Let's see your "priceless" knives

[Paladin 51]

After seeing a few threads from others about value of their relatives knives I really got to thinking. Some of the responses were that it should be extremely valuable to the owner as it was passed down from a relative. Well after thinking maybe these individuals were not that close to the original owner of the knife and may very well want to get rid of it. If so more power to them but I believe those of us who really like knives cherish a few that no matter what shape or brand are some of our most treasured possessions.
Here are 3 of mine that belonged to both my Grandpas. The 2 case knives belonged to my Grandpa Billy (my Dad's father). I remember when I was growing up in grade school to several years after I graduated high school he used both of these in his leather shop. He would mostly use the trapper to trim soles on boots and trim little pieces of leather. He gave these to me after he had closed his shop and he had them put up in the cabinet. As you can see the blades are wore down to nothing and there is no value to anyone but myself.
The Schrade belonged to Grandpa Ferris (Mom's Dad). He was a no nonsense, kinda stern kind of guy, former Marine DI and worked for the railroad. All my life we lived close to them. Growing up from the second grade on we lived in a small town of about 400 people. We used to go to their house all the time and as soon as we were big enough to push a lawnmower we mowed their big yard. They of course always wanted to pay us but as Grandpa had a bass boat we would take payments in fishing trips to a lake about 5 miles away. We fished lots of times mostly for crappie and had many memorable times growing up. When I graduated high school they gave me a Kansas lifetime fishing license.
After I had grown up they had moved to a little bigger town and I was married and lived about 40 minutes from them. My wife and I would go by once a week and take care of their yard as Grandpa had contracted some blood disease and had to have transfusions every month or so. Besides Grandma liked to cook for us and see her great-grandson.
In 1993 he had started to get worse. We were visiting in the spring and Grandpa wanted to go fishing on the river. I remember we met at the boat ramp on the river early on a Saturday morning. We spent the morning fishing catching very few white bass and crappie. I remember we pulled over and tied up to the bank under a big tree so we could have some shade. Grandpa pulled out the cooler and this knife he always carried to slice up tomatoes and cheese for the sandwiches Grandma had packed. After lunched we continued to fish for the rest of the day. It was kinda somber mood as we both kinda knew this would be the last time we would fish together as his health was starting to cause him to be extremely weak. Toward dark we called it quits without having many fish to show for it but I will never forget that day.
He eventually got worse and was having transfusions at a more advanced rate. I remember him in the hospital as he lay dying. He passed away in Sept. Shortly after as we were visiting Grandma she asked if I wanted this knife and that is how it became to be in my possession.
I still carry it from time to time but am so scared of losing it I keep it put up. I do like to fish and have not bought a fishing license since 1984. Every time I go fishing I think about that old man. Man I miss him.
For those of you that have knives that belong to relatives they are yours to do with what you want and if you don't have any fond memories of that individual or knife then by all means go ahead and get rid of it as it may go to someone who will start a new story.

Ken

[jerryd6818]

Great story Ken. Makes me long for my grandparents. Sometimes I miss 'em so much I ache. Everyone is gone now, grandparents, mom, dad and my brother. I'm the only one left except for my cousins and one aunt. I didn't get anything from my maternal grandfather. I was only 17 when he passed and never gave a thought to asking about his pocket knife or any thing else to remember him by. My maternal grandmother made a quilt for each of us kids and I still have that. All I have from my paternal grandparents are grandpa's shuckin' peg and the three tine fork grandma cooked with all the time and ate with.

Though there are no family ties to these two knives, they both mean enough to me I'll never sell or trade them. They will pass to one of my grandsons once I make the long trip.

The first is the Kershaw Leek Rob (whitebuffalo58) customized for me with colored bone handles in the configuration of the Viet Nam Service Ribbon. Thanks Rob.

The second is the Queen electricians knife Glenn (glennbad) completely re-did for me. Thanks Glenn. I know it was a pain to do but the results are spectacular.

I hope you don't mind my posting them here. Even though there's no family connection for either one, I hold both very dear.

