1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 1: Welcome to this Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trotlining and just general country living. 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: my experiences in life lessons. This Country Life is presented 5 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: by Case Knives from the store More Studio on Meat 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast that 7 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,319 Speaker 1: airways have to offer. All right, friends, grab a chair 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: or drop that tailgate. I've got some stories to share. 9 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: Small knife, big life. Who could have imagined the blessings 10 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: that pocket knives would have on my life? Not me 11 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 1: or anyone else around me. My dad handed me the 12 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: first one to put in my pocket when I was 13 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: just a little boy. I would have never dreamed that 14 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: one day our name would be associated with those same knives. 15 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: A recent trip to Missouri brought a lot of that 16 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: home for me, and I'd like nothing better than to 17 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: share some of it with you now. But first, I'm 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: going to tell you a story. A couple months back, 19 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: I was in Montowna at the med Eater office and 20 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: we were having some meetings and activities and wound up 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: doing some shooting out at a ranch owned by mister 22 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: Mike Anderson. I had never met him before, and the 23 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: access to his property was broken by a friend of ours, 24 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: Peter Howell, and mister Anderson rode up on a four 25 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: wheeler to watch some of the shooting and visit with 26 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: a gaggle of folks he didn't know that were in 27 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: the process of trading trigger squeezes for metal pings. He 28 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: wore what I assume would be similar to his daily 29 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: attire as he went about his chores on his ranch, 30 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: faded blue jeans, a khaki work shirt, and black suspenders. 31 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: His cap was dusty and weatherbeat, a description that might 32 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: identify mister Anderson in a different setting, but here he 33 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: was part of the landscape, and his eighty something year 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: old eyes twinkled with delight against his sun tanned face 35 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: as he talked about his time there. The steward of 36 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: the ranch he bought a half century ago, he stuck 37 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,519 Speaker 1: out his hand and introduced himself. I followed suit, and 38 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: he looked at my case T shirt and said, do 39 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: you work for Case Knives. I told him about my 40 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: association with him, a brief history of what most of 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: you listening have heard before, and when I finished, he 42 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: told me about a knife his father had given him, 43 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: but he was a young man. We talked for a 44 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: couple of hours. I was supposed to be shooting, but 45 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: I skipped out to talk to this man about his life, 46 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: his land, and the things that are still being made 47 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: in America. Before we left, I got his address. I said, 48 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: my friend Alexzander, who manages the meat eater store in Bozeman, 49 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: send him one of my signature knives. A week after 50 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: it was delivered to his home, I received a handwritten 51 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: letter from mister Anderson. So in his words, grammatical inflection 52 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: and my voice, I'm going to read it to you now. 53 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: August thirteenth, twenty twenty five, Dear Brent, today was Christmas 54 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 1: in Montana. Santa Claus came to my mailbox with the 55 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: finest president of all. Thank you very much for the 56 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: case knife. Can can one be too rich to think 57 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: they have too many knives and guns? I don't think so. 58 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: Through college, I was the advertising manager for the University 59 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: of Idaho newspaper. Now I mentioned this as my thoughts 60 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: still turned to the question of how do I convey 61 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: something of value to the public. As I hold my 62 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: new knife in one hand and write my thoughts with 63 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: the other, here's my thought. You never truly own a 64 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: case knife, you just hold it in trust for the 65 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: next generation. I still carry the case knife my father 66 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: gave me nearly eighty years ago. It has been lost, found, 67 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: lost again, and found again. Is getting more careful attention 68 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: now as I try to determine which one of my 69 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: children will inherit it. I've used it to clean hundreds 70 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: of fish, many birds, and a small herd of elk 71 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: and deer. Would I part with it for ten thousand dollars? 72 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: I don't know if there's a number out there that 73 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: could get it out of my pocket. As for your gift, 74 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: what a beautiful combination of workmanship. Thanks again. I represented 75 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: a concern for over forty years. They were founded in 76 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven and had a history of excellence in 77 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: all of their products from the that date to today. 78 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: History conveys to those who are part of it a 79 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: special feeling, I am sure is shared by the family 80 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: that represents case nives. I hope so the craftsmanship tells 81 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: me that I am right about that. Again, many thanks, 82 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: warmans regards to you and yours. Mike. PS. If you 83 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: have a case catalog, I would appreciate having one well, that, folks, 84 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: is mister Mike Anderson, a true representative of a generation 85 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: of people who worked hard for what they have and 86 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: value the sweat equity of those that came before them. 87 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: Mister Anderson made a difference in my life during a 88 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: two hour conversation. Sometimes that's all it takes, and that's 89 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: just how it happened. I get asked all the time, 90 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: which pocket knife should I carry, which one should I 91 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: buy my child for their first knife? And what age 92 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: should I give it to him? Man, that's a hard question. 