My dad's hunting knife .

[Pine]

Well I lost my dad a year and a half ago and I have some of his things .
Being a hoby knife maker I was thinking of cleaning up my dad's hunting knife and refinishing the leather handle and polishing the blade .
Was going to make it a new sheath too .....
As I was looking it over , it occurred to me , every little ding and scratch is a story .
This knife has field dressed countless rabbits , several deer and one moose .
The sheath has scratches from green briers and rocks etc...

I think it looks just fine like it is , and I have no right to erase the memories .

If it could only talk .    

[slowbowjoe]

I hear what you're saying Graps., and I'm with you on that.

I lost a knife last year that had been a faithful companion of 30 years. Found a same one here in the classifieds. The story the owner shared with me about it brought me to tears. Usually, I'd make my own sheath for the knife... this one, I place with reverence in the one it came with.

[shatto54]

Grandpa would sit at his kitchen table sharpening an old stag handled knife, pick up a piece of news paper and shave a tiny sliver off, look over his glasses at me and grin. Then in one slick motion he would toss and stick it in the pantry door. To a kid that was pretty awesome.That old stag handled knife now resides at my house. And my son knows the story .

So your absolutely right, keep the character and the memories.

[Bowwild]

That''s a cool knife, your Dad's!

I have one of my Dad's favorite knives as well.

[Charlie Lamb]

My Dad had one just like it. He's been gone for 30 years now and I have that knife. Wouldn't do a thing to "improve" it.

[ronp]

That's a good looking knife and a really good story!  I have a knife that looks like its twin.  

But I have been carrying my dad's knife, which I found stored in a gun cabinet that my Mom gave me.  Lots of good memories!

[ron w]

I always carry Dad's knife when I hunt......Dressed a Antelope in Wyoming with that old knife. I would just carry that old girl and think of Dad.

[MnFn]

I agree 100%.  
That would be an interesting thread to start :  one picture of your favorite knife- nicks and all, especially if it was handed down to you. And what you have used it for, maybe.

[D. Key]

Scars tell a great story.  Especially if you know where they originated.  Leave it the way it is...Dad did.

God bless.

[Danny Rowan]

Have one that is very similar that was my Dad's. Lost him in 1986. Still carry the knife every once in a while.

[CRM_95]

Awesome!! I don't blame you, I'd leave it like it is too. I lost my dad on May 19th 2014. Completely unexpected. I have his hunting knife but I've been kinda scared to use it. I haven't lost a knife in years but I'm scared to lose this one... I know he'd want me to use it though. I may take it out a couple times this season.

[ChuckC]

If you " improve it" it won't be your dad's knife any more.  I suggest, as others did, to keep it just as it is, remember him just as he was.

CHuckC

[Whip]

I too have my Dad's old knife and it rides in my pack frequently.  Although when I found it in pretty poor shape I did give it a bit of cleaning up.  The main marks and sharpening scratches are still there, but I oiled up the leather and polished the tang and end cap.  He would have liked that.
It had no sheath, so I made one for it.

 

[MnFn]

My dad lost his pukko in the early 60's, hunting deer.  A design flaw I guess.  It just friction fit into the sheath, and fell out.  Wish I had it now.

What I do have is the sheath for his knife.  Somehow I lost the sheath for my Mora; I was about eleven then. (it was the smallest model they made)  So he adapted his old sheath to fit my mora.  Kind of a mongrel, but it would make a great neck knife if I ever wanted to use it for that.  

I love old suff that is still usable. Brings back some of the best memories of my life.  This one means a lot to me.  Maybe I will take it bear hunting this fall. Some great steel in this blade.
 

[AZ_Longbow]

Items like my dad's knife, his recurve bow. The things and times we spent doing together are tied to those items. I see then now as artifacts holding the memory and feelings of those times. My dad's bow hangs on my bow rack now,sitting at the very top, a place it has earned. His knife sits on the shelf next to it. They are precious memories.

[Jon Stewart]

Good one Graps. I too have my dads Bear 3 piece knife, file and stone kit that I carry.  Dad is always with me in the woods.

[Roger Norris]

That is great Graps. I carry my Grandfathers knife, it looks very similar to yours.

[Pine]

Thanks for the nice posts .
Sad thing to add to this , my dad and mom had moved into assisted living and nobody knows what happened to his Ben Person recurve .    :(  
Sure would like to have it .
But I still have the first K-Mag that he got me , lots of memories there as well .

[Nantahala Nut]

My father has the same knife. Can't wait to pass it on to my son.  I carry my grandpa's combat knife from WW2. Comes in handy for chopping brush for a blind and has protected three generations of men in my family.  I love carrying stuff from past generations in the woods.  Great way to honor the men that came before us.

[Shadowhnter]

Thanks for posting that graps. I too, have a knife that was my great grandfathers, and passed down to me. Those type items are always the most precious we can possess.