Knife Stories: Keegan and Her Discontinued Benchmade

I recently stopped into a local hardware store to have a key made for one of my listings. After a long career in law enforcement, I’ve found myself working as a Florida Realtor, and on this particular day I was trying to open one of my listings for another Realtor and their buyers when the electronic lockbox malfunctioned.

After a little problem solving, I was able to get the box open. But afterward, I decided it was probably a good idea to have a backup key made just in case the lockbox failed again.

Truthfully, I enjoy stopping into our locally owned hardware store anyway. It gives me an excuse to check out their knife display, both new and used.

While I was there, I bumped into an old friend I hadn’t seen in quite some time. During our conversation, his daughter Keegan, who works as a cashier there, overheard us talking about knives and pulled a blue, discontinued Benchmade Griptilian from her pocket.

She quickly pointed out that it needed a cleaning, but I was honestly more excited to see how much use it was getting. She beamed with pride showing off that blue Griptilian, and I was stoked to see another discontinued knife out in the wild actually being carried and used every day.

The Benchmade Griptilian was introduced in 2001 and became one of Benchmade’s longest-running and most recognizable models. Over the years it has been offered in countless configurations, and even today you can still find current versions on Benchmade’s website starting around $160.

For years, the Griptilian has been a staple among knife people and everyday carriers alike. I’ve seen plenty of Knife Enablers carry one over the years.

But this particular blue Griptilian belongs to Keegan.

And as Benchmade likes to say…

It’s hers for life.

Make it your Absolute Intent to be better today than you were yesterday.

Knife Stories: Bob and His Vintage Spyderco

On a recent gravel ride with my Salsa Journeyer, I broke it… kind of.

I ended up with a cattle gate blocking the trail, so over the gate I went. First went the bike. I lifted it over and leaned it against the gate, only to watch it fall over as I climbed across myself.

After a careful inspection, I noticed the derailleur was bent. I straightened everything out trailside and finished the ride, but later that day I loaded the bike up and headed over to Crank Works Bicycles to have my Journeyer looked over. I also had a couple of other things that needed attention.

My buddy Mark and his wife Patricia own the shop, and whenever I have bicycle needs, they get my business. If you aren’t supporting your friends’ small businesses, you should probably re-evaluate your life.

While Mark had my bike apart assessing what parts needed to be repaired or upgraded, I noticed one of his mechanics, Bob, had two knife clips hanging out of his right front pocket.

As any Knife Enabler would do, I had to ask.

Turns out Bob has been carrying the 93mm Spyderco Rescue for the last 20 years or so. Also riding in his pocket was a Milwaukee utility knife.

As someone who appreciates vintage knives, especially old Spydercos, I always enjoy seeing knives still out in the wild getting used daily instead of sitting in a display case somewhere.

Based on my digging through Blade Forums, Spydiewiki, and Spyderco Knives, it appears this specific variation of the Rescue was introduced sometime in the mid-1990s. The knife was originally designed for emergency service professionals, and Spyderco described it this way:

“Cutting during emergency situations requires that Save and Serve Professionals have a readily accessible knife and are able to quickly and safely cut around people in hectic surroundings. Performance, ergonomics and comfortable use are all key elements needed in a rescue knife.”

Even though the Spyderco Rescue was marketed toward “Save and Serve Professionals,” it’s pretty obvious the knife found its way into plenty of other pockets over the years. I guess we can now add bicycle mechanic to the list.

You never really know what knife you’re going to find in a Knife Enabler’s pocket.

A huge thank you to Bob for sharing his knife with me. Here’s to another 20 years of that Spyderco helping you through tough situations.

Make it your Absolute Intent to be better today than you were yesterday.

13 Protestors

On Thursday July 02, 2020, 13 Protestors from the Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society assembled in front of the residence of the universities president to protest a lack of black student enrollment, more black faculty, and more financial aide for black students. After a handful of speeches and chanting from the 13 people who were in attendance, the protestors drove their vehicles back and forth along the driveway of the residence, beeping their horns for about ten minutes before vacating the premises.

Reannin

Reannin.

Caregiver.

Animal lover.

Olympic weightlifter.

CrossFit coach

and overall badass.

Counter-Protest

On a hot, muggy June evening in the small town of Brooksville, Florida about 250 people gathered under the canopy of two large Oak Trees, on the steps of the county courthouse. They gathered peacefully to protest the killing of George Floyd, a man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis Minnesota just over a week earlier.

