Help us support our troops! [Knives for Soldiers] Update: 1,000 shipped to date and counting!

As some of you know, The group of friends here at Free Republic known as the Hobbit Hole thread, have been contributing to a small project to buy pocketknives and other needed tools for our deployed soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. It started out as care and comfort packages, and grew into pocketknives because we learned that while sweets and snacks were good, there were very practical tools, such as a good pocket knife, that our troops didn’t have unless they purchased them themselves. Handy items that would actually help them do their job.

Since we started we have shipped 700 knives as well as other tools, flashlights, EMT shears, seat belt cutters, and other gadgets to our troops overseas. Please visit our newly updated project blog to read about the rest of the project! The Hobbit Hole project blog

One of our pocketknives, in Iraq

Our project leader, 300winmag, has spent thousands of his own money to meet demand just hoping enough donations would be made to keep him out of the poorhouse. My husband ecurbh and I have sent at least $100 per month, and others in the group have sent more or less, depending on what they can afford. But still demand has outpaced the funds coming in. Requests for these knives continue to pour in at the rate of dozens per week:

July 27, 2005
I recently found out about your organization. It makes me feel really good to know there are people out there who care about us and the equipment we carry. I can’t express the amount of gratitude I felt when I found out about your organization. Many of us are junior enlisted, and just can’t afford a quality knife (which tends to be essential in our environment). I am an infantryman fulfilling a combat medic/shooter role because of civilian paramedic training. I was hoping I could get a few knives for the guys in my team if it isn’t too much of a burden. Check out my blog to see what we have been doing here, we are doing a good job of training the Iraqi soldiers if I may toot my own horn! - Chad in Baghdad

Much of the feedback we get are letters from deployed troops who have seen our knives, and went to our site to see about how to also receive one. (More emails from troops)

We have all donated as much as we can and will continue to regularly, but we have reached a limit on how much we alone can do. We’ve decided to both scale back on the more expensive knives we had tested sending, but also decided to ramp up the project and ask for money from outside the group... To ask fellow FReepers, and all our friends and family if you would consider sending a donation to our cause.

We aren’t official enough to fundraise in any kind of big way, we aren’t an official charity with financial statements and tax benefits, and we don’t want to be. We just want to help out just a little, the men and women that are sacrificing overseas for all of us. If you are reading this post, and agree with our mission, we hope you will help us . There is a donation link at the Hobbit Hole site linked above. We guarantee that every dollar you send will be spent on knives.

- HairOfTheDog, ecurbh, and 300winmag, for The Hobbit Hole.

So now what's your cost for the BK2 and BK3? Serious question.

Although Camillus never said I couldn't mention the prices we pay, I'd rather keep it in "ballpark" figures. I suspect we're actually getting them at almost their cost of production, which even the wholesalers don't get. They're making almost no money on this deal, which is a tribute to their support of the Hobbit Hole, and their patriotism.

With that said, I can hint that our prices are about $10 per knife under the best online "street" prices out there. The best current prices, which don't affect Camillus' price drop, are $56 for the BK2, and $70 for the BK3.

As to switchblades, there is one federal law about shipping in interstate commerce, and a zillion state and local laws, which often contradict each other.

It really depends on where you live, and what some cop's mood is. Federal law says that switchblades can be sent by interstate common carrier to active-duty police, military, and first-responder organizations, or their members who are authorized to carry one. Federal law doesn't say anything about what happens when you walk into a store, buy one, and put it in your pocket. I have a signed document from Camillus stating that I'm an authorized dealer, so they can ship to me. I require a signed statement from a member of the military saying he's active duty, and has written authorization to carry as part of his duty.

That's about all I can say, because I'm not a lawyer, and that's all I need to get the job done. Your situation will vary by city and state. I hope I haven't fumbled my explanation. Thanks for asking.

Although I appreciate the morale booster effects I will just suggest that economics assure that a free resource will always be overutilized.

The laws of supply and demand cannot be ignored for long. But we're also looking at the supply and demand of military people. At the very least, they're sacrificing a year, two, or three away from home and family. Many are also risking their lives for us.

There's a well-funded liberal drive to wreck their morale, and hinder recruitment and retention. Some of that is paid with our tax dollars, or tax breaks.

