Bukowski’s Stiletto and Other Advertisements From The Era (1 Viewer)

Pogue Mahone

Officials say drugs may have played a part
In the Sounes biography, it mentions Bukowski buying a $3 knife from a girly magazine for protection and later writing to the editor to see if they’d be interested in short stories. I’m pretty sure this is the knife and (for fun) I’ve included some other ads that appeared in Knight and Adam at the time.

Anyone know if this is the same knife he brought to France?

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Seeing as Bukowski paid $1,299 for a seven year old bug in 1974, yeah, that would probably be a good deal. You know, if you're into buying cars through ads in the back of girlie magazines.

For what it's worth, I don't see why Bukowski would have had to send away for a knife like that. Especially in his neighborhood at that time. It isn't even a switchblade (which are readily available anyway, just across the border in Tijuana).

But I know better than to doubt Uncle Howard.
 
Don't remember that Sounes-part now, but Buk wrote about the knife in 'Shakespeare' and mentiones it in a reading ("I'm carrying my steal, man!" - was that Vancouver 1979? I'm not sure). Also I seem to remember 1 or 2 other occations where he talked about carrying it.

When I was in San Pedro, in the room where he wrote, there was a pocket-knife on the desk and Linda ensured me that this was the one from the 1978-'Apostrophe'-incident. I even was allowed to hold it in my hand. As far as I remember, it didn't look at all like the one in the add.
 
For what it's worth, I don't see why Bukowski would have had to send away for a knife like that. Especially in his neighborhood at that time. It isn't even a switchblade (which are readily available anyway, just across the border in Tijuana).

After I read this quote, it made total sense. I remember going to NYC as a kid (7 or 8 or 9 years old) and seeing knives at every corner store (as well as Panasonic tape recorders and later digital watches).

But I came across this letter last night. I'm not sure what Bukowski meant by an "Islander", but if it was a Samoan, the cheap knife probably would have broke wherever Bukowski tried to stick it...

(Living on Luck, June 1970, to Sanford Dorbin, page 101).

I've been having a 2 or 3 week battle with 12 or 14 Islanders who live in rotating shifts in the court in the center; we park on the front lawn. the landlord has lost control of this place, except to collect rent. the bastards keep blocking me in in hope to make me give up parking there so they can move in another one of their 6 or 7 cars. I am a bit outnumbered and they go to all means to block my car so I can't get out., even to parking across the front of me by using the apartment house driveway next door. I go crazy over shit like that. I've mailed in for a 9 inch switchblade. this morning I got them out of bed and made them move a car that had me blocked. I came back and got blocked again by another car. mad. I stop them one by one as they walk by the door. "Hey Buddy, got a minute? I wanna have a little talk with you. What's wrong with you guys? Now, I'm not a hard guy to get along with. But why the fuck???..."
 

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