First, McKgreg, I am astounded at your collection. That blows my mind that you own that many. Thanks for the pictures, it looks like the red is just on the edges.
And, I agree 100% with Waynorth after having gone through this diligence process. They are more interesting to me now than when I started this thread - they kind of have a mythic quality and definitely a lot of personality. And - it seems that plasma cutting is a tempest in a tea cup and a red herring to boot.
Honestly, it sounds like his life and work would make a great book if someone would write it. Somebody should start a cripple creek forum somewhere so all of the stories and discussion on the knives could be collected in one place. It would be a shame for all of that history to not to be saved for posterity, so when McKgreg's great grandson passes the family heirlooms of the complete set of Cargill pocket knives he can give him the book too...
By the way, for anybody reading that is not familiar with bluegrass, Cripple Creek is also a very nice connection to Tennessee for me, since it is a bluegrass standard that goes way back and connects the knives to the traditions from that part of the country. The Band did a song in the 60's called "Up on Cripple Creek" but they just lifted that from the bluegrass standard. It is one of the first songs people usually learn on the banjo, and it was the first song I learned on the banjo too. My grandfather use to sing a little bit of it like when he was bouncing a baby on his knee, and so it was around in that area probably from way back.
I am assuming that Bob's Old Fort is the Old Fort in Polk County in Southeast TN. Does anybody know that for sure?
And, I agree 100% with Waynorth after having gone through this diligence process. They are more interesting to me now than when I started this thread - they kind of have a mythic quality and definitely a lot of personality. And - it seems that plasma cutting is a tempest in a tea cup and a red herring to boot.
Honestly, it sounds like his life and work would make a great book if someone would write it. Somebody should start a cripple creek forum somewhere so all of the stories and discussion on the knives could be collected in one place. It would be a shame for all of that history to not to be saved for posterity, so when McKgreg's great grandson passes the family heirlooms of the complete set of Cargill pocket knives he can give him the book too...
By the way, for anybody reading that is not familiar with bluegrass, Cripple Creek is also a very nice connection to Tennessee for me, since it is a bluegrass standard that goes way back and connects the knives to the traditions from that part of the country. The Band did a song in the 60's called "Up on Cripple Creek" but they just lifted that from the bluegrass standard. It is one of the first songs people usually learn on the banjo, and it was the first song I learned on the banjo too. My grandfather use to sing a little bit of it like when he was bouncing a baby on his knee, and so it was around in that area probably from way back.
I am assuming that Bob's Old Fort is the Old Fort in Polk County in Southeast TN. Does anybody know that for sure?
