Post your family heirloom

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Let me get us started and feel free to post whatever you may have that has been handed down. Tell the story behind it too!

This is my great grandfather's Hamilton watch. He passed away when I was about nine years old so I do remember him well. The watch was given to him by his three children. Inscribed on the back is "Xmas '52 - Blanche, Lynn, and Earl." The style back then was pretty small. I laid it next to my Speedmaster (42mm wide) for comparison.

 

[Mick]

SWMBO and I sleep in a 1800 "cannon ball" rope bed that came down in the Burr family. Did the 3rd VP sleep in it? Who knows.

 

[Rudy Vey]

That's a nice PiF......both watches

 

[Scarry Knight]

I’ve not got much of a back story on this Hamilton. My great aunt handed it on to me. She stated it wasn't a sentimental piece, and that my uncle may have taken it in as payment for work at his upholstery shop, or in trade for something. It has another person‘s initials ebgraved on it, whose story I don’t know. I had it cleaned and a new crystal put in.

This sap (and the bear) came to me from another great aunt. I was told her husband was a police officer.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Cool thread. I am looking forward to seeing more.

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[ajkel64]

Great thread. The trouble for me is that I have so much passed on to me that I have trouble working out what to show here. I will pick some things but as @Lightcs1776 said, I am looking forward to seeing more.

 

[Scarry Knight]

This soldered brass storage tube (drill holder) was from another great uncle. I also have some of his shave gear. He was an iron worker in Chicago in the early 1900s. This was in a carpenter’s box of his as best I recall, and something probably quickly crafted by him upon entry into the trades. It was spoken of as if it was an on the spot skills test at the application or start to a job, as was common in some trades. Many handed down items have some bit of speculation, and also a bit of truth about them. I suppose that’s part of what makes them intriguing. I hold each as dear to me, for their family connection and memories. And things like this and some of the shave gear maintain a practical uses all these years later, which is cool in itself.

 

[plumberroy]

The axe on the left was purchased by my late Uncle in 1939 or 1940 for the family homestead it is marked True Temper Vulcan and Kelly works which is fairly rare. It has been through many handles I broke the handle out of it throwing it at a tree somewhere around 1975 which didn't make Dad happy. My uncle happened to be there ,and reminded Dad that he broke the original handle out of it throwing it at a tree

 

[Scarry Knight]

/\ ...good story-that ending!

 

[gablett]

My grandfathers ring whom I’m named after. I remember telling him how much I loved his ring many times. My grandfather was a very kind caring and funny man. The perfect grandpa. It came to sort of symbolize him as time went on. After he passed he left it to my mom to give to me when I was older. It’s 2 diamonds and a ruby. I intend to give it to my son who has the same name as his middle name.


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[Doc4]

I broke the handle out of it throwing it at a tree somewhere around 1975 which didn't make Dad happy. My uncle happened to be there ,and reminded Dad that he broke the original handle out of it throwing it at a tree

Family tradition!

 

[plumberroy]

Family tradition!

Yep , Dad wasn't too thrilled that they brought that up. I learned how to hang an axe though . It was you broke it you fix it.

 

[FarmerTan]

Family tradition!

Yep, that story needs to be written down and passed on to the next person tasked with holding on to it for the next, etc....

The story makes that object alive!

 

[FarmerTan]

Owning (well, my name is on the deed, but I kinda look at land as some of my Native ancestors did) the family homestead means I see something every day that my dad left me. I'm blessed.

 

[DK207]

My grandfathers pocket watch. A Dudley Masonic watch. A true work of art.

 

[FarmerTan]

My grandfathers pocket watch. A Dudley Masonic watch. A true work of art.

That is truly amazing. I'm a Mason. If you aren't one yet, you should be. You'd have no excuse for being late for the meetings!

 

[ChrisPL68]

My dad was a photographer from the mid 1930's until he passed away over ten years ago. His oldest camera is at my sister's home, which is a view camera made out of wood and brass. The one that I have is from 1953,I don't remember him using it as much as his Speed Graphic and his Graflex. The Rolleiflex is still in good shape. I used medium format in the '80's and '90's. I haven't used it since.

 

[ShaverAZ]

My Dad's older bro was a WWII Combat Medic who landed in Normandy D-Day +1. He made his way, mostly on foot to Berlin around War's end.
He carried this razor along his journey, which included the Bronze Star with Valor, and gave the razor to Grandma upon his return to the States.
My Dad just kept the razor in a bathroom drawer, & never said much about it, and when I mentioned it to my Cousin, she said that Grandma taught her how to shave her legs with it (even though she was only about 12 years old at the time.

 

[ShaverAZ]

The top 1911 is a Government Model from my Dad's Dad. Grandpa had just Graduated college with his teaching degree, when he was drafted for WWI. He had in-depth foundry and mechanical background, so Uncle Sam (wiser back then than today) sent him to San Antonio, TX where he became a Flight Instructor flying Curtis Jennys. The guy he replaced offered him a deal on the .45, telling him that every recruit wanted a Marksmanship Medal to wear home to show the folks, but being in a Training Facility, they didn't actively offer the program, and they weren't issued firearms. BUT, they could complete the program for the medal. My Grandpa could make a fortune "renting" out the gun and providing training ... which he did. The plan was to sell the gun to the next incoming trainer when it was his turn to go, BUT ... The War ended & he was stuck with the .45, which he gave to an instructor buddy. Years later, the buddy's widow wrote to tell him that he would be getting the buddy's footlocker full of memorabilia - the .45 was included & was given to my Dad, who was in High School at the time.
The bottom 1911 is one of many that I built throughout the years. The wood for the grips is from the flooring from Great Grandpa's Iron Foundry.
The watch was given to Grandpa as a High School Graduation present & followed him everywhere throughout his life. While a flight instructor, the watch was placed in a holder on the plane's dash - there was no other instrumentation, so a watch was necessary to keep track of flight time in order to return before running out of gas.

Grandpa & Grandma, around 1917

 

[FarmerTan]

View attachment 1092962
The top 1911 is a Government Model from my Dad's Dad. Grandpa had just Graduated college with his teaching degree, when he was drafted for WWI. He had in-depth foundry and mechanical background, so Uncle Sam (wiser back then than today) sent him to San Antonio, TX where he became a Flight Instructor flying Curtis Jennys. The guy he replaced offered him a deal on the .45, telling him that every recruit wanted a Marksmanship Medal to wear home to show the folks, but being in a Training Facility, they didn't actively offer the program, and they weren't issued firearms. BUT, they could complete the program for the medal. My Grandpa could make a fortune "renting" out the gun and providing training ... which he did. The plan was to sell the gun to the next incoming trainer when it was his turn to go, BUT ... The War ended & he was stuck with the .45, which he gave to an instructor buddy. Years later, the buddy's widow wrote to tell him that he would be getting the buddy's footlocker full of memorabilia - the .45 was included & was given to my Dad, who was in High School at the time.
The bottom 1911 is one of many that I built throughout the years. The wood for the grips is from the flooring from Great Grandpa's Iron Foundry.
The watch was given to Grandpa as a High School Graduation present & followed him everywhere throughout his life. While a flight instructor, the watch was placed in a holder on the plane's dash - there was no other instrumentation, so a watch was necessary to keep track of flight time in order to return before running out of gas.
View attachment 1092964View attachment 1092967
Grandpa & Grandma, around 1917

Beautiful stories. Write them down and store them with the guns ( though you probably already have!)