Poem: "Never Go Anywhere"
This poem was written outside the regular prompt calls, inspired by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zianuray who wanted to see the "Never go anywhere without a knife." square in my 11-1-21 card for the NCIS Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred, ng_moonmoth, janetmiles, and edorfaus. It belongs to the Shiv thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. This poem follows "Everything Wrapped in a Bow," so read that first or this won't make much sense.
"Never Go Anywhere"
[Friday, December 25, 2015 -- Christmas Day, afternoon]
It was one of Shiv's rules.
He'd had it for a long time,
never mind how fussy
folks could get about it.
Never go anywhere
without a knife.
That rule had saved
his skin more than once.
People were always trying
to disarm him, but that didn't
work anymore, not since
Shiv had souped up.
He could make a blade
out of a lamp post or
a car door if he had to,
out of handcuffs or
prison bars -- that was
never going to stop being
funny -- even out of bone
if it came down to that.
He still preferred to have
a proper knife, of course,
but he didn't depend on it.
Only later did Shiv meet
people who didn't try
to disarm him right off.
It was Boss White who
introduced Shiv to
other options beyond
the usual knives, after
Shiv nicked himself trying
to learn how to use a butterfly.
"Never go anywhere without
a knife," said Boss White. "But
you might want something a bit
more practical for everyday use."
He gave Shiv a multitool with
one knife blade, a couple of
screwdrivers, a can opener,
scissors, pliers, and even
a few other doodads.
It opened and closed
with one hand, and gave
a satisfying click when
it locked into position.
When it came down to
sheer destructive potential,
the multitool far outstripped
a regular knife, and Shiv
loved it immediately.
In prison, Shiv made
sharp things from
whatever he could
get his hands on.
He turned screws and
bolts into tiny blades
for carving or whittling,
and longer metal struts
into formidable shanks.
Meeting Tolli had been ...
interesting, to say the least.
Tolli admired the machete that
Shiv had made from silverware
in a moment of desperation,
even as rough as it was.
"It got the job done, and
that's what matters most,"
Tolli said with firm approval.
"But that's why you never
go anywhere without a knife."
Tolli was a blacksmith and
thus knew all about knives,
the different kinds and
what they were good for.
High praise, even if it
made Shiv squirm a bit.
He wasn't used to praise.
Molly had to carry one for work,
because she was a paramedic
and never knew when she might
need to cut a seatbelt or clothes
or bust the window out of a car.
Tolli and Simon commissioned
Shiv to make a knife for her,
with a half-circle serrated edge,
a seatbelt hook, and a punch
on the pommel for windows.
"This is perfect, thank you,"
Molly said when Shiv finally
presented it. "I never go
anywhere without a knife."
Dr. G's pocket knife was
old and worn, with only
a few simple tools -- a blade,
a can opener, a bottle opener,
and a sturdy punch point.
Shiv had been trying
to rattle Dr. G by talking
about how dangerous he was.
Dr. G had just shrugged and
said, "I never go anywhere
without a knife either."
Drew looked at it
a bit differently, since
he didn't always carry
a knife, but rather used
whatever he found.
"There are knives
everywhere," he said.
Drew kept old kitchen knives
in a drawer to open packages
or whatever, and didn't mind
if Shiv repurposed one.
Ironically his sister Aida had
the biggest everyday carry
that Shiv had seen anyone
use: a dive knife that just
barely fit along her thigh.
It was black titanium with
one edge smooth and
the other serrated.
"Never go anywhere
without a knife," Aida said.
"You never know when you
might need to cut loose."
That was sensible.
For Christmas, Simon
gave Shiv a set of
four throwing knives,
willow-thin and wicked.
Simon knew that Shiv
carried knives and could
make more at need, but
he'd never tried anything
like these beauties before.
"Never go anywhere without
a knife," Simon said. "Better yet,
several knives, so you can throw
some and still have plenty left
to ruin an enemy's day."
Shiv laughed and agreed
that was a great idea.
Simon even showed him
how to use the new ones.
"Watch your target closely,"
said Simon. "Feel for the line
between your knife tip and
what you're aiming at."
Yeah, okay, Shiv always
did have a sense for that, but
with Simon warm behind him
and whispering in his ear, it was
like tapping a wrench on a wire:
everything came alive, humming.
"Breathe in, breathe out, then
throw," said Simon. "Always throw
between breaths. When you get
good enough to feel your heartbeat,
then throw between the beats."
Shiv exhaled, his breath
steaming in the cold air,
and threw the knife.
It thunked into the target
and stayed there, quivering.
"See, you're a natural,"
Simon said, patting him.
Fine praise from someone
who drew targets with art pen
to get the center dot small enough.
Shiv would take what he could get,
and he loved the throwing knives,
so light and lively in his hands.
