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Grandpa's Corner
- Thread starter enbloc
- Start date
I got the knife below after my grandfather-in-law passed away, though it might predate him. His father imigrated to the states from Germany to play violin in the Boston Symphony Orchestra and I am thinking he maybe brought this with him?
Maybe somebody here can provide some info. It is a neat knife. Very slim design with a razor sharp blade. It has a war time look and feel to it, kind of like it was mass produced, but still good quality.
One side of the blade says “GERMANY” and the other side says “GRAEF & SCHMIDT”. On the back of the handle it says “MERCATOR D.R.G.M.”
Maybe somebody here can provide some info. It is a neat knife. Very slim design with a razor sharp blade. It has a war time look and feel to it, kind of like it was mass produced, but still good quality.
One side of the blade says “GERMANY” and the other side says “GRAEF & SCHMIDT”. On the back of the handle it says “MERCATOR D.R.G.M.”
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No special story, but just some cool old knives and the fancy metal box that belonged to my grandfather that my dad gave me when I was a kid. They were my first pocket knives that I used and carried around (as you can see I was a little rough on that buck knife, damn kids!). I remember grandpa always had one in his pocket and he liked to whittle. Glad you posted this thread, it made me pull these out and realize I need to clean them up! ![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
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i use to have a table at some gun shows selling pre owned folders. these old dudes would come up without fail at every show and pull out knives with unbelievable character like the knives you guys just posted...and have great stories to go with them. one i remember clearly is a wwII seabee vet showing me the knife he got from his dad when he enlisted. he toted that knife around the pacific and carried it daily ever since. he was in his mid 90's when i met him. he said it saw war then when he got back, he was cutting stray threads off his wifes wedding gown with it. it had been sharpened so much over 80 years or so i'd bet half the blade was worn away. talk about if that knife could talk.
got rambling, sorry. beautiful old blades guys. i also like seeing 'em. treasures for sure.
got rambling, sorry. beautiful old blades guys. i also like seeing 'em. treasures for sure.
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Here's an old Case penknife that was given to be by a cousin after my uncle passed.
It's about to get some much-needed love. ~Matt
It's a #6202 "1/2" Barehead Jack
I think it was last sharpened on a coarse-stone bench grinder and finished with a brick...
It's about to get some much-needed love. ~Matt
It's a #6202 "1/2" Barehead Jack
I think it was last sharpened on a coarse-stone bench grinder and finished with a brick...
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Billsail
NES Member
A knife marked "Germany" was made for export to be sold in the U.S. or an other English speaking country. If it was made for sale in Germany it would have "Deutschland" stamped on it.
DRGM & DRP. The acronym D.R.G.M. with or without punctuation stands for Deutsches Reichsgebrauchsmuster, meaning that the design or function of an item was officially registered inside all of the Germany states and not only locally registered.
Bernietech
NES Member
Nah, just worn serrated blades......
Bernie
Bernie
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here's a sak that while not a grandpa knife, has sentimental value to me. i received this on Christmas of '88 from a good friend and shooting buddy. we use to travel to a lot of shoots around new England and beyond. after we were finished for the day, we'd sit around, eat nibbles, drink stupid imported beer that needed a bottle opener and when the girlfriends were with us, they had to have wine. we never seemed to remember a bottle opener or cork screw. so this knife was the answer. i suppose the gift that kept on giving. it never left my truck. it's pretty scarred up but still has 2 of the 3 gadgets, missing the pen. i retired it from riding in the truck, it lives in my range bag now. my friend died in 1993, just something to remember him by.
I find old folder knives metal detecting fairly often. Some I know are very old. I wish it the knives could talk..
This Old Timer has been with me 28 years. Pops gave it to me on my 9th Birthday. I’ve lost and found it more times than I can remember. Remember Dad watching me clean trout with it. I don’t carry it often anymore but always try and tuck it in my pocket during deer season. One end is gouged up from emergency beer bottle opening. Every couple years my dad asks if I still have it. I probably should clean her up before he asks again.
