Mother's Day

[ArfinGreebly]

In 1964, my dad presented my mom with a Gerber French kitchen knife that he purchased at the Aerojet General company store.

Previous Mother's Day gifts had been things like Corning Ware pan sets. Practical man, my dad.

Recently, I managed to score a like-new Gerber French knife exactly like it and in its original presentation box.

Here's the actual knife -- not my pictures, mine will follow -- but it's the knife I obtained.

The knife is in pristine condition. Some light scratching from handling over the years, but this thing has never seen a stone or steel, and looks to have never actually been used.

My wife has gotten used to unusual Mother's Day gifts over the years, and got all misty-eyed when I told her the story behind the first one I ever saw.

I'm kinda pleased with it.

Only now, it's gonna get used for what knives do.

 

[bikerdoc]

Cool Idea for a present, good score.

 

[hso]

Cool.

Sure that's not your Mother's Day gift to you?

 

[ArfinGreebly]

To Me?

Nah.

I have another one just like it.

Mine isn't pristine, though. It's seen plenty of use. It lives in the kitchen knife block.

Pictures I took nearly three years ago:




The "new" one is practically unmarked. She keeps it in the same drawer with her Böker ceramic knife. And, yes, she keeps them both in the box.

Better pictures when I get a moment.

 

[451 Detonics]

Some years ago I found this Case new in the box...



It is 12 inches of straight razor carving goodness....



the storage box includes the sharping stone on the bottom...



I gave it to my Mom on Mother's day...the last one she was alive for. It has since come home to me...

 

[sm]

1959:For Grandma

Preface: I fired family too long ago. Grandma and Mentors raised me and are the reason for me being what I am. I learned too young the fellow that sired me, was evil. Being a wittle kid, and raised as I was, I took care of the gal that gave me birth, until a time was reached I would have to "fire" her along with with the sibs I took care of.

Amongst things in my dresser drawer crib when I finally came home from being born premature was a custom fixed blade knife. Think Case Peanut with ivory handles, with a leather sheath, designed to be worn around the neck. Grandma always liked this knife, in fact when I was wittle she often wore it as a neck knife.

I was four years old in 1959 and had started my "apprenticeship" if you will. Steel from a "saw mill" blade and with a lot of help from a Mentor I wanted to make Grandma a knife like mine, of her very own. Using mine as a reference, Mentor and I set out to task. I was a "lot of help". So I was a "
grinder". and with help, I "grinded" and "filed" that steel to shape. Mentor heat treated it, and then we set to work on handles.

Grandma had some wood from a "apple cart" she had saved. For some reason this was sentimental to her. Grandpa was one heck-of-a carpenter and maker of knives himself. Along with other talents...
I never met maternal grandpa as he died before I was born...
After the knife was finished, Mentor and I set out doing the leather sheath.

His hands on my wittle hands every step of the way, during all this.
Grandma died a few years later, wearing this knife around her neck. She wore it most every day.

-

One more memory for the gal that gave me birth.
I was about eight years old and again the same Mentor.

She wanted a knife a knife "daddy had" (Grandma's husband) and all we had to go by was a black and white photo, and her description.
Basically a paring knife, more suited for "whittlin'" and she had some wood, all these years later, from a apple tree lightening hit, from where she grew up as a kid. Again using "tool steel" from a sawmill blade.

I'd kill to have these knives again, real sentimental.

Steve