The Things They Carried

S

SubSpace

Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
630
There is a great book by Tim O'Brien called The Things They Carried. It's a collection of short stories loosely threaded into a novel and it tells about the life of soldiers during the Vietnam War by describing, as the title suggests, the things they carried.

I've inherited several possessions of my grandfather's, among them the things he carried during World War II and throughout the rest of his life. I believe these things tell a story.

DSCN2813.JPG


This is Grandpa Carl's Case Slick-black Jack, which i have previously shown in another post, along with his Zippo lighter. The knife is a TestedXX tang stamp, so Grandpa would have gotten this knife anywhere between 1920 and 1940. He was born in 1918, so he could have gotten it as a high school graduation present, inherited it from a brother, or it could have been a wedding present from my grandmother (they were married in 1940). Unfortunately, I don't have Grandma or Grandpa around anymore to ask, but I do know this knife must have been a cherished possession, as he always had it with him for at least 71 years. You can see from the photo below how much he favored the pen blade, for it is sharpened so extensively that the point is no longer inside the handle when closed.

DSCN2820.JPG


As to the Zippo...Grandpa smoked Phillip Morris, and the flat-fifty box was one he received for Christmas sometime in the 1930's. He quit smoking when his first daughter was born, but he still would go out to work with a cigarette unlit in his mouth, and come back in with it all bent up but still unlit.

Below is a photo comparing Grandpa's knife to my own EDC, a Case Peanut CV. My blades have not formed a patina as I have never forced one and do not use my pocket knife for food prep if I can help it. It looks so tiny compared to what Grandpa Carl carried everyday.

DSCN2816.JPG


And here is a clip blade comparison--

DSCN2817.JPG


I hope I can inspire other people to post pictures of things your father, grandfather, uncle, or any loved one carried. These objects tell a story, and I very much want to hear yours.

Best--
Andrew
 
Great title for a thread and, I agree, an excellent book as well!

To keep things in line with the forum. let's keep the thread focused on the traditional "knives they carried" so we don't go meandering off into areas this sub-forum was not intended for.

That's a great looking Case...I wish I still had the knives my grandfather gave me back in the late 50's and early 60's before he passed.
 
that is a fine looking Case. thanks for reminding me of the simpler times when you didn't have to have the greatest and latest to survive. Travis
 
Great photos, Andrew.

Here is what I carried almost everyday in Iraq. Case full-size trapper in CV.

Image06052011200602.jpg
 
Very nice old Case, Andrew!:thumbup:

From the looks of the edge, and the steel just in back of the edge, it looks like your granddad did indeed prefer the pen blade. Not just sharpened more, but the metal is not as rusty down by the edge like on the master blade. Used way more by the looks of it.

It's always of interest to me the pedestrian knives that are used by soldiers. Most times, it's whatever they would have carried and used back home. Some sort of jack. Or a TL-29. I wish I had my uncles TL-29. My Uncle Charlie was one of those GI's who waded ashore at Normandy, and walked all the way to Germany. He carried a TL-29 the whole way as his pocket knife, and for 25 years after the war it was in his pocket. Only retired it when I brought him a new one from our supply room. My cousin Dave has it now. I once asked him what it was like crossing the Rhine. Uncle Charlie had a dry wit, and all he'd say was 'Well, it was damm scary. Those German boys didn't really want us to cross, so we had to sort of force the issue."

Funny, what humble knives are with good men doing great things.

Carl.
 
Tom, that's a great looking trapper. I'm betting there's a lot of sentimental value in it.

Carl--You're right about that little pen blade. I'll tell you, the main clip blade has a snap to it that is stronger than my year old peanut. But the pen is so weak you can't even tell it once had a half-stop. Now, for most folks that would mean, "time to get a new knife." But Grandpa's hands lost a lot of their dexterity, and that weakened back spring was exactly what he needed. The knife aged right along with him. And it continued to give until the end.
 
