I just wanted to say thanks...

deepdraft1
Sat, 19 Aug 2006 12:25:20 +0000

Listen Zaphod, I truly didn’t mean to offend anybody with the ring joke… I hope none was taken. I’ve even told a version of it using my school as the butt of the joke. It always gets a BIG laugh. I rarely wear my ring earned many years ago. I never wear it at sea for a variety of reasons; safety being foremost of those. Also I have found in the Merchant Marine where you came from seems to have very little meaning as long as you can do the job. Besides, it’s such a small industry everybody knows where everybody came from, ring or no ring. My son on the other hand (no pun intended) is always wearing his. At KP they can purchase a second ring made of Celestrium for everyday wear. They call this their “battle ring”. I don’t know what you paid for yours (besides the blood, sweat and tears over the 4 years) but my son’s was $1500. That also included the “battle ring” and a couple of very nice ring boxes with the school and class crest on them. Man, talk about sticker shock… He also told me there were people in his class that paid a whole lot more too… YIKES!!!
Back in ’73 if my failing memory serves me, I paid about $120. It was a nice ring, 21 penny weight and made by Balfour. Artcarved did my sons class ring. However when he had to send it back for a refit before “ring dance” Artcarved couldn’t do it in time so Balfour got the mold, made him his ring and got it to him before the big dance… So we both have Balfour rings. Which I think is sorta nice. :)

By the way, were you a SWO?