I received many subtle but worthy corrections from PGM G. Santy Lascano (sp). I had memorized my work in Webster Masonic Lodge No. 538 near Rochester NY. A few NY words differ from WA words. Ha!
I can't imagine how difficult it would be to have to re-memorize the work with the subtle distinctions from Jurisdiction to Jurisdiction. I salute you for doing so!
I have seen my fair share of California work accidentally sneaking into a Lodge or two, and have even seen some ritualistic work from The Grange a time or two. Purging it after learning it would be mighty tough.
Excellent article. To expand the analogy a bit, sharpening a knife involves universal steps, like removing dirt and rust. However, the angle of the edge and the bevel of the blade, depend on the work the blade is intended for. We have a variety of blades in a kitchen for a reason, and a society with a diverse set of priorities and desires. The term deficient caught my eye, and the phrase ‘different, not deficient’ came to mind. As we gain a greater understanding of history, we learn more about the achievements of prominent Brothers, and also of their shortcomings. I’m only aware of one perfect man; all the rest have been or are deficient in some way. One of the beautiful parts of our Fraternity is that its light can be seen reflecting from a Brother who is in the right place, at the right time, with the right edge. This reflection is the 'iron' we would do well to capture, and be open to its source. One of the most impactful moments for me in Masonry was at an in-lodge remembrance for a Brother who had recently past. A Brother, who walked life a little differently than I do, gave a soul stirring rendition of a song that challenged all men in attendance to keep a dry eye. Most failed. In that moment I appreciated that Brother, and the Craft, more fully.
I really like your expansion of the analogy. It is true, my knives for fine use are sharpened at a different angle than those for hard use. And that is certainly reflective of differing priorities in society.
You rightly point out that none of us are that perfect ashlar. We all have our faults, some fairly hidden, some perhaps glaring. Sometimes our perspective might cause us to see the faults brighter than the virtues, so a change of perspective can give us a much more complete view of a person.
Once again, I was transported back in time by your writing. When I saw the picture of the knife, I immediately recognized the finger groove model as newer than my Model 110. I purchased mine in 1968 when I was working for Boeing on the first 747s, before enlisting in the service. The guys on my crew were impressed with my Buck and soon they all had one. In a discussion with one of my coworkers the question of the quality of the steel came up. One of our inspectors settled the matter by taking my knife and putting it on the Rockwell Hardness Tester in the QC Lab. Yep, sure enough it registered on the "C" scale as the proper steel. I carried that knife when I was in Vietnam and also still have the Arkansas oilstone, I used to sharpen it.
One thing I've not decided is if I like the finger groove model. I've also got the more standard curve shape. I have to believe that the FG model would stay firmly in the hand better, but in actuality, I've never found my hand slipping around on the non-FG model. Offsetting the potential benefit, I do find the non-FG model a bit more comfortable in hand.
I did have to retire oilstones in favor of diamond stones. I find that for me the process is faster and easier, and of course not having to use oil makes it less messy.
Measure twice, cut once. The benefit of multiple perspectives is the insight that they offer. The lived hardships and experiences that might be mitigated or avoided with the right counsel. The successes that might lead to unexpected outcomes with the right timing or vision.
I do think that perspective is of great importance, including attempts to gain differing perspectives. If our perspective only allows us to see one side of a coin, we are only seeing one half of the whole. And seeing only half of a problem or issue makes it awfully hard to address that problem or issue.
I saw this picture and it made me stop. “That’s my Buck knife.” Well close. I’d have to go online and check mine out. I think I bought it in 1972-73. Dad had finally saved up enough money to “Go out West”…His dream vacation. It was indeed memorable. My Dad said to me, “Why don’t you buy something that you’ll always have to remember this trip. You may never get out here again.” He suggested a Buck folder. At that time you didn’t see Buck knives much east of the Mississippi, so it was consider a “Western” knife. Every cowboy you saw (And you could still find 15 hr a day hard working cowboys out West back then…) had one. I still have mine too…And there isn’t a time I don’t unsheath it that a whole lot of Dad doesn’t come out with it…
Thanks for sharing the memory. I find that I get a lot of that too out of little material things that were owned by my dad or granddads. Those things probably won't mean anything to my kids after I'm gone, but for now they are treasures to me.
I’m trying to get a hold of Case Knives to repair the derlin scales on my Dad’s old fishing knife from the 40’s. I think he might have bought it in Canada on a fishing trip he took with my Grandpa… So far nothing…
I don't know about the Case warranty policies, but as I understand it Case is owned by Zippo, and Zippo will repair any lighter for any reason without cost. So I have to imagine Case would be A-OK in that department. You might try:
The knife you show is almost identical to the one I use for hunting season. Likely the same model, although mine dates from the late 1980’s. Despite cleaning and butchering several deer, it still has its edge. I can’t stress maintenance of that blade’s edge.
