ScottK
Platinum Member
- Joined
- May 25, 1999
- Messages
- 2,088
My wife and I recently returned from a vacation in Wyoming, while there we took a rental car and made a large loop through several towns and cities. We saw many beautiful sites and met many interesting people. On highlight for me was to scour the small antique stores and pawn shops along the way looking for old traditional knives. In Cody, WY in a small pawn shop near Hotel Irma, I found a nice, small Maher & Grosh pearl handle whittler knife. This knife had been carried and used, it has cracked pearl handles but amazingly this 100+ year old knife had great walk and talk. I had to rescue this old knife from the dusty shelf of the pawn shop. The blades had some patina and rust on them but the knife cleaned up nicely. What really surprised me is after a few strokes on a ceramic stone how sharp the knife was. I know the hardness of blades may not compare many of todays offerings but the geometry is spot on, this little 3 ¼ inch whittler is an absolute razor. I wish some of todays makers would offer a similar quality knife.
Since this knife was probably made in the late 1800s and was found in Cody, I wonder who has carried this knife in the past, as it was relatively well cared for. Perhaps a gambler, banker, rancher or physician may have carried it. Certainly a ranch hand or cowboy would have selected a larger knife for hard work. Ill never know who owned its but it mine to appreciate for the time being.
Since this knife was probably made in the late 1800s and was found in Cody, I wonder who has carried this knife in the past, as it was relatively well cared for. Perhaps a gambler, banker, rancher or physician may have carried it. Certainly a ranch hand or cowboy would have selected a larger knife for hard work. Ill never know who owned its but it mine to appreciate for the time being.
