hand-me-downs

sadiejane

sadiejane

Joined
Feb 6, 2009
Messages
1,120
after checking out the pix of pipemans bear claw knife
i dug out this one

my grandma moved to the idaho mtns after her husband died in 1957.
she bought an old hunting cabin up in the sawtooth mtns. at some point she meet an old native guy, curtis, who moved in with her(moms, as she was called by everyone, was 1/2 native). they were avid outdoors folks. hunting, fishing and roaming the land around them for weeks on end. there was a bearskin rug in that old cabin they hunted together. curtis always said my grandma got it. she'd just smile. anyhoos, curtis was known to make things outta whatever he had around and this is one of the things he made. the jaw was from another bear they got together according to moms. somewhere in all the old family pix is one of her on a snowmobile with this knife on her belt. if i ever find it again ill post. when she died my pops ended up with the knife. he never used nor carried it. and when he died in '01 i ended up with it. i havent carried much tho i have used it some. do have to get it out and take camping once in awhile. for moms. thought you guys/gals might enjoy a look. many of my old knives are hand-me-downs. but this may be my favorite.

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one of my brothers has a cupla other knives curtis made. need to have him send me some pix. or maybe i can trade him outta them, if he hasnt given em away by now...

would love to see some of yr old hand-me-down knives
 
Thanks for sharing your story about that knife and your grandmother. I'm glad that your family has treasured and kept it all these years.
 
Hi Sadiejane
What a great story and knife. I too am Metis so your story meant a lot to me. The sheath looks to me like Bear skin and I believe the small bones hanging from it are Bear toes. The fringe also looks like brain tanned leather, likely from the same Bear.
Great piece, great story, thanks for sharing.

Best regards

Robin
 
thanks folks. the sad part is that when moms got older and my uncle moved her to town. without telling anyone else in the family he sold that old cabin, the small bit of land that went with it, and all the stuff in it. a shame really. but i have that old knife and that old tea kettle(pic in the grilling time thread) and lots of memories of summer days n nites at moms and curtis' house. fishing and eating lots of small brown trout outta the stream across the road, exploring old abandoned mining towns, listening to wolves from the front porch at nite. being amazed moms could hit that spittoon(it was just an old coffee can) from about 8ft every time. moms always had a pocketful of dried apricots(they dried lots of fruit). nothing ever seemed to rattle either of them and they may have been a coupla the happiest folks ive ever known.
 
What a great old blade. That is the real deal right there.
I just finished reading "Wolf Willow" by Wallace Stegner. It was filled with a lot of history of the Metis around Canada and Montana. A enthralling read for anyone interested in life in the West one hundred years ago.
 
sadiejane love the knife & especially the sheath. great story & i'm sure that old knife could tell some history. more please.
 
You are very fortunate to have that story, and the associated knife as an heirloom.
 
That is a great hand me down knife, and story! Here's my grandmother's old knives. An old Old Hickory I'm retstoring and her old Imperial Penknife.
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if my history is correct the knife you pictured is what was called a Blackfoot Dag.some of the b.p. bunch are probably more familiar with those "primitives". i used to date a woman whom had a lot of cherokee in her. i swear people with quite a lot of indian blood have a keener sense of smell than most of us whiteys. this lady could smell beer on my breath from 50 feet, please do'nt infer from my comments a racial baias. anyway your grannie probably lived a good full life. love tyhe story. dennis
 
heya peter
thanks for sharing yr hand me down
thats what i was looking for...
appreciate all the good responses to my own story
but know ya'll have yr own
would love to hear em and see the knives associated with
thanks
peace
 
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