93 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: There are so many factors that go into the decision. 94 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: What are they going to be doing with it? But 95 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: most importantly, have you done your due diligence in preparing 96 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: them for the responsibilities of being safe with one, how 97 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: to take care of it properly and to use it 98 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: when it's appropriate. A listener sent me a message not 99 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: long after I started this country life, and you want 100 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: to know about one as a present for his youngin 101 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: that was in elementary school. Now, I'll tell you my 102 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: first thought was to tell him no bad idea, But 103 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: then I thought about the wooden knife kids that case has, 104 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: and I asked him if he was familiar with him, 105 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: and since he wasn't, I sent him one with this advice, 106 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: why not make a father's son project out of it? 107 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: Learn learn about how a pocket knife works, how it's made, 108 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: all the parts, while teaching him about how to safely 109 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: use one. The one I sent him is an exact 110 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: replication of all the pieces to scale of a mini trapper, 111 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: like I told in My Pocket, but I've seen them 112 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: in multiple patterns of different models. The canoe, the Texas, toothpick, 113 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: and teardrop models are easily found on the internet with 114 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: a simple search. That idea was well received and one 115 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: that I hope will catch you on with adults everywhere. 116 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: Bailey and I have put together several and I can 117 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: easily admit I had just as much or more fun 118 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: as she did putting them together. Appropriate age is one 119 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: you'll need to figure out yourself. No one is gonna 120 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: know you're young and better than you. A good rule 121 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: of thumb for handling a first knife is the blade 122 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: should be about as long as the person's ending finger 123 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: that's using it. Now. That is going to save you 124 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: some band aids, because it's easier to gauge where the 125 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: knife tip is when comparing where your fingertip would be 126 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: when you're skinning and cleaning fishing game, that knife should 127 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: be a natural extension of your hand, and with time 128 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: and practice, it will be. When my father handed me 129 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: his mini trapper after a squirrel hunt when I was 130 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: just a boy, he was teaching me how to skin 131 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: a squirrel. He was also showing me how much he'd 132 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: loved me, because as much as he'd loved squirrel hunting, 133 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: he wouldn't have eaten one if he'd been starving. Slapped 134 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: to death. For the uninitiated on my father's feelings about squirrels, 135 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: allow me to do a small review. He lived somewhat 136 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: of a dual life, as his love for squirrel hunting 137 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: put him in the midst of his greatest fear. He 138 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:02,959 Speaker 1: had an issue with anything anything that looked like a ram. 139 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: He didn't like eating squirrels, he didn't like holding squirrels. 140 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: He didn't want anything to do with him outside of 141 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: hunting them with a dog. Whoever he was hunting with 142 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: was responsible for picking up the squirrels that were shot 143 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,079 Speaker 1: out of the tree. If he was working a new 144 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: puffy and hunting by himself, or if others couldn't go 145 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: when he could, he'd bring them out either stuffs in 146 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: a saddle bag or tied to a lanyard on the 147 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: saddle horn, where he could easily dump them out or 148 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: drop them off at whoever's house he stopped at to 149 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: give him away or trade for a iron of snake 150 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,439 Speaker 1: bite medicine. But he wouldn't waste them ever. But he 151 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,719 Speaker 1: would have touched them only once after the dogs treat them, 152 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: and that was when he placed them in the saddle 153 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: bager on his lander. Unless I was with him. If 154 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: it was just me and him, we'd skin them out 155 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: to cook. And he hated every second of it. I 156 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: can see his face now as he the feet and 157 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: I began making an incision above that squirrel's exhaust pipe 158 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: at the base of his tail. Son. Now, that knife 159 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 1: is sharp, so don't cut too hard. Find the joint 160 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: where his tail connects to his behind. Eased the blade 161 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: through it, and continue down his backside a little bit. 162 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: Don't cut too hard. I cut too hard, and his 163 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: tail came off in my hand. And my dad, whose 164 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: only kryptonite was the idea of having to touch anything 165 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: that resembles a rat, now had to hold the carcass 166 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: of a reasonable fact simile of something whose only bushy 167 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: identifier that been carelessly removed by his baby boy, A 168 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: descriptor he used for me until he passed away when 169 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: I was forty five years old. The last ones I 170 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 1: remember him frying up for me to eat. He and 171 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: I sat at the table, and he had something else. 172 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: He had a disgusting look on his face while he 173 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: watched me rick every piece he was able to struggle 174 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: through that he'd fried for me. How much did that 175 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: man love me? Good night, nurse. But the gift of 176 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,319 Speaker 1: that first knife was important to us, had signified the 177 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:23,079 Speaker 1: subliminal passing of the torch, casual handing down of the 178 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: legacy of all who came before the person getting a knife. 