Warther seeking donations for permanent display
Mooney Warther made many commando knives that saw service with local men serving in WWII. The museum is seeking donations of such items from the community.
What do you do when you are trying to make intricate carvings of complicated objects, but you have no knife capable of cutting the hard materials at hand? If you’re Ernest “Mooney” Warther, you start making your own knives out of the hardest metals you can find.
Thus began a tradition within the family of knife making that stretches to this day. In preparation for an upcoming Labor Day special exhibit honoring Mooney’s grandson Dale and the creations of the Warther family, Warther Museum and Gardens is seeking donations of pieces crafted by four generations of the Warther family.
“Mooney, out of necessity, started forging his own knives while he was carving because he was carving so much and in some of the hardest woods in the world,” Warther Museum Director Kristen Moreland said. “Standard knife blades weren’t able to keep up, so he learned to forge his own.”
This led to something for which the master carver and knife maker became well known. During World War II, Mooney crafted commando knives that saw service throughout the war.
“A few years ago, I began documenting the stories of these knives,” Moreland said. “We’ve had knives returned to us over the years, and so I’ve written the stories of what the original carrier did during the war and then what they did after they returned. They’re mostly made for local men, with a few from farther out or out of Ohio.”
Moreland said the museum is at a point where they can provide space for a permanent exhibit of the knives, with photos and stories to match.
“We’ll focus on the knives that Mooney made early on and then those he made as he got older. He made beautiful boxed sets of steak knives to present to, again, local people of note. Then we will go down through the generations of knife makers. And then you get to Dale Warther, who was an amazing knife maker in his own right. He made a presidential knife to present to George Bush and other special presentation knives,” Moreland said.
A key part of the new exhibit will come from area families, Moreland said.
“Really, we are inviting the community and asking that if they have any of the knives made here that are unique or have a story behind them, we would love to see those return here and be a part of the permanent exhibit. We will note who they were donated by and share some of the stories of those who received these interesting pieces,” Moreland said.
Moreland said the museum will assemble its collection and any pieces that are donated into a permanent space for viewing.
“We have a place that has seen some temporary or revolving displays, but now we are adding new cases to be able to show these amazing items off to the fullest. They will always be here,” Moreland said.
Knives should be donated by July 15 to allow for proper cataloging and presentation.
The new space and the collected knives will be unveiled Labor Day weekend. Meanwhile, anyone with a knife made by Warther family members that is unusual, historic, unique or just comes with a good story may donate it to the museum for permanent display.
If your family is harboring any of these items, Moreland can be emailed at kristen@thewarthermuseum.com or called at 330-485-3891.
Warther Museum and Gardens is located at 331 Karl Ave. in Dover. Visit www.thewarthermuseum.com.