I*XL means I Excel part 1.........

[knife7knut]

Thought I'd post up some pictures of my I*XL knives using the new backgrounds I bought the other day.Found these two knife cards in unused condition at an antique shop I haunt.Posted them on the Ephemera thread.
The first two are large lockbacks pre-1891.The one with the fancy crossguard is marked,"George Wostenholm Celebrated ";probably 1860 era.
The next is a beautiful 4 blade jack with sunken joints and milled liners.Except for 2 small cracks the scales are perfect.A beautiful old Sunday knife.
#4 is a nice little ivory scaled quill knife also marked,"Celebrated Cutlery"and has never been sharpened.A couple small cracks in the ivory scales.
#5 is a small pearl lobster pattern with milled liners.
#6 is a 3 blade ivory scaled swell center jack with a shield marked,"S.N.M. 1870".My first I*XL knife.The patina on the blades is a dull gray and the mark side scale has a perfectly symmetrical grain.
#7 is a stag scaled 2 blade from around 1900 which is my current carry knife.Blades are pitted badly and scary sharp.
#8 is a nice 3 blade jack.
#9 is a 3 blade gentleman's knife with solid gold scales.The blades on this knife have a beautiful dark brown patina characteristic of a lot of I*XL knives.
Last is a 3 blade whittler pattern with an unusually fine pebbled stag scales.Not common to see stag on such a small knife(3" OAL).

Will try and post part 2 later on;in the meantime enjoy.

IXL Knives and Razors 010.jpg (39.73 KiB) Viewed 5396 times

[philco]

Gosh Ray, what a great group of knives! I really like the cards displayed behind them like that too. With a show like that, I can hardly wait for the sequel.

I bet you've made some eyes bug out when you've pulled out that beautiful stag jack. If it gets too heavy for your pocket, just let me know and I'll be glad to pack it for you for a while.

If you find that missing whittler, I'd sure like to see it too.
Thanks for showing us these.

Phil

[Owd Wullie]

WOW! Got more? I'm still drooling.

[smiling-knife]

Great collection and photos . Thanks for sharing them with us s-k

[smiling-knife]

These scans including a short history of Wosteholme are from a 1930s catalogue. I hope they are legible. s-k

[orvet]

Great stuff!
Thanks for sharing it.

Steve,
That old brochure is fantastic.
I would love to see the rest of it!

Dale

[philco]

Great stuff!
Thanks for sharing it.

Steve,
That old brochure is fantastic.
I would love to see the rest of it!

Dale

Ditto here! Great stuff!

[smiling-knife]

Great stuff!
Thanks for sharing it.

Steve,
That old brochure is fantastic.
I would love to see the rest of it!

Dale

and Philco

Here are are the pocket knives. The rest is kitchen cutlery etc.

[Owd Wullie]

Great stuff!!!

Does any one know the story of the brass handled I*XL marked "TYNE" knives?

My paltry pittance of an I*XL collection.
A barlow that has never been sharpened.

and a neat little jack knife.

[knife7knut]

S-K:Thank you for posting those catalog pages;I saw a couple on there that I have.
As for the brass handled TYNE knife:I bought one new back in the early 70's for about $3.Just speculation on my part but I think the word is the name of a river in England.Possibly for use around water where the brass would not corrode and the stainless blades would not rust.Kind of a stretch seeing as how it was a pruner blade.Maybe for harvesting kelp?
Here are a few more pictures,including the one I left off in the first post.I have several more with gold and silver scales but they are in poor condition.
#1 is the picture I left off the first post.It isn't really a true whittler in that one of the small blades is a manicure blade.
#'s 2 thru 5 are of the pride of my I*XL knives:a sportsman's knife in near new condition.It has been sharpened a couple of times(including once by me)but all the blades are full and shiny.The pick and tweezers are there as is a fleam.The stag is beautifully matched and free of defects.I paid $25 for it about 1980 and was glad to get it for that.
#6 is a small 2 blade pen with wood scales stamped,"Bermuda".It came in it's original box and was apparently a souvenir.
#7 is another 2 blade pen with unusual marbled scales that don't appear to be celluloid;possibly Bakelite.Unfortunately the spring and tang weren't too compatible heat treat wise and wore down causing the mater blade to protrude when in the closed position.
#8 is a 2 blade Barlow with jigged black composition scales.A fairly new knife.
#9 is a skeleton knife that is(was)gold plated and some of the plating is missing.The only skeleton knife by Wostenholm I've ever seen.
The next post will be a couple of old razors and ink erasers.

[knife7knut]

More pictures:
#1 is a pair of ink erasers with wood handles.One of them came with the original sheath(a piece of folded cardboard).I have quite a few ink erasers from various makers;Miller Bros.;Utica;Joseph Rodgers;and a couple of little known companies with handles ranging from wood to bone to sterling silver to ivory.
#2 and 3 is a large Washington Works razor(almost 5/16ths thick)with wood scales.
#4 thru 6 is another Washington Works razor but with impressed clear horn scales.
#7 and 8 is of a Pipe Brand(a Wostenholm trademark)with black celluloid scales.I had another razor with those scales that started outgassing and had to pitch it before it ruined my others.I have quite a few with these handles so I guess I will have to watch these more closely.
Anyway that is the end of this post for me;hope you all enjoyed the pictures.

[smiling-knife]

Excellent collection K7K . The horseman's knife is especially outstanding. Thanks again.

The Tyne knife is in a 1960s catalogue. I don't know the story behind the naming of it though.

[Paladin]

This is a brand that I hold in high regard.
Here are a couple of mine.
Ray

[Miller Bro's]

An old horseman`s knife..............

M.B.

[Rusty1]

I*XL Hawkbill. With pressed horn handles.

Russell

[smiling-knife]

Rusty1, I'm sure I said this before but s-k

[muskrat man]

Pre 1890 large pruner

[TRIGO8]

Boy O Boy, I have been fighting to get rid of the gold fever & now I think I have caught the I*XL fever
My 2 knife collection is just not going to cut it. I wont more, more.
Thanks For Sharing,,,I think?
Trigo

[philco]

Hey Trigo,
I suspect you could swap some of your great carvngs for a knife or three if you were so inclined. Sounds to me like the bug's done bit ya'.

Phil

[smiling-knife]

Here is another prunner.

[upnorth]

Some spectacular knives here! Thanks everyone for showing them.
Here are two versions of an I*XL Harness Jack (different punches).

[upnorth]

A couple more; a wedged backspring cattle knife, constructed like a whittler, an all metal pruner, and a brass Tyne pruner;

[upnorth]

This second "Whittler" has nicer synthetic handles than the first one. With a shot of the backsprings;

[Miller Bro's]

Charlie, here is a box they came in!.................M.B.

[Rusty1]

Rusty1, I'm sure I said this before but s-k

Sorry for the tardy reply s-k.

Just don't really want to see it go somehow, just yet anyway! You will be the first to know in the event that I might not miss it.

regards

Russell