Revived Sos Surprise Box GAW ( US edition ).

[G-Dizzle]

[lazar]

(Image removed from quote.)

😂🤣😂 Nice

[BPRoberts]

Alright, alright. Hold your horses!

First pick, this Made in the USA P-38. I have a few already, but they're all knockoffs. This one is much nicer. Thicker steel, cleaner machining.

[AzteCypher]

 

[Farmer X]

Good choice! I know there were two companies who made them. Yours looks to be a Shelby & Co. I'm pretty sure they're still producing them.

[IMR4198]

I found my Dad's old can opener last year.  Best wishes.  G
 

P38.jpg (Filesize: 56.7 KB)

[Farmer X]

  Speaker was the other maker I was aware of.

[BPRoberts]

Box Pick #2 (hoping to get it back on the road early next week, been a busy couple days here)

This M16-14SFA (disassembled for cleaning by me). I'm going to ask someone to break the mystery of the box here a little to hopefully get this knife back together. I took it apart via the pivot screw to clean and oil. Had a little trouble getting it back together (too many small/slippy parts) so I went online. Most people disassembly the whole knife by taking out the handle screws. Makes sense, easier to just assemble the parts on the stack on the screw than try to wriggle it all together. But I noticed a couple things when I went to do that:

1. The LAWKs (the metal washerish piece)  is "missing" parts compared to most of the others I've seen. Most significantly, a little metal spring. I know a lot of people disable their LAWKS intentionally, so wondering if this is the case here. In general, I seem to be down 2 or 3 pieces of hardware compared to most other M16 videos I've seen, but this is awlso a less common variant, so possibly it's just different.

2. I can't figure out what heads are on the handle screws. They look like small hex heads, but all the documentation I can find online says Torx 6 or 8. Nothing is getting a great bite on them, but my tiny hexes seem to be doing better than the torx. Not sure if they're just stripped, replaced with an aftermarket screw, a weird one on this specific model, etc.

Worst case scenario, I can ditch the existing plastic washers and LAWKs and replace them with some brass ones to get it to lock up tight and bling it up a bit and be easier to put back together, but I figured I'd ask around first.

[lazar]

That was me, I put it in there the first time I had the box.  Found that knife in Afghanistan 2006, the button for the blade lock was missing, so I bent over the metal piece to be able to lock and unlock the blade.  I don't think I ever took it apart, maybe whoever had it before did, that would explain the missing parts.

Box Pick #2 (hoping to get it back on the road early next week, been a busy couple days here)

This M16-14SFA (disassembled for cleaning by me). I'm going to ask someone to break the mystery of the box here a little to hopefully get this knife back together. I took it apart via the pivot screw to clean and oil. Had a little trouble getting it back together (too many small/slippy parts) so I went online. Most people disassembly the whole knife by taking out the handle screws. Makes sense, easier to just assemble the parts on the stack on the screw than try to wriggle it all together. But I noticed a couple things when I went to do that:

1. The LAWKs (the metal washerish piece)  is "missing" parts compared to most of the others I've seen. Most significantly, a little metal spring. I know a lot of people disable their LAWKS intentionally, so wondering if this is the case here. In general, I seem to be down 2 or 3 pieces of hardware compared to most other M16 videos I've seen, but this is awlso a less common variant, so possibly it's just different.

2. I can't figure out what heads are on the handle screws. They look like small hex heads, but all the documentation I can find online says Torx 6 or 8. Nothing is getting a great bite on them, but my tiny hexes seem to be doing better than the torx. Not sure if they're just stripped, replaced with an aftermarket screw, a weird one on this specific model, etc.

Worst case scenario, I can ditch the existing plastic washers and LAWKs and replace them with some brass ones to get it to lock up tight and bling it up a bit and be easier to put back together, but I figured I'd ask around first.

[Farmer X]

Good pick!

I was near Iraq in 2006. Maybe someday we'll see a Kershaw Chive that was found aboard USS Peleliu sometime after 2004-2005.

