Is this worth anything?

I believe that is a knife made predominantly for the tourist market. I had a similar one decades ago and found the steel was very soft. It was a horrible "user" knife. Like others have suggested, keep it as a memento of your grandfather. He obviously didn't feel it was a shame to not use it......
 
riversidedep said:
I believe that is a knife made predominantly for the tourist market. I had a similar one decades ago and found the steel was very soft. It was a horrible "user" knife. Like others have suggested, keep it as a memento of your grandfather. He obviously didn't feel it was a shame to not use it......
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I am of the same opinion. Made for the tourist trade. Nice to look at, but not made for actual use.
 
Mora is a good call. Depending on the work, you might be better served by an Old Hickory or Green River knife. If you want the flat grind of the specimen, a Dexter Green River fish knife for sure. Any one of those will cost you a lot less than it would to rehandle.
 
If your close to your grandfather, I would put it up and leave it as it is. If you modify it in any way, you’ll regret it later on when you get older and the decisions you made earlier in life will really start sinking in. Believe me, sentimental value has no price tag.
 
I would leave it alone. First and foremost because your grandfather bought it because he liked it the way it is now.

Can't comment on the value but I can tell you growing up in South Texas those knives were sold all along the border towns next to Mexico for decades. They were sold in the border tourist shops next to the bullwhips, zarapes, oversize sombreros and the velvet Jesus/Elvis paintings. They came in a few different sizes and the sheaths could be quite festive in their coloring.

These were tourist goodies made from ridiculously soft steel made to be show pieces, not for any real use. Even though I am just a couple of hours from the border, due to the violence I have not been across in about 20 years. In the 70s and 80s me and the boys went to Mexico for the cheap food/drink/accommodations all the time. Those knives were everywhere then for under $10 so I think the real value is that it came from your grandfather.

Robert
 
If it doesn't hold any sentimental value for you, you could probably get 20 for it on the bay. That would fund a modern, carbon steel knife that functions well as a knife.

As an aside, that style is was made in Oaxaca, which is known for knives. The region produced everything from junk keychains to well-made, signed customs--all of which I find to be interesting. Some of them have wild sayings etched onto the blades. I saw one in a Merida museum that was etched with, "My blade is hungry for the meat of men." Fun stuff
 
AES13452 said:
I guess if everyone thinks I should keep it as it is I will heed your advice.
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That knife is worth a small fortune. It was your grandfather’s knife; if you destroy it where are you going to find another knife, at any price, that has been so intimately connected to your grandfather?

Put it away as is, or better yet frame it along with a nice photo of grand dad.

There are an abundance of knives out there for you to use. This isn’t one of them. The knife has been entrusted to you for posterity. Do your best to protect it.

n2s
 
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