How Old Is Your Oldest Knife?

D

DropPoint

Joined
Oct 8, 2000
Messages
18
I'm not talking about antique knives here. I'm talking about the knives you bought as a kid and still have, or the ones that got passed down from your dad or grandpa.

I have an Italian lock-blade stiletto that I paid $3.00 for when I was about 10. That would be 1958. I think my mom still has dad's old pocket knife dating back to about 1940. There's a Camillus Air Force survival knife out in the garage with a messed up grip that I've had since about 1965. And the two blade pocket knife (one on each end -- what's that style?) with the small blade broken, and yellow/red striped plastic grips that's in the willow fishing creel. Cut my finger bad on that one when I was about 7!

Sure . . . let's hear about the Civil War sabre you inherited from Uncle Ernie and the thing you found at the silver mine ruins in Nevada . . .
 
Funny this was brought up! Just today, I was doing some major cleaning in my basement; believe me, you don't want to know what it looked like before I got started.

Anyway, guess what I found. I found the POS Tiawanese stainless "survival" knife that I bought out of a Boy's Life magazine when I was about 10. I remember, my Mom almost Sh*t!!! It is still in perfect condition, complete with fishing line and compass. The blade is butter knife dull, and is 5.25" blade length, 11.25" overall.

The blade has alot of play, but, hey, I never thought I'd see this thing again.

I showed my 10yo son, and he goes "Wow Dad, where'd you get that. Then I told him the story. Not that I want MY Cub Scout to buy such a knife out of a magazine. I buy him good quality knives, and teach him respect.

BTW, I am 35 now, so that would make this knife 25 years old!



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Lundo
 
Funny thing that this post Arises, I got in a box of stuff from my dad,, a knife,, an old " barlow" that he gave me when I was 8 and I got in so much trouble, momma threw it out. Well after the divorce and 23 yrs later he gave it back to me, he saved it from the garbage can and has been hanging on to it for me,, and it is HAIR POPPIN sharp! and the blades open Easily!, I swear he musta taken it out every week and honed it and oiled it ( there wasn't "white lightning" back then)! thanks DAD! its the little things that make you realize how you are loved. Not to mention, HIS dad dies and he gave me a set of HAND made kitchen knifes from our Kin in Germany several generations ago,, they are CLASSIC!, probably not worth a lot, but they are worth a LOT to me! and the FINEST steel!!!

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My oldest knife is 37.That was also my first knife. My dad gave it to me to start my collection because it to was his first knife. A SWISS.
 
I have a Buck Trapper that I bought back in high school, so I guess that makes it close to 30 years old. Carried it for years, abused the heck out of it, and it's still going strong.

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Dave

Let no one ever from henceforth say one word in any way countenancing war. It is dangerous even to speak of how here and there the individual may gain some hardship of soul by it. For war is hell, and those who institute it are criminals. Siegfried Loraine Sassoon
 
I have several of my grandfathers knives, including the fighting knife he carried in WWII. I also have his grandfathers pocketknife. It has two blades and is so old and has been sharpened so much the blades are really thin. They are like toothpicks. I don't know how old it is or the brand.

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Brian
AKTI# A000991
b.teel@lycos.com
 
I have my first knife. A Camillus campling knife with jigged scales. I got it when I was six on vacation at Silver Dollar City.

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EXCUSE ME WHILE I WHIP THIS OUT.
**Blazing Saddles**

kansasC.gif
 
I recently acquired my great-grandfather's pocket knife. It's an Imperial and I'd guess that it's at least 60 years old, although I don't know its exact age.

It's not a well made knife and I'm certain that it has no monetary value, but it's cool to have an old knife that's been in the family.
 
I have a couple of old knives that were passed down to me.

One is my Dad's Air Force Pilot's knife he was issued while in the service during WWII. Actually, I haven't seen it since our move north 10 years ago, but it has a leather handle, about a 5" clipped blade, and sawteeth if I recall correctly.

The other is a reground & rehandled lettuce knife my Uncle made for the same war. The blade was reprofiled into a clip point bowie style, and the wood handle replaced with cast lead to serve as a hand load.

The oldest I've collected is a WWII vintage John Ek guardless double edge dagger. Bernard Levine appraised this one at the Oregon Show.


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"When loss and gain are alike to one, that is real gain.."
 
I feel fortunate in owning a first year Marble's Woodcraft (1915) that was my Grandfather's. Has a leather handle and stag pommel and is excellent condition for being 85 years young. While I own many knives both superior in function and costing significantly more, none of them seem quite as attractive as this one. I guess it is my version of knife nirvana
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[This message has been edited by blademan 13 (edited 10-10-2000).]
 
I still have the small KampKing pocket knife my Dad gave in 1968 for my birthday. I also have his homemade fixed blade hunting knife (circa 1944). Both knives still work just fine!
smile.gif


AJ
 
My oldest knife is a 4 inch slab of flint. Single edged full serations, sort of a drop point. It came out of the ground sharper that most productions knifes come out of the box these days. I don't know who made it, but I wish he/she was on the quality control Dept. of a certain high end west coast knife Co.
 
I have one made by Talbot in France marked 1835

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Although it does not mindfully keep guard in the small mountain fields, the scarecrow does not stand in vain
Bukkoku
 
I have one of those stilletos too, from about the same time period. I wonder how similar mine is to yours? I get a chance I will scan mine and post it.

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
excluding my japanese katanas[the oldest is dated 1350-60 a.d my oldest knife is a cataragus quartermaster which my father carried in wwII,and since it went with him to another 5 wars.
this knife is a real vetern and has been through a lot.
but i retired it and carry a diffirent knife when i go to service.
scorpio.
 
About the time I went off to college my mom was cleaning out a drawer and found a bunch of pocket knives that she confiscated from me while I was in elementary school. Generally they were one or two-bladed basic folders. I probably scavenged them out of trash cans in alleys, I don't even remember getting them (or her taking them). I've still got one or two in my collection. I probably first got them 45 years ago. I would guess that they were manufactured 60-70 years ago.

The knife that I've had the longest in my continous possession is a hunting knife I bought 41 years ago. A decently made Japanese blade.

I've got a Navy Mk II combat knife from a friend's dad that is 57 years old, and I've had for 30+ years. I've got several WWI trench knives that I've had for over 30 years and were made over 80 years ago.
 
I have a wenger swiss army knife that belonged to my dad.It is over 50 yrs old has a metal shield, old style can opener and is marked wengerinox, what they use to stamp on their blades (to mimick victorinox) when they wouldnt sell!!!
 
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