Left behind.

johnny twoshoes

johnny twoshoes

Joined
Feb 3, 2011
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When an old knife comes into your life, do you ever question how, or why? I do.

My family and I attended the Rendezcous in Titusville, Pa this month, we also attended the picnic held by the company, which was very nice. We had some time to kill between the shop closing up and the picnic starting, so we stopped at a few antique places in the little town The first place we stop at had a lot of charm to go along with it’s musty atmosphere. I looked over the many advertisement and TL-29s they had, but figured like always that would be it.

“Did you see the knife over in the corner?”, my dad asked as I was wondering towards the door. I did a quick about face and made my way over the uneven, wooden floor to a little corner in the back. There in a little display stand, locked away was an unmistakeable little knife.

A Case peanut knife in stag adorned with a little white price tag by a piece of clear tape. I talked to the shop owner and he happily let me inspect it before I handed him the reasonable price and slid the knife into my pocket.
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The knife has some character to it, a crack here, a little piece of stag missing there and a walk and talk that would wake the dead. The stag is warm and worn smooth from years of carry, the blades have been sharpened down slightly, but obviously never abused.
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I have to wonder why it was there waiting to be rescued.... Was it replaced thoughtfully one Christmas morning by an excited grandchild and suddenly took up too much room? Maybe it fell out of a hunting vest on an early morning squirrel hunt only to be picked up and turned in for a small profit? Did a loved one pass with no knife user to appreciate it?

I’ll never know the story behind it, only the ones I’ll make with it. I do wonder if I’ll be able to get my kids, grandkids, nephews, or nieces into knives, enough so that my cherished little blades don’t end up adorned with a little white price tag waiting to be rescued; left behind.
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They all have a story of some kind I'm sure. I particularity like those old Case knives. Nice find. Thanks for sharing.
 
Great story!

I actually take the other side of that line of thinking. I have no children, and at 51, I have no plans to have any. I have an adult female niece who has no interest in knives.

So for me, I find it kind of comforting that at some point, my knives likely will find their way into some charming little shop with white price tags, waiting to provide a thrill and a surprise to someone I’ve never met, who will appreciate them, and will give those knives another chapter or two.
 
Astronaut FX said:
Great story!

I actually take the other side of that line of thinking. I have no children, and at 51, I have no plans to have any. I have an adult female niece who has no interest in knives.

So for me, I find it kind of comforting that at some point, my knives likely will find their way into some charming little shop with white price tags, waiting to provide a thrill and a surprise to someone I’ve never met, who will appreciate them, and will give those knives another chapter or two.
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I honestly don’t have a problem with that line of thought at all. When my collection was much bigger I used to think on how my family will never know what to do with them all when the time comes, there can’t be that many knife lovers in one family, right?

My perspective is different from a lot of people though. I think of the knives I’ve gotten from loved ones and how much I cherish them and couldn’t imagine them sitting in a shop, but at the same time I love seeing the passion for knives that others have and how one of my knives that don’t tickle me can make someone else’s day.

Thank you for your post.
 
I have knives I wonder about, most of all this old 6" butcher I've identified as an AC.co.
( pic from seller )
I wonder how many people owned it in it's 100 or so years before me, who made the sheath for it and when, how much game did they process with it, were they a trapper or was it used in memory making family hunting outings.
It's obviously seen a some light clean up at some point, and while it's seen a good deal of sharpening it wasn't over
sharpened or abused.


It may not be the same as a pocket worn old slipjoint, but I'm sure it's got some stories to tell.
 
Thanks Johnny, I like many, yourself included stare at a vintage old pocket knife and wonder where it's travels took it and even if it did travel or sat patiently waiting for Paul or Johnny to come along and give it the life it deserves:)
 
paulhilborn said:
Thanks Johnny, I like many, yourself included stare at a vintage old pocket knife and wonder where it's travels took it and even if it did travel or sat patiently waiting for Paul or Johnny to come along and give it the life it deserves:)
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I’ve always day dreamt of walking into one of those hole in the wall shops and finding an old beauty with enough life left to still be enjoyable, but this is the first time it’s truly happened.

Looking at this one it’s obvious it was sharpened and carried, but how long? It’s lived a good life for nearing 50 years old, which isn’t old of course, but some knives don’t last half a decade let alone half a century.
 
johnny twoshoes said:
I’ve always day dreamt of walking into one of those hole in the wall shops and finding an old beauty with enough life left to still be enjoyable, but this is the first time it’s truly happened.

Looking at this one it’s obvious it was sharpened and carried, but how long? It’s lived a good life for nearing 50 years old, which isn’t old of course, but some knives don’t last half a decade let alone half a century.
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Definitely.
One thing to consider is that with a small blade pretty much the whole length of it gets used with many cutting tasks, so it's easy to make sharpening a habit and do it too much.
I know my grandfather would wear the blade out on his Vic classics and just replace them as needed.
They're kind of a small dainty blade for a one and only pocket knife and I don't recall ever seeing him with a utility knife / razor knife so I know he used them for everything.

For a small knife with this much pocket time over the course of around 50 years it's in much better condition than you could ask for.
 
Nice post, I have wondered about the past life of the few truely antique knives I've managed to aquire. Like why does my 100 year old Challenge have full complete blades, has no one really used it much in 100 years? I'm pretty sure the Camillus WW2 PX knife I picked up was owned by a mechanic, the rosewood is stained almost ebony, and I cleaned black gunk out that smelled like old motor oil. But it was well took care of, aside from some minor dings from the bail end being used to hit something. Like the old saying goes " if it could only talk",
Thanks for the thread, whatever our old knives stories, let us add our chapter with the joy of our appreciation of fine old cutlery.
 
Johnny, if you ever decide to take it on a field trip to the Case/Zippo museum, give me a heads up and maybe I can meet you over there (it’s just over the hill from me). From your posts I can see that we’d be able to talk a lot about knives and hunting lol.

Nice find and it’s good to see that you’re already carrying it and giving it a new life.
 
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