Heirloom knives/ Knives you plan on passing on after you go

Kaizen1

Kaizen1

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After recently (kinda recent) finding out I'm going to be a dad, I immediately started reflecting on things like my own mortality and what I hope to leave behind for my daughter when I go. Part of that is what kind of world I hope for her to grow up in.

As a member here I also thought of more fun things, like what kind of knife/ knives I might leave behind for her. That reflection lead me to start looking into which custom knives I might be interested in. So far, I'm thinking it's going to be a Mini Mustang from CAS Knives. So I recently got in the queue and will have it sometime toward the end of this year (due date is on September 2nd, 2019). This is a damascus version, but I plan on getting one in their San Mai steel.

Do you have any knives you plan on passing on (to whomever)? Either knives you currently own or ones you plan on eventually getting (or making!) are welcome. Pics plz, thx

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My daughters think im nuts for having my knives and think its a waste of money. Im hoping ill be able to get rid of them before I die as I doubt they would take the time to get what they are worth. So no I dont plan on passing them down.
 
Honestly I don't wish to force my interests on my kin, I intend on leaving instructions that my collection be sold with the proceeds added to what ever monies to be distributed, with the exceptions of any they wish to keep as a memento or what not(with a stipulation that if sold the proceeds must be distributed) and a few that I will ask be buried with me. Otherwise it's just stuff I'm forcing on them out of what I feel would misguided sentimentality. Oh and congratulations on the news its quite an experience. My son just turned two, and he already knows I can be asked to cut things...
 
Hmmm, no one can predict future trends;
but i suspect it would be a little tough when it comes to picking out something current to have a timeless appeal.
Its almost a certainty that the "wow" effect, for a particular fad in a knife design might seem dated in time to come. But apparently its not going to be too much of a concern for traditional knife types.
So yeah, an up market khukri is a safe bet. Hopefully, it would not be thought of as something offensive or its ownership frowned upon by future generation ;-)
 
KAEDC said:
Honestly I don't wish to force my interests on my kin, I intend on leaving instructions that my collection be sold with the proceeds added to what ever monies to be distributed, with the exceptions of any they wish to keep as a memento or what not(with a stipulation that if sold the proceeds must be distributed) and a few that I will ask be buried with me. Otherwise it's just stuff I'm forcing on them out of what I feel would misguided sentimentality. Oh and congratulations on the news its quite an experience. My son just turned two, and he already knows I can be asked to cut things...
Click to expand...

While I agree it is probably a misguided attempt to pass on a collection of knives unless someone shows interest;

At the same time it might be good to pass on 2 or 3 knives that have some honest to god use on them. Sometimes possessions like this can be extremely special to your future grandkids or great grandkids.
 
All of the ones that are left in my possession. In a more involuntary fashion.
More in the spirit of the thread, Top 5:
- Reate Jack
- CRK Umnumzaan
- ZT 0392 BluBowie
- CKF Morrrf 5
- CKF Kwaiback
 
Congrats!
Here's my 2 cents on this as it's a very natural thing to think about when you find out you are having a kid: It's natural to muse over your genetic replacement and wonder how much of "you" will be left behind. It's natural to try and answer this existential question with physical stuff.

I know I did about 9 years ago when we found out my daughter was on her way.

My advice...don't worry about it. Seriously, treasure your time with her. Introduce her to your hobby, sure. My daughter probably views her dad as a guy that always has a pocket knife. However, she also sees me as the guy that can pull out a tool and fix a toy. A guy that use a bit of twine, swiss army knife and a pretty rock and fashion a quick necklace for her just because.

When she was little, we used to go on "bug hunts". I used an old rusty Himalayan Imports little JKM-1 belt knife to pry open rotten logs to get to the termites or used the tip to gently pin down a centipede so she could see the venomous claws before letting it skitter away or point out the erratic path a group of ants were taking up a tree as they carried food.

My guess is that she will never know what model of knife I carry most, never know or care what it's worth. What I do hope she knows, and remembers, is all the times she and I did stuff together. How we were gentle with nature and learned thingd together and how many times a good knife or pocket tool saved the day. What I carried and what it's worth I hope is dwarfed by the lessons learned.

