My first knife I ever bought with my own money was an Old Timer Sharpfinger.I was about 12 and pumped gas at the store for two weekends to buy one. Still have it, somewhere.

One early knife memory has to be that every year at the State Fair, they sold these really cheap fixed blade knives. It was about 3 inches long total, and had a bead studded suede sheath with fringe. I got one every year.. I loved those things.. they wouldn't cut butter on a good day, and i have no idea where they all went.... but every year my dad would buy me one and chuckle... he would always wonder why i wanted those cheap little things when i had better knives at home...he would always give in and get me one.... I think he wanted to see if I could get it sharp...and of course, no one could...

Wish I still had one left

That's cool

I used to get one similar if we went to the Wisconsin dells,with real Indian fringe <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I miss those days

Great pleasure in teaching all of those Cubs.. they are about 8 when that achievement comes around... you can see them get your addiction to steel, and some of the parents just roll their eyes...

I do knife training for some of the local cub scout packs for their Whittlin' Chip ... that is always a hoot and generates its own stories... from the kids, to the parents...

I also remember going to this auction one time. Guy had died and there was a few knives there. One little boot dagger. Then kind you can get at the flea market for like 3 dollars. I was young. My dad said I could bid on it. I just remember my heart pounding and me being jittery over the excitement of trying to get that knife. Seems like I nodded my head 100 times a minute. Anyway it only got up to 10 dollars but I got the knife!

The gas was about 75 cents a gallon. The pump was the old kind that you had to hit the button on the side to reset the counter, and the fuel ran through a little glass bowl with balls in it, so you could see if it was flowing or not.