The old man's keyring.

[cbl51]

For some time now, the little boy had watched the old man. He hadn't really known his grandfather well, as he lived far away and was never around much. But now the old man had moved in with them, and his mother, the old man's daughter, had told the boy that the old man had been a career army soldier. Most the time he'd been gone from home serving off in some odd corner of the world. But now the family had wanted him to move in with them, as they were worried about him being alone in his old age. The boy looked at the old man who was his grandfather, and thought he didn't look quite old and feeble. A tall lean man, with iron gray hair cut in a short military flat top, and an iron gray mustache that didn't dare have a single hair out place. The boy thought about his grandma who passed away a few years ago, and could remember the oatmeal and raisin  cookies she'd bake.

Now the boy followed the old man around, fascinated by the things the old man would do. While the boys father was off at work, the old man was prowling about, long for things to do. Fixing the odd things about the house became his hobby, and the boy watched. But most of all, the boy was fascinated by the old man's keyring. He kept it on a carabiner hanging from his belt loop on the left side of his pants, with the keyring shoved down in his pants pocket. On it was a tiny flashlight, the key to the 1966 Volkswagon bug he drove, a black kydex holder for a mini Bic lighter he used to light the pipe he smoked. But most off all, the boy was transfixed by the little red handle knife the old man kept in a dark brown leather pouch sheath on the keyring.

To the boy, it seemed like there was nothing the old man couldn't do with the little red pocket knife. Although tiny, it seemed to contain some tools that multiple uses. One day, the old man noticed the front door knob assembly was bad, so he and boy rode to the store in the old VW bug, and the old man bought a new for knob lock set. Once home, the boy watched while the old man took out the little red handle knife and slit open the plastic blister package. Then with the nail file tool that had a tiny screw driver on the end, he unscrewed the old knob and installed the new one. He opened the screw driver tool halfway, so it was 90 degrees to the knife handle, and that let him get in between the knob and the set screws. The little screwdriver fit the Phillips screws just fine.

The old man used the almost tiny knife blade like a surgeon. String, jute twine in the garden out back, cutting open UPS packages, it sliced everything open with a neat clean cut. The boy brought his pencils to the old man, and watched as the thin little blade made paper thin curls of wood off the pencil leaving a nice fine tip on the end.

Another time, the bathroom light was flickering when turned on, and the boys mother said something.

"Dad, can you have a look at the light, it's acting funny," she said.

"You bet." the old said. And he went and flicked the switch and the light flickered a bit and came on. He studied the light, then wiggled the switch itself, and the light flickered.

"It isn't the light, the switch is the problem." he told is daughter, "go turn off the circuit breaker and I'll have a lookie."

The boys mother went and killed the power, and she asked him if he wanted a tool kit and a flashlight.

"No, I got what I need right here." he said as he took his keyring out of his pocket and let it dangle there. He reached down and unhooked  the little black flashlight that most of the black coating worn off, and turned it on. The boy was surprised at how bright it was for being so small. Then he handed the light to the boy.

"Here pup, you hold this light right on the switch while I work. It's up to you to make sure I see what i'm doing, okay?"

"I got it, grandpa!" the boy said, proud that the old man had trusted him with an important job. He held the bright spot of light on the light switch.

The old man then reached down and took out the little red handle knife from the leather pouch on the keyring. Using the screw driver, he carefully unscrewed and removed the light switch cover and poked at the nest of wiring inside.

"Here's the problem, they're just a bit loose. Lets just snug them up a bit." he said as he looked at the twist of copper wire. He twisted them between his thumb and index finger, and he stopped ant took out the scissor tool of the little red knife.

"Do you want a pliers dad?" his daughter asked him.

"No, we got right in hand." he told her. He opened the scissors wide, then he took the handles of the little scissors and slid them over the twist of wire like a nut cracker, and squeezed down on the twist of copper. As he squeezed, he gave it a good twist to make sure the wires were well together.

"I've never seen scissors used like that before." the old man's daughter said.

"Well, that's the nice thing about Swiss Army Knife tools. They can be used all sorts of ways that is different than they were designed for. The scissor handles make a fine little pliers if you use them right. It's really up to the imagination of the user that will limit what you can do with a Swiss Army knife."

The old man put the switch cover back on and his daughter went to turn on the power agains. He flipped the light switch and the light came on steady. The boy handed the old man his little flashlight back, and watched as he hooked it on the keyring by the quick release clip on the butt of the flashlight.

"Mom, when can I have a Swiss Army knife and a flashlight like grandpa's?" the boy asked.

The daughter looked at him and told him they may talk about tit on his next birthday.

"A boy ought to have a pocket knife. When I was his age…" the old man said, but his daughter cut him off.

"Dad, if he takes to school, he gets expelled. They have a zero tolerance  policy." she said.

"A what?" the old man asked.

"Zero tolerance. It means no exemptions. Even if he just forgets to take it out of his pocket, he's in deep poop."

The old man made a snorting sound of disgust.

"A Swiss Army knife isn't a knife. It's a solution to many of lives little problems, and teaches a kid to use his head and solve them. To develop a sense of self sufficiency and resourcefulness. " the old man said.

"Dad, I don't disagree with you, but the school has the zero tolerance policy."

"Zero Tolerance my…"

"Dad!" his daughter cut him off sharply, as the old solder  was known to have a very sharp tongue that was sometimes more suited for a boot camp barracks inspection.

"Okay, okay." the old man said.

