Grandpa's Knife

Gary W. Graley

Gary W. Graley

“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 2, 1999
Messages
27,479
Take a read back into a more peaceful time,
I found this written by a fellow named Roger Deitz

Enjoy ;)

Grandpa's Knife

G2
 
Well, that was one damned good read Gary, and a damned good cry.Thanks for sharing it with us.

Eric
 
I remember some very similar things about my grandpa. He taught me to whittle, sharpen knives, and spit tobakkie. Sure did tick my mother off. Guess that is why I am sitting here tonight with a bit of snuff enjoying this reading.
 
My grandfather did work for the railroad. His favorite little knife was an old Case 6208. He was a baggage handler for AmTrak and worked a second job at the local stock yard.

When i was about 16 years-old I realized that he needed a new knife as the tip was broken off of his. I went to the mall and spent a fair amount of money for a ten-aged kid on a Schrade 8OT to replace his beaten down ol' Case. The 8OT blade etched with "Made Expressly for HOFFRITZ".

After that I figured he'd put the old Case out to pasture and resort to the new Stockman.

A couple years later he passed away.

My grandmother pulled me aside and told me that Grandpa wanted me to have this. She handed me his old Case 6208 that he carried 'til his last days. Tip still broken. She also handed me the little white sleeve that contained the Schrade 8OT that I had bought several years before. Still NIB.

I still have both of the knives and I doubt I'll ever part with them.

He taught me a lot about using what works and keeping thigs simple. I can honestly say that he is the reason for my interest in the traditional folders.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane Gary.

Chris
 
Thanks for sharing, Gary...Sure jogged some good memories.
My Daddy & Grandpa loved a keen knife & always had at least one knife in their pocket & a sheathed knife on their belt.
They would have enjoyed this forum as much as I do.
Blessings to all the Daddys & Grandpas!
 
Definatly a kinder gentler time.

Grandfathers are a very special relationship. They can often be a closer father figure than a real father because they don't have the same basis for the relationship as a parent. Sometimes a parent is too close to the forest to see the trees, but a grandparent has a little distance and sometimes can be more objective because they don't have certain bagage. Because of that, a grandad can become a spiritual guide as well as a teacher of lifes little lessons.

And all to often they have lived a different kind of life than a father, in a simpler time when values were formed to a higher standard. They bridge the gap between now and "then". They enrich our lives with their teaching, and when they pass on we are the poorer for it and it leaves a hole in our life that is never filled. Like a tongue that constantly feels the empty spot where a tooth once was, but is gone forever. And they set a very high standard for us when we become a grandfather, and we have a large pair of shoes to fill.
 
That definitely stirred some old memories here. I'll surely read it again. Thanks Gary.
 
Glad you were able to take the time to read it through, my grandfather also was
a railroad man in St Albans WVA, sat a lot on the back porch as well as taking
my younger brother and I into the big city of Charleston to the park and feed
the pigeons, can't say I remember him with a knife much, but my grandmother
says she remembers me sitting on the curb rubbing an old pocket knife to sharpen
it, and this before before I was in first grade :) it's in the blood I think!
G2
 
It's sad that I never did get to know my quite colorful grandfathers. They died before I was old enough to know and enjoy them. But a story like this inspires us to make great memories for our grandchildren and be that kind of grandad to them. Thanks for sharing that Gary.
 
Nice words...written well. My Grandfather was also a railroader (as was my Dad before WWII), an engineer with 50 years on a local shortline from 1910 to 1960. Two of his old GE 44 ton diesels are in the Southeastern Railroad Museum near Duluth, GA. I remember riding them many a time. He ran narrow gauge (three footers) steam in the early years.
 
HELLO, MY FIRST POST. SEEMS FITTING IT BE ABOUT GRANDAD.(I'm 60)MY GRANDAD RAISED ME WORKED FOR THE C.N.R. RAILROADBefore and after WW1. He whittled, AND chewed RED MAN ( I did once~!!!!!)Hell, he and granny even livedin ROSEBOROGH NORTH CAROLINA AFTER COMING FROM SCOTLAND (granny could not handle the hear).He moved to Quebec Canada, where i was born and raised on an island in a lake. we fished all the time and i got GRANDADspocket knife when he passed away all too soon (AGE99). I now live on an island off the west coast of BRITISH COLUMBIA canada. My daughter is 26,lives about 60 miles up island(in the town where PAMALA ANDERSON is from). she can whittle and handle firearms. just like me an GRANDAD in a gentelar time. I lost the knife a while back.It was like loosing an old friend. THANK-YOUFOR SHARING YOUR STORY. OLD CROW (GLENN)
 
OLD-CROW said:
HELLO, MY FIRST POST. SEEMS FITTING IT BE ABOUT GRANDAD.(I'm 60)MY GRANDAD RAISED ME WORKED FOR THE C.N.R. RAILROADBefore and after WW1. He whittled, AND chewed RED MAN ( I did once~!!!!!)Hell, he and granny even livedin ROSEBOROGH NORTH CAROLINA AFTER COMING FROM SCOTLAND (granny could not handle the hear).He moved to Quebec Canada, where i was born and raised on an island in a lake. we fished all the time and i got GRANDADspocket knife when he passed away all too soon (AGE99). I now live on an island off the west coast of BRITISH COLUMBIA canada. My daughter is 26,lives about 60 miles up island(in the town where PAMALA ANDERSON is from). she can whittle and handle firearms. just like me an GRANDAD in a gentelar time. I lost the knife a while back.It was like loosing an old friend. THANK-YOUFOR SHARING YOUR STORY. OLD CROW (GLENN)
Click to expand...

Welcome aboard, Old Crow. Hearing about you losing that knife breaks my heart.
 
Welcome Old-Crow, my grand parents raised me until I was 7 or so, father was in the
army and away plus divorced when I was two so the courts gave my brother and I
into the care of his parents. While my grandmother was a saint, my grandfather was
not. But she more that made up for the difference :)

I hope you've replaced that lost knife by now, what are you carrying?
G2
 
I still have my mother's father's knife and I carry and use it quite often. In fact, this old Waterville easy-open jack was my grandfather's father's knife!

Grandfathers are a unique breed and both of mine certainly qualified. There is something very special about "grandpas".

I am now of an age when I more than qualify for "grandpa-hood". There seem to be no grandkids in the offing, however, and that may be just as well. I doubt very much whether I could live up to the example that my grandfathers set.
 
Nice John, good to have some history to carry with you and to pass on to the next
generation.

I just watched the Kenny Chesney music video "Don't Blink" a good one I thought as well.
G2
 
Very good read Gary, thanks for the link. It's funny how familiar all of that sounded. I have my first two knives,on from each Grandpa,one is a no name pen knife,the second is a Completly worn out Case large congress,While most people would see them as old wore out knives, I see them as quite valuble, It's hard to belive I've kept up with them since I was 5 or 6 though!
 
I wish I had an older knife from that era, unfortunately not, would have been nice
hope to be able to leave something for my grandsons...
G2
 
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