As I walked up a barricaded Main Street and watched the scene unfold, I observed a group of about two dozen counter-protestors. They were gathered in the street, armed with sheath knives, and one specifically was draped in a confederate flag. I listened to them shout “All Lives Matter” and “White Is Right”! They waved the confederate flag, yelled obscenities at the crowd of protestors, and taunted them, daring them to cross the police line.

Uniformed deputy sheriffs lined the sidewalk between the protestors and counter-protestors. They ordered the counter-protestors to stay behind the double yellow line on Main Street, and not to approach the sidewalk.  A few of the protestors attempted to engage the group lining Main Street in words of love, but they continued to taunt the frustrated protestors to cross the police line and “talk” with them.

This peaceful protest was made up of a diverse crowd of men, women, and children. As each speaker addressed the crowd, the counter-protestors were persistent with their jeering. Shouting from Main Street across the courthouse lawn, a counter-protestor threatened a white speaker with violence. He threatened, not only the speaker with violence, but also threatened his mother. He threatened him because, in his words, he was a traitor for “switching sides”.

After the event, one of the counter-protestors was arrested for resisting arrest without violence and exhibition of a dangerous weapon. He allegedly pulled a machete from his pants and threatened a protestor with it.

I spent a lifelong career as a law enforcement officer and I’ve seen some pretty horrific scenes, but never have I witnessed such absolute hate, because of the color of someone’s skin, like I witnessed on Friday, June 5, 2020.

Formal Inspiration

I recently attended the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar. I always thought that I might become a photojournalist after I finished my law enforcement career, but as years passed the newspaper industry seemed to be dwindling and the photojournalists I knew had either been let go due to their company down sizing the staff or they moved on because they saw the writing on the wall.

After about 10 months into retirement I felt myself becoming a bit antsy. I felt rested, for the most part, and started thinking about what a second career might look like. I still have some friends left in the photojournalism industry. They continue to work hard at their papers because they love what they do so much, and they have a passion for storytelling.

One of those people is my friend, Octavio Jones, staff photographer for the Tampa Bay Times. I sent him a message and noted that the paper seemed to be using freelance photojournalists more these days and inquired about the availability of becoming a freelancer. We discussed the idea of freelancing, as well as, the budgets that some of the major news organizations have at their disposal, and then he gave me some homework. A bit of research and reading options in terms of preparing myself for storytelling.

Octavio Jones checking his email while waiting on the MARTA for a trip to down town Atlanta.

During the course of my law enforcement career I had picked up a camera and began making photos as a means to relieve stress, and then that passion bloomed into a small side business photographing weddings, senior portraits, etc… I put the camera down for a while and after retiring started thinking about my future. I remembered my love for both creating a photograph and then also seeing the impact a single photograph can make in life. In the past, my camera had allowed me access to tell stories in birth, death, politics, and everything in between. It created a means for people to remember a moment in time. I remembered how that made me feel and that’s when I decided to pick the camera up once again.

One of Octavio’s suggestions was to attend the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar. The best in the industry teach and mentor during a weekend seminar in Atlanta every year. I looked up the information and bought tickets, booked my flight and hotel , and then asked Octavio if he would be joining me. He checked his calendar, requested days off, and was, in fact, able to travel with me to Atlanta for the seminar.

Jessica Koscielniak gives a presentation on a documentary she and her team created in Texas.

We landed in Atlanta, took an Uber to the hotel, settled in, grabbed some lunch, and then headed to down town Atlanta via the MARTA for some street photography. We had a great time walking the streets of Atlanta, using Uber and then eventually the MARTA back to the hotel. The weekend was a lot of fun and I learned a lot from a handful of motivated and passionate photojournalists.

I’m no guru when it comes to photography, but the process of creating a photograph and telling a story inspires me to be better than I was yesterday. The weekend left me inspired, and I returned home to survey what gear I had left after selling a great deal of it, and I created a game plan for the future. I purchased a subscription to Lightroom, a digital dark room, and a subscription for this platform, Squarespace, and now here I am working on creating. My plan for 2020 is to become a better writer and photographer, and I have plans to launch a podcast as well.

Will I become a photojournalist? I will in my own way. If there is something you want to do in life, write it down on a piece of paper, create small goals to get you there, and then cross each one off as you accomplish them. A little formal training can go along way to inspire a craft, but nothing can happen without action. I hope you will tag along with me as I document my community and adventures here on this platform. Make it your Absolute Intent to be better today than you were yesterday. I hope you all have a blessed week. Peace.