179 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: I was too young to realize any of that when 180 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: I got my first one, and as happy as I 181 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: was to get it, I deserved it only in keeping 182 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: with the tradition that there would come a time during 183 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: the day when I wouldn't need a knife, a sharp knife, 184 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: doing chores on the farm, or skinning a critter i'd caught, 185 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: or cleaning fish. I was expected to handle my own business, 186 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: we all were. There wasn't a set of written instructions. 187 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: There there wasn't a Reeve's legacy playbook from which to 188 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: operate from in the literal sense, just an observational education 189 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,959 Speaker 1: on how to do things and what to use when 190 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: you did. Just like the ones who came before us, 191 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: there was a lot of do it your way until 192 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: you come up with a better one, because no one 193 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: was going to do it for you. Those were thoughts, feelings, 194 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: and things involving those knives that I believed to be 195 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: singularly hours. I found out a couple of years ago 196 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: how wrong I was. Now I was reminded of that 197 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: fact last weekend in Levendon, Missouri. I was invited by 198 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: the Reed family to come speak at their Celebration of 199 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: the Ozarks event at their Shepherd Hill store. The Reeds 200 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: are longtime residents of the area and what I'd consider 201 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: to be case family royalty. In nineteen seventy two, miss 202 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: Ida Reed and her husband Reed that's right, his name 203 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: is Reed Red opened Shepherd Hills Gift Shop. It was 204 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: located in the front of a motel in Lebanon on 205 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: historic Route sixty six highway now that stretched through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, 206 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: New Mexico, Arizona, and winding up on the west coast 207 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 1: of California. The sole mission for this store was to 208 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: raise the funds to send their sons, Rod and Randy 209 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: to college, and it worked. They started out being a 210 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: factory outlet for Chicago Cutlery, and then in the early 211 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 1: nineteen nineties they started selling case knives. Fifty three years later, 212 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: that business has grown to two additional locations, one an 213 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: hour and a half south in Branson and the other 214 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: three hundred and seventeen miles east in Eddyville, Kentucky, miss Ida. 215 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: Is still sir as president of Shepherd Hills, and mister 216 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: Reid passed away several years ago. Rod and Randy run 217 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: the day to day operations. Rod's wife, Becky, handles the 218 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: catalog sales on website and runs the camp case for 219 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: kids during the celebration each year. Randy sons are involved 220 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: as well, and that family has built what started out 221 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: as a humble gift shop with a singular focus and 222 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: powerful mission into the largest case knife dealership in the world. 223 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: With the Reed grandsons I met who were helping out 224 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: during the event last weekend, that tallied four generations. That's 225 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: special and even though I consider them Case family royalty. 226 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: They were working hard to serve everyone else. Every minute 227 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: I was there all of them. There was no air 228 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: of authority around any of them. And that's how you 229 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: accomplished something big. Everyone works together and stays mission and focus. 230 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 1: These folks understand that their customers are the lifeblood of 231 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: this family business, but they treat their customers more like 232 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: family and not the weird cousin your mama makes you 233 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: be nice to every Christmas at MEM's house. Now the 234 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: family that you can't wait to see, even if you 235 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: saw me yesterday, That event could just as easily be 236 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: called a family reunion. I saw people and collectors there 237 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: that I saw in Bradford, Pennsylvania, when I was out 238 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: there last year. The reason for me being there was 239 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: to speak at the case Collector's Club dinner. Over five 240 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: hundred individuals, couples, and families gathered to eat in fellowship. Afterwards, 241 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: we relocated to a theater where the captive of audience 242 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: was forced to listen to me for about twenty minutes 243 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: and privileged to hear from Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant 244 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: Major Matthew Williams. I talked to about my family's history 245 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: and legacy. With the knives and detailed the message I 246 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: received from Case when they heard the episode I did, 247 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: explaining our history what started at all, and in that message, 248 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: Case said, we like the way you talked about our knives, 249 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: and I got that message. I read the word hour, 250 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: and I guess you could interpret that as them talking 251 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: about their knives, but I didn't take it that way. 252 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: It boastered my own equity and that of my families. 