All About Pocket Knives

Back along about 2010, I had gifted a red bone Case muskrat to my soon to be brother-in-law.
The following summer we decided to go on a weekend camping trip to do some canoeing in the deep forest of Pennsylvania. We finally made it to our destination and spent a day paddling down river. We stopped for rest half way through the day and rested along the river banks. I started wading through the water and saw something red and shiny gleaming in the sun under about two feet of murky water. I reached down in the water and grabbed it. It was the red Case muskrat I'd gifted my brother-in-law. I called out to him that I found his knife. He looked back at me, quickly felt around in his pockets and asked in a mildly worried voice, "do you see any car keys over there?"
I reached back down in the water feeling along the slippery rocks. My hand hit something. It was indeed his car keys. I called back "yes!" He breathed a sigh of relief.
Without those keys we'd have really been "up the creek."
We were miles away from anything. We sure were grateful for that little red bone knife glittering under the water.
What's your story?

That knife save you. Have him protect it at all costs!

Bob

rea1eye wrote: ↑Sat Mar 07, 2026 5:53 pm That knife save you. Have him protect it at all costs!

Bob

Right on!

Oh yeah, mid 70s. I had a Gerber FSIII. If I snapped it open with some force, the lock would jam, and the knife was very difficult to close afterward. I got in the habit if flipping the knife around and tapping the lock on my boot heel to unlock it. One time I came to the aid of a damsel in distress. I whipped out my knife, cut open a package. flipped the knife around to close it, and stabbed myself in the back of the thigh.

Yes, I'm that cool.

I wasn’t going to post because mine isn’t really anything remarkable but I’m in the mood to post.

Sometime in the early 1990’s I was at a Bingo game. The fellow sitting in front of us pulled out his pocketknife to cut something that his wife handed him.

The knife he was carrying was the exact same make and model that I had in my pocket that night. A Buck 703.

Not really that much of a coincidence because they were still readily available at hardware and department stores but it’s the only time that has ever happened to me.

Makes me wonder if it has happened before but neither one us knew it because our knives remained in our pockets.

Not really unusual, but I lost a German Eye congress my brother had given me. About three years later I found it inside a chair as we were moving out for a job transfer.
Froe

American Blade's story is amazing - this isn't going to top that, but I had a nice little Boker congress years ago. Lost it along the way and 4 or 5 years later when I was selling a car, reached down under the drivers seat and felt something under the carpet with just a bit of it sticking up from a slit where wires passed through. Had to get a pair of pliers to pry it out & it was that Boker. Was glad to have it back ...

I’ll have to admit being a dummy. I had an old M. Klein Electricians knife I was using outdoors while at the coast. Realized later I didn’t know where it was. A few weeks later I found it outside, and you can imagine what the salt air did to it. I read online that white vinegar would take off rust, so I soaked it. Well, I was in too much of a hurry, I suppose, because I didn’t know you DON’T use vinegar on carbon blades! Well it took every bit of the shine off the blades and took away the blade etching that I liked so much. So, now the knife has an acid wash finish to the blades which I suppose is another “look” that some may want. Anyway, it’s a daily user, so I’ve learned to just love it as it is.

About 15 years ago my Dad said he lost his knife. He carried an Old Timer. Fathers day was a week away, so I told him, dont buy another one, I will give you one for Fathers day. Well I gifted him this Case Brothers Trapper from 2005. He carried it for the longest, then had my brother sharpen it on one of those old wheel pedal grinders which really hosed it up. I asked him if he wanted me to give him another one and he said, No, this one will do him just fine. He passed in 2018. While cleaning his house out, I was desperate to find this one, but I never could. A week later my niece found it in a dresser she was cleaning out and asked me, Is this the one? I was ecstatic! I carry it from time to time and still call it, "Dad's Trapper"! And shake my head at my dimwit brother trying to sharpen it on an old pedal wheel stone!

A few years ago I got a Gerber USA 450 serrated lockblade for Christmas. I carried it constantly clipped inside the righthand jeans pocket. Then one day it disappeared. I searched my vehicles, garage, house to no avail. Then one day I went to the closet to get out an old raggedy sweatshirt that I used only when working in the garage. When I took it out of the closet, I couldn't believe what I saw. The Gerber 450 was hanging by a thread from the bottom of the sweatshirt. When I had removed the sweatshirt the last time I used it, the loose threads came up under the pocket clip and removed the knife from my pocket. Picture shown is a recreation of how it was hanging.

dsutton24 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 1:18 am Oh yeah, mid 70s. I had a Gerber FSIII. If I snapped it open with some force, the lock would jam, and the knife was very difficult to close afterward. I got in the habit if flipping the knife around and tapping the lock on my boot heel to unlock it. One time I came to the aid of a damsel in distress. I whipped out my knife, cut open a package. flipped the knife around to close it, and stabbed myself in the back of the thigh.