I can tell by the tone of the request that a tiny percentage want a knife simply because it's free. Just by wearing an American uniform, they've earned a Camillus pocket knife. Heck, I'd spend more money than that buying drinks for them if I took them to a bar.

But the overwhelming number of requests are sincere. And while not everyone writes back, some do, and the gratitude they express to us chokes me up. We're the ones that are supposed to be gateful for what are troops are doing to serve us.

So we walk a fine line, but we know that we make a real, positive, difference in troop morale, and in countering those scumbags trying to tear down our military. This is our part of the war effort, and we're volunteers in this, too.

Although I appreciate the morale booster effects I will just suggest that economics assure that a free resource will always be overutilized.

There's a well-funded liberal drive to wreck their morale, and hinder recruitment and retention. Some of that is paid with our tax dollars, or tax breaks.

Just a little ol' update...

Evidently, someone spread our website around at MacDill AFB, because we suddenly got a huge batch of requests from there a couple weeks ago. Luckily, things have quieted down again since then.

Here is a sampling of the responses...

You know, as a part of my job I need to know what is going on in the world. Often that involves watching the news. I must be honest, it is quite disheartening sometimes. We (military members) get to see an awful lot of our fellow Americans who just don't care, or worse, use our fallen Brothers as some kind of reinforcement to their cause.

I can't speak for all of us, but I know that most of us do what we do because we LOVE our country, and right or wrong she is Ours. We love being Americans and we love anyone who calls themselves American.

Sometimes there is so much negativity towards us and what we do, that it makes us wonder if what we do really matters. I thank you not for the knife. I thank you for being an American that cares about us just as we care about you, our countryman, our brother. So on behalf of those I know in the Profession-of-Arms, Thank You!

God bless America, God bless Our war fighters, and God bless people like you and your friends.
I was browsing the internet looking for a new knife, as the knife I deployed with is on its last leg, when I came across your website. Let me first say that, as a soldier, it does my soul good to see Americans supporting people that they, in most cases, don’t even know. But then again, that is one of the reasons that I am over here, because that is one of the things that being an American means. I am proud of what we are doing over here and also proud of the support that we get from back home.

It’s odd to ask this, because I don’t like asking for help from other people, but if you could, could you please send me a knife. I debated for awhile to ask this, but my main reason for doing it is my son. I have a 1 year old son that I have missed major parts of his life so far. I have kept up a collection of letters and items that have been sent to us from people back home, so that when he is old enough I can tell him about what I went through and of the great people back home who made the hard nights easier with their support. If you cannot send me a knife, it is not that big a deal. What you have done, and what you are continuing to do, has been enough of an example of the great people that we have supporting us.

Frodo Please support our Hobbit Hole Pocket knives for the troops project.

Whenever we can, the Hobbit Hole handles special requests, too. Here's one I hand't expected, from SGT Scott G., who does the cooking for an Army attack helicopter battalion that we are already supplying knives to.

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I am a shift leader now but the the knives we use well suck. The ones I used most are the 4in paring knife, 8in boning, 10in chefs, 12in serrated bread knife and kitchen shears and of course the infamous vegetable peeler.

I often try to sharpen the knives we use but our stones are not the greatest anymore and some of the knives don't take an edge easily. If you locate a set or separate knives they would be used by my crew, I think I would monitor there use to maintain the quality as long as possible.

As of right now we serve anywhere from 1400 to 1800 people a day. If I didn't say so earlier I work in the [redacted] Combat Aviation Brigrade DFAC. (Mess Hall) We are the only Military Mess Hall in operation in Afghanistan. All the others are run by the civilians of KBR or Kellog Brown and Root.

We have I think 40 personnel,cooks supervisors and supply, 8 of us are Army National Guard that have been activated to join the [redacted], out of [redacted]. But those of us in the N.G. come from units in Idaho, Wisconsin and Delaware. Our aviators went on to [redacted] while we cooks stayed here in [redacted] to help the [redacted] DFAC. We don't get much when your HQ and friends are 2 hours away by air. Oh well. That as they say is my story a small part anyways.

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I did some quick online shopping, and found the best knife value for our limited dollars. The result is this nice Victorinox chef's set.

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