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A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:43 am
by Rotten
I recently shared a dinner with my 83 year old mother. We spoke of many things and people. When memories of her father were being shared I asked if grandad carried a pocket knife. "Oh yes, " she replied, "he carried it with him everywhere. I remember he was proud of it being a Case knife. And it had 2 blades."
I had a feeling that I knew what kind but showed her a few different 2 blade patterns before showing her a Barlow. Seeing the Barlow she immediately recognized it as the same kind grandad had. Digging a little deeper I asked if she remembered what color it was, thinking for a moment she then said "it was dark, dark red I think."
Then she sprung a sad surprise on me. "After he died I got his knife." Oh be still my racing heart. "But I think it was lost when my house burned down."
My grandad was a dry land cotton farmer in the Texas panhandle most all of his adult life after moving there from the Tulsa, OK area. He and grandma raised a family of 6 girls and 1 boy during the depression, dust bowl, and WW2. During which time he was able to both donate the funds for and build with his own hands, among others, the local church of Christ. A harder working and more upright man than any I have ever known. I am lucky to have known him into my teenage years.
Looking through the AAPK store the other night I saw this for sale and bought it immediately.
- 1940 - 1964 Case Barlow red sawcut bone
It may be as close as I'll ever come to grandads knife and will most definitely think of him every time I use it.
As we were leaving the restaurant mom stopped me and said "Come to think of it, daddy's knife might not have been in the house. I think it was with his coin purse in storage when the house burned. I'll check next time I go to the storage building."
Fingers crossed. Oh and that's me on my grandma's lap.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:56 am
by woodwalker
Rotten wrote:I recently shared a dinner with my 83 year old mother. We spoke of many things and people. When memories of her father were being shared I asked if grandad carried a pocket knife. "Oh yes, " she replied, "he carried it with him everywhere. I remember he was proud of it being a Case knife. And it had 2 blades."
I had a feeling that I knew what kind but showed her a few different 2 blade patterns before showing her a Barlow. Seeing the Barlow she immediately recognized it as the same kind grandad had. Digging a little deeper I asked if she remembered what color it was, thinking for a moment she then said "it was dark, dark red I think."
Then she sprung a sad surprise on me. "After he died I got his knife." Oh be still my racing heart. "But I think it was lost when my house burned down."
My grandad was a dry land cotton farmer in the Texas panhandle most all of his adult life after moving there from the Tulsa, OK area. He and grandma raised a family of 6 girls and 1 boy during the depression, dust bowl, and WW2. During which time he was able to both donate the funds for and build with his own hands, among others, the local church of Christ. A harder working and more upright man than any I have ever known. I am lucky to have known him into my teenage years.
Looking through the AAPK store the other night I saw this for sale and bought it immediately.
IMG_20190411_185003788.jpg
It may be as close as I'll ever come to grandads knife and will most definitely think of him every time I use it.
As we were leaving the restaurant mom stopped me and said "Come to think of it, daddy's knife might not have been in the house. I think it was with his coin purse in storage when the house burned. I'll check next time I go to the storage building."
Fingers crossed. Oh and that's me on my grandma's lap.
Beautiful knife and story! Thank you for sharing!!
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:58 am
by glennbad
Amazing how a knife can tie to a person or family memories. I hope she is able to find it!
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:18 am
by doglegg
Love it Rotten. Thanks for sharing.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:11 am
by Lansky1
Really enjoyed your story - fingers crossed your grand dads knife can be found. What a fantastic treasure that would be ...
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 3:38 am
by Tony_Wood
Great story. Hope you get to pocket your grandpa’s knife.
Please post pics if it turns up.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:12 am
by zoogirl
Oh I hope you find it! I’d give anything to get Dad’s knife back.
That would be a wonderful memento. Something he had close with him every day, something that knew his hands well.
Fingers crossed!
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:34 am
by Captain O
Cool beans!
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 9:35 am
by Paladin
Good, good story. Be sure to post again with pictures if you get the knife. Or even if you don't get it.
Ray
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 9:55 am
by Steve Warden
Wonderful story.
Thanks for sharing and I do hope you hope you get your granddad's knife.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:06 pm
by Doc B
Great story! For now, nice "new" knife to keep the memory close by. Hope the original one shows up
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:33 pm
by rea1eye
Really hope you guys find that old knife. Let us know and post picture!
Bob
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:12 pm
by Colonel26
Wonderful story and a fine knife too. Your grandfather sounds a lot like my Pa. I didn’t get his knife either, and the low down uncle that did get it can’t remember if he got it or what he did with it if he did!!!!!
So I’ve taken to collecting ones like it. Red bone CASE XX era 6375. Do show us pics if you your Pa’s knife!
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:33 pm
by FRJ
I hope you get that knife, Trace.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 9:32 pm
by terryl308
Trace, great story and I sure hope you get the knife back. I have my dads little nutter knife and his pocket watch. The knife is a Spencer, Hibbard, and Bartlett castorating knife and the pocket watch is a Hamilton. He was proud of both and carried the watch in his breast pocket of the old overalls everyday. He was born in 1909 and died in 1960 when I was 18 yrs old. It's a wonder I have been able to keep these two items but I still have them. I noticed a old Regulator clock in the back ground of your photo, I too have the family mantel clock, it is a Seth Thomas. I think dad had some other pocket knives but they have long since disappeared. But I do remember him using the little HSB. I believe you can see the watch in his front pocket of the overalls in the photo. Best of luck on getting your knife back.
Terry
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:09 am
by Rotten
Thank you all for the kind replies, much appreciated. I am absolutely keeping my fingers crossed that the knife shows up.
Terry - that is great to have your fathers knife and watch, congratulations. As to the clock it was my dads and one of several that he had and restored and eventually sold so I have no idea exactly what brand it was. The only knives of my fathers are the ones that didn't make the cut for his flea market table, if only I'd have been interested in sharp and shiney back then.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:18 am
by sunknife
Great story Rotten, thanks for sharing with us. It got me reminiscing about my grandpa's who both passed when I was in my teens in the 70's. Hope you're able to get his knife, that would be a very special.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:22 am
by philco
In case you haven't figured it out by now, knife people tend to be a bit on the sentimental side. Thanks for sharing a little slice of your life with us. I too very much hope you can get your grandpas knife. That would be wonderful.
Re: A knife in memory of
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 7:30 am
by zoogirl
I got this today. My dad worked for Domtar 23 years, driving a forklift. I couldn’t just leave it on the table.