a home for my saws

[blacktail]

My grandma passed away a couple of weeks ago. I've always maintained that when it came to her estate, I already have the things I want, and that's my grandpa's guns. They're not antiques or collectors items. I just want to shoot birds with the same guns he did. Now that she's gone, we've been dealing with her things. We've been pretty casual about her possessions and the few things I've wanted were all personal things of my grandpa's. His hard hats were the first things I made sure to get.
Anyway, I got the shelves from his garage. There isn't much special about a set of plywood shelves. But, my grandpa kept tools on these for decades. To have these in my garage is priceless. I think he'd approve of his shelves holding my new saw in my new house.

 

[hossthehermit]

Way to go Jamie

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I hear ya Jamie and I feel the same way. When I use something I got from grandpa it feels like he is right there working with me again.

Billy

 

[Thistle]

That's wonderful Jamie. I have a few things of Dad's Dad.My fav thing is a 1930's Stanley No.0 24in. Cherry Carpenter's Level. Restored it several years ago,has original vials & still 100% accurate,I still use it.

 

[Gasifier]

Awesome Jamie. My condolences to you and yours. Your Grandpa and Grandma are very proud of you, your new tools, and your new house! Thanks for sharing man.

 

[firefighterjake]

As I get older and my grandparents have died I realize that it is not so much the monetary value of the things they owned that is as important as is the feeling and memories . . . When my grandmother died it was interesting as my sister only wanted this old cookie jar . . . not because it was a collector's item . . . but because she fondly remembered always going to her house and there were always home-made cookies in the cookie jar . . .

Meanwhile the one thing I wanted was this old clock that had the varnish peeling all over it . . . again . . . it was not really valuable . . . but as a kid I just remember staying overnight with my grandparents and hearing that clock chime on the hour.

Finally, my brother wanted a brass bed that was upstairs . . . there may have been some value to it . . . but he wanted it because he remembered always sleeping on that bed when we stayed overnight.

Again . . . when our loved ones go . . . I suppose what shows the character of a person is when we want those things that may have little to no value to others, but to us the things are well loved as they remind us of our missing loved ones . . . which is why my wife hung on to a pair of her father's old, beat-up shoes for a long time after his death.

 

[davmor]

When my Mom died, the only thing I wanted to have was here Cedar Chest. I wanted to keep it in the family. My neice had a daughter, who was named after my mother. Now I will give it to her. Seems only fitting, it would be what my mother wanted. Some things mean more than money.

 

[muncybob]

My grandpa's old tool box is taken with me when I go cutting and my dad just gave me an old hammer that was grandpa's too and fits nicely in the tool box. Always think of both men whenever I see or use the stuff they have given me over the years. There's nothing special about them from an antique viewpoint but you couldn't pay me enough to sell them.

 

[cptoneleg]

Great story I love it.

 

[maplewood]

The saw in my signature, below, was my grandfather's, then my dad's, and is now mine. I always think of them when I use it.
Gramps is gone now, and dad has moved to a lighter and easier-to-start Stihl. My middle son already put in a request to inherit mine.

 

[Shadow&Flame]

Keeping the memories alive is what its all about. I think they would be happy that
you cherish them. I dont have a lot from my Grandparents...lost my Mothers soon
after I was born. My Grandfather on my Dads side died when I was only 10 and my
Grandmother passed when I was just out of high school. The things that I have of
theirs are put up with care and people know to stay away from them. Anyone who
would take down my Grandfathers axe off the wall would meet a 6' 2" 325lbs
very unhappy man...

 

[tamarack]

Great story. I also kept some of my grandfather's tools. I always get a good feeling when working with them, and I always hold the tool up to the sky before using it. Guess its my way of saying, "Hey Grandpa, hope you're well, see you soon".

 

[ScotO]

there is nothing more special that a simple item to bring a memory back....I miss my Pap more than I could even begin to explain, he was an amazing person....years ago he wanted a bike for gettin some excersize around town, so I got him an old schwinn and fixed it up for him........when he passed I ended up getting that bike back....and everytime I go past it in the garage I get a tear in my eye and that warm feeling of seeing him riding it out the street past our house.....nothin beats that feeling, knowing you have a little piece of that right in the garage.....great post

 

[allhandsworking]

I found a gold watch in a jar of screws in my GP basement when we were cleaning it out! I picked up a watch band for it and it worked like a charm! I have a wedding pic. Of my grandparents at my parents wedding and he has the watch on! Well unfortunately the past year the watch is gone? It was priceless to me! Little things are important! Take care of those cherished items! You can't buy them online!

 

[SmokinPiney]

Great story jamie. Im sorry for your loss. I too lost my grandma just a week ago today and my mom gave me a few of her things that i'll cherish forever. I consider myself a lucky man to have bought my dads family's farm house and shop a few years ago. Now my tools, saws, and other things are all on the same shelves and workbenches that my family has used for decades. There's no words to describe the feeling of using the same things they did so many years ago.

 

[cwill]

My gramps was big into cars and racing. When ever i saw him he was always working on something. When he died most of his tools were sold or taken by other family members. I worked on race cars for 10 years and sadly he never got to see any of them. The one tool i got from him was a torque wrench. It wasn't a super expensive one or anything,but it was his and i used it to tighten lug nuts at the track. Made me happy to know that at least one of his tools was being used on something he would of loved.

