Another oddity my father had

I found several of my father's pen knives today. He had a few. I was fortunate enough to scrounge four of them to keep for my grandsons. Today I wrote to one of my daughters and asked her if she thinks her eldest is responsible enough to treasure one of his great-grandfather's pen-knives.

Here's the oddity -- not the fact that he couldn't resist a new pen-knife. He loved them. The more gadgets, the better. Unfortunately for me, I only got the basic models! But the oddity was that he would sharpen those blades periodically, so that the blade of the knife would cut paper like a scissors with no effort other than pushing the blade through the top of the paper to PROVE that he had, in fact, sharpened/honed it properly.

My father didn't whittle. Why he liked pen knives I haven't a clue, but he must have. Maybe it was like the pen thing. A new pen was invented (ball points came after fountain pens, then came felt-tips, then came gel pens) he had to have the new product in ALL colors. He didn't use ball points but he did own them. He had BIC sticks galore. He had BIC clicks galore. He gave them away when people came to visit him. And I still have people tell me that they remember my father because he gave them a pen when they visited him. Don't think he only gave away pens, he gave away Bibles, books, and tracts.

On the dining room table, which became dad's desk late in his life, he had a loving cup which was an award his father won playing tennis at Wannetah Tennis Club in August of 1901. I own that cup now. And it's doing what it did when it was on the dining room table -- it's holding pens and pencils on my desk -- well on dad's old desk, or should I say library table. That's another rabbit to chase.

I coveted that table for years and years and years. The oak library table has one drawer, not very large, so it's not really a good desk if you want space for paper, scissors, stapler, etc. But it's a great surface for my laptop, scanner, and printer AND ta-ta-ta-ta! the loving cup and pens. I'm sad to say that none of the old pens my dad gave me are in that cup. As you will recall I mentioned that I lost them when we moved over here to Northern Kentucky. Actually, I think I left them in my desk when I left Answers in Genesis. That was at a time when I was having trouble remembering things, more than I have now.

So, once again, another small remembrance of my father, and a long rabbit chase. I hope you were able to stay awake and finish the tale.