Papa's knives

[Vonderek]

Here are some pics of my grandfather's pocket knives which were handed down to me after my parents passed. I don't know the history or exact age but I am guessing they are from the early to mid 20th century. He did okay without any tactical folders. I hope you enjoy seeing them.

 

[dave308ek]

Nice Pictures of some great old knives Vonderek. Glad you have some mementos to remember your Grandfather by.

 

[knowtracks]

Most Excellent!



Dave

 

[edbeau]

Nice knives and they show that they were used. Good way to remember your grandfather.

 

[jackknife]

Here are some pics of my grandfather's pocket knives which were handed down to me after my parents passed. I don't know the history or exact age but I am guessing they are from the early to mid 20th century. He did okay without any tactical folders. I hope you enjoy seeing them.

He sure seemed to love this one more than all the others, judging from the wear on the blades. Looks like used and carried a heck of a lot. Must have been his favorite for some reason.

Loved seeing these well used and loved pocket knives from another era. Our grandfathers knew what was needed and what wasn't. :thumbup:

Tactical? We don't need no steenkin' tactical!

 

[glennbad]

That Schrade dates between 1917-1946. The Imperial is in the 1950-1960 range, I believe.

Nice mementos!

 

[Liberando]

Wonderful, classy heirlooms, Vonderek, thanks for sharing these with us!

 

[Vonderek]

Thanks all. The second one down from the top looks like the blade tip was held over a match. I am wondering if he used this for a splinter removal or some other minor field expedient first aid. Or it could have been used for cleaning out his pipe. He was quite the pipe smoker and when I think of him I think of him playing gin rummy with my dad and I can still remember the smell of the pipe tobacco.

 

[Gevonovich]

Thanks for sharing these treasures!! He was a scientist?

 

[jackknife]

Do you know much about his life, like what he did and where he lived for most of it?

When I see knives like these, it always makes me think of when I was growing up. It was a different era then, and almost every man who had pants on, had a pocketknife in there someplace. Most times it was a small two bladed pen or jack. Nobody ever seemed to carry a large knife, but my memory is filled with the typical "old guy with a little pen knife" kind of scenario. It didn't really seem to matter if it was a true pen or a small hack, they were always referred to as a "pen knife" by most people. Kind of like in the 1970's any large single bladed knife was sometimes called a Buck knife.

I think it makes a statement of some kind how these men managed to get by very nicely with a small pocket knife for their everyday cutting needs. Now, if only those old knives could talk!

 

[Vonderek]

That side of the family were Tories who fled from a large farm in N. Carolina to Canada during the Revolution. Eventually they returned to the US and settled in Buffalo. My grandfather lived his life in NY and PA. He was not a scientist but worked for a glass company. In his retirement years (besides gin rummy and pipe smoking) he had an awesome vacuum tube shortwave radio (which I wish I had) and also played mah jong on an antique bamboo and ivory set (wish I had that too). He had a hilarious sense of humor and loved a good joke. I always thought of him as old and sedentary until many years after his death when I transferred all the 8mm home movies to video and found footage of him as an old man riding a bicycle up and down the driveway....standing on the seat and doing tricks.