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  1. David Conwill

    My grandfather's knife.

    Recently, while scratching an itch to write an adventure story, I had occasion to research the history of the Ka-Bar name. Like virtually every time I open the encyclopedia, I immediately went down the rabbit hole and discovered the U.S. Navy Mark 1 utility knife. Upon seeing it, I was...
  2. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    Looks like the 1950 Ford crest rather than the F-O-R-D of 1949.
  3. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    Having never heard of Fibre, I had to look it up (it's in the Upper Penninsula, like most places I don't know in Michigan). To my surprise, this station is still intact and is still a gas station. It was easy to recognize thanks to the railroad tracks in the background.
  4. David Conwill

    Boater faction!

    Took mine down to Wildwood, New Jersey, for The Race of Gentlemen. We got a bit wet at times, any tips for getting my brim and crown flat once again? They're not bad, but I'd hate to have them move any further.
  5. David Conwill

    Your Favorite Sandwiches?

    Oddly, I grew up eating bockwurst as a breakfast sausage, fried in butter with eggs. It wasn't until I was in college that I learned that it is typically eaten with mustard, which I much prefer. I've never had it on a bun. It's quite difficult to find most places I've lived, but now I have a...
  6. David Conwill

    Vintage roadside

    I think there is plenty of seating in the closest thing that exists today.
  7. David Conwill

    Rabbits and Beavers

    My Akubras are at least half again as thick, maybe twice as thick, as the various vintage felts that have passed through my hands. I wonder if that might be a factor in their longevity? Still, rabbit is at least far superior to wool and mine seem to be holding up just fine some ten or so years...
  8. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    Then (c. 1918) and now. The old "Merchandise Store" was originally the 19th Century "North Pownal Hotel." It burned in 1927. The house across the street was the "Whipple Tea Room" and was rumored to be a place a fella could buy a drink in the '20s if he wanted. Only the barn in the background...
  9. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    I can't say I know anything about the Umbrella or Violet Ray Gasoline, but here is a bit of information via The Old Motor. "'Violet Ray' anti-knock gasoline, was refined by the General Petroleum Corp. based in Los Angeles. The San Jose News, October 3, 1928, issue contained an article on the...
  10. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    For what it's worth, this is the exterior of the Washington, D.C., Seaton Garage and Supply House back in 1919. I didn't think it was terribly remarkable, so I didn't include it originally.
  11. David Conwill

    What Hat Are You Wearing Today 1?

    No idea, I've only been in there once. It seems to be more for the tourists.
  12. David Conwill

    What Hat Are You Wearing Today 1?

    A straw, of course!
  13. David Conwill

    Driving golden era cars in the modern era

    Ooh, I do love the '38 Chevrolet. My grandfather's first car was a '38 coupe in Woodleaf Brown Metallic. My grandmother drove it through WWII and my dad came home from the hospital in it in 1946. They traded it in on a '47 Fleetline sedan (presumably because it was easier to haul my father around).
  14. David Conwill

    Stories of Cardboard Luggage

    The cardboard itself is holding up great. The stitching on the leather is going pretty fast, though. I suspect that is more due to the age of the thread than anything.
  15. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    Is that the gargoyle I spy atop the Mobilgas pumps? Presumably back in 1931-'32, given the banner advertising the "NEW Ford V-TYPE EIGHT."
  16. David Conwill

    Stories of Cardboard Luggage

    Great topic. I've long loved vintage luggage, especially the faux-tweed cardboard cases. I travel with a vintage Luce train case that I have filled with foam and converted into a camera case. It makes a great piece of carryon as it slides right under most airline seats. (Pic from the eBay...
  17. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    One more that I love from Shorpy: Cambridge, Vermont, 1937.
  18. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    Another parts store, this one from 1926:
  19. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    Every DC-area visible-register pump has had a metal protective screen around the glass. Makes me wonder if it was some kind of local ordinance--or there were just a lot of vandals around.
  20. David Conwill

    Old gas stations

    The place installing Willard batteries sent me back to some of my early favorites on Shorpy! Both in the Washington, D.C. area, circa 1921.

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