Knives with sentimental value

[richstag]

I know everyone here must have a few knives that have more than monetary value to them. If you please, share these knives with us. I for one would love to see the knives that really mean something to you.

Here are two that were passed to me from my beloved grandfather who is no longer with us. They mean more to me than any of my other knives and I believe for very good reasons. I hope you enjoy the photos and if this has been done before…my apologies.

 

[KeithAM]

Last year for my 50th birthday my wife, son, and daughter got together, pooled their money, went to the local knife store, and bought me a Benchmade Gold Class Lum. It's not a knife I would have picked out for myself -- the level of workmanship does not match its high price -- but it has great sentimental value to me. It's the most extravagant thing they have ever given me, and likely ever will give me.

My daughter picked out a Case CV medium yellow stockman for me when she was little. I prize it and carry it often. The coin in the photo was my father's lucky silver dollar. He always carried it.

My wife picked out and gave me an Al Mar Havana Clipper several years ago, and I value that highly too. (It's near the top of the box and has a hole in the scale to use as a cigar cutter.)

The John Primble Congress in the photo below was my first real knife. My father took me to the local hardware store when I turned 10 and let me pick out the knife I wanted. I think I chose the Congress because it had the most blades.

The small Schrade LB-1 was my father's knife. I gave it to him when I worked at the same local hardware store as a young man. He carried it on his keychain and was never without it. I got it back when he passed away. (My son now works at the same hardware store.)

The Imperial Barlow knife on the bottom belonged to my wife's grandmother - "Nana" - who passed away this summer at the age of 99. She raised my wife because my wife's mother struggled with cancer during most of my wife's childhood. The knife was given to Nana by her inlaws who owned the local lumber and hardware business. My wife and her sisters decided I would appreciate it most so they gave it to me.

 

[thejamppa]

Here's two my most valued knives:

Vic Soldier is 8 years old but its been a lot there It basicly has been my only EDC for 7 years till last year when I started to carry Leatherman. The Puukko is made by smith Kivimäki. I have no faintest idea what steel that. It rusts pretty easily so it has high carbon levels. It gets razor sharp easily and holds edge well. That puukko has belonged over a decade to me. It was long time must expensive knife I had ever bought, costing around 50€'s (roughly $70-80) from smith himself in county fair.

My puukko has then served me well. Everytime I go out with my friends, hiking, cabin or similar its there with me. I learned to sharpen my knife with that. During army, it served as my utility belt knife. I used it from making fire to spread butter. I've dragged that thing probably twice the length of Finland and ditched that with my Ka-Bar from every possible water and moisture from Ocean to swamps and ditches. That puukko has grown with me, served me during my toughest time and that blade is one blade that I would place my life on it. It has never failed me.

 

[Krustofski]

thejamppa: Incidentally, my two knives of sentimental value are a Puukko and a SAK as well.



The Marttiini i got from my great-uncle, i.e. my grannys brother. While technically not my grandfather, he totally served that role for me. When I was around the age of 5, I saw him doing some home improvement (dunno, carpentry or something) and said I wanted, too.
So the next day he got me a complete tool kit, which I still use today. We started building chairs and birdhouses and stuff. Of course he showed me how to carve as well, so I needed a good knife for that. He got me the Marttiini from a boyscout store. I was the coolest kid in the neighborhood, having a 10 cm blade while all the others got lame pocket knives.
Later, at 92 years, my "granpa" still managed to renovate half of my new apartment while I was at a conference. "Yeah son, you became an egghad, it needed a craftsman to do the job."
Died last year
Every time I grab to that knife, I see him standing on his workbench.


I have this particular Victorinox Huntsman since I was 12. It's special, because I opened my first beer with it

 

[richstag]

Thanks for the pics and the stories! Good stuff!

 

[n_hall]

i got it from a guy when i was young (he was easily mid 20's and i was in the 5th grade maybe). he was sort of a role model to me. one day i was admiring his on his key chain and he later asked my parents if he could give me one for christmas. i like how the smallest box i got was one of the best gifts i've ever received. i haven't seen him for about 10 years now, don't know where he is. and over the years i somehow managed to break the tip off, don't remember how, and like most people i lost the toothpick. i've thought about keeping it on my key chain but i'm too afraid of loosing it. it was also my first knife.

