Museum Features Amazing Train Carvings, Collections

Museum Features Amazing Train Carvings, Collections AG WORLD 32-5-23 Warther Kitchen Cutlery was started by Ernest "Mooney" Warther in the early 1900's. It continues to provide a living for 30 employees. Mooney was a master carver who left his family another special heritage - detailed carved historical trains, appraised by the Smithsonian as "priceless works of art," which can be seen at the family-owned Warther Museum. Mooney quit school after second grade to support his widowed mother and four siblings. He watched the neighbors' cows for a penny apiece per day, and when he found a rusty knife he whittled to pass the time. He was intrigued when a hobo carved pliers for him in 10 cuts, with no shavings. The young boy figured out how to do it and family members estimate he carved more than 750,000 in his lifetime. He once made a "plier tree" of 511 working pliers from a single block of wood. Unsatisfied with available knives, Mooney designed his own hand-ground knives and started his business. He also switched from whittling to carving, focusing on the history of the steam engine. His 64 incredibly detailed carvings of antique steam engines were carved from bone, walnut, ivory and ebony. Mooney traveled across the country with his train collection, even appearing on the Johnny Carson Show. Mooney felt his best carving was The Great Northern 2577, a 1930 Baldwin locomotive that has 7,752 separate pieces. When he was 72, his son, David, convinced him to carve "Great Events in American Railroad History." He carved 12 trains in 10 years including the Nashville engine, which pulled Lincoln's funeral train. Mooney's largest carving - and the worlds' largest working ivory carving - is the New York Central Empire State Express carved from an 8-ft elephant tusk. Mooney died in 1973 at 87. "He was a character supreme," says Mark Warther of his grandfather. Warther is director of the family-owned museum and has fond childhood memories of playing on the 70-ft. rope swing Mooney built in the backyard. "He just loved kids." Mooney worked hard, carving from 2 a.m. until breakfast, then working in his knife shop. But he also played hard, Warther says. After 3 p.m. he spent family time, taking hikes, looking for arrowheads, gardening. The 30,000 sq. ft. museum is located in a 10-acre park, with Swiss-style landscaping and gardens including 6,000 annuals planted each year. About 70,000 visitors come annually, Warther says. It takes at least two hours to see the gardens and all the displays which include trains, pliers and Warther's wife Frieda's button collection. All 73,282 buttons are sewn to wall hangings around the museum. The museum and knife shop are open year round, except for holidays. Check out the website or call for times and guided tour fees. Each child gets a free wood pliers. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Warther Museum and Knife Factory, 331 Karl Ave., Dover, Ohio 44622 (ph 330 343-7513; info@warthers.com; www.warthers.com).

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