.
Not: Parent Over Shoulder or Positively Outstanding Service, Point of Sale, Persistent Offensive Smell(though this fits) etc...

Sometime after the first of the new year we gather up choice selections from all the crap we've accumulated during the previous year and send it to some other lucky soul on the forum.

READ THIS!

Participation is totally voluntary. You have from now until the end of the day Easter Sunday, April 5th to sign up as a participant.

We are going to try something new this year to make it easier for me to automate the process. Like two years ago, we will be using a signup form, but it will be hosted on my own, private server, not one part of the evil Google empire.

To sign up, please fill out the form at the link below:

POS Form

Only the information you enter will be saved. IP addresses, pet names, and hat sizes are not recorded. No Russian hackers, Nigerian email princes, NSA, or other internet nasties are involved.

If you get an error like 'cannot establish a secure connection' or something similar, use the link below:

legacy POS Form


If you have problems with the form, or just refuse to use it because you enjoy causing me pain, you can still send me a Private Message here on the site. Non USA participants need to use PM too.

Please format it like this and do not quote this whole post in the message. Nothing but your information. The Idea is that I can copy and paste it in a block.

Your AAPK Username
Your First and Last Name
Street Address
Address line 2(if needed)
City
State
Country(if not USA)
Email

So:
Knife_lover_guy_me(trying to make sure I don't use a real username)
Jon Doe
123 Sharp St NW
Apt 2
Deadwood
MT
[email protected]



You do not need to post in the forum that you are in, as I won’t collect any participants that way anyway. Feel free to threaten, I mean, generate excitement about the gift you are preparing.

No form filled out or PM means no POS package!

If you are new to the forum and don't know how to send a private message (pm), PM me to ask how. (see what I did there?)
Actually you can ask here, or, hang with me now, I know this is hard, read the forum FAQs and instructions.

After the sign up period ends I will send out via Email, the name and address of the lucky recipient you will send a POS knife care package, by Monday, April 6th(or maybe Tuesday the 7th if I get busy). You will then have until Friday, April 10th to prepare and ship that POS knife(s) to the new owner. Ship as quickly unto others as you would have them ship unto you.

All participants are encouraged to post photos of and comments about their new "treasures" here on this thread.

Rules -- There are none. Old knives, new knives, good knives, bad knives. U.S. knives, foreign knives, all are welcome.

However there are some conventions. It is requested that you don't send a pile of parts; whole knives only (tipped or used to death blades are okay). Nothing that's so rusty you can't get the blades open. Those are not knives, they're just scrap metal.

As for the number of knives you send, it can be one to a Googol(Google it). One knife is not frowned on but then neither are several knives.

It has been the trend the past few years to include something decent as a surprise(though the whole box of 'Stuff' usually is quite one). However, this is not required.

Look over the past exchanges to get an idea of what actually makes it past the postal inspectors, especially if this is your first time in the exchange:

2025
2024
2023
2022
2021


Neither I, the sender, or AAPKs are liable for any relationships destroyed with your mail delivery person, anyone else in your household, neighbors, homeowners associations, or communities and countries downwind of packages received. Dead plants, pets(keep that dog nose away), migrating birds, and fines levied by the EPA are your responsibility.

All AAPKs terms of service apply with the use of the form.

POS Form


Reminder dates:
Form filled out(prefered!) or PM Sent to me by April 5th.
Address of receiver sent to you April 6th(or so. you get what you pay for in a cat herder)
Packages sent by April 10th.

[royal0014]

ROO HOO !!

[Scale Military]

Woop woop! Less goooo!

Ill have to pm you since the link blocked me for sone reason.

[Reverand]

Just filled out the form!!
I'M READY!!!!!

[Kolvir]

If anyone has problems or errors with the form, please let me know what they are.

[treefarmer]

This has always been a lot of fun!
Signed in and ready go.
Treefarmer

[philco]

I’m getting a message saying Safari can’t open the page because it can’t establish a secure link to the server.

I’ll try from my laptop and see if that helps.

[Kolvir]

Try a different browser if you can. I self host various things on my server, but not something like this before. I might have a setting for the security that is making Safari touchy.

[philco]

I tried but got a message saying the connection for this site is not secure.

I've got way too much poo saved up to sit this one out. PM inbound.

[Kolvir]

I think I got it fixed. Safari is touchy about redirects, I moved the form so it wouldn't do that hopefully.

[doglegg]

I tried but got a message saying the connection for this site is not secure.

I've got way too much poo saved up to sit this one out. PM inbound.

Mine gave the same message.

[KLJ77]

Ready to rock and roll. Or would that be 'ready to smell and gag.'

Form submitted with a Thanks.

[Kolvir]

Now I noticed that I didn't have a city field in the form. Maybe Google forms isn't so bad.... <sigh>.
I'll fix it here soon, but anyone who already submitted doesn't need to do it again.

What I'm trying to do is get this as an automated process front end, the form, and back end, matching users and emailing it, as possible. That way anyone can run it if I'm not available someday. Plus stuff like this is what computers do best and it bugs me as a programmer (though not a web programmer as it obviously shows) to not have it computerized. It's a fun, at times, programming project too, though web stuff can be so annoying when it doesn't work and not really give you clues why. With different OSes and web browsers it can be hard to track down. Anyway thanks to everyone for trying it, it has been an interesting project.

I'm going to put it up on GitHub as open source once it's better polished.

