M.i.r. knife - To Prune or not to Prune !

[Pipeman]

That knife belonged to my great-grandfather. You have thoroughly ruined a family heirloom.

:thumbup:

 

[Mathias I Ralston IV]

My grandfather, Mathias Isaac Ralston, Jr., served a long prison sentence for gutting a hooligan with that knife. My aunt, my father's sister and an eye-witness, testified that it was self-defense, but the jury decided otherwise. My grandmother, mother, and my father, Mathias Isaac Ralston, III (a young boy at the time), were left destitute and eventually drifted to New Orleans where the three of them found work on the wharf. Hard years were endured.

My father eventually earned a scholarship to Tulane University and later Harvard Law School. Before he passed away, he had served 40 years as a criminal defense attorney and U.S. Magistrate. He spent many years trying to clear his father's name. He died before doing so.

The pursuit to exonerate my grandfather was left to me. I had followed in my father's footsteps, Tulane and Harvard, but chose to be a prosecutor rather than a defender. Anyway, with the help of the Cold Case Initiative at Syracuse University College of Law, I successfully re-opened the case and exonerated my grandfather, Mathias Isaac Ralston, Jr.

I was able to recover my great-grandfather's pruning knife and gave it to my mother as a memento. She kept it proudly displayed in my father's study. She is quite edlerly now and apparently fell victim to a swindler who absconded with several high value works of art and my great-grandfather's pruning knife.

It is distressing and disheartening to learn (from a kind member of this forum) of the disposition of the knife which once and rightly belonged in the Ralston family.

 

[wlfryjr]

One has to wonder what other misfortunes might befall this tragic family.

 

[Peregrin]

It's either a true story, bordering on a Greek Tragedy, or a well spun yarn.

Funny thing is a Google search on the name doesn't return anything remotely like your story. That kind of injustice usually makes the news.

Either way, well done.

 

[RDaneel]

Great job of restoration, Rob. I am beginning to understand that much of the beauty in your knives comes from your work in making them that way.

Looks like you are ready for spring with two pruners!

 

[puukkoman]

my grandfather, mathias isaac ralston, jr., served a long prison sentence for gutting a hooligan with that knife. My aunt, my father's sister and an eye-witness, testified that it was self-defense, but the jury decided otherwise. My grandmother, mother, and my father, mathias isaac ralston, iii (a young boy at the time), were left destitute and eventually drifted to new orleans where the three of them found work on the wharf. Hard years were endured.

My father eventually earned a scholarship to tulane university and later harvard law school. Before he passed away, he had served 40 years as a criminal defense attorney and u.s. Magistrate. He spent many years trying to clear his father's name. He died before doing so.

The pursuit to exonerate my grandfather was left to me. I had followed in my father's footsteps, tulane and harvard, but chose to be a prosecutor rather than a defender. Anyway, with the help of the cold case initiative at syracuse university college of law, i successfully re-opened the case and exonerated my grandfather, mathias isaac ralston, jr.

I was able to recover my great-grandfather's pruning knife and gave it to my mother as a memento. She kept it proudly displayed in my father's study. She is quite edlerly now and apparently fell victim to a swindler who absconded with several high value works of art and my great-grandfather's pruning knife.

It is distressing and disheartening to learn (from a kind member of this forum) of the disposition of the knife which once and rightly belonged in the ralston family.

LOL!!! Well played.

 

[waynorth]

As we all know, many of us differ on whether or not to clean/refinish an old knife.
I am strongly in the as-found camp, but will defend to the death a person's right to hold the opposite view!!
But the question arises; will Ralston-ated replace Primble-ized in the lexicon??

 

[Primble]

That knife belonged to my great-grandfather. You have thoroughly ruined a family heirloom.

My grandfather, Mathias Isaac Ralston, Jr., served a long prison sentence for gutting a hooligan with that knife. My aunt, my father's sister and an eye-witness, testified that it was self-defense, but the jury decided otherwise. My grandmother, mother, and my father, Mathias Isaac Ralston, III (a young boy at the time), were left destitute and eventually drifted to New Orleans where the three of them found work on the wharf. Hard years were endured.

My father eventually earned a scholarship to Tulane University and later Harvard Law School. Before he passed away, he had served 40 years as a criminal defense attorney and U.S. Magistrate. He spent many years trying to clear his father's name. He died before doing so.