Scuttlebutt mentions a key point, in that Iron sharpens Iron, which means that it goes both ways. And the “sharpening” methods change from person to person. There was one case where our good PGM Cameron sent me and a long-time member of our Lodge an E-mail that was… well, it was a BAD E-mail. One that would really piss off most people. Both the old Brother and I had different responses. The “Sharpening” doesn’t have to have a stinging rebuke, either. Interestingly, my response was introspective to the point where Cameron actually apologized for his E-mail within a minute of receiving my response. Heck, I didn’t even really mean it as a rebuke; it was more of a take on the situation. I regretfully forgot what I sent. In fact, about a week later when we were in the Lodge in Wenatchee, Cameron pulled me into the Tyler’s room and apologized again. But what caught both of us is when the older Brother read the E-mail a few days later and responded:
“Now YOU just wait a minute here! The statements you made and the attitude you are taking are unworthy of you!” It wasn’t quite the words, but these sentences started a paragraph that almost prompted me to call the Brother and apologize on Cameron’s behalf. It was a gentleman’s scolding. A severe one, to be sure, but the Gentleman factor really bumped up the already high respect I had for this Brother. He is still an active member of our Lodge to this day, having been in our Craft for 60 years and still demonstrating his excellent leadership skills.
It all balances out, too, as I had Cameron wrapped around the axle more than once when I was bumbling things up at the State Capitol in the beginning of a steep learning curve. But I took it for what it was. The School of Hard Knocks. I got things on track quickly because of the Iron quickly getting sharper. And it made a BIG difference for our Craft.
You can definitely “sharpen the iron” without creating and building resentment. I’ve been fortunate to have many Brothers in Tenino Lodge, as well as neighboring Lodges, who had developed that skill and “honed” it to where they have helped many of us younger Brothers in our Journey. I’m doing my best to pay that forward to the younger Brothers today, not only in my Lodge and District, but wherever I might meet them and whenever they ask for assistance or advice. It’s quite an honor.
I've grown much more disciplined about maintaining an edge so that it doesn't need to be resharpened as opposed to letting it dull down so that resharpening is required as I've gotten older. Perhaps that is a part of wisdom coming with age.
Indeed, I remember the situation you mention well. And it is undoubtedly a case in point of iron sharpening iron. We can fairly call it, I think, a case of the "whispering good counsel" advised in our ritualistic work. But, it only 'worked' because the three of us value each other. That's the thing I think, iron sharpens iron, but putty does not.
Just another service I provide MWB. and please believe that you do the same for me.
I'm pleased to know that Brother.
MWPGM BAILEY,
I received many subtle but worthy corrections from PGM G. Santy Lascano (sp). I had memorized my work in Webster Masonic Lodge No. 538 near Rochester NY. A few NY words differ from WA words. Ha!
I can't imagine how difficult it would be to have to re-memorize the work with the subtle distinctions from Jurisdiction to Jurisdiction. I salute you for doing so!
I have seen my fair share of California work accidentally sneaking into a Lodge or two, and have even seen some ritualistic work from The Grange a time or two. Purging it after learning it would be mighty tough.
Excellent article. To expand the analogy a bit, sharpening a knife involves universal steps, like removing dirt and rust. However, the angle of the edge and the bevel of the blade, depend on the work the blade is intended for. We have a variety of blades in a kitchen for a reason, and a society with a diverse set of priorities and desires. The term deficient caught my eye, and the phrase ‘different, not deficient’ came to mind. As we gain a greater understanding of history, we learn more about the achievements of prominent Brothers, and also of their shortcomings. I’m only aware of one perfect man; all the rest have been or are deficient in some way. One of the beautiful parts of our Fraternity is that its light can be seen reflecting from a Brother who is in the right place, at the right time, with the right edge. This reflection is the 'iron' we would do well to capture, and be open to its source. One of the most impactful moments for me in Masonry was at an in-lodge remembrance for a Brother who had recently past. A Brother, who walked life a little differently than I do, gave a soul stirring rendition of a song that challenged all men in attendance to keep a dry eye. Most failed. In that moment I appreciated that Brother, and the Craft, more fully.
Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
I really like your expansion of the analogy. It is true, my knives for fine use are sharpened at a different angle than those for hard use. And that is certainly reflective of differing priorities in society.
You rightly point out that none of us are that perfect ashlar. We all have our faults, some fairly hidden, some perhaps glaring. Sometimes our perspective might cause us to see the faults brighter than the virtues, so a change of perspective can give us a much more complete view of a person.
Once again, I was transported back in time by your writing. When I saw the picture of the knife, I immediately recognized the finger groove model as newer than my Model 110. I purchased mine in 1968 when I was working for Boeing on the first 747s, before enlisting in the service. The guys on my crew were impressed with my Buck and soon they all had one. In a discussion with one of my coworkers the question of the quality of the steel came up. One of our inspectors settled the matter by taking my knife and putting it on the Rockwell Hardness Tester in the QC Lab. Yep, sure enough it registered on the "C" scale as the proper steel. I carried that knife when I was in Vietnam and also still have the Arkansas oilstone, I used to sharpen it.
