"Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Ohio Jerry

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Feb 20, 2008
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"Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

In June I found a piece of a pocketknife at a one room schoolhouse site showing a figure with the words "Our Lamented" on it.
There were several suggestions on the "what is it" forum that it may be Abe Lincoln and I have to give a lot of credit to Bigcypresshunter because he actually suggested that the other piece to this pocketknife may say "president".

Bigcypresshunter, you were right on!!! I revisited the area tonight and the first piece i dug was the bottom half of the side plate that said "president" and knew exactly what it was as soon as i saw it...I swung over the hole again,got another strong signal and got the other side plate intact that says "Our Union Is Preserved" !!
Thought you might like to see the last pieces of the puzzle come together... Thanks for havin a look!
Jerry

UPDATE: I think Abe is a little more presentable now. I simply used some hobby wood to take up the space that the blade or blades would have occupied. I was able to salvage the entire top pin and the head of the pin below Abe's left shoulder. The bottom pin is a cut off nail. Turns out this pocketknife was made of all brass except for the blade. Would the sideplates have been cast or stamped i wonder?
Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th,1865 just five days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. I'm sure our country was still in a terrible state of mourning when this knife was being produced. I wonder if it was therapeutic for the craftsman who designed it? My research has turned up nothing about this knife. Anyone have any suggestions for how I could find out more details about it? Thanks for all your interest!! HH, Jerry
 

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Upvote 0
Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration in Progress....

Very Cool. Neat how you were "tipped" off on the find. Very sweet you found the rest and it is in decent shape. :icon_sunny:

Bob
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration in Progress....

Jerry, that is a very cool find. I'm glad you found the rest of it and good luck on your restoration. I found an old Anheuser-Busch knife that needs restored if you want to start with something less valuable. ;D
 

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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration in Progress....

That is a great knife, historically interesting. It was in the ground a long time, good luck cleaning it up. In good condition, that could be quite valuable.
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration in Progress....

Too Great! Banner for Sure!
Congratulations Jerry. Thank you for posting.

Really shows the value of Treasurenet, and the collaboration of members. Not to mention the skill of the guy that went back out and found the rest of this great artifact! Kudos!

HH
Mark
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

I think it does deserve a spot on top of the page myself. Awesome job.

KFB
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Thanks for giving me some credit but the credit belongs to you and the great TreasureNet site. :thumbsup:

I will vote for banner or honorable mention at least.

I hope that someone will positively ID this for you. :icon_study:

I would guess that it was cast.
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Very cool pocket knife, OJ. I think you're the most consistent digger on here
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife... "Our Lamented" Revisited

jimbob450 said:
Does anybody know how many were made or by what
company? that is a really neat find. Jimbob

I'v been Getting Memory Joggs Evertime I looked at that.

Just an F.Y.I.

American Knife Company

!!__.jpg

Awsome Find Jerry !

Wish Mine was like that
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Nice restoration. I love cleaning and fixing up things - especially old stuff. That's half the fun of this hobby. :)

Bob
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

bigcypresshunter said:
Thanks for giving me some credit but the credit belongs to you and the great TreasureNet site. :thumbsup:

I will vote for banner or honorable mention at least.

I hope that someone will positively ID this for you. :icon_study:

I would guess that it was cast.
Thanks Bigcypresshunter,I'll second the motion on what a great site T-net is and it's the members like you and everyone else who takes an interest and takes the time to comment on a little relic like this that make it really special and feel "family like"


jeff of pa said:
jimbob450 said:
Does anybody know how many were made or by what
company? that is a really neat find. Jimbob

I'v been Getting Memory Joggs Evertime I looked at that.

Just an F.Y.I.

American Knife Company




Awsome Find Jerry !

Wish Mine was like that
Thanks Jeff,I can see why your memory was being jogged. It sure looks like the design is by the same manufacturer. Whats the wording on yours?
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife... "Our Lamented" Revisited

jeff of pa said:
jimbob450 said:
Does anybody know how many were made or by what
company? that is a really neat find. Jimbob

I'v been Getting Memory Joggs Evertime I looked at that.

Just an F.Y.I.

American Knife Company




Awsome Find Jerry !

Wish Mine was like that
Here is a story on the American Knife Company that may or may not be of some help. :D http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/riseind/work/knife.html
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Hey Jerry, this is just an idea and a good idea. Maybe take a tour of the Mooney Warther Train Museum in Dover Ohio when the weather gets bad. Warther's is probably one of the best museums in Ohio, not only the hand carved trains, they also produced knives and may be able to help ID your Lincoln pocket knife. Mooney Warther, the master carver has long since died however, he carved his famous wooden pliers while giving a first rate tour. The pliers made of a small elongated piece of wood, turned into pliers with something like 9 cuts and he gave these to many children during the tours. I was one of them to receive a pair of pliers from the master carver himself but,, my pliers have been lost in time, maybe in a box at my mother's house in Ohio. I took my oldest son to the museum several years ago, Mooney Warthers son David now conducts the tour and carves the same pliers while giving a more modern day tour, he gave the pliers to my son during that tour and I have that preserved. Look up Warthers Trains on the internet, it is impressive. HH, Mike
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Ohio Jerry said:
Thanks Jeff,I can see why your memory was being jogged. It sure looks like the design is by the same manufacturer. Whats the wording on yours?

American Knife
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Possably out of CT.

& I only have the side plate

!AK.jpg
 

Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

You've got one BANNER appearance under your belt now. Well done. Now you should go for Two. ;D



-Buckles
 

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