 

[kbrown]

Great post. It was very difficult reading all these posts without thinking of the things I have from my Grandma and Grandpa. True, value means nothing; memories are the jackpot!

 

[tfdchief]

Jamie, Great post! As I read it, I just kept getting more emotional. Me, my son, and my grandsons are pretty good buddies right now and this post brought to mind my own mortality. This Thanksgiving one of my grandsons was looking at all my pocket knives.....I have accumulated a bunch of them. He ask me why I had so many. I replied so I could let my grandsons pick anyone they wanted. He was elated. His Dad wasn't quite so impressed as he remembered that I wouldn't let him have one until he was much older.

 

[ScotO]

Jamie, Great post! As I read it, I just kept getting more emotional. Me, my son, and my grandsons are pretty good buddies right now and this post brought to mind my own mortality. This Thanksgiving one of my grandsons was looking at all my pocket knives.....I have accumulated a bunch of them. He ask me why I had so many. I replied so I could let my grandsons pick anyone they wanted. He was elated. His Dad wasn't quite so impressed as he remembered that I wouldn't let him have one until he was much older.

Thats awesome Chief......you created a lifelong memory by a simple act.....one of the things I really miss about my pap.....brings to mind a story of pap.....he was a heck of a carpenter, and loved to build things.....in his 30's he ended up getting rheumatoid arthritis, and it was really really bad on his joints.....in his 60s he could barely clench his hands, but he still loved to help out....we were building my mini barn and he was here, doing his best, to try and help build that barn even though he could barely hold onto his hammer (he actually had a bunch of foam and duct tape wrapped around that hammer just so he could grip it).....anyway years after the barn was done and he had passed my uncle was telling me about how impressed my pap was with me when I built a jig for my barn trusses....he said pap wouldn't stop braggin me up to him, and on and on.....and I told my uncle that was nothing, I was equally impressed and humbled by how much he did for me all those years, even though he was in so much pain.....my uncle still has that old hammer with the tape and foam on it that pap used, I would probably break down and cry if I saw it.....my pap was my super-hero...I can't wait to see him again.......

 

[tfdchief]

Jamie, Great post! As I read it, I just kept getting more emotional. Me, my son, and my grandsons are pretty good buddies right now and this post brought to mind my own mortality. This Thanksgiving one of my grandsons was looking at all my pocket knives.....I have accumulated a bunch of them. He ask me why I had so many. I replied so I could let my grandsons pick anyone they wanted. He was elated. His Dad wasn't quite so impressed as he remembered that I wouldn't let him have one until he was much older.

Thats awesome Chief......you created a lifelong memory by a simple act.....one of the things I really miss about my pap.....brings to mind a story of pap.....he was a heck of a carpenter, and loved to build things.....in his 30's he ended up getting rheumatoid arthritis, and it was really really bad on his joints.....in his 60s he could barely clench his hands, but he still loved to help out....we were building my mini barn and he was here, doing his best, to try and help build that barn even though he could barely hold onto his hammer (he actually had a bunch of foam and duct tape wrapped around that hammer just so he could grip it).....anyway years after the barn was done and he had passed my uncle was telling me about how impressed my pap was with me when I built a jig for my barn trusses....he said pap wouldn't stop braggin me up to him, and on and on.....and I told my uncle that was nothing, I was equally impressed and humbled by how much he did for me all those years, even though he was in so much pain.....my uncle still has that old hammer with the tape and foam on it that pap used, I would probably break down and cry if I saw it.....my pap was my super-hero...I can't wait to see him again.......

What a wonderful story........only problem is, you made me cry. My wife has RA, so I know exactly what he went through. He had character, and he obviously gave it to you!

 

[ScotO]

What a wonderful story........only problem is, you made me cry. My wife has RA, so I know exactly what he went through. He had character, and he obviously gave it to you!

It makes me cry thinking about pap, too....and thanks for the compliment, that means a lot to me....from reading a lot of your posts you too are a great guy Chief...and I am sure you are passing those traits along as well.....

 

[tfdchief]

What a wonderful story........only problem is, you made me cry. My wife has RA, so I know exactly what he went through. He had character, and he obviously gave it to you!

It makes me cry thinking about pap, too....and thanks for the compliment, that means a lot to me....from reading a lot of your posts you too are a great guy Chief...and I am sure you are passing those traits along as well.....

Thanks Scotty. I sure hope so. I didn't have that relationship with my Dad, and if it left me with an impression, it was that I was going change that with my sons. I think I have and it feels real good.

 

[ScotO]

What a wonderful story........only problem is, you made me cry. My wife has RA, so I know exactly what he went through. He had character, and he obviously gave it to you!

It makes me cry thinking about pap, too....and thanks for the compliment, that means a lot to me....from reading a lot of your posts you too are a great guy Chief...and I am sure you are passing those traits along as well.....

Thanks Scotty. I sure hope so. I didn't have that relationship with my Dad, and if it left me with an impression, it was that I was going change that with my sons. I think I have and it feels real good.

Well God Bless ya Chief, it's awesome that you broke that chain and I am sure your sons and grandsons are very proud of ya.....shows you are a man that can rise to the occasion.....that alone shows you are a stone pillar in your family....