And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Like driving a stick, how many people nowadays could understand Morse Code?
This item is a vintage pocket knife manufactured around 1955 by the Colonial Knife Company, featuring a green handle printed with the International Morse Code chart. Item Type: Vintage folding jack knife. Design: Features a chart of letters and corresponding dots and dashes on the reverse side. Manufacturing: Produced in the USA by Colonial. Usage: Marketed as a functional tool, often paired with themed graphics like "Rusty" or space ships.
3.5” long plus belt loop made c. 1955 by “Colonial.” Front grip pictures Rusty with facsimile autograph as well as Rin Tin Tin with facsimile paw print. Reverse has chart specifying letters of the alphabet and corresponding dots and dashes under the title “International Morse Code.” Contains knife blade and screwdriver which are essentially Mint. White areas on the grips have darkened somewhat but no spotting. As typical, top front rivet has split the plastic covering a little with 2 tiny slivers of plastic actually missing. Still displays glossy and VF.
Last time I used it was in 1988 hooking up with some Kuwaiti oil tankers after midnight in Kuwait and lining up to escort them south. Back then I could send and receive about 10 wpm and a signal light. One of two people on the whole ship that knew morse code.
I had to learn it as a Boy Scout in the late 1950's. I remember "SOS"...
ReplyDeleteI never had to, but my dad knew it inside out .., he was an Army radio operator in the Pacific during WW2. Passed away in 2022.
ReplyDeleteI'll get up off of 100 of my favorite legal tenders for that knife right now.
ReplyDelete200 if it's mint.
This item is a vintage pocket knife manufactured around 1955 by the Colonial Knife Company, featuring a green handle printed with the International Morse Code chart.
ReplyDeleteItem Type: Vintage folding jack knife.
Design: Features a chart of letters and corresponding dots and dashes on the reverse side.
Manufacturing: Produced in the USA by Colonial.
Usage: Marketed as a functional tool, often paired with themed graphics like "Rusty" or space ships.
3.5” long plus belt loop made c. 1955 by “Colonial.” Front grip pictures Rusty with facsimile autograph as well as Rin Tin Tin with facsimile paw print. Reverse has chart specifying letters of the alphabet and corresponding dots and dashes under the title “International Morse Code.” Contains knife blade and screwdriver which are essentially Mint. White areas on the grips have darkened somewhat but no spotting. As typical, top front rivet has split the plastic covering a little with 2 tiny slivers of plastic actually missing. Still displays glossy and VF.
https://payment.hakes.com/auction/ItemDetail/56073/RUSTY-AND-RIN-TIN-TIN-POCKET-KNIFE-WITH-MORSE-CODE#:~:text=1955%20by%20%E2%80%9CColonial.%E2%80%9D%20Front%20grip%20pictures%20Rusty,blade%20and%20screwdriver%20which%20are%20essentially%20Mint.
I had to memorize it in the military back in the day. Can't remember it a bit, sadly.
ReplyDeleteStill have to know it for a USCG masters license
ReplyDeleteA lot more people can drive stick than understand Morse code....but both are a dying skill.
ReplyDeleteLearned Morse 48 years ago. Used it professionally for 10 years or so. Still know it. There's lots of folks around that are CW proficient.
ReplyDeleteShould have put numbers on the reverse side.
ReplyDeleteLast time I used it was in 1988 hooking up with some Kuwaiti oil tankers after midnight in Kuwait and lining up to escort them south. Back then I could send and receive about 10 wpm and a signal light. One of two people on the whole ship that knew morse code.
ReplyDelete