Grandpa's Barlow

Morablades

Morablades

Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
1,990
Someone outside the family may look at this knife and think it's nothing special. I received this barlow yesterday from my father and was told that my grandfather carried it around work to strip wire. When I first got this knife it was really dirty so I cleaned it up, but still let it show a little age. This one is almost 45 years old. Well I put an edge on it, got the blades back to a point, shoved it in my front pocket and took it to work the next day. I'm a forth generation electrician/maintenance man and it felt damn good to carry this knife today. Part of the history of my family was in my pocket and I was using it for the same thing my grandfather used it for almost 40 years ago. Has anyone else inherited their ancestors knives? I just thought it would be a great thread to share the stories of traditional knives that are great grandfathers and are grandfathers used.
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Great knife! I've lost all the pocketknives my grandfather gave me in the late fifties/early sixties. However, he was a master machinist and a musician and I have several of his old tools, his mandolin and his (and his father's) pocket watch.

That knife is a treasure. Enjoy it.
 
Blues said:
and a musician

That knife is a treasure. Enjoy it.
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I've been playing the harmonica for 5 years. It wasn't two years after I started that I found out my grandfather played. I have been trying to get his old harmonica, but my grandmother won't let it go.

I bet that pocket watch is beautiful.
 
It's an old American Waltham from about 1876 with a William Ellery movement.
Not a fancy watch though it has a cool engraving on the back case of a locomotive crossing a railroad trestle with a big gold nugget in the foreground.

It's about my most "valuable" possession.

BTW, I have played the harmonica (Mississippi Saxophone) badly for some years though it doesn't stop me when the mood hits.
 
Hi,

That's a beautiful Barlow. It's such things that bind us to the past. Use it well!

dalee
 
Great looking Barlow! I envy you having and using a piece of your family history like that. I have my grandfathers Ball pocket watch which I had somewhat restored but I am afraid to carry it. My dad was a tool and die maker for Allis Chalmers tractors in the mid 50's , Things got slow at the tractor plant and with a family he took a job as a police officer. I still have most of his early machinist tools and use them to build my knives.

Ken
 
That's a pretty darn good link to your past, Ken, and one you use to pay that tradition forward to those who have the benefit of owning your knives.
 
Ford, why don't you show your gramps knife again? As I recall, that one was a beauty as well.
 
I got my grandfathers old knives. He only had 3 Schrade Waldens and one Oldtimer(still unused in the box) that I actually bought him for Christmas about 30+ years ago...

Funny you mention pocket watches. I got one that was my grandfathers too.
I don't remember what kind it is, I'll have to go get it out of the safe.
It too has an old steam locomotive on it.. The picture on the dial is the same one that is engraved on the back.. I need to send it to someone and have them clean it good and make it work correctly so I can carry it. Only thing is I'm afraid to send it off to someone I don't know..
 
Great timeing Morablades. My dad and his sister were going through my 96yr old Grandmothers things and found an Old Timer 58OT my Grandfather carried. He died in 1968 and she had put it along with his wallet and a very neat ecko folding beer can opener up together. They gave them too me, nothing beats those kind of keepsakes. I also have his Remington 1148 shotgun and a beautifull brass whistle he used while training his pointers.
 
Great thread.

Thanks, Ford. I always loved that knife and its history. Good stuff.
 
I had a feeling that a lot would mention Waldens and OTs. Those would be cool to see. Thanks everyone for the comments. I'm really looking forward to carrying this knife more and then passing it on to my child.
 
Thats a great looking knife.. The fact that he carried it with him around the world just makes it even better. When I look at my granfathers knives it always makes me stop and think back on all the memories I had with him...
 
born 9-11-1902
lived 92 years

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Taught high school electronics and science and was a Vice Principal for the Cherokee County Community High School for 45 years, from 1924 to 1969.
 
Morablades said:
I've been playing the harmonica for 5 years. It wasn't two years after I started that I found out my grandfather played. I have been trying to get his old harmonica, but my grandmother won't let it go.
Click to expand...

I started playing harmonica in around 1986. When my Grandma heard me tooting a bit, she went to her bedroom and came back with an old Hohner Old Standby and a Marine Band. They had been her father's! I didn't know anything about him and didn't know till just then that he was a great amateur musician playing guitar, fiddle and harmonica back in the day. I still play a lot to this day (gigging with a blues band) and really consider my knack for harp to be a link to my past. The coverplates on that Old Standby are rusty as heck but it plays like a dream - they really don't make 'em like they used to. Unfortunately I lost that old Marine Band back in high school. :(

Sorry for the tangent, guys. Please keep the anecdotes and pics of old knives coming. I'm loving it.
 
I have heirlooms as well. Starting on the left...

The match clasp and engraved lighter belonged to my grandfather as did the Remington knife below them. The pretty Ronson was my Grandmother's. The lead toy soldier is one of a dozen that belonged to my father. The JA Henckels and the Treebrand were both my grandfather's while the matchsafe and the Kutmaster hawksbill belonged to my Great -Grandfather seen in the second picture which was given to my father years ago. He had it restored and gave copies to all the kids. We have a hard and fast rule in our family now, any gifted (given as a gift) knife or gun can never be sold except to another family member. They may be given as gifts to family members but we want them all to stay in the family.

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But the most valuable heirloom is the family bible. This goes back to my father's family roots in Germany and the first entry on the family page is dated 1863.

 
Great pictures and history in this thread. Thanks for sharing them.

I have some knives that were handed down from my great granddad, both granddads and my father. It feels good to carry one of them every now and then.
 
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