If you get an error or have a problem with the form, if you could PM me the exact error and what browser you are using, it would be great.


Ok safari is still being a pian. Rest assured, for those who connect, your connection is secure.

[Kolvir]

Ok I believe I know what was happening, I really mean it this time.

Some users with older phones, tablets, or computers were seeing warnings that the form site wasn’t secure. This wasn’t because is was unsafe — it happened because their older devices couldn’t understand the newer type of security certificate used on the main site. When a device can’t read that the newer security certificate it shows a warning even though nothing is actually wrong.

I could have updated my SSL/TLS encryption provider to support the older devices, but they want $10-20 a month for that. So I created a special version of the site at legacy.hartung.work, which uses an older, more universally compatible RSA-style certificate that older devices recognize without issues. This allows those devices to connect safely without the confusing warning messages.

In short, your device and data wasn’t at risk — it just needed a different type of secure connection. The legacy site provides that compatibility, while the main site continues using the strongest modern security for newer devices.

Also, it has all been on my server. www.allaboutpocketknives.com has had nothing to do with the 2026 POS exchange, except for the posts in this forum and/or Private Messages obviously. So to to reiterate since this crap is confusing even to a tech guy like me; there has not been any expired security certificate or lack of secure connection. Older devices just don't see the new connection methods as valid, as they didn't exist at the time.

In Other Words: If you try the main form link and get an error, try this one:

Legacy Form

Thank you for your patience and understanding. You will receive double of the amount you paid to me to be in the POS exchange, refunded. Triple even. Note I get $0.00, so you do the math.

PM me with any comments or questions. And upgrade your hardware

If you had the issue mentioned above and sent me a PM with your info, I'd appreciate if you'd try the legacy form. If you are just sick of this crap and want your box of crap in the mail ASAP, I understand if you don't want to mess with it.

Post here if anyone thinks I should bump the sign up deadlines because of the delay, though it was only paused for a few hours.

[Smalleyds]

legacy POS Form sent. Thanks for doing this.

[OLDE CUTLER]

Sent mine with no problem from the laptop. Now the preparations begin.

[KLJ77]

Kolvir,

Thanks for the latest update on the 'form.' That helps a lot, imho. When I submitted under the first form, my Safari didn't hesitate to accept it and my computer is 11 years old.

Also...I just recieved your reimbursement of 000.000 (the triple you promised) via my email. I appreciate your honor and integrity.

[edge213]

Now I noticed that I didn't have a city field in the form. Maybe Google forms isn't so bad.... <sigh>.
I'll fix it here soon, but anyone who already submitted doesn't need to do it again.

What I'm trying to do is get this as an automated process front end, the form, and back end, matching users and emailing it, as possible. That way anyone can run it if I'm not available someday. Plus stuff like this is what computers do best and it bugs me as a programmer (though not a web programmer as it obviously shows) to not have it computerized. It's a fun, at times, programming project too, though web stuff can be so annoying when it doesn't work and not really give you clues why. With different OSes and web browsers it can be hard to track down. Anyway thanks to everyone for trying it, it has been an interesting project.

I'm going to put it up on GitHub as open source once it's better polished.

If you get an error or have a problem with the form, if you could PM me the exact error and what browser you are using, it would be great.


Ok safari is still being a pian. Rest assured, for those who connect, your connection is secure.

It still wouldn't work on my tablet. The same screen comes up that I PMed you.
I did successfully get it filled out using my phone.

[Kolvir]

For the curious, here is what the form and backend programs will/are doing.

The form data is stored in a database. After the deadline a program handles the matching and notifications. It makes sure everyone sends one package and receives one package, no one is assigned to themselves, and two‑person swaps are avoided. It also looks at past exchanges to minimize repeat pairings over time, preferring matches that haven’t happened before or happened least recently. For privacy, only usernames, names, and past match history are kept from year to year—addresses and emails are used only to send this year’s assignments and are not stored past the current year's exchange. Once matching is complete, the program automatically sends an email to each participant with the contact information for the person they are sending their crap to. Once everyone has confirmed receiving their POS, the database with the match history is updated and the one with the current year's submissions from the form is deleted.

It is actually fairly simple, a real web developer would probably have done it as an assignment in college and is most likely amused by the issues I've had. I can't automate sending messages via AAPK's private messaging system which is why I started trying to do it this way.

[cody6268]

I just got the form filled out. The webpage finally worked for me.

[Gtrclktr-351]

Would love to participate, but 98% of my collection/accumulation would be considered to be POS (just look at my recent posts) and I'm not ready, willing nor mentally able to part with any of them. Hope everyone enjoys their odiferous surprises,

[Kolvir]

Ok, here is who I have as entered. If you don't see your name here, try the form(s) again or PM me. With the teething issues I'm double checking.

Jerry Downen, jerryd6818 in spirit.

beresman
Bladebuddy
cody6268
doglegg
edge213
galvanic1882
glennbad
herbva
KLJ77
Knifegnome
Kolvir
OLDE CUTLER
overt
Philco
Reverand
Runner 4 Knives
Scale Military
smalleyds
ToyLvr
treefarmer

[Jody744]

Thanks again for putting this together!!!

[Smalleyds]

What he said!!!!

[Kolvir]

Thanks again for putting this together!!!

I accept cash, rare Case and GEC knifes, firearms, gold, and silver as appreciation gifts. ;-)