RIP Ralph Robertson, nothing beats old general store slip joints, takes me back to my childhood going to general stores like this with my Dad and purchasing a slippy.
You didn’t go online and read reviews. You just went to the display case and picked what ya liked. Now we have information overload. Man I miss those days. Great video. Would love to see more like this.
Takes me back to my childhood of over 60yrs ago, to the little gas station/store that set on the corner. There was always a group of men at the table in the corner playing euchre and drinking cokes out of little bottles, but my interest was the card full of Imperial Barlows on the shelf in back of the counter. It took me a while to collect enough pop bottles to get the 89 cents to buy one but for a young boy it was like heaven!
what a great man , he must have some amazing memories and stories to tell , in this crazy world we now live , it would be so good to travel back to the 80s when i was young , it was a different world, thanks smkw for sharing ❤️❤️👍🏻
What a wonderful video! This is America folks! Proud to have gotten to met Mr. Robertson. My uncle and his wife ran a general store in a small town and they were salt of the earth.
This old timer reminds me of my Papaw who just passed away last spring at 103. He lived not too far in Rogersville, TN, and loved knives and old collectibles. I spent a lot of time with him at SMKW throughout the years. Glad some of these old guys are still around.
That pic of behind the counter is perfect. Everything from Cigarettes, Fishing Line, Ammo to Ex-Lax. Exactly how I remember the last general store in my area as a kid.
Since I was 7 or so I was taught to "listen" to our old folks, and NOT be quiet. After a few years it was easy. My Grandfather/Pops were always "teaching", and I was a sponge. Because of this, and SO many others, those stories were the start of my manhood and gave me the ability to be intuitive of the world around me. MANY mistakes I've made, but nowhere near all the successful ones that brought me love/family/friendship/ and so much more. Now, at 67, I STILL take any advantage of sitting down with folks like Ralph and ENJOY, JUST like the kids coming up I've known. I love this kind of work you're doing, and of course I subscribed. Thank You. ~Best
I grew up next to a old general store just like this...Im from Eolia Kentucky.. Near the head of the Cumberland River. The store was Run by J.D. Maggard. It became famous as the bologna store, and was featured in Coal Miner's Daughter the Loretta Lynn story. JD was one of my childhood mentors, and his daughter was my elementary school principal. Drank many a cold soft drink on that front porch.
What a great series idea! 👍 Also, TC rides horses for Dolly Parton's Stampede!?!? COOL!!! 🤠 I appreciate the respect you showed this old timer, good job.
I loved this and him so much. Seeing them posters in the store, I can’t believe how well just seeing something like those made me recollect my childhood so vividly.
I always tell everyone I was born 100 years to late. It’s amazing to listen the older generations, unfortunately it’s fading very quickly and these generations we have now will just never even compare.
The big cities might get the credit but it is small towns and their stores like this that built generations of Americans and where many of our values come from
I LOOOOOOVE hearing stories from our elders! And getting a peek in that old store was awesome! Thank y'all for letting us in & God bless you abundantly🙏🙏🙏
I’m not in my 90s but have been dealing case knifes for 30 years, I just picked up a early 1900’s case xx butchers knife at a estate sale yesterday!! Best knifes
Community used to mean something back in them days, when people used to know their neighbors. I wish we had a place like that old store in my neighborhood nowadays.
When I got past 60 years old or so, I found out first hand how little interest young ppl have in anything seniors have to say or do, nevermind what we've learned. So it's nice to see a vid like this
There are some of us left who want to learn - given that I'm almost 40 now - I've seen the drastic changes - but have always known y'all have done alot of loving long before we got here - seems like a person should WANT to learn from someone who's already been there and done that - but unfortunately- when we are young we don't seem to appreciate it and when we get to a point we do want to learn and realize what's right in front of us with grandparents and aunts and uncle and neighbors - they start passing away - Sorry for my terrible typing !
I watch this from time to time as I get older and acquire more valuable Case Knives none anywhere near what these guys dealt in However the depth of knowledge inspired me to collect them
I just got done making a shadow box display with a few of my fathers old case pocket knifes he used to carry daily. Pocket worn doesn't even come close to the miles those knives have. A story all their own showing decades of work in a steel mill. Great video!
I was just about to turn 7 when my Dad, a thoracic surgeon and midwest president of the American Cancer Society loaded his family up in a station wagon and took off for Beckley WV. A family reunion. His brothers, also physicians, met us later at this homestead. I learned my grandfather there was a big time Union organizer, he had lost his right arm in a coal mine explosion when my dad was a kid. He was a beekeeper, and I was infactuated with that, I couldnt leave this man alone. I started keeping bees after this religious like experience in getting to know him. I'd call him often for advice. He sent me an old folder knife he used all the time--cleaning beehives etc. I wish so much it never got lost.
Great video, you should visit John at Knives and More in Huntsville. He’s a character and he know absolutely all there is to know about Case. He buys and sells the old stuff.
I recently bought a collection from an 86 year old friend. 725 knives, mostly Case Kabar, Remington, Western Boulder, Keen Kutter, Cattaraugus, among many other brands. All types and years from 1800's to present.
This was really cool. I relocated to Knoxville for a year after Hurricane Katrina and was able to visit SMKW. I’ve been ordering knives from there ever since and I just love the Case pocket knives.
Fabulous video! Ole Ralph still smoking at 96! That was the very best of the USA. Hard workers, solid and stable people, honestly working to support family, friends, and their communities…
Very nice SMKW! I should go to you guys, have an old Case 6001 trifold for information. Sadly reached out to Case with no luck on information about the blade. Only found a few old forum post that mentions the knife.
Nice job SMKW! Still a lot of those old stores in WV. Those old General Stores have character, something the convenience stores of today will never have!
I love old timers like this gentleman. He reminds me of the old timers here in Southeast Kentucky. I always enjoy listening to them talk about life in their younger years.
I want to thank you all for this story. Love the old case knives🌠And stories behind them! I am wishing for a genuine stag hobo knife 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼. Personal scribed with case s special logo. I won't hold my breath though
I'm always looking at flea markets, yard sales.. Even go far as asking 🤣, but best of all it usually leads to great old stories as such. Most of all a warm friendship like connection ***. Love learning about old time case family stories
@TC, a great BIG hat tip to all ya'll from SMKW, involved with this road trip and the interview and gift to Mr. Ralph! Naturally, as a Son of the South, I've been in countless numbers of stores just like this, and have always admired and respected the good folks who own and run them - long may they prosper - as they're invariably an asset to the towns and byways where they're to be found. Thanks again, RRC
Thanks for watching Roy! Many people forget that we are still a family-owned and run business so Mr. Ralph and all independent business owners hold a special place in our hearts.
I would have paid money to talk with that man just to figure out how he's a smoker and 96 years old and of course about the good Ole days that's the Era I wish I had grew up in. Great video thanks for sharing
Seriously!! I've been reading the comments trying to see if anyone else is mentioning the fact he's a 96 year old heavy smoker!! My dad only made it to 62. Well, whatever he's doing to survive, I wish him well. May he live many more years.
Nice to see the old store as it is now and old pics. I grew up a little kid in the pot belly store days and had a round of cheese and bologna they sliced it up and weighed, wrapped in paper we made lots of them sandwiches in a fishing boat
Old stores are about gone but back in the 50’s and 60’s they were alive with farm workers eating dinner while sitting on cola cases, flat bed trucks were parked all around.