[BPRoberts]

That helps a lot and makes sense, thanks. I think I'm gonna drive down to the hardware store tomorrow and see if I can get some brass washers the right size. Should be a little easier to get back together (fewer pieces, firmer) and brass is always a nice touch.

[BPRoberts]

Last pick, this little whale bottle opener. My wife loves whales, and the color scheme is very her. I'll see if I can talk her into carrying it, but if not it's nice to have a little tool that reminds me of her. Hoping to get the box on the way to Dan tomorrow evening, otherwise it might have to wait until later this week. Who wants it after?

[G-Dizzle]

Last pick, this little whale bottle opener. My wife loves whales, and the color scheme is very her. I'll see if I can talk her into carrying it, but if not it's nice to have a little tool that reminds me of her. Hoping to get the box on the way to Dan tomorrow evening, otherwise it might have to wait until later this week. Who wants it after?

Very cool. I almost picked that one!! Its a neat little titanium bottle opener.

[Farmer X]

  and I'm looking forward to receiving the box!

[AzteCypher]

Very nice choices!

[BPRoberts]

Box is on the way! I did the math and the "sideloader" box should actually have a greater volume than the "toploader" we've been using. We'll have to see how it survives transit (I taped it. A lot.) but might be worth switching. Same price either way.

[Farmer X]

We shall see how the side loading box works out. For a second, I thought we were talking about older Ford manual transmissions.

[LoopCutter]

Just my humble opinion, the volume of the side or end loading box is greater.   And that would be good if the contents of the box is a single piece to fill the volume. Or if the cardboard material is thicker to support the weight of the contents.

The other box solves that by the flaps layering on the bottom and top being double thick when closed to support the 18 #s or so of the contents.   The four sides as single layer is a smaller surface and more rigid, plus is not typically supporting weight during handling.

A side loader may survive one trip, where the other style should be useable for three or more trips.

[Farmer X]

The surprise box is presently at my local Post Office. My regular mail carrier leaves one of those little peachy slips so I don't have to worry about packages disappearing when I can't fetch them immediately. I'll be picking it up on Wednesday; I'd never get there in time if I tried tomorrow.

[G-Dizzle]

The surprise box is presently at my local Post Office. My regular mail carrier leaves one of those little peachy slips so I don't have to worry about packages disappearing when I can't fetch them immediately. I'll be picking it up on Wednesday; I'd never get there in time if I tried tomorrow.

 

[Farmer X]

And...the surprise box is now in my hands!

 

Mystery Box Weight.jpg (Filesize: 53.63 KB)

There are maybe a dozen items I'm thinking about keeping. Some of the contents still need going through. That might not happen till the weekend. And I'll need to figure out what's going in. But y'awl surely know there was no way I was putting this item back in.

 

No. 8 Carbone (1).jpg (Filesize: 135.93 KB)

 

No. 8 Carbone (2).jpg (Filesize: 112.45 KB)

[IMR4198]

That was a no-brainer.  Set the Opi aside as a keeper.  Better yet, straight into the pocket.  Best wishes.  G
 

[AzteCypher]

 

[Alan K.]

What number is the Opi?  There is no doubt whatsoever that you had to keep it.

[Farmer X]

@IMR4198: into the pocket is exactly what happened!

@AzteCypher:

@Alan K: it's a No. 8.

[Farmer X]

Some of the contents still need going through. That might not happen till the weekend. And I'll need to figure out what's going in.

Just a quick update. I've finished sorting through everything. There is one other item I decided to keep, and maybe 15 more that I'm mulling over. I still have yet to go through the purge box, but I do know of one thing that will be going in.

Now, who's next? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

[IMR4198]

   I give up.  What's a purge box?  Best wishes.  G
 

[Alan K.]

A purge box contains all of the items Dan has already decided to get rid of, but he can't fit all of it in the surprise box.

[IMR4198]

An interesting concept.  Thanks for the explanation.  Best wishes.  G
 

[Farmer X]

Alan got it spot-on. The purge box contains things that don't really fit in my collection anymore, or would be better off if someone else got to enjoy them. I'll want cash for a fair few of them, but at least a couple-few should make great surprise box fodder.