High school graduation present...My jaw is sore from hitting the floor

G

gubby

Joined
Sep 23, 2005
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Well, my last day of high school is tomorrow (14 June, 2006); graduation is the next day. My grandfather, Lieutenant Robert D. Escherich, USNR, Ret., just arrived this afternoon and gave me my present. This is a Navy saber worn by my great grandfather, Walter J. Escherich, former Ensign, USN, during WWI. He enlisted into the Navy in April 1917 as a Seaman 2nd class and was discharged from active duty in May 1919 as an Ensign. Talk about pure motivation…this is the coolest thing I’ve ever received from anyone. :D And if you look closely in front of the blade, you can see the initials WE carved into the hand guard.

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If you want to see any additional pictures, ask away! :D
 
oops, sorry about it being in the wrong forum. I could've sworn we had a sword forum, just couldn't see it. My fault, won't happen again. :o
 
Gubby - please thank Grandpappy so much that he gets tired of hearing it. This is as much a big deal to him as it is to you.

cheers!
 
Powernoodle, you have no idea... :D

I've thanked him over and over again. He told me what it meant to him, and that with my interests in life it would be best to pass it on to me. He's also got one of great grandpa's old uniforms...that's got to be neat as well
 
I do hope that Grandad has taught you the proper care of that saber. It has a carbon steel blade and will rust and it will also stain from the oil in people's hands if they touch it and you do not wipe it down very quickly with an oily rag.

Other than that, congratulations on a wonderful family piece. My grandmother gave me her dad's dress sword, a Model 1872 Officer's Dress Sword, that I value very highly, and a friend, a member of the Naval Reserve, has his grandad's Naval Saber from WWI that he uses when he needs it. These sorts of things are of inestimable value.
 
Nice thing. There is a prowerb - if you want to please a woman, give her a mirror, if you want to please a man, give him a sword.
 
Well, grandpa didn't teach me about the oily rag thing (he probably didn't know). The blade looks to be chrome plated? It has some rust spots on it, but only where that plating is worn away. I'm keeping it wiped down with Hoppe's universal gun oil, and it's working ok!
 
Yep, keep 'er clean and oiled and she'll be fine. Also, it's a good idea to not store a sword in the scabbard; it can be a good trap for dust and moisture. That's a real beuty you have there!
 
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