[Old Hunter]

Great topic Ken, enjoyed reading the story of your two Grandpa's knives. This old Schrade 58OT (maybe an Ulster, the tang is unmarked) was given to my Dad by his Father-in-law, my maternal granddad - I called him Pop. My Dad used it for at least forty years (he really cannot say how long he has had it) as a fishing knife - it stayed in his tacklebox. He gave it to me a few years ago because of my love of knives and because I was Pop's oldest grandson. I cleaned and sharpened it up and it now sits in an honored place in my office on a Prince Albert - Old Timer tobacco tin. The Buck 301's story has been told before; my Dads Mom, my paternal Grandma, gave me this knife for my 15th birthday in 1970. She had my initials engraved on the bolster. Both rarely ever get any pocket time (only around the house) - they are too valuable to me to risk breaking or losing either one. I will give them to my children (or grandchildren if I ever have any!) OH

[ken6]

Great story Ken, I enjoyed it, as I am a Grandpa. I am getting my Grandson a 60 knife roll for his birthday with 7 starter knives in it. I am working on getting him and his sister their first Case and first Old Timer.

We go fishing alot, and they both like driving my old pickup, they are 11 & 13. They will be here soon and I can't wait, we have so much fun together.

I posted my family Knife story in "My First Knife" - my brother gave it to me when I was 8.

[Old Hunter]

Wow, can't believe I missed these two penknives - they belonged to my Great-Grandmother (Old Granny), she died while I was still 13 (spring of 1970). We lived across the street from her when I was a boy and I visited her all the time - she told me stories about the old days when she was a girl and about the Yankee's coming when her Dad was a boy - I still remember much of what she told me of the old days. My Grandma (the one who gave me the Buck 301) gave me these two penknives after Old Granny died. One was tipped, I repaired it last year (after 41 years in a drawer in my desk). OH

[Paladin 51]

Jerry you are the other side of the coin so to speak. I remember when you got those beauties and they are knives anyone would be proud to own. Hopefully your grandsons know your love of those knives and they will become their most prized possession and story.
Great knives OH.

[FRJ]

Nice post, Ken.
Here's an old Colonial, Prov. R.I., U.S.A. It was my dads. He passed in 53.

[tongueriver]

My paternal grandfather was born in the wilds of post-civil war Texas, about a week before Custer was killed, in the summer of 1876. He spent his 94 years as an outdoorsman, being first and foremost a trapper, but also hunter, fisherman, tenant farmer, horsetrader, and irascible curmudgeon. He both made and used barrels of knives over his lifetime, and would be amazed that they were ever anything more than tools. He was in two serious knife fights, one in the 1880s and the other over a tv program in a nursing home, in his 92nd year. This Boker Alemania in rough black was probably the last knife he used.



I have carried and used knives all my life as tools, but they were also always a little more, not collectibles, but...personal. Then one day about 2006 or 2007 I received this engraved Buck Alpha in the mail from my son in Alaska, who apparently had the fever. It is one of only a very few "modern" type knives I own, as I gravitate toward the older knives and the older patterns, but I treasure it beyond all others. Muskrat Man furnished the bolt-up amber bone handles. Shortly thereafter, I opened up a new and strange website, called Ebay, and that is when the trouble started...

[jerryd6818]

Cal -- How old was your grandfather when he died?

[Cutty]

I have several that were passed down from both grandfathers as well as gifts from family that will never be sold, only passed down.

Here's a few that I have pics of. The fish knife and small jack were my paternal grandfathers as well as the german bayo that he supposedly brought home from the war, as the story goes. He passed when I was very young.

The jack that I rehandled in worm groove was my maternal grandfathers, the shell handles were broken and falling off. I originally had plans to carry it but so far it stays in my knife case, for fear of loosing it.

To me all of them are absolutely priceless

[TripleF]

The thread is PRICELESS......only wish I could add to it.

[tongueriver]

Cal -- How old was your grandfather when he died?

94.

[jerryd6818]

A good long life. We should be so lucky.

[whit107]

Granddads CATT

[Paladin 51]

Wow what great knives and stories. Amazing how one can cherish such a common and cheap tool that each of us value so much. Maybe in a few decades we may see Jerry's knives back on here posted by his grandsons, how cool would that be.

