Just a few strokes

It's no secret, C's get degrees, or at least that's how the saying goes. As a manufacturer, we pride ourselves on neatness and consistency in our product. I believe "perfectionist" and "obsessive" are words that the better half has uttered on more than one occasion. As such, it's easy to get lost in that attitude and let certain tasks monopolize your time.

These were all thoughts that crossed my mind as I tried to cut a rope with my Kershaw pocket knife the other day. I sawed away at it for a bit until I finally gave up and pulled out my multitool. The knife on my multitool gets used very little and is still razor sharp. One stroke and one rope was now two. I shook my head and swore I'd finally get around to the Kershaw when I got home from work that night.

Another day came, I'd forgotten about the Kershaw, and I reached for it to cut the flap off a cardboard box. I know, it's terrible for the blade but the Kershaw is always on my hip and the boxcutter is, well, somewhere. I shook my head again as the Kershaw ripped jaggedly through the corrugation tearing more than cutting. 'I've got to sharpen that tonight,' I thought silently.

Another day, another ragged cut. More disappointment in my own lack of action. I'm perfectly capable of sharpening, honing, even regrinding an edge if need be. It's one of those skills dad instilled upon me along with properly shined/oiled footwear. Though he was never in the military, pap was and those two skills, at least, carried on. I have multiple kits, gizmos, and gadgets for sharpening. From a Lansky, to diamond stones, to a plain old two sided stone in my kitchen drawer. I think there's even a fancy roller somewhere; All would put a fine edge, or at least a functional one, back on my trusty Kershaw.

Why hadn't I done it yet then? I have the skills, I have the tools, why not use them? Well, I'm usually dog tired after work. I come home and unload that world from my shoulders (and my hips). The EDC comes off and I don't think about it until tomorrow. Then I'm getting ready for work in the morning and I think, 'I don't have enough time to give this knife it's due,' and I rush off to work. Result, dull blade day after day.

Finally, I went to eat breakfast one morning and looked over at a nice 3 sided stone set. I particularly like this one because of the rubber feet on the stand that hold it fast to the countertop. I didn't have time to do a proper job, dozens of strokes at each stone coupled with ceramic honing and leather stropping. I gave the Kershaw about 5 strokes on each side and moved to the next grit. I finished the fine stone and pulled the excess of my belt out and stropped both sides a few times.

Sharpening done, I grabbed a scrap of paper and wouldn't you know it, a clean cut. Would it shave my arm? No. Would it cut rope cleanly? Yes. Was I procrastinating due to my obsessive perfectionist attitude? Yes! Two minutes of maintenance brought the Kershaw back to life. My C effort had been more than enough to yield a respectable, functional, result. 

While I’ll never try to sell you that C effort, I find I often have to remind myself that some effort is almost always better than none. Whether it be taking care of my lawn, taking care of my tools, or even taking care of myself; I can hold out for ages waiting to have enough time, money, and energy to ‘do it right’ or I can do something right now. Even when it comes to keeping y'all updated on this blog post, we wait ,sometimes, until we have just the right thing to say. I don’t want to fill your feed with BS but sometimes life reminds us that just a few strokes is all it takes to make a difference.