Grandfathers’ Knives

J

Just Tom.

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Apr 24, 2019
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Do you have a knife that belonged to a grandparent?

I was at my parents’ house yesterday evening and managed to sneak a couple of quick snaps of my grandfather’s Remington:

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He died when I was 5 years old, and I only have vague memories of him.

Excuse the hasty, poor quality pictures. The background is the headrest of a leather chair where my dad reads while the cat sleeps behind his head (hence the scratches).
 
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Just Tom. said:
I was at my parents’ house yesterday evening and managed to sneak a couple of quick snaps of my grandfather’s Remington:

wRUp1B4.jpg


k7vBbDO.jpg


444oYoE.jpg


He died when I was 5 years old, and I only have vague memories of him.

Excuse the hasty, poor quality pictures. The background is the headrest of a leather chair where my dad reads while the cat sleeps behind his head (hence the scratches).
Click to expand...
For some reason I want to ask if your dad inherited the knife as contents of the house. None of my business, of course.
 
screened porch said:
For some reason I want to ask if your dad inherited the knife as contents of the house. None of my business, of course.
Click to expand...
My grandmother died 16 years after that, when I was overseas. I don’t know if my dad took the knife from his father’s belongings when he died, or found it when cleaning out his mother’s house when she went into nursing care.

I remember my dad telling me his father had another favorite knife which he lost when my dad was a kid. He remembers him looking all over the house for it…
 
What a great piece. Thanks for sharing. I’m sure the stories that knife could tell would draw ears from all walks of life. Old items have always intrigued me, but knives especially. It’s such an intimate tool used for daily tasks. In the pocket for school, work, leisure. Cutting strings, apples, cordage, and who knows all what else. If only they could talk.
 
Just Tom. said:
My grandmother died 16 years after that, when I was overseas. I don’t know if my dad took the knife from his father’s belongings when he died, or found it when cleaning out his mother’s house when she went into nursing care.

I remember my dad telling me his father had another favorite knife which he lost when my dad was a kid. He remembers him looking all over the house for it…
Click to expand...
My dad never forgot losing his great grandmother's taxidermy knife (a six-blade folder) in her garden somewhere. After swearing he'd be very careful with it, of course.
 
If the OP doesn't mind, I'd like to relate this.

A Hibbard Spencer Bartlett from the last part of the 1800s that belonged to my Grandfather. He was born in 1875 and was in the Spanish American War in 1898. My Dad told me that he carried the knife in that war. He carried it everyday until he died in 1952. He was a dentist and probably didn't use the knife all that much. I do know that he broke off the second blade and used the stub to clean out the bowl of his pipes and used that end of the knife to tamp down his pipe tobacco. I saw him do it many times.

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My Grandfather's knife, hand made in Sicily, and brought over when he immigrated, just after 1900!! My father (born in 1911 - the youngest of 5 children) inherited it when Nannu Giuseppe died in 1919! Dad gave it to me years ago when he realized I was a serious collector and would preserve it!!GiuseppesKnifeC.jpgGiuseppesKnife.jpg
Shown with a Case standard Barlow for scale!!
(Note a split in the handle I had to repair!)
 
Just Tom. said:
Do you have a knife that belonged to a grandparent?

I was at my parents’ house yesterday evening and managed to sneak a couple of quick snaps of my grandfather’s Remington:

wRUp1B4.jpg


k7vBbDO.jpg


444oYoE.jpg


He died when I was 5 years old, and I only have vague memories of him.

Excuse the hasty, poor quality pictures. The background is the headrest of a leather chair where my dad reads while the cat sleeps behind his head (hence the scratches).
Click to expand...

That's a nice old survivor that I am sure has stories to tell. It does look like the celluloid has out-gassed on one side, but doesn't look like it has affected the blade.
 
I have some of my grandfather’s and the interesting thing about them is how much they were actually used. Pretty sure my grandmother‘s electric kitchen knife sharpener got more use from him than her”
 
My grandfather's pride and joy, 1932 Western and sheath. We carried it on hunting and fishing trips, kept in almost new condition he was meticulous in it's care. He also had a cheap small folder that actually did the work.

grandpawesternfixedblade-1.jpg


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The knife on the right was my granddad's. The left one for comparison. Granddaddy carried and used his knife daily from Christmas day 1972 until July 6, 1993. It was sharpened on a 1"x3"x1/4" thick pocket whetstone that I also have. The stone is worn very thin in the middle. IMG_20220621_100634832.jpg
 
Thank you for sharing!
My dad has an old Schrade that belonged to my grandfather, I cleaned it up a few years back for him but he wanted it back:(
I see the same thing that glennbad glennbad
Noted- the scale looks to be out gassing (celluloid breaking down) Keep an eye on it, it can ruin the spring and blade in a hurry! The only care is to change the covers. Since it belonged to your grandad, if you had to change the covers perhaps use some material that belonged to him? Just a thought…
I will see if I can talk my dad into bringing out the schrade for pictures!
 
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