Simon was a good teacher, and
Shiv appreciated all the coaching.
He never went anywhere without knives.
* * *
Notes:
A butterfly knife is often manipulated in a very flashy manner, although it doesn't have to be. It's best to learn with a trainer, which has a dull edge. At his current skill level, Shiv uses a double-edged butterfly for the simple reason that if someone else takes it away from him, they're more threat to themselves than to him. It's extremely difficult to control a double butterfly because there is no "safe" back side of the knife that you can allow to hit your hand. You have to control it entirely with timing. Shiv could use his superpower to cheat, but he doesn't. These are basic text instructions. Watch some videos for a basic open and close, basic swirl, and basic aerial. Now watch an advanced twirl. This is Shiv's normal level of skill, and the kid even looks a lot like him. It's what Shiv does when he's bored.
Shiv's original encounter with a butterfly knife is described in "The Great Art of Life."
A multitool has numerous individual tools, and they come in different styles, so choose one with the items you expect to use most.
Shiv's Leatherman Free P2 Multitool is considered one of the best.
EASIEST TOOL ACCESS
Leatherman Free P2
amazon.com $119.95
Score: 4.1
The Free P2 is built with tight tolerances, evident in its smooth opening and closing action. You can open it with one hand, and it makes a gratifying click as the handle locks in place. A nice feature of the P2 is tool accessibility; all of the implements are accessible without opening the pliers. In fact, the only reason to open the tool is to use the pliers. We rated the pliers—with their tight pivot, strong grip, and replaceable wire-cutting blades—4.5 out of 5. The wire stripper, included on the medium screwdriver, only really worked on wire of a specific size. However, the notch for hard wire worked well up to 12 gauge.
A typical gripe of ours with can openers is that a wide tool frame can interfere with the can. But on the P2, the opener is the last tool on the row, so it’s perfectly positioned for clearance. The scissors cut well and were easy to manipulate while snipping intricate shapes, while the combination plain/serrated knife blade was extremely sharp. Three flat screwdrivers were adequate, with the largest being made of thicker material to resist twisting. The Phillips screwdriver is good on a wide range of sizes, and its flat stock folds into the tool frame smoothly. Finally, magnets ensure the frame stays closed when you want it to.
Praise has a lot of power to influence people. It is vital to catch teens and adults doing something right. On the other hoof, some people hate it. Shiv mistrusts praise because it's unfamiliar at best and manipulative at worst ... but it still tugs at him a little. Understand how to give effective praise and what to do if praise makes you uncomfortable.
Praise has its pros and cons, but ultimately children need praise. Here are some tips on praising children and giving effective praise. Typically the advice is to praise actions rather than traits, but abuse survivors may need to hear that they are good and other trait-based praise after being condemned by their abuser(s).
Many people feel uncomfortable with praise, for various reasons. Abuse survivors in particular may shy away from praise but need it desperately. There are ways to respond if praise makes you uncomfortable, and how to praise people who dislike it. If you push too hard you can make matters worse, but it's not great to let people keep putting themselves down, so aim for a balance.
Molly's knife is presented in "The Most Genius Thing That Man Created."
Carrying a knife is a rite of passage in many cultures. Sometimes it's part of adulthood rites, but more often, it marks the point in childhood or adolescence when a young person begins to acquire more serious skills and responsibilities that will prepare them for later adulthood. In Terramagne, knives are common and accepted, and most people handle them responsibly. More boys than girls carry a pocketknife, but it's not rare for girls. In order to choose the best pocket knife, you need to know the options. It's better to have a few tools you use regularly than a heavy wad you rarely use or, worse, leave at home instead of in your pocket. The best choice is often a basic Swiss Army knife or similar.
Graham's pocket knife dates from World War II.
Kingston (joint venture Imperial/Ulster) Engineer/Camp knife
Location: Oregon
Posted January 21, 2014
Kingston (joint venture Imperial/Ulster) Engineer/Camp knife. These were also procured by the Navy. This is also the knife I believe both Imperial and Ulster used to fill contracts for the Engineer and Camp knives in essence three manufacturing facilities and as demonstrated Imperial and Ulster stamped tangs. The joint venture was a brilliant business move to consume more contracts.
In regards to the two piece can opener and as stated in the spec sheets as being defective the companies that utilized this pattern moved onto alternate types of can openers opening the door for another line of variations in the Engineer/Camp knife world. Illustrated here are examples of first production in essence but the design by Camillus was rugged and functional and did not change.
A diving knife is essential survival gear, so know how to choose the right one for you. They can be mounted in many different places on your body or other equipment, with placement depending on knife size and personal preference. Aida prefers a large diving knife on a thigh mount. It comes in two styles, sharp tip or blunt tip, and she has the sharp tip.
