Wow, this is really a nostalgia thread. I'm lucky to have inherited all the tools my Dad had and all his guns too. A lot of really good times attached to each item but let me tell you a story of what a fool I once(?) was.
In 1987 I married a girl whose grandfather had worked his entire life for the **** Motor Company. He was a wonderful old guy and smart as a whip too. He had attended the Henry **** Trade School back in the teens and was personally taken under the wing of Henry himself. Grandpa knew the entire family on a first name basis. He kept a diary of his entire life and wrote in it everyday. He had stacks of journals going back to 1915 and it it is a fabulous account of the history of FMC not to mention his life. It was the only job the man ever had. He was quite well thought of and was promoted to executive positions. He never made it to the top floor but he did very well for himself. Anyway to make a fascinating and long story short, Grandpa had a foot locker sized trunk completely full of brand new tools that used to be supplied with every **** car, truck and tractor. He took to me and we really hit it off and were even lodge brothers.
Well, he gave it all to me. But he had other family that I felt should have come before me and so I told him I couldn't accept it, it just didn't seem right. It was a stupid thing to do perhaps but I still would have felt funny taking them even though I realized the inherent value of them. Shiny black laquer paint and still in the grease and paper. Well over a hundred pounds of it.
Now Grandpa is gone, the wife/grand daughter is an ex and God only knows what became of the tools or the much more valuable diaries and journals. I just feel fortunate to have read a few of them and to have known this incredible and wonderful fine old gentleman. I miss him and his great stories, his kind manner and friendship to me. That I have all that is worth a lot more than those shiny old black wrenches ever would have.
If I'm really lucky sometime I'll run into him again and he and I will "talk tools.