Yes, I'm that cool.

Ouch! Sorry bro

tvic wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 3:06 pm I’ll have to admit being a dummy. I had an old M. Klein Electricians knife I was using outdoors while at the coast. Realized later I didn’t know where it was. A few weeks later I found it outside, and you can imagine what the salt air did to it. I read online that white vinegar would take off rust, so I soaked it. Well, I was in too much of a hurry, I suppose, because I didn’t know you DON’T use vinegar on carbon blades! Well it took every bit of the shine off the blades and took away the blade etching that I liked so much. So, now the knife has an acid wash finish to the blades which I suppose is another “look” that some may want. Anyway, it’s a daily user, so I’ve learned to just love it as it is.

That's a great story!

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 4:46 pm A few years ago I got a Gerber USA 450 serrated lockblade for Christmas. I carried it constantly clipped inside the righthand jeans pocket. Then one day it disappeared. I searched my vehicles, garage, house to no avail. Then one day I went to the closet to get out an old raggedy sweatshirt that I used only when working in the garage. When I took it out of the closet, I couldn't believe what I saw. The Gerber 450 was hanging by a thread from the bottom of the sweatshirt. When I had removed the sweatshirt the last time I used it, the loose threads came up under the pocket clip and removed the knife from my pocket. Picture shown is a recreation of how it was hanging.
20260308_113318.jpg
20260308_113257.jpg

That's hilarious.

woodwalker wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 4:26 pm About 15 years ago my Dad said he lost his knife. He carried an Old Timer. Fathers day was a week away, so I told him, dont buy another one, I will give you one for Fathers day. Well I gifted him this Case Brothers Trapper from 2005. He carried it for the longest, then had my brother sharpen it on one of those old wheel pedal grinders which really hosed it up. I asked him if he wanted me to give him another one and he said, No, this one will do him just fine. He passed in 2018. While cleaning his house out, I was desperate to find this one, but I never could. A week later my niece found it in a dresser she was cleaning out and asked me, Is this the one? I was ecstatic! I carry it from time to time and still call it, "Dad's Trapper"! And shake my head at my dimwit brother trying to sharpen it on an old pedal wheel stone!

I love this story. Being your dad's knife makes it so special.

Lansky1 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 1:55 pm American Blade's story is amazing - this isn't going to top that, but I had a nice little Boker congress years ago. Lost it along the way and 4 or 5 years later when I was selling a car, reached down under the drivers seat and felt something under the carpet with just a bit of it sticking up from a slit where wires passed through. Had to get a pair of pliers to pry it out & it was that Boker. Was glad to have it back ...

I love knife recovery stories! Congratulations to you!

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 1:50 am I wasn’t going to post because mine isn’t really anything remarkable but I’m in the mood to post.

Sometime in the early 1990’s I was at a Bingo game. The fellow sitting in front of us pulled out his pocketknife to cut something that his wife handed him.

The knife he was carrying was the exact same make and model that I had in my pocket that night. A Buck 703.

Not really that much of a coincidence because they were still readily available at hardware and department stores but it’s the only time that has ever happened to me.

Makes me wonder if it has happened before but neither one us knew it because our knives remained in our pockets.

That's pretty neat!

Froe wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 3:54 am Not really unusual, but I lost a German Eye congress my brother had given me. About three years later I found it inside a chair as we were moving out for a job transfer.
Froe

That's awesome!

American Blade 92 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 7:13 pm

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 1:50 am I wasn’t going to post because mine isn’t really anything remarkable but I’m in the mood to post.

Sometime in the early 1990’s I was at a Bingo game. The fellow sitting in front of us pulled out his pocketknife to cut something that his wife handed him.

The knife he was carrying was the exact same make and model that I had in my pocket that night. A Buck 703.

Not really that much of a coincidence because they were still readily available at hardware and department stores but it’s the only time that has ever happened to me.

Makes me wonder if it has happened before but neither one us knew it because our knives remained in our pockets.

That's pretty neat!

I love those 703s

American Blade 92 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 7:11 pm

woodwalker wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2026 4:26 pm About 15 years ago my Dad said he lost his knife. He carried an Old Timer. Fathers day was a week away, so I told him, dont buy another one, I will give you one for Fathers day. Well I gifted him this Case Brothers Trapper from 2005. He carried it for the longest, then had my brother sharpen it on one of those old wheel pedal grinders which really hosed it up. I asked him if he wanted me to give him another one and he said, No, this one will do him just fine. He passed in 2018. While cleaning his house out, I was desperate to find this one, but I never could. A week later my niece found it in a dresser she was cleaning out and asked me, Is this the one? I was ecstatic! I carry it from time to time and still call it, "Dad's Trapper"! And shake my head at my dimwit brother trying to sharpen it on an old pedal wheel stone!

I love this story. Being your dad's knife makes it so special.