All About Pocket Knives

Hello all, I’m Sharpnshinyknives and my name is Mark. I have been collecting for about 20 years now. I was a part time pastor for 28 years and for most of that time I was also a financial advisor. I started an office in 1993. Went door to door to meet and get to know folks in the community. Knocked on about 1200 doors, it was the hardest work I have ever done. The only way I got through it was that I didn’t have a plan B. Failure wasn’t an option. As Yoda said to Luke Skywalker, “there is no try, there is only do, do or do not.”
Honestly that applies to marriage as well, been married for 39 years to my high school sweetheart. My wife Mary helps me run Sharpnshinyknives, she is a master at packaging. It’s amazing how many knives she can pack into a flat rate box. We have been selling on eBay under the same name now for almost a year. We sold a collection of knives that I bought off of a client’s estate. He and I use to talk about our knives whenever he came in. I made an offer to buy his entire collection from his kids after he passed. Little did I know that he had 469 knives. He started collecting in the 1960’s and had some amazing pieces. Paid way more than I should have, but it came out okay in the end.
Currently I purchased a collection of 155 knives, mostly Keen Kutter from a client and I am currently getting the pieces ready for sale. I have some listed on my store now and adding more every week. Hope you will stop by. Most of the knives in this collection are very old, so it’s a challenge trying to look up tang stamps, patterns and clean this many knives.
Occasionally I will offer knives from my personal collection and these I know the entire history of each piece.
Hope you will stop by the store and check back often and look me up on eBay.
Thanks,
All the Best,
Mark

Hi Mark. Welcome!
My wife and I got married 36 years ago in Evansville, IN.
God bess with your sales!

Thank you Steve. Time to come back to Indiana and leave that high tax state.
Mark

Haha! I retired from the Air Force back in 2000 after doing 20 years. We were at McGuire AFB, NJ at the time. Always figured I'd get out and we'd move up to Maine. I was born there and my folks are up there.
I started pastoring a church here in Pennsauken, NJ back in '98. Yup, still in the AF at McGuire.
God figured different and we're still here! Still a pastor. I prefer God's way.

It’s amazing how God works. He showed me all the connections in my life back in 1995, shortly after I became a financial advisor. All of what I thought were mistakes and dead time, were leading me somewhere. It’s been an amazing journey, somewhat like Joseph’s trip from favorite son to a prison in Egypt to the height of power. Hard to see it while it’s happening but later it’s so humbleing.
Glad that you are doing well in your career and serving the Lord.
May your tribe increase.
Mark

How about a link to one of your eBay knives so we know where to find you?

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Mike

Mike, don't know if sharp has an ebay store. He does have an AAPK store with his name. Just wanted to be sure your knew.

Thanks QS.

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Mike

Sharpnshinyknives, to AAPK, see you been here a week and are already knee deep in the forum with a store!
Treefarmer

Welcome aboard from another bivocational pastor. Good to have you with us.

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Someone said:
‘ Mike, don't know if sharp has an ebay store. He does have an AAPK store with his name. Just wanted to be sure your knew.” Actually i do but when I tried to link this store to eBay it says this link is under construction, check back later.
So find me at Sharpnshinyknives on eBay also.
Thanks again,
Mark

Welcome Mark... John

For Pete's sake. There are more preachers on AAPK than at a tent revival. Next thing you know, someone is going to pass the collection plate.

Well Jerry, we go where we are needed the most.

No offense intended Mark. In my own lame way, I was just expressing my amazement (in a humorous way) at how many preachers we have on the forum. My Daddy was a General Baptist preacher. Started when he was 14 years old. My uncle (his brother) was a preacher. One of my great-uncles was a preacher. One of my aunts was a preacher (very unusual in that day and age). And one of my cousin's is a preacher. So, as you can see, it's sort of a family calling.

You can find a lot of “Preachers “ all over the internet Jerry.

Welcome Mark.

Jerry, No offense taken, I was making a joke. Honestly I wish I had people w/ half the character of the folks I talk to here on AAPK in the churches I had pastored. Oh I could tell you stories about all the problems and bad treatment I have received over the years as a pastor. This forum is filled w/ respectful, thoughtful and caring people. That’s what I love about interacting here w/ you and others. This is such a refuge.
My doctor told me for years that the church was stressing me out too much and I didn’t believe him, but once I stopped pastoring and concentrated full time on my full time job as a financial advisor, the stress went down dramatically. Hate to say it but I doubt that I will ever pastor again. It’s too stressful. I am loving this hobby of knife collecting, buying, selling and trading. There is no stress there, just enjoyment.
Mark

My dad used to say that preaching one 30 minute sermon was equal to an eight hour days worth of work at a job. I thought he was stretching it but maybe not.

Of course, there's a difference between "preaching" and "delivering a sermon".

Amen to that. I was a preacher. And it is draining.