The pursuit to exonerate my grandfather was left to me. I had followed in my father's footsteps, Tulane and Harvard, but chose to be a prosecutor rather than a defender. Anyway, with the help of the Cold Case Initiative at Syracuse University College of Law, I successfully re-opened the case and exonerated my grandfather, Mathias Isaac Ralston, Jr.

I was able to recover my great-grandfather's pruning knife and gave it to my mother as a memento. She kept it proudly displayed in my father's study. She is quite edlerly now and apparently fell victim to a swindler who absconded with several high value works of art and my great-grandfather's pruning knife.

It is distressing and disheartening to learn (from a kind member of this forum) of the disposition of the knife which once and rightly belonged in the Ralston family.

Hmmm .......................... a little distressing that you joined the forum just yesterday and your only two posts thus far are in this thread, HOWEVER, I will assume that you are a man of honor and integrity and address the situation:

Firstly - since I posted this thread I have received four emails from one Matthew Ike Ronan, a Marcus Ivan Robinson, a Malcom Igorsky Racina , and a Manuel Imran Radden, all claiming round-about ownership of said NYKC Pruner. The stories were very interesting, some outlandish !

On top of that, last Friday, I took that untouched knife with me over to the small diner where I eat breakfast most mornings with my friends. I thought it might be a good conversation piece. I showed it off to all my friends, with it's highly polished bolsters over pitting, sunken pivot pin, dark brown shiny varnish, and M.i.r. carving.

At the time, the topic of conversation was the UK-Vanderbilt game coming up on Saturday. Now most of the time I can show that bunch of old guys a nice old pocket knife and they go bonkers over it, wonder where it had been, marvel at the old patina, and try to talk me into pricing them, which I never do.

But that morning, they just glanced at that old knife and went back to talking sports and just about everything else. Feeling neglected and a bit embarrassed over it, I slipped it quietly back in my coat pocket.

Shortly afterwards, there was one 75 year old man walked in and sat down and he is a real talker, trader, hunter, and quite a bit of other things. Many times, when he walks in, many get up and walk out. He joined in the conversation and talked about all that was wrong with Kentucky basketball this year and that they needed to fire John Calipari, etc. etc.

I showed him the M.i.r. knife and he just looked it over and handed it back to me and started talking about his coon hounds. He is usually a big talker about pocket knives, although not nearly as knowledgable as others I know. Not a word, not a smile, nuthin ! His name is Haskew Robertson.

I slipped it back in my pocket and did not take it back out agin that Friday morning.

So yesterday morning I go back to the diner for breakfast and show the restored knife off to a few friends and they were in love with it then. Ohh - what a fantastic knife they exclaimed !

A short while later, Haskew Robertson walks in and starts talking about how he made twenty seven thousand dollars last year with breeding his coon hounds and how it supplemented his nine hundred dollar a month social security check and how his dogs are world re-nowned, etc. etc.

He continued on and laid his .38 special snub nose revolver on the old table, as he often does, talked about how he never pays income taxes on it, reflected back to when his daddy shot the sheriff over in Danville, and his usual knows just about everything conversations.

Shortly afterwards, my friend Jim, able to finally get in a word edge-wise, asked me to show Haskew that old knife. Well, I already had showed it to him on Friday with no response, so I was reluctant. Still, I finally slipped the old Pruner out and he grabbed at it and looked it over carefully. I told him that it was the same M.i.r. knife and he exclaimed, rather loudly, that was my Daddy's knife - his name was Mark I. Robertson !! I said, yeah right, and laughed. I asked him why he did not say that on Friday and he said that he did not want to create a bad scene.

I put the knife back in my pocket and he reached for the .38 special and I realized I had rushed out the door that morning and forgot to pack my cell phone, glasses, or any heat. Old haskew just kept getting louder and louder and saying "That's Daddy's knife" "That's Daddy's knife" !!"

Embarrassed, I decided it was not worth risking my life to keep it and I really wanted to shut him up, so I gave him that purty old knife.

You see, there was another carving a little different on the other side that was different from the one I showed in the picture and I weeded out those email claims for my gifted knife by asking them to tell me what was on the other side. But, old Haskew remembered what was on the other side and told me. He had looked at it better than I thought on Friday.

So Mathias, your story seems better than old Haskews, I really believe you. But, before I risk my life to retrieve it, will you please answer one question. What was carved on the Mark side of the Pruner ?

If you can tell me, I will put my other pruner and my .38 snub nose in my pocket and try to get past his no tresspassing or else signs, his Doberman Pichers, his Pitbull dogs, and his tall security fence and fight him for your knife.

Please post your answer in this thread.