Attachments
This was given to me by my great grandfather back in the’70’s. He told me he found it years before in the front yard while doing yard work, I never really used it as a kid since it says “Say it with flowers” lol but I always kept it
Sterg
NES Member
Great thread. I wish I still had my grandfathers knives. I was young and stupid and they got lost or stolen. He was of the type who took a grinder to his blades to sharpen them. They weren’t pretty. I still have a small Sabre brand knife that was my fathers. Not an expensive or heirloom knife by any means, but it has a place in my collection.
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I ended up with an old skinner my grandpa had, but for the life of me I can't remember where I put it. So I have to make do with a fishing knife my dad had when he was young. Cutco, who makes the kitchen knives now, made this model back in the '60s.
I only ever saw it on his belt when we went hiking.
I only ever saw it on his belt when we went hiking.
Thread resurrection time.
Knife on the right (PAL 36) belonged to my Grandfather I believe it was his service knife but (not 100% sure), I also have a USN knife which is worn beyond belief which was also his. The sheath is my Grandfather's handiwork as he was an exceptional woodworker.
When my father purchased a boat this knife was gifted by my Grandfather to my Father to be used on the boat if needed. My father used to recount a story of a lobster pot getting fowled in the prop and this knife making quick work of extracting the rope.
I used to carry it often when younger around the yard while making forts it made quick work of suitable fort making branches.
At some point this knife went MIA and I purchased an the knife on the left for my Father and duplicated the sheath to the best of my memory. Mine is clunky in comparison to the original sheath and no where near as elegant.
I then gifted it to my Father on Christmas, you never know what to get parents and my father could have cared less about gifts. This one however (unintentionally) brought tears to his eyes (the only time I ever saw that), actually made me feel a bit bad when it happened because to me it was just replacing a lost item and I was out of ideas for Christmas.
When my parents moved out of our family home my Grandfather's knife was found hiding in the back of a sock drawer or some equally obscure place and gifted to me.
Pulled them out today during rearranging of my great grandfather's oak dental chest and oiled them, mink oiled the leather and waxed the wood. They now reside side by side in the dental chest.
Put away for another couple years.
Knife on the right (PAL 36) belonged to my Grandfather I believe it was his service knife but (not 100% sure), I also have a USN knife which is worn beyond belief which was also his. The sheath is my Grandfather's handiwork as he was an exceptional woodworker.
When my father purchased a boat this knife was gifted by my Grandfather to my Father to be used on the boat if needed. My father used to recount a story of a lobster pot getting fowled in the prop and this knife making quick work of extracting the rope.
I used to carry it often when younger around the yard while making forts it made quick work of suitable fort making branches.
At some point this knife went MIA and I purchased an the knife on the left for my Father and duplicated the sheath to the best of my memory. Mine is clunky in comparison to the original sheath and no where near as elegant.
I then gifted it to my Father on Christmas, you never know what to get parents and my father could have cared less about gifts. This one however (unintentionally) brought tears to his eyes (the only time I ever saw that), actually made me feel a bit bad when it happened because to me it was just replacing a lost item and I was out of ideas for Christmas.
When my parents moved out of our family home my Grandfather's knife was found hiding in the back of a sock drawer or some equally obscure place and gifted to me.
Pulled them out today during rearranging of my great grandfather's oak dental chest and oiled them, mink oiled the leather and waxed the wood. They now reside side by side in the dental chest.
Put away for another couple years.
Another of my Grandfather's knives.
Pair of Cattaraugus 21476
The one with the shield (top) was my Grandfather's the one w/o the shield is the closest I could find to my Grandfather's. Same #s etc but less shield. I'm guessing a later manufactured knife. Took a long time to find the one on E-bay. You can see my Grandfather used is often and kept it sharp. It was his EDC.
Pair of Cattaraugus 21476
The one with the shield (top) was my Grandfather's the one w/o the shield is the closest I could find to my Grandfather's. Same #s etc but less shield. I'm guessing a later manufactured knife. Took a long time to find the one on E-bay. You can see my Grandfather used is often and kept it sharp. It was his EDC.
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