iKnife Collector
The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel
Special and Fun holidays to celebrate..............
When : Always August 18th
Bad Poetry Day is a day to create some really bad verse. But, why you ask? Perhaps, the answer is simply "because you can". Maybe, it exists to allow us to better appreciate good poetry. Or, perhaps it is to be written to irritate someone......
My Grandpa’s Pocket Knife
It lies here now before me,
A whalebone pocket knife,
Still sharp enough to shave with,
A cipher of his life.
The faded stamp of ‘Sheffield’,
And, ground to faintness: ‘Steel’,
Good scrimshaw on the handle,
A perfect heft and feel.
It speaks to me of Empire,
Which I was taught to curse,
Yet who would care to argue
That there are things far worse... No matter.
My old grandpa Long, long since left this life;
He served the Royal Navy,
And this here— is his knife.
An Encomium of the Drop-Knife.
No knife is so slick,
It is quick on its trick
And a joy that will last you through life.
There is none 'neath the sun
Just like it, not one,
It's the Schrade Safety Push-Button Knife.
If the button is pressed
The blade does the rest,
Opens out like a thing all alive;
You break no thumb nail
In your efforts--that fail--
If you're owning this Push-Button Knife.
It's the handiest yet,
It is everyone's pet,
And with all good knife merits it's rife.
Its blades are rare steel,
And really ideal
Is this notable Push-Button Knife.
It's the very quick pick
Of club, class, and clique,
Its equal they cannot contrive;
It's a true treasure trove,
And a thing you will love
Is this wonderful Push-Button Knife.
A. W. BELLAW, DeGroff, Ohio
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This blade was so sharp, yet now is dull.
Will it ever cut again, only with love and care.
Left alone for such a long time.
Dust gathered upon it and rust seeped it's way in.
The color faded as time ran away.
The knife still yearns for a piece of wood,
To carve a new life if only it could.
Yet no one will hold it and death come to soon.
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Many people have family mementoes that are special to them. For Audie Alexander in Pleasant Plains, it’s an old pocket knife that belonged to his father.
That knife has a story behind it.
It went to the Pacific in World War II with Audie’s brother. Audie took it with him to the Korean War in 1953. When he returned, he gave it back to his father, who kept it until his death in 1981. Audie inherited it and is presenting it to his nephew.
“I’ll give it to somebody who will take care of it and keep it,” says Audie. “I know he will.”
The story of the two-bladed Case pocket knife begins at the end of the 1930s, when Pleasant Plains farmer William Robinson gave it to Audie’s father, Henry Alexander. Henry had worked for Robinson on his 500-acre farm for about 10 years.
“Dad and he got along really well,” says Audie. “I think he wanted to show his appreciation.”
In 1944, Audie’s brother, Haywood, shipped out for the Pacific during World War II. He carried the knife through two beach landings in the Philippines. Haywood and the knife were on their way to Japan when the war ended in 1945.
When Haywood returned to Pleasant Plains, he gave the knife back to his dad.
Henry Alexander kept it until Audie, his youngest son, left for the Korean War. Audie kept it in his pocket during his time in Korea.
“I was a little apprehensive,” says Audie. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose it. I hung onto it pretty tight.”
After he came home safely in 1954, Audie also returned the knife to his father.
Henry held onto it for the next 27 years until his death in 1981 at the age of 83. His first wife, Audie and Haywood’s mother, had died. When Henry was about 80, he married an old friend he had known in his younger days in Kentucky. She became Audie’s stepmother.
“After Dad died, she gave the knife back to me,” Audie says.
He has kept it for the past 30 years, but says it is time to pass it on. It will go to his brother Haywood’s son, James Alexander. James is a northern Illinois district commander with the Illinois State Police.
“He should have it,” says Audie. “His dad carried it longer than I did.”
In preparation for the transfer of the knife to his nephew, Audie has written its history, affixed the knife to the history and framed it. As a final touch, he had his account of the knife notarized by a teller at the bank in Pleasant Plains.
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Whittling
The front porch was a very important part of Grand-dad Will's home. The house itself was rather small, and the front room – the living room – was used only during the coldest months or on very rainy days. Otherwise, if you were not in the kitchen then you were out on the porch.
On hot summer evenings, we often ate our supper on the porch. From it, we could look out over the cornfields and down the driveway to spot a visitor as they first turned into the drive. Visitors were always a welcome sight. Many a long summer evening was spent story telling and gossiping with friends and family who came to visit.
No matter how early I would awaken and run down the stairs, I would find Grand-dad Will sitting at the kitchen table or out on the front porch having his morning cup of coffee, always with a big smile and a "Did you sleep well, little sister?" greeting. If I found him on the front porch, there would usually be a surprise waiting for me, something he had whittled while waiting for me to wake up. These intricately carved animals, birds and reptiles were some of my most treasured possessions. I remember once finding a little turtle that he had carved and then attached a little head so that it moved back and forth when touched – a bobble head of that era. I was delighted with the turtle and can recall to this day how precious it was to me.
Grand-dad Will and I spent many wonderful hours on the porch, story-telling and whittling the hours away. One day I had a 'great idea' and approached Grand-dad Will about it. I was about nine or ten years old at the time. I had concluded that I must learn how to do this marvelous carving. After telling Grand-dad Will that this was what I wanted to do, he said: "Well, if you are going to learn to carve then you must have a carving knife."
