Satisfaction at helping out an adult child

[SciFiJim]

My daughter (24) is in the Navy and just finished flight engineer school. She is passing through on her way to her new duty station. On graduation, she was issued a number of different equipment items, including a kabar type survival knife. She asked me to sharpen it for her. On examination, it looks like the factory put an edge on it with a course grinder. I told her the same thing that my grandfather told me, "Putting a good edge on a new blade takes about as long as putting a spit shine on a new pair of boots".

After spending about an hour with the knife and the whetstone that I inherited from MY grandfather, it will easily shave the hair from my arm. :D

My kids have always known that I keep my knives very sharp and to use care when using them and that a sharp knife is safer than a dull one.

It puts a warm satisfaction in my heart to still be able to help my kids without just giving them money. One day my daughter will inherit that whetstone and will remember the significance.

[square butte]

Nice story Jim. I don't have a daughter - But I do appreciate yours, and what she is doing for us. I am gonna miss your pictures of apricots - But getting out of P-ville has to be good.

[Plate plinker]

THATS GREAT. I have my great uncles Korea era K-Bar and that thing is a razor.

[nagantguy]

Our children are much like knives; put just a little into them and they will give back 10 fold, and if ya anit careful and diligent you'll get cut

[lightman]

Good Story! I wish that I was better at sharpening stuff.

[Blackwater]

You must be an awfully proud Dad! And it can't NOT be satisfying that they still need us (or pretend to) for some things, isn't it? Next time she gets home for hopefully a longer stay, teach her how to sharpen a knife. I can't believe so many people don't have a clue how to do such a basic and necessary thing as that! But they can't learn if we don't teach them.

[rondog]

Good Story! I wish that I was better at sharpening stuff.

I hear ya. I can NOT sharpen a knife to save my soul, terribly frustrating. To see someone do it easily is like watching a talented guitar player, just blows my mind.

[Skunk1]

Hope to teach mine that. So many new ways to do it and the wet stone still is the best way for me.

[Bookworm]

My Grandfather served as a machine gunner in France in WWI, wounded in action, dang near died.

My father has his issue "trench knife". That knife is 100 years old.

Wish it could talk.

[Freightman]

I have Dad's K-Bar he carried on Guam and Okinawa saved his life on Okinawa. Priceless

[nagantguy]

I have a knife made by my great great grandfather, blade handle rivits the whole works the rivits even have his initials on them, it's a "butcher " style kitchen knife kind of "long hunter " style! It can be made sharpe enough to cut molecules with a few passes over a smooth stone and a few passes on the razor strop. I also have my grandfathers bayonet from WW 2 , he fought in the South Pacific against the imperial Japanese forces, he was wounded during bayonet and rifle butt fighting on Mendinaw , another time he was trapped behind enemy lines for 30 something days! He was a hard man and always had a good sharp knife at hand!
You thank your daughter for her service! And thank you for raising a good 'un!

[jonp]

Great story, Jim. The one thing I could contribute to my daughter who is now a recruiter, aside from putting universal joints in her jeep, is to teach her how to put an airborne ladder on her boots so she could stand in formation in style.