I hope you can as I really never thought it belonged to his daddy in the first place !!

 

[Pipeman]

It just gets betterer and betterer.

 

[wlfryjr]

I believe Haskew is old Buzz's heir.

[video=youtube;REvuCAPH9-8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REvuCAPH9-8[/video]

 

[Pipeman]

Haven't heard John Hammond in years, saw him in person many times in Toronto in the 60s. Thanks Lyle.

Best regards

Robin

 

[Mathias I Ralston IV]

That's really quite simple, Mr. Primble. My father, Mathias Isaac Ralston III, added 7 notches for the 7 people who testified against his father.

There's space enough for an 8th notch, Mr. Primble. Just saying.

 

[Primble]

That's really quite simple, Mr. Primble. My father, Mathias Isaac Ralston III, added 7 notches for the 7 people who testified against his father.

There's space enough for an 8th notch, Mr. Primble. Just saying.

That is incorrect sir !

You will have to do your own fightin' for yer knife, if you still believe it to be your family heirloom !! Maybe there are two M.i.r. knives in the world !

I warn you that that old feller has a quite vicious reputation. Jim told me that Haskew once kill'd a bar with that Cattaraugus straight razor he always carries in his left pocket. He will also have the .38 in his right pocket, and by now a NYKC Hawkbill Pruner on his person, which I imagine has now been thoroughly rough sharpened with his warped grinding wheel.

The story about his father is actually very true - he did shoot the sheriff in the county bordering mine. That was many years ago and the sheriff survived, however, blind for life in his left eye.

He was back in the diner this morning and had his back to me when I got there. He was showing EVERYONE the NYKC Pruner and spewing "My daddy sure knew how to take care of a pocket knife" !!!

I wanted to croak !

Good luck in your endeavor good sir Mathias !

 

[JSCHENK]

So what was the other inscription?

 

[onojoe]

I wish every post was like this.

 

[BearBug]

Awesome work Primble, and truly awesome reading thread.

 

[knarfeng]

So, not to impugn anyone's integrity. But if someone were to sign up a duplicate account so as to post in a thread in a disguised sort of way, well, duplicate accounts get banned. BF site rules.

Just sayin'.

 

[Primble]

Great job of restoration, Rob. I am beginning to understand that much of the beauty in your knives comes from your work in making them that way.

Looks like you are ready for spring with two pruners!

Thank you Dean - nice of you to say ! :thumbup:

As we all know, many of us differ on whether or not to clean/refinish an old knife.
I am strongly in the as-found camp, but will defend to the death a person's right to hold the opposite view!!
But the question arises; will Ralston-ated replace Primble-ized in the lexicon??

Different in some ways and alike in others. That is what gives us character, I reckon ! I too respect opposing views. :thumbup:

It just gets betterer and betterer.

:thumbup:

I believe Haskew is old Buzz's heir.

Nice addition Lyle ! :thumbup:

So what was the other inscription?

If I told that, I might get fourteen more claims of ownership ! Only in case of court proceedings, my friend !

I wish every post was like this.

Awesome work Primble, and truly awesome reading thread.

:thumbup:

So, not to impugn anyone's integrity. But if someone were to sign up a duplicate account so as to post in a thread in a disguised sort of way, well, duplicate accounts get banned. BF site rules.

Just sayin'.

Thank you for making them boys shake in their boots Frank - I expect that might have happened. If it makes any difference, I want to say that I would not be in favor of that individual being banned - it might be a member we all know and respect. Maybe a wrist slap or infraction, if punishment has to happen. I think it was kept fairly respectful and all in good fun. Thank everyone for contributing, your comments, your scalawag claims to my gifted knife, etc. etc.

I am closing the thread to help Gary and Frank from having to follow it closely.

It will also relieve me of all your scalawag claims to my beloved Pruner.

I must now focus on how best to retrieve it back from from that ole character Haskew, sporting his bibbed overalls, Dekalb seeds cap, and my Rosewood Pruner sticking out of his chest pocket.

If you never hear from me again, he kill'd me.

 

[Markesharp]

Primble - You are most welcome.
The thing is, the first knife was a gift, the second was a gift to my grandfather by Matthew I. Rawlings III, a former Jackson Court judge. This knife was a gift to my grandfather back in 1943 while they served together in WWII.
He always wondered what the knife would look like without the carved handles, and that was the reason I sent it to you and I am so looking forward to having it back in my possession again. :thumbup:

 

[Primble]

Ohh no !!!!!!!!!!