Old Rope Knives

This forum is dedicated to the discussion and display of old knives. The rich history of all the many companies that made them through the early years will be found here as well as many fine examples of the cutlers art. Share pictures of your old knives and your knowledge here!
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Miller Bro's
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Had to go back two years to find this thread :shock:

Added this one to my collection, happy it still has the etch :D
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FRJ
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by FRJ »

And that is a nice oldie!
Good one, Dimitri. ::tu::
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Thanks Joe! :D
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by tjmurphy »

Those old knives are magnificent. Nice one Dimitri ::tu::
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by FRJ »

Here's a Miller Bros.

4 3/4" excluding brass lanyard ring.
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

tjmurphy wrote:Those old knives are magnificent. Nice one Dimitri ::tu::
They sure are Tom, thanks!
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Joe, that Miller is great! ::drool:: ::drool::
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Re: Rope Knives

Post by ratlesnake75 »

RobesonsRme.com wrote:MB;
Your knife has double rat-tailed bolsters! One big rat and one little rat drug their tails across those bolsters.

Here's a big Robeson 197 with bone handles, steel liners, butt cap and single rat-tailed bolsters.
Also Robeson's version of the WWI Navy issue knife.
Charlie Noyes
Hey Charlie, If you dont mind to help me learn more about this particular example of the 2-blade sailors knife WW1 Model. Most all other examples I am aware of come from WW1 also. Just curious as too the Master blade stamping being "Robeson shuredge Rochester" was from 1922-1939 right. The dates are confusing for me. Could this particular stamping go back to 1917-1918 instead of 1922?
Thx Mark
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

Any dating that anyone has ever published re' tang stamps on Robeson knives is dubious, at best. That includes the dates published by Tom Kalcevic. I use them, as it's pretty much all we have, but I have never stated them to be totally accurate.

As far as I know, no one has had access to genuine Robeson records from their inception to WWII.

Given that these knives are generally accepted to be WWI issue,then that stamp has to date to 1918 or so, unless, of course, Robeson continued to offer the pattern after the war. ::shrug::

Who knows? I certainly do not. But, wish I did.

Charlie Noyes
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by ratlesnake75 »

Hey Charlie, Wonderful information and I certainly appreciate your opinion & value your input. Thanks for taking the time to elaborate on this.
Kind Regards,
Mark
I Buy/Sell/Trade All Vintage Antique Pocket knives from Junkers to Mint. I am Easy going, so Please shoot me a message ANYTIME!!! l Live & Breath KNIVES Everyday.
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by KAW »

Well.... after going thru this entire thread.... if there is one thing I'd learn.... its there sure is a lot of variety when it comes to rope knives. ::woot::
I sure love threads such as this one.... its like visiting a rope knife museum. :D However.... the reason I went thru the entire thread was in hopes of finding some info about a particular knife I have.... but did find the brand here....

I've been told by others that this single blade 4" Ulster Knife Co. with cocobolo wood handle is a farmer's folder or a worn down hawkbill.... but I still get the sense that the blade still keeps its original shape & to me has the looks of a rope knife.... can anyone confirm? As a clue, the blade has the pattern number "1010" stamped on the pile side of the tang.... but I don't have access to any catalogs that list this one. Please help.... ::pray::

10232 10234
10233 10235
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by djknife13 »

I would call that a sailors knife and I use the terms rope knife and sailors knife pretty much for the same knives although I would guess rope knives would generally be heavier blades for pounding through heavy hemp rope. It looks to me to be more suited to use as a sailors knife. Lets see if others agree with me. ___Dave
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by tjmurphy »

I'm inclined to go with the "farmer's folder" or pruning knife, reprofiled hawk-bill based on the rounded shape of the blade forward of the nail nick.
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by djknife13 »

Farmers jacks or folders usually have a hawkbill style pruning blade and a spay style grafting blade. Platts called their hawkbill knives pruning knives and Levine's guide shows your knife and lists them as Sailors rope knives or just sailors knife. The Camillus example he shows is almost a copy of your Ulster so that's my story and I'm sticking to it. ___Dave
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by ratlesnake75 »

Hey KAW, Thats a normal Hawkbill knife or pruning knife that the blade has been Re-Profiled to resemble a Rope knife.
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by djknife13 »

I'm still putting my money on it being a sailors knife. The nail nick isn't in the same place as old Ulster Hawkbills and the blade is too long both between the nick and the bolster and way too long for the end of the blade to be ground flat. Also I don't think they stamped a model number on their hawkbill. The frame isn't the same as a Ulster hawkbill either . It's the wrong shape and one too many pins. I'll believe it's a reworked Ulster hawkbill when I see one listed in an old catalog from a different era than I'm familiar with that has a 1010 pattern number stamped on it. _____Dave
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by zzyzzogeton »

A top-down pic showing the knife with the blade closed might shed a little light on whether or not the blade has been shortened.
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by KAW »

Thanks all for chiming in about this knife.... I got about as much consensus here as anywhere else :? .... talk about stirring up the pot! ::stir::
(OK.... I added that last part in just so I get the chance to use that emoji.) :D

As requested here's the angle asked for....
10239

....plus a view in the closed position....
10240
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by zzyzzogeton »

Just my 2¢ worth, but I don't believe that that blade has been cut down at all.
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by thefarside »

An old Allen, I guess the spike makes it a Riggers Knife, but I think it fits in this forum>
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

KAW wrote:Thanks all for chiming in about this knife.... I got about as much consensus here as anywhere else ....
Ken, it was definitely reshaped at some point in time, it was originally a pruning blade.
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by peanut740 »

Ditto what MB said.Blade is definitely short.
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by KAW »

Dimitri to the rescue!.... There's no disputing seeing a knife pattern in its pristine original form! ::clapping::
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by tjmurphy »

Good to see you posting, Dimitri. I was hoping you would comment on this one. ::tu::
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Re: Old Rope Knives

Post by djknife13 »

I still see problems with the knife being re profiled. The pins are in different places between the two knives and if the hawkbill with 1010 penned in above it were cut off to resemble a sailors knife it would be shorter than the disputed knife. Note that the end of the blade points almost directly at the last pin. The hawkbill is even shorter with it's full blade. Are you thinking someone re profiled the blade and put it in a different frame? MB's frame is more curved and the bolster is tilted differently. It lies parallel with the frame on the disputed knife. Does the hawkbill shown actually have a 1010 stamped on the tang? I'm not digging in trying to be stubborn. They still appear to me to be two different knives. I just don't see it.____Dave
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