I simply gotta have them with me

Tell that to Davy Crockett, the Patriots that fought in the American Revolution, the entire Indian nation, or anyone else carrying a black powder gun, with "Possibles Bag".

 

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Tell that to Indiana Jones!




I would love to own one.

 

I've carried my P38 for about 35 years. My family mocks me for it, but its possibly the best single tool ever invented. As for my dog tags, no, I dont wear those.

 

Yeah, I carry a P36 on my key ring and have since I was in Vietnam. I seem to get it caught on my pocket often and tear open the sewing.

 

@Ken Dorney:

Yes, I don't wear my dog tags either -- I carry them around with me out of sentimentality -- they are also handy if ever I am required to relate my blood type and religious preference

 

BTW, my dog tags are right here in my desk drawer (not that anyone cares).

 

I got too much fallout merch lol

 

Good for you, Jamesicus!

 

If you can't still remember your service number.....

As I recall, not every C-Rations box included a P38 so you had to share or carry one you saved from earlier. There was a kid in Basic Training who wore one on his neck chain and had to get treated from an injury to his chest. Low crawling and can openers don't mix. We had been told not to wear them.

Trying to make this into a coin related post takes more creativity than most. Trivia: What is special about the number 38 in Roman coins?
https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=136606

To the best of my knowedge, 38 is the only example on a coin of a Roman numeral expressed by a double subtractive. We see TR POT XXXIIX or 'two less than forty'. I deeply regret the fact that they used TR POT rather than TR P since that would have given the legend P38 allowing me to claim that this reverse is not a rudder on a globe but the original can opener laid on top of a Roman can lid. Perhaps you of a certain age remember a story in the 60's that the C-rations were left over from a previous war. You probably figured they meant Korea but what we have here is evidence they meant Actium.

 

Nowadays they use your social security number. But agreed, if after boot camp and writing it literally hundreds of times and stenciling it on every item of clothing you cant remember....beyond help!

Well, I still carry my P38 every day on my keychain. Yup. Many times I jam my hand into my pocket to retrieve them and get stabbed! My usual response is "It bit me!".

Keeping it coin related (and related to tools):

 

Oh, and thanks for the earworm...

 

Try wrapping the p38 in duct tape, or a ranger band.

 

.......... and, being a Calligrapher, I have always loved the reverse inscription on this Tiberius As of mine:

RIC Vol. I, TIBERIUS, As, Rome, No. 44


TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP VIII


PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POTEST XXIIII

Background information relating to IIII:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/24578/why-do-some-clocks-use-roman-numeral-iiii

 

Carrying this one around is always fun.

 

I too have thought it is the best single tool ever invented. And simple too.
I have used mine for all sorts of tasks it wasn't invented for. Prying, cutting rope, screw driver. I even sharpened it in anticipation of gutting a deer. Never did use it for that though.

 

I think I mentioned my family mocks me for my love of the tool. One Christmas I bought a big bag and gave one to each of them (almost as a joke, but far as I know nobody kept or used them!). Their loss. I still have a bunch. Any listmembers want one send me a PM and I will mail you one!

 

Their loss. With a little use, you can open a can faster than most electric can openers. And they are easier to put away.