Aiming advice overlaps for knife throwers and snipers.
zianuray who wanted to see the "Never go anywhere without a knife." square in my 11-1-21 card for the NCIS Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred, ng_moonmoth, janetmiles, and edorfaus. It belongs to the Shiv thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. This poem follows "Everything Wrapped in a Bow," so read that first or this won't make much sense."Never Go Anywhere"
[Friday, December 25, 2015 -- Christmas Day, afternoon]
It was one of Shiv's rules.
He'd had it for a long time,
never mind how fussy
folks could get about it.
Never go anywhere
without a knife.
That rule had saved
his skin more than once.
People were always trying
to disarm him, but that didn't
work anymore, not since
Shiv had souped up.
He could make a blade
out of a lamp post or
a car door if he had to,
out of handcuffs or
prison bars -- that was
never going to stop being
funny -- even out of bone
if it came down to that.
He still preferred to have
a proper knife, of course,
but he didn't depend on it.
Only later did Shiv meet
people who didn't try
to disarm him right off.
It was Boss White who
introduced Shiv to
other options beyond
the usual knives, after
Shiv nicked himself trying
to learn how to use a butterfly.
"Never go anywhere without
a knife," said Boss White. "But
you might want something a bit
more practical for everyday use."
He gave Shiv a multitool with
one knife blade, a couple of
screwdrivers, a can opener,
scissors, pliers, and even
a few other doodads.
It opened and closed
with one hand, and gave
a satisfying click when
it locked into position.
When it came down to
sheer destructive potential,
the multitool far outstripped
a regular knife, and Shiv
loved it immediately.
In prison, Shiv made
sharp things from
whatever he could
get his hands on.
He turned screws and
bolts into tiny blades
for carving or whittling,
and longer metal struts
into formidable shanks.
Meeting Tolli had been ...
interesting, to say the least.
Tolli admired the machete that
Shiv had made from silverware
in a moment of desperation,
even as rough as it was.
"It got the job done, and
that's what matters most,"
Tolli said with firm approval.
"But that's why you never
go anywhere without a knife."
Tolli was a blacksmith and
thus knew all about knives,
the different kinds and
what they were good for.
High praise, even if it
made Shiv squirm a bit.
He wasn't used to praise.
Molly had to carry one for work,
because she was a paramedic
and never knew when she might
need to cut a seatbelt or clothes
or bust the window out of a car.
Tolli and Simon commissioned
Shiv to make a knife for her,
with a half-circle serrated edge,
a seatbelt hook, and a punch
on the pommel for windows.
"This is perfect, thank you,"
Molly said when Shiv finally
presented it. "I never go
anywhere without a knife."
Dr. G's pocket knife was
old and worn, with only
a few simple tools -- a blade,
a can opener, a bottle opener,
and a sturdy punch point.
Shiv had been trying
to rattle Dr. G by talking
about how dangerous he was.
Dr. G had just shrugged and
said, "I never go anywhere
without a knife either."
Drew looked at it
a bit differently, since
he didn't always carry
a knife, but rather used
whatever he found.
"There are knives
everywhere," he said.
Drew kept old kitchen knives
in a drawer to open packages
or whatever, and didn't mind
if Shiv repurposed one.
Ironically his sister Aida had
the biggest everyday carry
that Shiv had seen anyone
use: a dive knife that just
barely fit along her thigh.
It was black titanium with
one edge smooth and
the other serrated.
"Never go anywhere
without a knife," Aida said.
"You never know when you
might need to cut loose."
That was sensible.
For Christmas, Simon
gave Shiv a set of
four throwing knives,
willow-thin and wicked.
Simon knew that Shiv
carried knives and could
make more at need, but
he'd never tried anything
like these beauties before.
"Never go anywhere without
a knife," Simon said. "Better yet,
several knives, so you can throw
some and still have plenty left
to ruin an enemy's day."
Shiv laughed and agreed
that was a great idea.
Simon even showed him
how to use the new ones.
"Watch your target closely,"
said Simon. "Feel for the line
between your knife tip and
what you're aiming at."
Yeah, okay, Shiv always
did have a sense for that, but
with Simon warm behind him
and whispering in his ear, it was
like tapping a wrench on a wire:
everything came alive, humming.
"Breathe in, breathe out, then
throw," said Simon. "Always throw
between breaths. When you get
good enough to feel your heartbeat,
then throw between the beats."
Shiv exhaled, his breath
steaming in the cold air,
and threw the knife.
It thunked into the target
and stayed there, quivering.
"See, you're a natural,"
Simon said, patting him.
Fine praise from someone
who drew targets with art pen
to get the center dot small enough.
Shiv would take what he could get,
and he loved the throwing knives,
so light and lively in his hands.
Simon was a good teacher, and
Shiv appreciated all the coaching.