Later that day, the old man disappeared for a few hours. When he came home he called the boy over to where he'd sat down in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. He hand the boy a few times. The boy wooped in excitement. In his hand, the old man had placed a small flashlight just like the one on his keyring. Also included was a keyring Sear's 4-way screw driver and a odd shaped little thing with a swing out pointy blade. The old man showed the boy how a P-38 can opener worked, anyhow it also  did well on phillips screws, opening packages, and used as a small pry tool.

Then he leaned clause to the boy in a conspirator like manner.

"I'll work on your mother for a Swiss Army knife the best I can, pup."

The boy threw his arms around the old man and hugged him.

"I love you grandpa!"

"I love you too, pup." the old man said.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Another fantastic read mate. Thanks for sharing

[jerseydevil]

Excellent as always.

[Weasel]

Great story reminds me of my grandad he always carried a Sak of some kind

[kirk13]

Nice one

[Luna Knife]

I think it is part of the social evolution of all men to eventually end up with a SAK on their keyring

[cbl51]

I think it is part of the social evolution of all men to eventually end up with a SAK on their keyring

Yup, eventually.

[getahl]

I think it is part of the social evolution of all men to eventually end up with a SAK on their keyring

I'm not so sure about that ; seeing a SAK on a key chain seems to be the rarer event.  Unless everyone without one has just yet to evolve ☺

[derekmac]

Great read! 

[Barry Rowland]

What a wonderful read!  It's interesting how m/t's, SAK's in particular, bring out the creativity in a person!

[GoatDragon]

Love the story, but looking at my classic, I can't figure out how he used the handle of the scissors as pliers! The gap in between the handles has the spring in it, and doesn't close fully.

[Rossko07]

Worth the read. Cheers

[getahl]

Love the story, but looking at my classic, I can't figure out how he used the handle of the scissors as pliers! The gap in between the handles has the spring in it, and doesn't close fully.

The only part where the handles touched was at the very end.  Otherwise,  the spring was in the way.

[cbl51]

Love the story, but looking at my classic, I can't figure out how he used the handle of the scissors as pliers! The gap in between the handles has the spring in it, and doesn't close fully.

It doesn't have to close fully. It only needs to close enough so that it exerts enough pressure to bind when you twist the strands of wire together. It also works well to close the tiny rings that are on women's jewelry, and the better half has me "fix" some necklace that had something drop off because it got snagged on something. I've used the handles of the little scissors to squeeze things my old arthritic fingers could not do. I've used the handles to "pinch" stuff. Not as good as a pliers of a Leatherman tool, but you can do it with a little SAK. If you are just pinching and twisting laterally, the spring does not affect anything. It just acts like a shim.

[GoatDragon]

Thanks cbl51, I learned a new use for my SAK today!

[cbl51]

Thanks cbl51, I learned a new use for my SAK today!

 

That's the wonderful thing about SAK's; the use of the tools is limited only by our imagination!

[Neko2]

This thread made me buy a sheath for my minichamp and a key chain flashlight.
That's how good the story was.  You should write ad copy

[cbl51]

This thread made me buy a sheath for my minichamp and a key chain flashlight.
That's how good the story was.  You should write ad copy

Thanks!

Much of my inspiration comes from my old man. He was one of those old guys who grew up during the great depression, and learned to make odd and sometimes weird fixes. From the time I was a little kid, I was fascinated by his keyring. He'd have these little, sometimes tiny tools that he'd fix things that would make Macguyver jealous. Sear's 4-way keychain screw driver, old Army issue P-38 can opener (that had many uses for), tiny penlight flashlight clipped in a shirt pocket, very small pen knife. ONce while visiting out of town family, and having breakfast the next morning, the toaster broke. Dad takes out some of his tiny tools, and with a paper clip and some black electrical tape, fixes the toaster. If the man had carried a SAK, trhere's no telling what he may have done. Probably got the titanic to New York!
 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

This thread made me buy a sheath for my minichamp and a key chain flashlight.
That's how good the story was.  You should write ad copy

Thanks!

Much of my inspiration comes from my old man. He was one of those old guys who grew up during the great depression, and learned to make odd and sometimes weird fixes. From the time I was a little kid, I was fascinated by his keyring. He'd have these little, sometimes tiny tools that he'd fix things that would make Macguyver jealous. Sear's 4-way keychain screw driver, old Army issue P-38 can opener (that had many uses for), tiny penlight flashlight clipped in a shirt pocket, very small pen knife. ONce while visiting out of town family, and having breakfast the next morning, the toaster broke. Dad takes out some of his tiny tools, and with a paper clip and some black electrical tape, fixes the toaster. If the man had carried a SAK, trhere's no telling what he may have done. Probably got the titanic to New York!
 

That Titanic comment made me chuckle mate

[nuxi]

Nice story!

[Mike 56]

Great story I enjoyed it. 


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[Barry Rowland]

I've carried a P38 for years.  They are awesome openers and fit right on the keychain. 

[ToolJoe]

I carry a P51 in my wallet. Lost track of how many times i've used it.

[detron]

loved it!   and agree that zero tolerance is a scary system. 
kid A puts a knife in kid B's bag.  Kid A tells a teacher he saw kid B with a knife.

Kid be is searched , knife is found, kid B is exspelled.  zero tolerance 

[pfrsantos]

loved it!   and agree that zero tolerance is a scary system. 
kid A puts a knife in kid B's bag.  Kid A tells a teacher he saw kid B with a knife.

Kid be is searched , knife is found, kid B is exspelled.  zero tolerance 

Come on, I agree with that! If it was a Victorinox, or a Wenger, or even a small Case Peanut, ok. But a Zero Tolerance?! That's almost a sword!!!!