253 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 1: I took it as they included me and mine in 254 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: the term hour, including my presentation. And then Sergeant Major 255 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: Williams took the stage and spoke about duty and dedication, discipline, 256 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: loyalty and sacrifice. It is very moving now, it is 257 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: a very moving story and a great example of service 258 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: before self. I highly encourage you to look up Sergeant 259 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: Major William's citation for receiving the Medal of Honor and 260 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: read it for yourself. It's truly incredible. The next day, 261 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: we greeted the several thousand folks that had made the 262 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 1: trip from all over Creation to be there. Robert Green, 263 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: Brandon and Chrissy Lynch, Jeremy and Jacob Sloan, Donnie Baker, 264 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: and my lifelong friends Mary and Toby Neebyer, and countless 265 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,360 Speaker 1: others that I had the opportunity to meet that are 266 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: now new friends of mine. We ate chilli and hot 267 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 1: dogs and laughed and talked about knives, hunting, fishing, and 268 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: living in the country, and everyone had a story to 269 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: tell me, some of them waiting patiently for their turn 270 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: to talk to me, and I was glad to hear them. 271 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: It's like that. Everywhere I go people tell me stories, 272 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 1: and no two are ever the same, And yet ninety 273 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: percent of them are about the one that got away 274 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: or the one that they got But that's never the 275 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: important part of the story. When sometimes they think that's 276 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: the point of their story. But I watch them when 277 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,680 Speaker 1: they tell them to me, and I watch how they 278 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 1: tell it. If being a policeman for a third of 279 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: a century taught me one thing, it's if you want 280 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: to learn how someone feels about something, let them tell 281 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: you about an event that affected them strongly. That sounds 282 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 1: simple to do, and it is. But most folks are 283 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: just waiting for their turn to talk. In any conversation 284 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,439 Speaker 1: they're hearing, they're just not listening. I watched a person 285 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: after person who told me a story about a deer, 286 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: a fish, a dog or a relative, and I watched 287 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: how they told the story, how they emphasize the things 288 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: that were important to them, and the time they spent 289 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: on specific details of the tale. I heard a grown 290 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: man tell me a story about a deer hunt where 291 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: he talked about the biggest deer he ever shot. He 292 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: shot it when he was twelve, and he described the 293 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: deer so poorly that I doubt I could pick it 294 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: out of a two deer lineup. But the old truck 295 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: his dad took him hunting in was a two tone 296 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: white overred sixty nine Ford short wheelbase pickup. His dad 297 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: was wearing overalls, a flannel shirt, and an old canvas 298 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 1: hunting coat that he still has. Dear story. He wasn't 299 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: telling me a dear story. He was telling me about 300 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,439 Speaker 1: a time he shared with his dad, and it just 301 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: happened to kill the biggest deer of his life as 302 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:35,199 Speaker 1: an anecdote now in his head. He was telling me 303 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:39,199 Speaker 1: about the deer hunt, but all his emotion, inflection and 304 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: wistfulness was any time he mentioned his father. I heard 305 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:48,719 Speaker 1: dozens of stories, mostly just like that, and I loved 306 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: every one of them. A few were truly about the game, 307 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: being pursued, but the biggest part of them, either knowingly 308 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: or unknowingly, were odes to an older time, a time 309 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: the world seemed smaller, the times were simpler, and success 310 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: was measured by the company you shared and not the 311 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: tag you field. Just like last weekend, we sold all 312 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: the remaining Brent Reeves signature case knives and enough hatch 313 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 1: to outfit a couple of Major League Baseball teams. Success absolutely, 314 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 1: and I'm so thankful for all the support you faithful 315 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: folks afford this show, with your online reviews and sharing 316 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: them with others, and all the T shirts that we 317 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: all seemed to enjoy. I appreciate it very much. But 318 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: outside of that, I got to know my colleague Laura 319 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: Muscari a little better. I held some of the prettiest 320 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: babies a fella could hold. I got to spend time 321 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: with Travis, Miss Becky, Mss Kathy, Mister Rodney, Mister Andy, 322 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: and his grandsons, a gaggle of young men I planned 323 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: to be sitting beside a tree with next spring. When 324 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,199 Speaker 1: I was speaking after the dinner, I looked out and 325 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 1: I saw an auditorium of over five people watching and 326 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 1: listening to what I was talking about and as is 327 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: par for the course, I got a little emotional a 328 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: couple of times while trying to express my thoughts and 329 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: feelings about those those little knives that inn around about 330 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: way have afforded me this big life in doing so, 331 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: I looked on the front row, and sitting there was 332 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 1: my youngest daughter, Bailey. I saw her wipe a tear 333 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: as I talked about her grandfather man she never got 334 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:35,199 Speaker 1: to meet, And beside her sat my wife Alexis, her 335 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: her hands pressed together prayerfully, her eyes overflowing, and her 336 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: expression want of love and support, and her confidence in 337 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:47,360 Speaker 1: me that I could finish the task that I'd been 338 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 1: asked to do. Suddenly I felt relaxed. After all, I 339 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 1: was there with my people, and I was talking about 340 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: our knives. Just like the dear story that man told me. 341 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: I wasn't talking about knives. I was talking about what 342 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: and who they represent. Man. They represent some really good folks. 343 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: Thank y'all so much for listening. Me and o'clay Bow 344 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: will be at the World Championship Squirrel Cookoff in Springdale, Arkansas, tomorrow, Saturday, 345 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:30,360 Speaker 1: September thirteenth. Be there for b Square. That's your choices 346 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: until next week. This is Brent Reeves, sign it off. 347 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: Y'all be careful.