 

[Roger999]

i got it from a guy when i was young (he was easily mid 20's and i was in the 5th grade maybe). he was sort of a role model to me. one day i was admiring his on his key chain and he later asked my parents if he could give me one for christmas. i like how the smallest box i got was one of the best gifts i've ever received. i haven't seen him for about 10 years now, don't know where he is. and over the years i somehow managed to break the tip off, don't remember how, and like most people i lost the toothpick. i've thought about keeping it on my key chain but i'm too afraid of loosing it. it was also my first knife.

If you send it back to Victorinox, they will replace the blade and scales.

 

[jorski3000]

Oh boy. Edged tools pack more sentimental value than I can begin to describe. I remember back when I was a tiny kid my mom warned me not to go to the tool box and cut myself with "daddy's better puukko", that being a small sami style sheath knife that, as far as I can remember, was a pretty beaten thing. But it was Daddys Better Puukko, so it got to mythical proportions in my little boy's mind.

(Excuse me for using Finnish here, but there's even a song about a boy talking about his father's better knife by the band CMX, some forumites may know it: "Ota juo tästä sanoin ja löin auki ranteeni, isäni hyvällä veitsellä mitäpä en tekisi vuoksesi... Sure struck a chord, that one.)

That knife is gone, but I'd give almost anything to get it.

Anyhow, some of my blades with sentimental value:

A micarta/brass lockback by Hebertz for Kettner Company. My first good knife that I still have, a gift from Dad when I was 15. The knife I had before this was taken by the police, but Dad didn't even tell me off. I hadn't done anything stupid, I just got searched for being with the wrong crowd. Dad thought that carrying a blade was ok, so he just got me a new, better one! This was my EDC for nearly 15 years, before I even knew what EDC is. It's still in one piece because I did all the heavy cutting with FBs, but it has too much play to get any pocket time anymore.

Next, my "EDC" for some very interesting years:

A South African made no-brand Panga style machete I bought at a market in East Africa. I had it in my car at all times, for SD, snakes, muggers, and camp activities. That is one seriously beaten blade, I've cut different types of vines, bushes, branches, roots, ropes, bone, coconuts, you name it. Even banana bunches. I had two of these, but I gave the other one to one of my local helpers and let him keep it. The Chinese or locally made pangas they normally use are pathetic pieces of junk. This one I believe is spring steel, very resilient and sharpens easily. I take it out for gardening for lulz sometimes, but for Finnish bush clearing, you need a bill hook or hatchet. No free hanging vines here.

And finally, grandfather's WWII bayonet, compass and vintage spork, all used between 1939 and 1944:

The bayonet, made by Hackman for the standard issue rifle, was used as a camp knife during war, no bayonet charges there. My grandfather was a light mortar squad leader so he was issued a submachine gun. After the war he used the bayonet for everything around the farm, and it also served as my father's fantasy sword when he was a kid. It was covered in rust and paint and sharpened so many times it's not anywhere near the original blade geometry.

I used the spoon/fork when I went camping as a kid, and I still do. The stainless steel war spork kicks lexan sporks' butts!

Then there's the compass by Suunto, with grandfather's markings, indicating the units he served in between 1939 and 1944:

(His name is blacked out.)

This is all that's left of a fighter and a builder of the great country we now have. He lost his health and spark in the war and started drinking, and passed away a broken man. I hardly got to know him. He rarely talked about the war, had thrown his medals and ribbons away. But he wanted me to have this:

A badge indicating that he was a veteran of the Winter War.

RIP, grandfather and father. Something of you survives in these blades you gave me.

 

[knarfeng]

My father's old pocket knife carries the most sentimental value for me. When he got it, I do not know for sure. It may have been in Europe during the 30's. But I remember him carrying it in the 50's.

 

[crom]

One of mine, it had been one of many that were my Grandfather,s and are now forever in my collection:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28393890@N07/2660228008/

 

[richstag]

Nothing better than knives with a history! These knives sure do look well loved!

 

[Hmathews]

I have a few, but only have pictures of a couple. The first is a Morseth Ozark Hunter I bought while I was in college around 1971 or 72. I have used it ever since. It has the three layers of steel Morseth was famous for and will rust in a second. It's a keeper!

This is a hunting knife I made for myself. It has a blade of CPM M4 and is the only knife with that steel I have made. I reversed the stag taper to get the feel I wanted and have since taken the ring off the butt cap because it made too much noise. I like it the way it is now and it is my go to knife for hunting.

