him down toward the lathe chuck and perilously close to severe injury. Fortunately, the lathe operator also reacted quickly, hitting the power switch to shut off the lathe and, just as swiftly, drawing and opening a pocketknife to cut the tie and free the panic-stricken Mr. Anderson. Several lessons can be learned from
this story: As all seasoned machinists know, don’t wear ties, loose clothing or jewelry around machinery. Most importantly, a simple pocketknife can be an incredibly useful — and poten- tially life-saving — tool. Based on that story, I asked my
Dad if I could get a pocketknife. After teaching me proper knife eti- quette and safe handling, he gave me a classic Boy Scout knife. I used the knife every chance I got, open- ing cans in the kitchen, popping the caps off soda bottles, and cutting anything too big, too long, or for any other conceivable reason just needed cutting. About a year later, I replaced the
knife with a jigged-bone Case slip- joint folder. On my next birthday, I bought another Case slip joint. And since then I have owned and carried scores of different knives, never leav- ing the house without at least one blade in my pocket at all times. Times have certainly changed since
I was a kid when I carried a knife to school every day. Back then, I never misused it or abused the privilege of having it because I was well aware of the ass kicking that would result from such irresponsible behavior. I also didn’t want to be without a knife be- cause I knew when used responsibly it was literally an irreplaceable tool.
The Do-Everything Tool Although I have always appreci-
ated the usefulness of a good knife, that appreciation was magnifi ed con- siderably when I had the opportunity to travel to remote areas of Africa and Asia and watch real knife users in action. In those humble cultures, folks typically can’t afford special- ized tools for different tasks. Most of them only have one knife, so they develop the skill to use it exception- ally well and for practically every chore imaginable. And while many in our society would argue the carry of knives should be more strictly reg- ulated or even banned, members of many cultures couldn’t imagine life without a good knife and the capa- bilities it provides. Let’s face it: “stuff” needs cutting
all the time. Farmers, ranchers, con- struction workers, repairmen, plumb- ers, grocers, stock clerks, deliverymen
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM
and hundreds of other professions perform tasks every day that require cutting tools. For them, a sharp, con- venient, everyday-carry knife is liter- ally a necessity. Without it, they can’t do their jobs. Even in the white-collar world, a pocketknife is a handy and practical
Duty Knives: Military and law en- forcement personnel, fi rst respond- ers and many tradesmen wouldn’t think of going on duty without a capable knife. You shouldn’t leave home without one either.
solution to common tasks like cutting tape or opening mail and packages.
Be Prepared Upping the ante a bit, law enforce-
ment offi cers, paramedics and fi rst responders everywhere regularly car- ry knives — in some cases purpose-
Everyday chore: Knives are ideal tools for many everyday chores, including simple tasks like open- ing envelopes and boxes.
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