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Sooooooo.........I found all these fun poems and stories surfing the net.....Does anyone have any to add ?
The Old Pocket Knife
It was 1910 in the train station in CheyenneAn old cowboy sitting with pocket knife in hand
Just an old knife he said had it for years
Seen plenty of laughs and many tears
I was thirty in eighteen sixty three
Rode with old Stonewall to see General Lee
Fought for the South to the end
Didn't want to give up but knew we couldn't win
Rode west in seventy two
Spent time with some Lakota Sioux
Traveled down to Texas but didn't stay
Not liking the way the land lay
I broke horses and herded some steers
Drank my share of warm stale beers
But I'll tell friend it's now my trails end
Truth being I have slipped a time or two to sin
I have strived to live my life
Like I keep this old knife
If you neglect it, it becomes useless and dull
And the blade becomes hard to pull
Keep it clean and always sharp
Then maybe you can collect a heavenly harp
The old Cowboy stood and gave me a grin
Saying here take this knife my young friend
As I sat looking at it laying in my hand
Thinking who is this grand old man
As I looked up he was no where in sight
With the gift he left he had shown me the light
Now too my years have flown by
Knowing I have found grace in God's eye
With the old Cowboys advice I kept it maintained
Now as he did I sit here waiting on my final train
Edwin J. Smith
The Old Cowboy Poet
Mar. 29th, 2008
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Comment by Sue OldsWidow on April 5, 2013 at 21:20
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This is whats happening this week in april......lol
International Pooper-Scooper Week (1-7)- I just hate it when I am walking down the sidewalk, and then, all of a sudden, 'it' happens...I step in dog poop that some unthoughtful dog owner has decided to just leave there. This is the week to remind them that they need to clean up after their pet if they are going to walk it down the street. Give them a brand new pooper-scooper as a present, just to show them how important it really is.
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Near Miss Day
When : Always March 23rd
Near Miss Day commemorates the day a huge Asteroid nearly missed hitting the earth.
On March 23, 1989, an asteroid the size of a mountain, came within 500,000 miles of a collision with Earth. In interstellar terms, it was a near miss. Had it collided with the Earth, it would have left a devastating crater the size of Washington, D.C. It's affect on the planet would have been catastrophic. Since then, there have been other near misses.
.....Whew!!
Near misses with large, potentially life threatening galactic objects happens on an infrequent basis. It is believed a large asteroid collided with the earth and caused the extinction of dinosaurs. Scientists believe it is only a matter of time before another catastrophic collision with Earth. But, don't worry. The odds are it will not happen for a long, long time.
Other Asteroid Near Misses:
- 2003 SQ222 - Approximately 10 meters in diameter, came within 54,700 miles of earth on September 27, 2003.
- Asteroid 2002 EM7 - Approximately, 70 meters long, this rock came within 288,000 miles in March, 2002.
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Bunsen Burner Day
When : Always March 31st
Bunsen Burner Day celebrates the birthday of its creator. German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen was born on March 31, 1811. And, you guessed it, von Bunsen created the Bunsen Burner.
If you are a high school student, you know all about the bunsen burner. If you work in a chemistry laboratory, chances are you use the burner in your job. If its been a while since high school chemistry class, the memory of the bunsen burner may have faded somewhat.
In case you memory has faded, the Bunsen Burner is a long, hollow tube. Gas and air are combined to create a hot flame. The burner is used in a wide range of scientific and laboratory projects.
Spend a few minutes today to appreciate the value of this important scientific tool. We will let you determine how many minutes to spend in reflection.
Origin of Bunsen Burner Day:
We know that Bunsen Burner Day was created to honor the birth of Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen. But,we did not discover who created this day, or when this day was created.
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Always held on March 20th
Extraterrestrial Abductions Day
When : Always March 20th
Extraterrestrial Abductions Day is today. Keep one eye on the sky. And, be ready to duck, dodge, and to hide. UFO's may be everywhere, looking to abduct humans. If you are not careful, perhaps they will find you! Of course, there are more than a few people out there who are looking to be abducted by aliens, so they can travel to another planet.
Celebrate today by reading and watching science fiction stories about UFOs and Extraterrestrials. And, make sure to keep out of sight of extraterrestrials.
Most lovable alien: "ET"
Favorite alien: "My Favorite Martian"
Origin of "Extraterrestrial Abductions Day":
Our research did not find the creator, or the origin of this day. From what we have gathered, we believe the creator has been abducted. The suspects are believed to have have fled the area in a very high speed vehicle.
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Happy Saint Patricks Day......MY DOOR ............
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JOHN McAULIFFE
from Knight
Sword
He marches into the yard and calls all comers
in a flurry of blue and silver: he slips; he recovers;
he is the monsters he describes; roaring, he blinds
each foe then mortifies or turns his enemies to stone; he finds,
in special cases, a new power, transmuting stone to dust
or whirling anticlockwise kills, with a spell, what moves too fast.
He lays out his charms and conquests in the porch,
a captive doll, a sheaf of horsetails, an old stopped watch,
then saying nothing presents to me his light sabre,
the blue tubing scuffed from the action, the handle’s silver
not so worn I can’t make out its outlined lightning bolt.
When I ask about the mess it’s made, he says it’s no one’s fault,
retracts the blue point so it looks like a relay baton
and, coming closer, he makes as if to pass it on.
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for the kids to color
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