One thing I've not decided is if I like the finger groove model. I've also got the more standard curve shape. I have to believe that the FG model would stay firmly in the hand better, but in actuality, I've never found my hand slipping around on the non-FG model. Offsetting the potential benefit, I do find the non-FG model a bit more comfortable in hand.
I did have to retire oilstones in favor of diamond stones. I find that for me the process is faster and easier, and of course not having to use oil makes it less messy.
Measure twice, cut once. The benefit of multiple perspectives is the insight that they offer. The lived hardships and experiences that might be mitigated or avoided with the right counsel. The successes that might lead to unexpected outcomes with the right timing or vision.
Great topic!
I do think that perspective is of great importance, including attempts to gain differing perspectives. If our perspective only allows us to see one side of a coin, we are only seeing one half of the whole. And seeing only half of a problem or issue makes it awfully hard to address that problem or issue.
I saw this picture and it made me stop. “That’s my Buck knife.” Well close. I’d have to go online and check mine out. I think I bought it in 1972-73. Dad had finally saved up enough money to “Go out West”…His dream vacation. It was indeed memorable. My Dad said to me, “Why don’t you buy something that you’ll always have to remember this trip. You may never get out here again.” He suggested a Buck folder. At that time you didn’t see Buck knives much east of the Mississippi, so it was consider a “Western” knife. Every cowboy you saw (And you could still find 15 hr a day hard working cowboys out West back then…) had one. I still have mine too…And there isn’t a time I don’t unsheath it that a whole lot of Dad doesn’t come out with it…
Buck has a date chart here, but for the old ones you'll get a range of years instead of a specific year:
https://www.buckknives.com/about/behind-the-blade/how-old-is-my-knife/
If it ever needs a bit more care than you can give, they will do that too, for what I think is a strikingly low cost. Like 7 to 10 bucks:
https://www.buckknives.com/about/behind-the-blade/knife-sharpening-services/
Thanks for sharing the memory. I find that I get a lot of that too out of little material things that were owned by my dad or granddads. Those things probably won't mean anything to my kids after I'm gone, but for now they are treasures to me.
I’m trying to get a hold of Case Knives to repair the derlin scales on my Dad’s old fishing knife from the 40’s. I think he might have bought it in Canada on a fishing trip he took with my Grandpa… So far nothing…
I don't know about the Case warranty policies, but as I understand it Case is owned by Zippo, and Zippo will repair any lighter for any reason without cost. So I have to imagine Case would be A-OK in that department. You might try:
https://kb.caseknives.com/warranty-repair
The knife you show is almost identical to the one I use for hunting season. Likely the same model, although mine dates from the late 1980’s. Despite cleaning and butchering several deer, it still has its edge. I can’t stress maintenance of that blade’s edge.
Scuttlebutt mentions a key point, in that Iron sharpens Iron, which means that it goes both ways. And the “sharpening” methods change from person to person. There was one case where our good PGM Cameron sent me and a long-time member of our Lodge an E-mail that was… well, it was a BAD E-mail. One that would really piss off most people. Both the old Brother and I had different responses. The “Sharpening” doesn’t have to have a stinging rebuke, either. Interestingly, my response was introspective to the point where Cameron actually apologized for his E-mail within a minute of receiving my response. Heck, I didn’t even really mean it as a rebuke; it was more of a take on the situation. I regretfully forgot what I sent. In fact, about a week later when we were in the Lodge in Wenatchee, Cameron pulled me into the Tyler’s room and apologized again. But what caught both of us is when the older Brother read the E-mail a few days later and responded:
“Now YOU just wait a minute here! The statements you made and the attitude you are taking are unworthy of you!” It wasn’t quite the words, but these sentences started a paragraph that almost prompted me to call the Brother and apologize on Cameron’s behalf. It was a gentleman’s scolding. A severe one, to be sure, but the Gentleman factor really bumped up the already high respect I had for this Brother. He is still an active member of our Lodge to this day, having been in our Craft for 60 years and still demonstrating his excellent leadership skills.
It all balances out, too, as I had Cameron wrapped around the axle more than once when I was bumbling things up at the State Capitol in the beginning of a steep learning curve. But I took it for what it was. The School of Hard Knocks. I got things on track quickly because of the Iron quickly getting sharper. And it made a BIG difference for our Craft.
You can definitely “sharpen the iron” without creating and building resentment. I’ve been fortunate to have many Brothers in Tenino Lodge, as well as neighboring Lodges, who had developed that skill and “honed” it to where they have helped many of us younger Brothers in our Journey. I’m doing my best to pay that forward to the younger Brothers today, not only in my Lodge and District, but wherever I might meet them and whenever they ask for assistance or advice. It’s quite an honor.
I've grown much more disciplined about maintaining an edge so that it doesn't need to be resharpened as opposed to letting it dull down so that resharpening is required as I've gotten older. Perhaps that is a part of wisdom coming with age.
Indeed, I remember the situation you mention well. And it is undoubtedly a case in point of iron sharpening iron. We can fairly call it, I think, a case of the "whispering good counsel" advised in our ritualistic work. But, it only 'worked' because the three of us value each other. That's the thing I think, iron sharpens iron, but putty does not.