Hey Jug great user selection and welcome aboard Tom and SubSpace; thanks for serving sir! I miss Mr. Skelton something bad! I have to agree with what Jackknife said and as we can see our brave men and women are still using these humble tools!
 
Last edited:
Great idea for a thread. I was working late in the garage one night, and NPR was on the radio. The author of The Things They Carried was reading from the book. It had all of us mesmorized. I sat down with my son a couple days later and told him about his great-grandfathers' knives:

GrandpaKnives001.jpg


Family tradition holds that the Camillus TL-29 was carried by my grandfather (mother's side) in Europe, and later in the Pacific and during his time in The Army of Occupation of Japan. When Germany capitulated in '45, my grandfather had the chance to come home, but he decided to go "help out in the Pacific", from what I understand. Apparently whatever skill he was trained in was needed in the Pacific theater as well. Thankfully, Japan surrendered before he saw any action.

He carried this one and a couple of others over the years, during his time in the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture as an animal husbandry expert. After he died in '66, my grandmother, who had arthritis, later had a friend open up the main blade for her, and she left it open on a table in the garage. She used it to open bags of fertilizer, scrape lawnmower blades, etc. The main blade was a dull, pitted mess when I found it, but sharpened up really well on her kitchen stone. The screwdriver blade still has some of the factory finish on it, and probably hadn't been opened in almost thirty years.

Back in 2003, my grandmother told me some of his experiences, and I made journal entries on all of it. (I'm so glad I did - we lost grandma in 2005.)

3/7/2012: Edited to add - from the sixth picture in this thread, I think the one I have was made after 1946.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/497708-Camillus-Tang-stamps-and-dates

The Schrade-Walden Rigger's knife is one my dad gave his father back in the 60's. It was issued to my dad in the navy, but being stationed on missile subs, his job didn't really require that type of knife. He gave it to my grandfather, who told him several times over the years how much he liked it. When my grandfather died in '79, my dad found it in his fishing box. Now bear in mind, this knife was new in the box when my dad gave it to grandpa in the mid-60's. When dad found it after he died, one scale was disintegrated, the spike was loose & the spikelock barely works, the blade is 1/4" shorter than when issued, and it rattles like a baby toy. My dad's mom said it went on every fishing & camping trip they went on, and "probably scaled & gutted a few thousand trout."

I also have a little TRIM knife that is identical to the one my dad carried on his keychain for years in the navy.

I have other items too, but that's the stories on the knives.

~Chris
 
Last edited:
Chris--that TL-29 is a beaut. I admit to not being familiar with this type of knife before this thread. Love that spike on the rigger's knife.
 
i have my uncle buds imperial stockman that he carried in the 101st airborne and during the battle of the bulge
 
There is so much history in items that loved ones carried before us. If only those items could tell their stories to us....
I must add however that not a single person at my school appreciates the book or what its message is (or anything at all for that matter). I hope that when my children come across my old items, they will cherish them and their sentimental value. I just received my grandpa's old jacket from WWII, it hasn't left my shoulders since....I can post pics, but they will be of low quality.
Great post, I really enjoyed it.
 
Great thread! I don't have anything like that from my Grandfathers, but I hope this qualifies.

My father served in the Air Force, spent time in Korea. He was EOD, and carried this kit.

DadsEODkit.jpg



He used to have the tool pouch attached to the front of the knife sheath. He had removed the stone pouch. When he gave that kit to me, I took it apart, and made a new stone pouch for the sheath. The knife is a Camillus 1967.

Glenn
 
My kinda thread, first post here.

My father carried this Pal Cutlery knife through the Philippine campaign and for years after that as a civilian. He said that when it was issued that they called it a "pioneer knife." Not as sexy as a bone handled Camillus but it means a lot to me. Pictured with the Nambu he sent back with a buddy who got an earlier ticket home.

IMG_1584resize.jpg


The Randall was carried by a neighbor in China when he worked for Claire Chennault. When he (the neighbor) passed it was given to me by his wife.

randall2.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top