Grandpa’s Folding Knife

I finally replaced my old folding knife I lost decades ago.  I do carry a small lightweight pocket knife daily.  But its no replacement for what I had lost.  

 

Long, long ago while cleaning out my Grandmother’s garage, I found the old worn out folding knife.  It was missing both side skins showing only the rivets.  The non stainless steel blade was rusty and black; it was four inches long.  The knife, or what was left of it was a large heavy beast of a knife, despite no side skins.  It was in terrible shape and nobody wanted it.  

I kept it, and got to working on it removing the rust, dust and grime.  However, the blade kept its greyish black appearance but took a wonderfully sharp edge. It was a carbon steel blade rather than stainless.  Scrap oak was used for the side skins.  I simply oiled the oak side skins with Hoppes gun oil  to protect the wood a little and give them some color.  Though it was not a locking blade, it took some effort to close the blade. 

 

I had this knife for years, and used it often, not only as a knife, but a screwdriver and a prybar.  I even used the butt end of the knife to pound a tent stake in place during a rain and wind storm in the BWCA.  And sadly, that is where I lost this knife.  

I had it in my jean jacket pocket behind the front canoe seat as Paul and I fished for walleyes.  We were along a rock island over about twenty feet of water.  The sun was setting bringing on an evening chill.  Reaching behind me for the jacket, I heard a “ploop” and watched my Grandfather’s pocket knife sink out of view into the inky depths.  I guess if there was a good place to lose this knife, Lake Three in the BWCA was a better place to lose it. He spent considerable time there long before it was designated as the BWCA.

 

I lost that knife in the mid 1980’s and after years of procrastinating, I finally ordered a replacement; the 110 Hunter Buck Knife.  The dimensions are a bit smaller than what I lost, it has brass ends rather than nickel.   I wonder how brass will hold up the way I will be using it.  It has a locking blade, which is a safe feature.  The price was right, so it will be a good replacement.