A story I must share on the porch.

Deep story, SVTFreak. Thanks so much for sharing. Good old traditional pocketknives really do personify generational connections and values. :thumbup:

-- Mark
 
SVTFreak said:
I started this post in the what are you carrying today thread, but I realized now that I am not showing a knife, but telling a story that I must get off my chest.

My carry today is one that hasn't been used since 1997. That's the year my grandfather died. And this was his. It's been in my knife cabinet since, until the flood 6 weeks ago.

After the flood, after stripping my home, I was helping my parents. My dad found his mother's Bible that she gave him. It was wet. Dad broke down. (This was dad's father's knife). I comdorted him best i could, reminding him he wasn't upset about the flood but missing his mother. He said he missed all the old ones. My dad is nearing 70. I'm 42.

A few days went by, I had my breakdown over the flood, and all is good. But I could not get his comment out of my mind. Something was there beyond his words. I kept taking grandpa's knife out looking at it trying to place what I was missing. It dawned on me. My father, to two sons, 3 grand daughters and 3 step grandsons plus a coming unknown grand kid, is one of the old ones. I went back to mom and dad's house, and found dad. He was on his porch not far from the Bible. I laid grandpa's knife next to grandmas Bible. And I told dad what I thought. He held his head up and smiled and said "Yeah, I reckon you are right".

So, here I am, a couple weeks later. I have grandpa's old knife out now. And I'm carrying it. Got it all sharpened up, cleaned up and reoiled. It's nothing special. Stainless stockman uncle henry. But it's my grandfather's and he would be proud to know that his son has replaced him as the old one and his grandson still remembers him dearly.

The good news is only the last few pages of grandmas old Bible for wet. It dried out nicely. Not quite perfect but all of her notes are there.

Click to expand...

I was looking at my father and uncles and aunts at my little brother and his fiancées engagement party on Saturday, and while most of that generation are in their late 50s to early 70s, they are the old ones now like you said. Several of my great aunts are still with us, thankfully. My great aunt Irene, Betty, Cheech and Sandy, although my Aunt Cheech/Del is the only one in MD. The others are spread over NJ, FL and OH. My grandmothers little sisters. My cousin Snuffy, my grandmothers big sisters son, is the oldest of my fathers generation.

This is a great story, thank you for sharing.
 
You're making headway on rebuilding Joey, not just the house, but memories and connections. That knife is absolutely special. Keep plugging along man!!
 
SVT - time stopped when I read this story. Which I think is appropriate, because that's a timeless little pocket gem, and what you're talking about is deep, intangible value. I don't hold on to many things, but the things I hold on to have that same kind of value to me. I can feel it when I touch them.

Listened to this Gabriel tune in your honor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb7htoJAK7g
 
Svt-so moving. I lost so many mementos years ago in a fire, I wouldn't know how to list them. 2 things(or groups) were some old old Mexican silvered spurs from one grandfather and all my other grandpa's pocket knives. The memories do survive even tho' those two have been gone far to long. Things can be replaced, and become special again, but our memories of the "old ones" are what's most precious. Glad to hear all your family's ok.
Thanks, Neal
 
Love is the part of our memories that sustains us,and it only originates in one place. I'm glad your mamaw's notes are intact in the history book.
 
I think many of us would love to get their grandfathers or great grandfathers old knives and a lot of us will never have such an opportunity, my grandparents were by happenstance all the youngest of their siblings so I never got to know my great grandparents for the most part, the only great grandparents I got to meet I don't really remember because they died when I was 1 and 3, as it stands now I only have 2 grandparents left.
 
Wonder story in the aftermath of a Flood. Glad you were able to recover those 2 pieces of family history.
 
That was a wonderful story, thank you for Sharing SVT. Very badly wish I still had those old knives of my grandpa and father :/
 
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