I'm giddy with excitement

[Mike Olson]

I just talked with my mother on the phone tonight "the birthday call" and the discussion got to the flooding in the Catskills region where most of my family lives. She mentioned that her brothers got to her sisters house just in time to get some things off the basement floor before the water started coming in like, the sofa, sewing table, her grandfathers tool chest :eek: What was that???

She had no idea what was in it besides "tools" but it was her grandfathers "my great grandfathers" that he used to build the old family home and barn. No one used them in well over 50 years. "i'm starting to stammer and drool at the same time" She didn't realize that i'm into these types of tools. She is going to send me my uncles e-mail address "he is the oldest and should know whats in there she says"

We have a big family and I don't know the protocol for this type of thing but MAN oh MAN i am excited!!!

[David Weaver]

Take pictures. My dad's family had lots of kids and not much money, so they had a lot of old farm tools and hand tools that were around, but unfortunately for us, everything was either broken, rusted or worn out by the time I was old enough to know what's what. They didn't have a lot of sentimentality for much other than the tractor that pulled their acres for several decades - which was also beat and worn out.

Other side of the family was sort of the same story - not a lot of sentimentality, tools were for work, and when they were replaced, they were just allowed to rot more or less, and on the whole, most of them were intermediate grade tools, anyway, and not something a tradesman would've used.

Times have changed a lot. Hopefully your grandfather had good taste in tools and a thick enough wallet to buy and leave behind good ones.

[Bill Moser]

OMG! You must keep us posted! By the way, OMG here means "Oh Mighty Galoot" :)

[Matt Hankins]

I don't know the protocol for this type of thing

The protocol would be lots of respect and patience. Having your great grandfather's tools would be incredible, but not worth causing family rifts over. Talk to your uncle about what you do, your love for old tools and the honor that you would feel by being able to use you ggfather's tools. But don't get upset if he hesitates. In the age of the internet and Antiques Roadshow, everyone knows that antiques have value. Obviously you are not going to sell these family heirlooms, but, IMHO, every member of the family should be aware that they are going to you, so that no one is surprised or upset. Call it a loan. The tools belong to the family, but you will house them and take care of them. Document what you have and share what you find out about them with all of your family members. Don't discuss their value. It isn't and shouldn't be important. Their true value is in their belonging to your ggfather. If you do aquire them, consider it your obligation to use them and pass them on to the next generation of family craftsmen and women. Good luck and keep us posted.

Matt

[Chris Tsutsui]

I like something that can be passed down for generations with a story behind it. My family doesn't have much except for our crest.

Both my grandparents lived in California when everything was taken from them by the gov't when they were sent to internment camps.

My last name dates back to a samurai clan in ancient Japan and we had some real samurai swords with my family crest on them that were passed down. Fearing the gov't would confiscate the swords, my grandfather removed our family crest for safe keeping and buried the samurai swords near his farm.

So the Gov't sold his land for real cheap and when he attempted to reclaim his swords there was a commercial parking lot covering his treasure site.

Those swords probably still remain there to this day. :)

[john brenton]

Well, I just hope you're excited about having his tools, and not about getting new users. I have found quite a few cabinet makers boxes with tools that make it obvious that there was some serious competence and some fine woodworking done....then there's the box with a pitted compass saw, an old soldering iron and a broken Ohio jack that was used to plane barn timbers and that's it. Point being that you may be getting a big box of rust. Its better to lower the expectations to avoid dissapointment..

[george wilson]

I never managed to buy a whole old chest of tools. Came close. Anyway,I NEED something to make ME giddy!!!:) Good luck.

[Gary Herrmann]

We need pics!