My Grandfather Clement Vincent Cottrell (aka Grandpa Clem) worked all of his life from the age of 16 to 72 years old, for Wheeling Steel Corporation, in Wheeling, West Virginia. He lived across the Ohio River in Toronto and Steubenville, Ohio, and went to work every day across that big river for 56 years. He went from apprentice electrician to master electrician during that time. Died right after he retired. When his oldest son (My Dad) enlisted in the US Navy right out of high school and went to war in the South Pacific in 1942, Grandpa Clem gave him this knife, which he had machined and milled out of a single piece of Wheeling stainless steel. That's right, it's all one piece of steel. Clem also made the leather sheath for it, and my Dad carried it on his belt throughout WWII in the South Pacific. I have the knife here, but it will eventually go to Joshua Coombs (my nephew who also served his country in war time flying A-10s in Afganistan)
It is a perfectly balanced knife, a beautiful piece of work, just under 12 inches long. Still holds 2 edges you can shave with to this day. For these photos, all I did was polish it up with some "Nevr Dull Miracle Wadding" and saddle soap for the sheath. You can still see Grandpa Clem's inscription ("Good Luck") on the belt loop. This is a rare knife indeed.
My Dad later became the County Engineer for Okanogan County WA, and later was a district court judge in that same county. From the age of 10, he started teaching me the art and science of surveying and geodesy, from which knowledge I have continued to make a fruitful living to this day. I like this knife, it's as sharp as he was.
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Definitely a keeper
Beautiful workmanship and (I'm sure) some great memories.
ANdy
Definitely a keeper
I just wish I was your nephew!
🙂
Nate
Wonderful workmanship. A family heirloom, to be sure.
“History has remembered the kings and warriors, because they destroyed; art has remembered the people, because they created.”
? William Morris
What a treasure.
Brings to mind this Guy Clark song:
[flash width=420 height=315]//www.youtube.com/v/E9ScNhCLzxo?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash]
Thanks Mike. I'm a Guy Clark fan too, and that is exactly the song that was running through my head when I was polishing up that knife. Here's a photo of the guy who carried that knife throughout WWII. Just 18 years old at the time, and shipping out as a signalman on USS Apache, for the South Pacific. He ended up being a hawsepiper, retiring as a LTCDR, USNR.
My Great Uncle Duke was the County Engineer and Surveyor for Douglas Co. WA and my Uncle Stan was the County Surveyor for Chelan Co. WA. The're both gone now, but maybe one or both knew your dad.
I have a deep appreciation for high quality knives and that looks like a really fine one!
> My Great Uncle Duke was the County Engineer and Surveyor for Douglas Co. WA and my Uncle Stan was the County Surveyor for Chelan Co. WA. The're both gone now, but maybe one or both knew your dad.
>
> I have a deep appreciation for high quality knives and that looks like a really fine one!
dajones, yes Chelan and Douglas counties are "right next door" if you will. Huge counties up here in NCW, lots of land. If your uncles Duke and Stan were county surveyors in this neck o'the woods, I'm pretty sure they knew my Dad, and he knew them. Thanks. Yes, it is a fine knife, I'm thankful to have it here.
