Ohio Jerry
Hero Member
"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
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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