Victorinox – My Third Hand
It was late at night on 30 December 1999. It was raining as I drove along the minor road near to Paris that I had used hundreds of times before. It had been a demanding week. My alertness was blunted by Friday-evening tiredness, the to and fro of the wind screen wipers and the comforting knowledge that I was going home? then just one misjudged curve, sudden fright, like a bolt of lightning, and then the impact. My car had run off the road and landed in a ditch..
Pascal de Souza, technical director of an office that specialises in the study of parking facilities in cities, told us his story:
«In a few seconds I had come to my senses. I was up-ended and pressed against the steering wheel. I was trapped by my seat belt, which I could not unfasten. My car was stuck nose-down in a rainwater drainage ditch. The icy water was up to my waist and threatened to rise higher. Above, I could see the beams from the headlights of cars passing round the curve, but none of them could have spotted me? I had to depend on myself alone and in particular on my Victorinox. My pocket-knife, kept in its leather pouch on my belt, is never away from me. It is my faithful companion. It cut through the safety belt without difficulty, allowing me to struggle free of the car.
Without the Victorinox I would certainly have been left stuck all night at the bottom of the ditch, and in that icy cold water I might have expected the worst…»
Pascal de Souza’s story is just one example of how often life hangs on a single thread – in this case on the meticulously ground blade of a Swiss knife. Pascal de Souza goes so far as to say that the knife acted as his «third hand». And there would be some considerable truth in the claim. It has been part of his life for over 25 years. It is with him in both work and leisure.
Pascal de Souza also uses the Victorinox as an artist’s tool, since he employs it to carve wonderful sticks that he has collected or that friends have given him. «I look for pieces of wood that remind me of some kind of animal. I use my knife to underline and emphasise these forms. It takes me between 10 and 60 hours to do, depending on the complexity of the piece. I prefer hard, dense wood with a warm colour, such as box tree, olive or heather.» Qualities of wood that reflect his sturdy, honest hands. The hands of a master of Taekwondo, a martial art that concentrates on self-defence against attack:
«I’m preparing for the black belt. I like this sport because it isn’t aggressive or violent, and it can be used in any situation. It is an image of my Victorinox – a tool for life!»
Comments
Leave a Reply
This site is for sale…
