THAT CAR: This column may be the spark for a reunion, of
sorts.

It all started Thursday when we printed a comment from Leith
Larson, who left Bradford in 1975, about keeping up with the old
hometown.

Tom Huntoon of Gifford, seeing Leith’s name in the paper,
wondered if perhaps it was the same Leith Larson who had sold him a
1969 Corvette in 1972. He was curious because he still owns the
car, and has kept it in storage each winter.

Thinking that Leith would probably “get a kick out of knowing
the car is still around,” Tom phoned us to get Leith’s contact
information and then gave him a call. And, yes, “he was really
tickled,” Tom says. “He was thrilled to death.”

Once Tom gets the Corvette out of winter storage, he plans to
snaps some photos and send them along to Leith.

Anybody who believes a dog is man’s best friend probably doesn’t
know about the whole Corvette thing.

KNIFE NOTES: When we heard about that Bowie knife featured on
the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars” it piqued our interest in its
connection to W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.

This vintage Bowie knife was made during World War II by
Kinfolks Cutlery which began in 1925 in Little Valley, N.Y., as a
joint venture between cousins of competing knife companies — hence,
the name.

The company, owned and managed by J. Russell Case (son of W.R.
Case and founder of W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.), Tint
Champlin (son of JBF Champlin, who married Theresa Case in 1861 and
is credited with bringing about Little Valley’s Cattaraugus Cutlery
Company) and Dean Case (son of Jean Case), manufactured hundreds of
thousands of knives under the Kinfolks brand during WWII.

Kinfolks produced fixed blade hunters and traditional pocket
knives, as well as household cutlery, straight razors and hatchets.
Jean Case Cutlery Co. and Standard Knife Co. were two of the knife
brands manufactured by Kinfolks Cutlery. 

Case tells us it plans to offer a promotional family of knife
patterns bearing the Kinfolks name in its upcoming Fall Promotional
Products Guide.