I am a dumbass

[Jim Malone]

OK i am a real dumbass....
I gave my :spyder: Military to one of my closest friends when he was on the verge of going to Iraq, about 1,5 years ago.

It turned out he NEVER went to Iraq, he went back into Law-Enforcement!
I know the knife sits in one of his drawers at home. He never carries a knife while on the job.

Since i found out he never was going to be deployed to the sandbox, i always kind of felt bad about the fact that i gave one of my favourite knives to him in an impulse.

I keep eyeing at the Military again.

has anyone of you ever gave away their favourite knife and felt bad about it?

[The Deacon]

Can't say that I have Jim, but any knife I've ever given to a friend was given "for no good reason" except the thought that it was something they felt was desirable. Even given that, I can see how you'd have mixed emotions over this. I think if I were in your friend's position, I'd have offered the knife back when I found out I was staying home and felt it was something I'd never use, but I know not everyone thinks like that. You might want to consider the possibility that, even though he does not use it, he cherishs it too much as a symbol of you friendship to risk offending you by offering it back.

[Jenner 515]

My best friend and I have crossed career paths a couple of times, for some reason whether I'm leaving a job or he's leaving a job we exchange blades or gift blades. (Always exchanging a coin as well as part of the superstition.)

I've given him. SS Native PE, and Jester PE.

I've gotten a Wegner and a Renegade.

[Lostification]

OK i am a real dumbass....
I gave my :spyder: Military to one of my closest friends when he was on the verge of going to Iraq, about 1,5 years ago.

It turned out he NEVER went to Iraq, he went back into Law-Enforcement!
I know the knife sits in one of his drawers at home. He never carries a knife while on the job.

Since i found out he never was going to be deployed to the sandbox, i always kind of felt bad about the fact that i gave one of my favourite knives to him in an impulse.

I keep eyeing at the Military again.

has anyone of you ever gave away their favourite knife and felt bad about it?

Buy a new one, move on. That is if you like knife.

[Blackhair]

I wouldn't consider you dumb for doing something nice for a friend, even if it didn't turn out the way you expected it would.

[diceman]

I get strong sentimental attachment to my heavily used knives and tools. I've always bought new stuff for friends - never given away anything that I was "attached" to.

Maybe you should buy a new Millie or get your hands on a nice used one, and ask your friend to trade you for it, as you've still got sentimental attachment to that knife, etc.

I've done the same with a guitar that I sold to a buddy - it worked out alright. I said, "ya know man, I never really thought I was that attached to that guitar until I didn't have it around any more. I'd like to give you your money back, and let you keep the hard case - you can get a new one for the same price. I really feel like an idiot, but wanted to bring it up with you." I let him hang on to it until he had a replacement in hand (we play in a band) - and all is cool.

Best of luck to you!

[Manix Guy 2]

Deacon said it all for me . MG2

[sal]

In addition to what Deacon said, I might add. You are a gentleman, generous and noble...no reason to look back.

sal

[Fred Sanford]

I don't think you are a dumbass, just a nice guy.

Merry Christmas. :)

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: I've given all my friends spydercos, it's a good thing. You did a good thing. Feel generous not dumb. It's your wife's job to make you feel dumb. :spyder:

[dogrunner]

That was a stand up thing to do. Your intent says a lot. And besides, one of your other knives is now benefiting from your generosity, I bet.

[spydutch]

You made a great gesture :cool: :cool:

Personally I've never regret for a second about the knives I gave away

[JD Spydo]

This may be deviating from your main subject just a bit but I do think that it will sort of correlate. In the past 3 years I've done a lot of knife trading with guys/gals I've gotten to know on Bladeforums and other places on the web where we talk and exchange blades. On 2 different occasions I would trade for a knife only to later have the person I did the trade with want to trade again to get the knife back that they traded me to begin with.

Ironically on both occasions I had already traded the knife away that these 2 particular people had traded to me. On both occasions the people got sort of disgruntled with me because I had already traded "their" knife away.

Here is my personal take on it and what I consider the bottom line which I believe could apply to both scenerios. When I make a trade or even give a knife away for that matter I consider the knife no longer mine at all. I have relinquished all rights or pre-eminence to the aforementioned knife. Also when I get a knife in trade I now consider it to be MY KNIFE and have 100% ownership which entitles me to do with that knife it as I please.

If people want to trade me a knife with hopes of getting it back I won't guarantee at all that I will have that knife 24 hours from now much less later on down the road. I feel like when ownership transfers then that is the bottom line>> THE OWNERSHIP HAD INDEED TRANSFERRED. And Jim please don't feel like that I am trying to be a hard nosed jerk with you because that is not what I am trying to convey at all. In this case I am like a baseball umpire just simply calling it as I see it. IMO it is now his knife as it would be yours if the situation was turned around. Be thankful you have a friend that is good enough for such a knife and go ahead and get another one. Also please be extremely thankful that he didn't have to go to that **** Hole Iraq and lose his life or become dismembered. The GOOD LORD above has ways of making things right and you will have another one or two to replace it with in due time I'm sure.

[mrappraisit]

That was a great thing to do for a friend. You never know, maybe he appreciates that Military so much he doesn't want to damage it while working? In any case, you can't really ask for the knife back. Maybe the better thing to do is move on and buy yourself a new military, carbon fiber anyone?

[Tank]

Not a dumbass at all Jim. That was a great gesture. I have given a few spydies to friends and family and a couple of people carry them still today and have since bought more. The one that bothered a little was the Dyad I gave to my brother. It's, and I quote "in a box somewhere, I really don't know, I haven't seen it in years" :eek:

But I realize that not everyone has the passion I do and so I seperate myself from that and just feel good about the fact that I gave someone a quality tool regardless if they use it or not. It's the gesture that counts the most.

Peace

[anthonyc]

very nice gesture. i actually gave away my beloved g10 caly III to my cousin yesterday. it makes me feel good that he has it, and i know he appreciates it, regardless of if he gets to use it much or not.

[bladese97]

:spyder: :spyder: :cool: :spyder: :spyder: Hey Jim; What's goin on man? I too, have never given away any of my Spyders; Other brands, yes...I have let friends, and familly barrow a few times, but that is it.
Be safe...John

[GarageBoy]

He'll dig it up one day and rediscover it

[Piet.S]

A knife is a great gift.
Spyderco's are good knives so they are even beter..

[ducktapehero]

You're not a dumbass. Regardless of if he went or not, you gave a close friend something extremely nice. The only thing I would do is encourage him to use it. He may be a future Spyderco nut. Maybe he doesn't use because he ALSO has sentimental feelings toward it.