He never went anywhere without knives.
* * *
Notes:
A butterfly knife is often manipulated in a very flashy manner, although it doesn't have to be. It's best to learn with a trainer, which has a dull edge. At his current skill level, Shiv uses a double-edged butterfly for the simple reason that if someone else takes it away from him, they're more threat to themselves than to him. It's extremely difficult to control a double butterfly because there is no "safe" back side of the knife that you can allow to hit your hand. You have to control it entirely with timing. Shiv could use his superpower to cheat, but he doesn't. These are basic text instructions. Watch some videos for a basic open and close, basic swirl, and basic aerial. Now watch an advanced twirl. This is Shiv's normal level of skill, and the kid even looks a lot like him. It's what Shiv does when he's bored.
Shiv's original encounter with a butterfly knife is described in "The Great Art of Life."
A multitool has numerous individual tools, and they come in different styles, so choose one with the items you expect to use most.
Shiv's Leatherman Free P2 Multitool is considered one of the best.
EASIEST TOOL ACCESS
Leatherman Free P2
amazon.com $119.95
Score: 4.1
The Free P2 is built with tight tolerances, evident in its smooth opening and closing action. You can open it with one hand, and it makes a gratifying click as the handle locks in place. A nice feature of the P2 is tool accessibility; all of the implements are accessible without opening the pliers. In fact, the only reason to open the tool is to use the pliers. We rated the pliers—with their tight pivot, strong grip, and replaceable wire-cutting blades—4.5 out of 5. The wire stripper, included on the medium screwdriver, only really worked on wire of a specific size. However, the notch for hard wire worked well up to 12 gauge.
A typical gripe of ours with can openers is that a wide tool frame can interfere with the can. But on the P2, the opener is the last tool on the row, so it’s perfectly positioned for clearance. The scissors cut well and were easy to manipulate while snipping intricate shapes, while the combination plain/serrated knife blade was extremely sharp. Three flat screwdrivers were adequate, with the largest being made of thicker material to resist twisting. The Phillips screwdriver is good on a wide range of sizes, and its flat stock folds into the tool frame smoothly. Finally, magnets ensure the frame stays closed when you want it to.
Praise has a lot of power to influence people. It is vital to catch teens and adults doing something right. On the other hoof, some people hate it. Shiv mistrusts praise because it's unfamiliar at best and manipulative at worst ... but it still tugs at him a little. Understand how to give effective praise and what to do if praise makes you uncomfortable.
Praise has its pros and cons, but ultimately children need praise. Here are some tips on praising children and giving effective praise. Typically the advice is to praise actions rather than traits, but abuse survivors may need to hear that they are good and other trait-based praise after being condemned by their abuser(s).
Many people feel uncomfortable with praise, for various reasons. Abuse survivors in particular may shy away from praise but need it desperately. There are ways to respond if praise makes you uncomfortable, and how to praise people who dislike it. If you push too hard you can make matters worse, but it's not great to let people keep putting themselves down, so aim for a balance.
Molly's knife is presented in "The Most Genius Thing That Man Created."
Carrying a knife is a rite of passage in many cultures. Sometimes it's part of adulthood rites, but more often, it marks the point in childhood or adolescence when a young person begins to acquire more serious skills and responsibilities that will prepare them for later adulthood. In Terramagne, knives are common and accepted, and most people handle them responsibly. More boys than girls carry a pocketknife, but it's not rare for girls. In order to choose the best pocket knife, you need to know the options. It's better to have a few tools you use regularly than a heavy wad you rarely use or, worse, leave at home instead of in your pocket. The best choice is often a basic Swiss Army knife or similar.
Graham's pocket knife dates from World War II.
Kingston (joint venture Imperial/Ulster) Engineer/Camp knife
Location: Oregon
Posted January 21, 2014
Kingston (joint venture Imperial/Ulster) Engineer/Camp knife. These were also procured by the Navy. This is also the knife I believe both Imperial and Ulster used to fill contracts for the Engineer and Camp knives in essence three manufacturing facilities and as demonstrated Imperial and Ulster stamped tangs. The joint venture was a brilliant business move to consume more contracts.
In regards to the two piece can opener and as stated in the spec sheets as being defective the companies that utilized this pattern moved onto alternate types of can openers opening the door for another line of variations in the Engineer/Camp knife world. Illustrated here are examples of first production in essence but the design by Camillus was rugged and functional and did not change.
A diving knife is essential survival gear, so know how to choose the right one for you. They can be mounted in many different places on your body or other equipment, with placement depending on knife size and personal preference. Aida prefers a large diving knife on a thigh mount. It comes in two styles, sharp tip or blunt tip, and she has the sharp tip.
Aiming advice overlaps for knife throwers and snipers.