Grandpa's knife

S

Student762

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My Grand father passed away recently. He was not a large influence on me over the last few years as my parents and I moved from the city to the country but he did give me three of the most critical parts of my being, a love of music and the skill to play an instrument, a love for good pens and my incredible love of knives.
Any way, I have inherited one of his knives and I was looking at it today, it is a small SAK that he carried everyday.It is quite sad now after being on his keyring for the better part of a decade and I was wondering whether I should have the somewhat beat up scales replaced or not. What are your opinions? This knife is of huge sentimental value.
 
Every mark on those scales can tell a story about his life. Leave them as is and cherish them...

Richard
 
Or dress it up to honor it and him. It's your knife and your grandpa; do what makes you happy.
 
If it is the only knife that you have of his, I might be reluctant to change it in any way. Maybe just carry it as-is, it will remind you of him when you use it for everyday tasks.
 
I also would leave it alone. If you decide to change it later, you always can. But once the old, worn scales are gone, that will be that.
 
If they are sound, let them be.

And congrats- I, too, recently came into my recently late Grandfather's pocket blade, a Utica Kutmaster stockman in jigged delrin. Its a mess (he, being ridiculously practical, spray painted the entire thing w yellow paint to keep it from being stolen lol) but I have started to clean it up and intend to include it in the lil pocket knife rotation I have going. I love second hand tools. The conundrum in which some of us find ourselves is that we want to carry only one blade in order to let that gentle pocket wear make our knife look AWESOME. BUTTTT most of us are CERTAINLY NOT CAPABLE of owning/carrying just one knife lol. So the second hand knife solves this mad issue.
 
Congrats on coming into possession of your Grandfather's pocket knife. If you ask me I'd leave it as-is. That SAK was part of HIM and his daily life and routine. It's scars and dings reflect the life it lived with him.

I also recently came into possession of my Grandfather's pocket knife. He died in 1987 and I never knew about this one until my Dad and I were visiting a few weeks ago. My Dad has had it since his father died. He passed it on to me. It's got a piece missing from the mark side scale - it's plenty worn and used - which to me is special because this was his EDC for a LONG time. From what I can tell it's probably from the 1940's-50's.

PS: I'm looking for a duplicate of this knife (it's a Case XX #6232 Texas Jack in red bone) which I would like to carry. This one I plan to keep and occasionally use, but I'm too paranoid about losing his. One just like it would be awesome though!
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I agree with the "leave as-is" camp, but it would help if we could see it. If it's a Victorinox Classic, you may not be able to get scales for it. You might want to make a little shadow-box display for a shelf in which you put a couple of pictures of him, a pen (if you have one of his), and the knife.

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
I agree with the "leave as-is" camp, but it would help if we could see it. If it's a Victorinox Classic, you may not be able to get scales for it. You might want to make a little shadow-box display for a shelf in which you put a couple of pictures of him, a pen (if you have one of his), and the knife.

Zieg
Click to expand...

That is a great idea!
 
The Zieg, good idea, I can make scales for it from some ebony I have. Thankyou all for your replies it is a difficult decision to make so it is nice to have some support with this.
 
The Zieg said:
I agree with the "leave as-is" camp, but it would help if we could see it. If it's a Victorinox Classic, you may not be able to get scales for it. You might want to make a little shadow-box display for a shelf in which you put a couple of pictures of him, a pen (if you have one of his), and the knife.

Zieg
Click to expand...

I also think this is a great idea. I've been getting a bit nostalgic myself looking through old family pictures after my Mom's passing earlier this month. Preserving family photos and heirlooms really is important, to most people anyway.
 
I'm sorry for your loss, but it's great that you have gotten some good things from him.
What would your grandfather have wanted you to do with the knife?
I'm in the 'leave it alone' camp, but I mean that question seriously. I have my grandfather's Boy Scout knife that he carried in scouts and gave to me when I joined. For a long time I kept it stored away so that nothing would happen to it. It occurred to me one day that he would have thought it absurd to have a perfectly good tool that was deliberately left unused. So, I've been carrying it a lot lately--tethered to my belt, mind you, since I don't want to be reckless.... But it was meant to be used and he would have wanted me to carry it (and told me as much).

Whatever the case, I think your statement that it is of great sentimental value recommends--to my mind--only two options: Preserve it (as-is in a display or whatnot) or use it. Most of the folks I know who have chosen to "restore" sentimental artifacts have regretted it.
 
I am truly sorry for your loss.

I would definitely leave it. My Grandfather still carries a SAK fishing knife every day. I just sharpened and oiled it up for him, and I just love seeing the signs of use. He has used it enough that the blade is about half as wide. It has a worn down fish shield. I have no idea how, but the plastic scales actually have a finger print melted into them. That knife speaks to me, and it is the wear that is the evidence that he loves having and using it every day.
 
Keep it the way it is.

There was a thread a while back, probably before the summer, that had a cool concept in my opinion. The gentleman had, if I remember correctly, his dad's and his grand dad's knife in a glass case with a photo of each of them behind their knives. I think he may have had other things that were theirs as well in there. Maybe someone else knows what thread I am referring to. It may have actually been a single post.
 
I too had this decision to make not long ago. I had an old, one scale missing, Keen Kutter that belonged to my Grandfather that passed when I was only 3 years old. It wasn't until my Father passed about 6 months ago that I got the fever to start refurbishing knives. My Dad had an old Bulldog that had gassed in his collection so I decided to "fix it". I did a lot of internet searching and viewed a lot of tutorials from some greats like Ken Ericson and Muskrat Man. These guys give me the knowledge and confidence to ultimately work up to my Grandfathers Kutter. I would say that if you think you would like to refurbish it, then do so but it shouldn't be your Maiden Voyage. Practice on lesser knives until you feel confident. I now have a knife that he and I share a common interest in and no one can take that away. I would post some pics but it doesn't seem to be very user friendly...Good Luck and God Bless!
 
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