I'm not interested in leaving her anything she has to physically carry. That stuff has a price, sure. My collection is probably worth $20,000 at least. I'm just hoping what I really leave her she finds priceless.

The world is not big enough for the love you are going to have for that little girl. No knife that will eventually get sold at a yard sale by a great grandchild will touch that. There will never be a time in her life where she will need or value a knife or the money it may bring more having her dad there.
 
For me, it would probably be something more ceremonial if anything. A custom of some sort, likely a fixed blade, that would look great in a display even if they don't use it. That way, even if they aren't knife people (heaven forbid) they will still have something very cool to remind them of dad.

I recently found my grandfather's old Canadian Belt knife from way back in the day that was his hunting knife for years. Very well used and has some amazing stories attached to it that will be with me forever even though I won't use it myself. That's probably what an heirloom knife will end up meaning for most people kids/grandkids I suspect.
 
My kids are adults. There's only a few specific items I want each of them to have and they know it. The rest, I want them to take what they want and get rid of all that they don't. Both my girls have an appreciation for knives. Not to my level but they like them. What's more is they know how much I like them so hopefully, if they decide to keep any of mine it will be because it reminds them of me. And I really hope they pick ones they've seen me use. My knives are all users and I hope I've instilled that in my girls. That the value of it is not in the object, but in the memories the object conjures.

I figure they'll take my kitchen knives.
 
I'm going to leave a special but cheap knife, so if the little bastards try to sell it, they will be like " wtf, its only worth 3 dollars", I'll make sure to put it in a nice case, with a hand written note that generations to come must read and pass down.
 
As a maker I dont have what you would call collectors. But what I do have is my very early ones that I built.I must say that are purty good,I did study on my own for a good while before ever starting. My kids have always had there on artistic talents, so thay know what it takes to create something from nothing. Those knives are now about 30 years old an the one with s. n. 002 is my most favorite and will go to my son. The girls can have their pick of the rest.
 
Ahh, death.

I'd like my EDC to go to my wife. She will really appreciate knowing it was something I loved. If my children see value in my hobby, it is entirely at their disposal.

Frankly, I'm more concerned with how they'll remember for the things I accomplished while I was here. Haven't given much thought to what I'll leave behind when I go.

I made sure my family was taken care of a long time ago. I hope they remember dad for the time spent. Lessons learned. Moments earned.

Life is so short....which is why I carry a 3.75" + folder.
 
SeppukuSamurai said:
Ahh, death.

I'd like my EDC to go to my wife. She will really appreciate knowing it was something I loved. If my children see value in my hobby, it is entirely at their disposal.

Frankly, I'm more concerned with how they'll remember for the things I accomplished while I was here. Haven't given much thought to what I'll leave behind when I go.

I made sure my family was taken care of a long time ago. I hope they remember dad for the time spent. Lessons learned. Moments earned.

Life is so short....which is why I carry a 3.75" + folder.
Click to expand...

Taking care of your family IS the legacy a good man leaves behind.
 
This reminds me of an old story published in Knife World about 40 years ago. The husband was into knives and classic cars and he kept a beautiful old car in the garage that was his pride and joy. However, his wife enjoyed neither of these things, so when he died her first inclination was to get rid of the junk car. She sold the thing for a song to a couple of her husbands silly friends. They take it home, look in the trunk and find a huge collection of knives, which they estimate had a street value in excess of $200 thousand.

The guys drove back to their friend's widow and explained what they had found. She didn't care and was angry that her husband has "wasted his life" with his silly hobbies; and threw the friends out.

The moral of the story is that there will always be winners and losers, and if our family's fail to value the "junk" we leave behind; we can only hope that some other like-minded soul will get to enjoy the windfall. Don't sweat it. Enjoy these things that you are interested in and share your time with your family and friends. The rest will sort itself out when the time comes.

n2s

p.s. Does anyone make a coffin with a built in knife roll? :D
 
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