[wazu013]

This is my Dad's Boker from WW2. He served on the USS Lake Champlain. My older brother scrubed of the blueing with steel wool when he was about 12, 53 years ago.

[jerryd6818]

Thanks for posting that Waz. You broke me out of my tunnel focus.


I was thinking pocket knives and forgot all about this one. I've told the story on here several times about my mother getting this Western for me with trading stamps, in 1957. One of the forks of the split tang was faulty (had a hole drilled in it from the factory) and I broke the knife a year or so later while throwing it. You know. Pretending I was Davy Crockett. I put a jury rig fix on it in the late '60s or early '70s and Dale did a much nicer job a few years ago.

What it looked like when new.

What it looked like after I "fixed it".

What it looks like now after Dale (orvet) fixed it.

[Old Hunter]

Waz & Jerry, wasn't thinking fixed blade on this thread either - I've two pictures to add.

Our family (Mom, Dad, and five kids) were on a pre-Christmas shopping trip to Tarrytown Mall in Rocky Mount NC in 1966 (Tarrytown was the ONLY mall east of Raleigh in those days!) I saw this Western Black Beauty at a store and just had to have it - my Dad slipped back later and bought it and another with stag handles for my brother Mike. We were both tickled to have them on Christmas morning - we were both Scouts and my Dad and Uncle took us hunting regularly - these Westerns were our first hunting knives (we called them "Sheath Knives"). I skinned and butchered a deer with mine last season just for the nostalgia of using the knife. OH

[AREMINGTONSEDGE]

This is a great thread with awesome knives and heart warming stories. The first knife is from my grandaddy who passed away when my mother was 2 yrs old. Granpa was a journeyman carpenter. He fell from several stories one day while building on a school house in Hopewell Va. back in the 1930's. He survived the fall however several months later he developed a brain tumor and passed. This was his pocket knife for every day out side of work. It was given to my mother by my grandmother who went to be with our Lord in 1980. Momma knowing my love of knives gave it to me. I hold it very dear to my heart. Don't know much about who made it or where it came from but it dosn't really matter.
The second was my daddy's. He carried it "every" day rain or shine and I hold precious memories of growing up and watching in amazement in the many uses he had for it. Daddy was very ill and took his life in 1993. Mamma gave it to me, again because she knew I would keep it safe and have it as a cherished memory of my daddy. I havn't enhanced the knives in any way because I enjoy the thought of the original knife, dirt, smell and all. Makes me feel a little closer to them in some way when I hold them in my hand.
Now the third knife I love and cherished because it came from my cyber older brother from another mother, Jerryd. It was the first knife ever given to me from a friend, and fellow AAPK member. I don't want to go on to much about it 'cause you know it will stir up the class clown and then we'll all have to suffer! Oooo Rah Moose! Rocky

[glennbad]

Some nice memories posted here!

This knife belonged to my father's father...I only got to visit him once, so it's pretty special to me.



This knife was my dad's EOD kit in the USAF. He had modified the sheath before by removing the stone pocket, so when he gave it to me, I made a replacement for it

[TripleF]

A dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly 5 years ago at the age of 53.
Last year while visiting his wife in North Carolina she gave me his Schrade 125OT.

I think of him every time I look at this knife.

[tjmurphy]

Some nice memories posted here!

This knife belonged to my father's father...I only got to visit him once, so it's pretty special to me.



This knife was my dad's EOD kit in the USAF. He had modified the sheath before by removing the stone pocket, so when he gave it to me, I made a replacement for it

Hey Glenn, what can you tell me about the lineman's pouch? It doesn't look like it has any stamping on the outer flap. Is it military or commercial? Know the date?

[Old Hunter]

Ken has really started something here - this type of thread is the "best of the best". There is one thing we all seem to hold in common - an object (a thing) has little value to us (besides the actual cost) UNLESS it is associated with a person we care about - then that object becomes priceless! Cool, huh? OH

[Paladin 51]

That is so true Old Hunter. I am just so glad I am not the only one that feels this way about a common tool. Great stories here, especially Rocky, leaving the dirt and smell, priceless right there.

[jerryd6818]

Thanks Squirrel. Ain't no thing lil' brother.