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What’s your favorite Christmas gift from when you were a kid? And - do you still have it?

Sitting beside me on the end table is a Swiss Army knife I got when I was about ten or eleven years old. I didn’t actually get it as a present, but rather that year I got a bunch of clothes that didn’t fit and another toy or two from a relative who thought I was much younger (no, it wasn’t a pink bunny suit…).

I talked my folks both into letting me return all that stuff (seemed to be a bigger deal to return presents back then than it does now), AND buy myself the knife.

I remember riding my bike downtown (musta been early January!) to the sporting goods store and picking out the knife.  I was afraid it would be stolen somehow, so then brought it to another store where they engraved my name on the large blade.

It surprised me, when I started thinking about it and doing the math, that at least 27-28 years later I still have the knife and other than the return spring for the small scissors that broke it’s all there and works well.

I’ll use it today to open the bottle of Christmas wine, and for getting those pesky presents out of their boxes. I have a Gerber multi-tool thingie, but somehow it’s not the same as the Swiss Army knife…just doesn’t feel the same in your hand.

My 8 year old boy thinks I should buy a newer and bigger one (I’ll admit to eyeing them online, with all the new gadgets and gizmos they have now) and giving him this one, but I’m not sure I’m ready to do that yet.

Here’s to special gifts, old man’s memories, and the real reason for the season - celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

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1. Michael Boyink (Author) on January 04, 2006

   Update:

   After looking at all the cool knives available these days….and getting some money for Christmast…I caved. 

   I bought a Cybertool 41 (on eBay for a lot less than that site prices them at).

   I’m happy to say that, unlike many other products these days, the new Victorinox Swiss Army knife appears to be of the same quality as my 25 year old knife.  The common blades look like they’d exchange.

   It’s one of those products that just feels good in your hand, the blades and tools pop in and out with a satisfying *snap* and I feel like a kid again - just looking for the excuse to use the knife.

   Like…I found that the pliers are the perfect tool for retrieving those pesky tea bags that are too good for strings…;)

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