 

[elkins45]

SNIP
This is all that's left of a fighter and a builder of the great country we now have. He lost his health and spark in the war and started drinking, and passed away a broken man. I hardly got to know him. He rarely talked about the war, had thrown his medals and ribbons away. But he wanted me to have this:

A badge indicating that he was a veteran of the Winter War.

RIP, grandfather and father. Something of you survives in these blades you gave me.

I'm sorry the war cost him so much. Your Grandfather and men like him saved the world from 1000 years of darkness.

 

[krazichinaman]

My friend gave me my first Sebenza as a graduation present. I have been carrying it since Dec 08. I used this knife to build a child's play kitchen on xmas eve. I've also used this knife to baton through firewood, when my friends power went out and their kids hands were dark blue from the cold.

I thought I lost the knife for 2 weeks when I carried a Spyderco Leafstorm and then I realized what the knife meant to me. I have since purchased a small 21 to replace it so this one can come out on special events. It's a pitty that I won't be carrying it as much since I'm afraid to lose it, but I don't know what I would do if I actually lost it. Those 2 weeks were hell for me....:thumbup:

 

[SIFU1A]

my 2 sentimental knives are the nazi SA dagger my dad brought back from WW2 and his old case 3 bladed pocket knife, he carried the pocket knife for probably 30 years and used it for everything from opening packages and whitteling to skinning large and small game.

the old case hasd been sharpened so much the blades have lost 1/4 or so of there original width.

 

[Charlie Mike]

BM 630 with wave and double edge. I did the modding during some troubled times in my life. I will never sell or trade it but I might give it to my future kids.

 

[Armadew]

This is my father's knife from when he was a kid. Both of us have put it to work:

The knife on top was my great-grandfather's. My grandmother gifted it to me years ago. The other one was also my fathers from his youth:

 

[thejamppa]

This is all that's left of a fighter and a builder of the great country we now have. He lost his health and spark in the war and started drinking, and passed away a broken man. I hardly got to know him. He rarely talked about the war, had thrown his medals and ribbons away. But he wanted me to have this:

A badge indicating that he was a veteran of the Winter War.

RIP, grandfather and father. Something of you survives in these blades you gave me.

That same happened to my other grandfather (from mother side) He served as medic in Karelian fronts 1941-1944. When he returned he was completely broken and less than 2 years later blew his head off with his service rifle. Long nightmares he saw constantly eventually overcame him.

I have no much record's of my other grandparent's from fatherside. My father side of family it was pretty much taboo talking their grandparents earlier family history since my grandma never accepted my mother as his son's wife. Never. my cousin has told though that one reason they don't talk older generation is because family had split in two section in late 30's and early 30's. Main branch stayed in Romania and near by area and their branch moved into Karelia area in late 20's and early 30's because of family feud.

And main branch never survived from Nazi's and then soviet's. Those who survived nazi's, never had changes with soviet occupation which communist rule were to follow in that area. So my father side has huge guilt of surviving the World War II.

Unfortunately during those times, you only needed to look like jewish to get shot by nazi's, work your self dead or worse... Even I after several generations am asked if I am jewish since I "somehow just look like one" *shrugs* and I have green eyes...

 

[richstag]

These stories are more than I thought I would see! Thank you for taking the time to share them. I feel that my grandfather's knives are a good way for me to be with him so to speak. I do not know why, but when I pick them up it is like a part of him is still with the knife, therefore a part of him is still with me.

My grandfather was probably the most influential person in my life so any way for me to remember him is valuable to me.

 

[Liveitloud]

My sentimental favorite is not near as fancy as the ones posted here. Great knives all. I have 2 that are sentimental to me. My girlfriend bought me a Caly III for Christmas one year. I have never carried it because it means so much. However, it's such a great knife that I bought another one as a user.

The most sentimental knife that I have ever owned is an old case trapper. My grandfather owned it originally and bought it in the 70's. I have seen him spend many an early morning sitting on the front porch in his rocker whittling.

After he died in 98 it was passed on to my father. My dad carried it for another 10 years and used it everyday. When mom and dad had to be put in an Alzheimer's facility last year they would not let him keep the knife.

Of all the things he forgets he asked about the knife evertime I saw him. I struck a deal with the facility that if I ground off the tip and dulled the blade they would let him have it.

Sometimes I'm not even sure he remembers me but when I walked in that day and handed him the knife he smiled from ear to ear and tears welled up in his eyes.