Gramps Knife

Everett J Hammons was an avid sportsman living in the Northwestern United States and enjoying our immense wilderness. He was my Grandpa but everyone, even my friends just called him “Gramps”. His passion was being in the Great Outdoors, living in North Idaho. Gramps went to five different high schools as he grew up because his family were migrant farm workers traveling throughout Eastern Washington and Central Idaho. He once told me his earliest memory was moving into Stites Idaho riding in a wagon then setting up permanent housing in a walled tent, living in this manner for over a year. The family eventually settled in Stites along the banks of the South Fork of the Clearwater River. I can sure see where Gramps got his love for the outdoors, this is a beautiful area of Idaho. He was a true product of the Great Depression saving everything, building most things himself and working hard. He grew up working most of the time with his only true recreation being getting out into the woods to hunt and fish. He met my Grandmother, Iris and they were married having two children. They lived a happy life by all accounts, Gramps worked in a logging mill and Grandma worked as a Teacher. During World War Two they moved to Bremerton Washington, both working in a factory that manufactured torpedoes for the Navy. He was unable to serve in the military because he only had visibility in his right eye. He was involved in an earlier accident with a metal sliver embedded in his left eye severing the optic nerve. After the war the family moved back to Northern Idaho eventually settling in Sandpoint Idaho, their final home. Sandpoint is an absolutely beautiful small town surrounded by rich timbered forests, gorgeous mountains and Lake Pend Oreille, a vast 1150 feet deep clear water glacial lake. In 1975 Gramps was Elk hunting in north Idaho, “Area 7”. Idaho is divided into hunting areas for wildlife management like most states in the west. He was hunting with his nephew Lee on horseback. At some point during the hunt one of the younger mares was acting up. Gramps was trying to calm the young mare standing with a lead rope in his left hand and as she bolted he let go of the rope. As he let go, the rope flipped up over his left arm, then slid down his forearm synching down on his wrist as the rope hit his wrist watch. His left hand was gone in an instant as the rope bound on his wrist watch. He told me that is was so quick it didn’t even knock him off his feet. He said he looked down at his hand on the ground, back at the fleeing horse then at his arm where he used to have a hand. In all of the excitement they both forgot to retrieve the hand laying on the ground. This was in the days before cell phones so it took a while to get Gramps to a hospital. A Sherriff’s Deputy later retrieved the hand but it was too late to save, Lee returned and collect the young mare later. After the accident Gramps continued to hunt and fish modifying his equipment as needed. The photo on the front of the certificate is of Gramps, fishing The Puget Sound with his harness, hook and a fish on. He was eating a sandwich when he got a bite so he is holding his sandwich in his mouth. We hope you enjoy your Attleboro “Gramps Knife” with Field Kit and get out to the woods to put it to use!!