All About Pocket Knives

Thanks. My father wouldn’t eat supper without it. I wasn’t allowed to use it. Lol! I didn’t mind it meant more to him than it did to me. It made me realize how much he missed his dad and how lucky I was to have my dad. I bought the rest of the place setting from eBay to give to him. But he died before I gave it to him. It’s a special fork. My youngest son digs in the drawer and uses it if it’s clean. 4 generations using the same fork daily for 80 plus years.

The Sand Pebbles was a Steve McQueen movie that came out in 1966 about the US Navy in China before WW2 when the Japanese invaded. My Grandfather and his shipmates were fighting Japanese before Pearl Harbor. It’s a very difficult period to research. 85 million Chinese died in ww2.

After Pearl Harbor he tried to re enlist but was getting old and had trouble with the physical. So he never got the respect the ww2 veterans got even though he fought in the war.

He left 3 things behind when he died. The fork a 1 yen coin and a safety razor. The razor is the only one I’ve ever shaved with.

Here is my Uncle's Gerber MKII which he carried for a short while in Vietnam before he was killed in duty as a 2nd Lieutenant of the Marine Corps. He field applied the bluing, I cleaned the verdigris off of it with a microfiber and mineral oil after it hadn't seen the light of day since the early 70s probably. Honored to have this knife in the family and I'll be its caretaker.
Here is my grandfather's EDC 70s BUCK 301, which we found when cleaning out my parent's attic when they moved out of the house I grew up in. It actually got me started in collecting, I always thought it was such a cool knife growing up when he had it; carving jack-o-lanterns and other house hold tasks others might have used scissors or letter openers for.
Here is my first knife ever, I was super envious of my older brother's black Victorinox BSA edition Tinker and would always stare at the knives in the glass counter at the scout supply store in the town over in the early 90s. My dad caught on and gave me this 1970s Spartan that he got on a trip to NYC with his grandfather at the Hoffritz department store, which I loved chipped secondary blade and all. I remember packing this and heading out into the woods most summer days with some saltine crackers and a small rip saw I snuck off the work bench to do my fort building.

If the serial number on the Gerber places it in the the Viet Nam time frame, the knife has significant value.

That value is greatly enhanced if you have some kind of proof that it was carried in Viet Nam, a photograph of your uncle with the knife in Viet Nam would run the value up significantly.

Levine's Guide has the serial numbers listed in the earlier editions. Cannot speak for the newer ones.

Not suggesting you could sell the knife for profit, just letting you know it has more than just retail and sentimental value.

If so, you need to document that for your family members that will follow you in its care.

Charlie

Hello

Im aware its worth $1,500 or there abouts. There may or may not be pictures of it on his person, of zero consequence to my family. I once looked up the serial number, it dates to 1969 I believe. I have a letter from him to my Grandparents thanking them for the private purchase knife and describing applying the field bluing. I'd ever sell it, I know its not a Randal but it was more saught after than an issued knife to a collector.

Pile Driver, I think your Gerber Mk 1 is an absolute treasure. [I lived for a year on the North Shore and loved he area.]

Quick Steel wrote:Pile Driver, I think your Gerber Mk 1 is an absolute treasure. [I lived for a year on the North Shore and loved he area.]

Thanks, its at my parents house; my mother's brothers knife. Next time I'm there I should take it out see how its doing maybe coat it in some oil as it was a couple years ago I last had it out.

Where abouts were you living?

Hey Guys, Now dont laugh too hard at me OK, LoL. I was a kid(6-8yrs old) so that is like 40yrs ago when I made this knife out of cedar. Was camping/deer hunting with the old man & I used his pocket knife that weekend to make it.
Kindest Regards,
Mark

Good on you for still having it mark.

Thanks Mr. Keith, I appreciate that. It sure means nothing at all to anyone except Me & its completely worthless, lol. I will tell you for sure though, I did work very hard that weekend on it. Made blisters on my hand from carving, lol. It kinda reminds me of "No pain, No gain" every time I look at it,,, lmao
Kindest Regards,
Mark

Memories.....we all are trying to create good ones with our kids like our parents did with us.

If we aren't we should be.

You are So Right my man!!
Kind Regards,
Mark

Mark

I’m fortunate that I have several legacy (or heirloom) knives. One of my highly valued heirloom pocketknives is this Ulster 58OT, which was give to my Dad many years ago by his Father-in-Law, my “Pop”. Dad kept it in his tacklebox for a good 40 years, giving it to me about ten years ago. Interestingly it has no tang stamp, no telling where my Pop got it - he would have never saved coupons or written away to order a premium. He did smoke a lot of Chesterfields though. OH

Nice piece there Old Hunter & a Wonderful story!!!
Kindest Regards,
Mark