Thursday, December 2, 2010

Antique Tools, Tool Boxes and Griswold

Antique Wooden Carpenters Tool Box handmade by his father,
a furniture maker and true craftsman

A good friend of mine moved yesterday. He is 86 years old, married to Emma, and just suffered his second heart attack. We met  years ago by chance at a little shop I owned Called Hope's Heart. I made and sold country crafts and neat little handmades. He was retired and using his woodworking skills doing the same, making and selling country crafts. He was peddling his handmades and happened to stop my little shop. We became great friends, sharing our talents and friendship. Emma is a sweetheart, quiet and loving. They will be greatly missed by us and many around our neighborhood. Bob shared some of his wonderful tools with me to sell on Ebay. Each tool box had a story. Every tool a purpose and a past. I am fortunate to learn so much from Bob, even as he packed his belongings to move, he continued to share his knowledge and love for the tools he parts with.

Bob demonstrated the proper use of this neat little tool. He took a scrap of wood from the bin and lined the scribe against the front edge and dragged the scribe across the wood. The pin dug into the wood leaving a fine marking behind. I'd never seen a scribe like this used before. It was fun watching him delight in teaching me. It made me wish I had spent more time learning. It was touching to see him let go of these things which meant so much to him for so many years. He trusted me with his treasures and I am even more grateful for the friendship.


This belonged to his mother. He smiled.

His father also used this tool, a fine instrument!

Too heavy for their liking but many a slab of bacon was cooked up in this skillet! Griswold is a highly collectible item. Cast iron is a wonderful material to cook with. We have our own favorite skillets which we collected from other friends over the years. In some ways I wished I hadn't listed this one on EBay. This skillet has bids already and I am hoping the bidding goes high. The skillet has a light season and is in very good condition. Wherever it goes it will provide a warm meal!

Yesterday was a somber day. It was bittersweet. I said goodbye to my friend who I may never see again. The sweet part is he and Emma will be with their daughter where they will be well cared for and loved. They are moving to an area where one of my own daughters now lives and hopefully when I go to visit her, I will also see my dear friends Bob and Emma.

If you love antiques, and you must if you found my blog, you will love this collection and more which I will be listing in my EBay shop  and possibly Etsy shop in the future. Bid and buy with confidence! Bob will benefit from every sale. He has trusted me to share his treasures with the world, and I know each item will find a new loving home.

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