The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) Surplus team recently reunited a Tulsa traveler with a meaningful Swiss Army knife after it was surrendered at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint – an effort that turned what seemed like a long-shot recovery request into a memorable act of public service.
It wasn’t until Garrett Graf Hughes was going through security at Tulsa International Airport that he realized his engraved pocketknife was clipped to a keychain inside his backpack. Because the knife could not continue through screening in his carry-on, he chose to surrender it at the checkpoint.
Knives are among the prohibited items most commonly surrendered during airport screening, but this one carried special meaning. Hughes had purchased it during a trip to Switzerland the year before to honor his late grandfather, making it a family keepsake rather than just another surrendered item.
Garrett Graf Hughes outside the Victorinox store in Lucerne, Switzerland, the day he bought his Swiss Army knife. (Photo courtesy of Hughes family.)
Upon his return, Hughes contacted the Tulsa TSA office hoping to recover the knife but was told they no longer had it.
“They explained that the [recently surrendered] items had already been collected and that it was very unlikely the knife could be retrieved,” Hughes said. “One kind TSA employee suggested we contact the federal office to see if there were any other options.”
Hughes and his mother followed that lead, and their inquiry eventually reached OMES Surplus in Oklahoma City, the state office that manages surplus property, including certain items from local airports.
Despite receiving thousands of airport items each year, Surplus Director Sean Selby and team members Rebecca Ferguson and Michael Russell conducted a meticulous search. They ultimately located a single red Swiss Army knife engraved with “Garrett Graf.”
That engraving honored Hughes’ grandfather, Robert “Opa” Graf, an avid hiker who cherished the Swiss Alps and carried his own Swiss Army knife daily.
“It may seem like a long story for such a small knife,” Hughes said, “but to me it represented my grandfather, our family's journey and memories I'll treasure forever.”
Hughes’ mother drove to Oklahoma City the next day to retrieve the item, a moment the family described as astonishing and deeply meaningful.
“They didn’t know my story, my attachment or anything at all about me,” Hughes said. “They didn’t have to do all the work and inconvenience they did. Their kindness turned what I thought was a permanent loss into an unforgettable act of compassion.”
Garrett Graf Hughes the day his engraved Swiss Army knife was returned to him. (Photo courtesy of the Hughes family.)
“We know most people don’t expect to get back a surrendered item once it’s been turned over to the state,” Director Selby said. “But when someone takes the time to reach out, our team does what it can to help. In this case, we were able to find something small with big meaning for this family, and we were really glad to be part of it.”
OMES Surplus manages the transfer, sale and responsible disposition of surplus state property, helping agencies make effective use of public resources and giving the public access to items no longer needed by the state. While much of that work happens behind the scenes, this effort underscores the team’s commitment to customer service and community support.
For Hughes, the experience was unforgettable – and it came with one lasting lesson: He will never again forget to remove his pocketknife before heading to the airport.
Young Garrett Graf Hughes (pictured far-right) on one of his first hikes with his grandfather, Robert Graf (left). (Photo courtesy of Hughes family.)
