The other day we were digging thru stuff stored at our stick house, culling for things to donate to the local SPCA, when I came upon my Model 1917 Bolo Knife , which my wife got me for my birthday several years ago. Side note, the seller stated that my particular bolo was carried by US Army Maj Ben Huston, a descendant of ole Sam Huston, when he jumped behind enemy lines on D-day. Anyhow, I decided to bring this blade back to the home on wheels and play with it. I am putting a pretty decent convex edge on it using the mouse pad/sandpaper routine. I suspect that once I am done it will be a pretty good slicer, and a dandy chopper. Of course, being ' bout 1/4" thick, and kindasorta long, it is a tad heavy for lugging around the boonies, at least by me, but it still might be fun to play with...

Just a thought, those knives are getting fairly rare and happen to be pretty sought after on the market. Especially one with a story like yours (hopefully it can be verified). Keep in mind though that anything you do to an antique other than mild cleaning and conservation will greatly reduce its value. That also goes for sharpening.

Of course, it's your bolo and should you prefer to use it as a working tool it's your choice. But it does sound like a nice piece of history that may deserve its retirement after a long time of good service.

I was thinking that'd look great clenched between your teeth as you swing from the mainmast onto the dastardly enemy pirate vessel. Argh!

I have a real struggle with antique anything, but especially practical items. I pay for utility, and unless it is something like a photo or an autographed something or other, I can't see any value in paying more for something that's been used longer.

This is especially true with my cast iron collection. Having a pot that is 80 years old is kinda cool, but I wouldn't pay a premium for it just because it is old. I would buy it if it is in good working condition, and I would use it. If I want to hold a piece of history in my hands, I just go outside and grab a rock. Most of them I see are old. I do have a picture of Calamity Jane hanging in our kitchen. I have no idea what someone else might pay us for it, it's not one of the common ones of her. But it doesn't matter much because it was something she gave to a distant relative for helping her home one night after a bender. If you are going to preserve and respect history, that is the sort of thing you ought to do it with.

I suppose there are folks out there with an excess of wealth that have nothing better to do with it than to buy other people's very old junk at inflated prices and make claims that they own a piece of history. In my opinion, if they weren't the ones making the history with it, then how much intrinsic value can it really hold for them? I have guns in my collection from my youth. They are not what anyone would call high quality, and they are not in the best shape, but the have intrinsic value to me because of the memories I have of using them. I have no intention of getting rid of them, but even if I did, I wouldn't expect anyone would pay me thousands of dollars for them just because they are old and were used by me a long time ago.

When Grandad died back in 92, he had quite a collection of old cowboy stuff, gun stuff, and vintage tools. Everyone in the family was getting upset about what it was they wanted of his. I asked Grandma if I could have his old worn out pipes and a zippo lighter he let me play with as a young boy. He would sit with me, smoking his pipe, and tell me stories of his cowboy days till I fell asleep in his arms.

When dad died in 2003, My brothers and sister were all ready to fight about who got what. I asked for dad's old trumpet, which I played in school, and a couple of his japanese kimono figurines and some japanese artwork because he got that stuff when I was a kid and I thought it was cool, and no one else was much interested in it. I let the rest of the family fight over his boat and car and all the other stuff he had, including a bunch of old fishing gear he used as a kid and all his knick knacks from South America and Europe that he collected before he and mom got married that we were never allowed to touch, that was always kept in boxes in the attic when I was growing up.

I don't suppose that makes sense to some folks, but I have little more than a passing interest in antiques that have no intrinsic value for me. A mint condition pre-60s Griswald pan is still worth about what I'd be willing to pay for a new Lodge pan of the same size.

Well, there's junk and there's antiques. Antiques are important in the sense of preserving collective memory. It may not seem important to many but I think at some point, everyone comes to realize just how important history is to our own identity and the identity of our society in general. That's why people collect stuff and that's why we have museums. (I should know, it's what I do for a living beside being a passion of mine for as long as I can remember... )

Strictly monetarily speaking, an M1917 bolo in good condition will have a price tag a LOT higher than a good, newly made big chopping knife. Why anyone would pay that much cash for an old knife is a curious question of course, but it's a fact nonetheless. A new knife will also be safer to use (you don't know what an antique has gone through before). If you ruin it you could easily get another one without feeling bad about it. While the M1917 bolo was a mass-produced tool for the military and not a first-class antique by any stretch of imagination, only a small number survive now in decent condition. There won't be any more.

Who knows, maybe in a 1000 years' time, somebody's great-great...grandson will wonder what his ancestors fought with back in the 20th c. Can you imagine how he might cherish that 1000-year old bolo that may be just a functional old tool to many of us? Just as much as folks do today staring at a medieval sword or a suit of armor.

/End of rambling.

Not being able to verify the WWII story, and not being a fan of hanging onto anything hoping that it will increase in value, I will probably turn this into a kindling chopper soon as my shoulder will let me swing it...

Having exited a perfectly functioning aircraft while still in flight, and thus proving I may not be all that bright.....

Don't know if I would have wanted to jump with that monster dangling from my body. That looks like an excellent way to wind up impaled on your own gear. Now if I could have let it meet me on the DZ, that is a different story all around.

Enjoy the bit of history, however you see fit.

Aye, matey, that is very pretty choppy-stabby.

*laughs* The best heirloom is a working one.

"...however you see fit..."

10-4...

I can understand that point of view quite well. Two years ago my Grandmothers husband was moved into an assisted living facility. Pretty bad dementia. Anyway she was moving into a smaller place and needed to get rid of a lot of stuff. She invited me to go through his tools and see if there was anything that I wanted. I think I walked away with close to 300 pounds of old, well used and well cared for hand tools that I will keep and use. The one thing that I really don't have the space or use for is an old hand auger and a ton of bits. I knew she would be sending a lot to the junk dump. I just wanted to find this really nice tool a home. Someday I will. I'd even give it to someone who was going to use it on a regular basis.
I particulary like using the small hand ax. This thing has got to have some stories behind it, I'll just never know what they are.