Toothpicks are a neat pattern that you don't find old examples of too often. Here's a "Queen City Titusville PA" of mine.

This knife inspired me to find the truth about celluloid. All real celluloid (aka cellulose nitrate) inevitably will degrade and the process is impossible to stop, but it can be slowed by being stored in a hospitable environment. Celluloid degrades because its molecules crystalize over time and force out another chemical, camphor. This causes the celluloid to become brittle, shrink, and crack. The corrosive byproduct of celluloid breakdown is nitric acid, which is what eats away at the rest of the knife. The process is slowed by:

low humidity
low temperature
air exchange
acid resistant storage case
no UV light exposure

my description isn't perfect but it summarizes it. my info source is http://aic.stanford.edu/jaic/articles/j ... 2-003.html

maybe this should be posted elsewhere as well

BUT ALL THATS BESIDE THE POINT, LETS SEE SOME TOOTHPICKS

Great info AKC! Cell really does scare me a lot, although I do have a few that I just couldn't resist.Well I don't have an individual pic but here's a shot with my only toothpick in it. Keen Kutter made by Schrade:

great pattern. here's some.

_________________
johnnie f 1949

on the cutting edge is sometimes not the place to be.
please support our troops - past and present
if not a member...join the NKCA! they're on our side.

a few xx's

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Here is a picture of Bulldog's first prototype toothpicks. They are the same knives pictured on the back of the catalog. Notice that the catalog pictures and the 3 knives do not have tang stamps yet.

Notice the Prototype marking - quite rare to have it in print.


Click on the pictures to enlarge them.


As far as celluloid goes I agree 100% with what Another Knife Collector says and I also believe that excess heat when making the knives can accelerate the outgassing process. Heat generated when shaping or buffing are probably 2 big causes. I have a 2 year old knife with waterfall celluloid handles and they stained (and darkened) the bolster and pins. I removed the scales and will put something else on. Only 2 years old!

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Hukk

I want that yellow one Muskrat man!!!!!!

I have a pretty nice collection of Tiny toothpick's going....but you all know there are not many made before 1990. Josh Basham from Red Hill Cutlery has over 700 toothpicks....he said he had two of the three original ones including an original christmas tree.......I don't know any thing about vintage toothpicks...but I would love to see his collection!

Here are my two bigger toothpicks! Any of you get one of the pre- WWII - 14 I think Toothpicks off the board in the President of Imperial Schrade's Office? Here is mine called "Carnival" and a green striped Fighting Bulldog I really like.

A good thread for me to celebrate my return to the forum after a short absence. My favorite pattern, in 5" and larger sizes, the Texas toothpick. AKA 'tickler', east st. louis special, 'saturday night special', tango or dance knife, and more other colorful names than any other pattern of knife has been blessed with. The first tactical; I used to have an extra seam sewed into my jeans' back pocket, so I could carry one next to my wallet. Once field dressed a deer with one (so who needs a locking blade for that simple task?). I have one I carry frequently that I put a pocket clip and thumb stud on. BR Levine calls it an all-american pattern, dating from the 1890s. Oldest couple I have are ENTERPRISE and HIBBARD. Largest is a Clayton Graham handmade at 6" closed. I am not a snob; from a couple new made Chinese imports, the Parker and Frost Japan imports of the 1970s, to customs, all have a place in my collection. I'm big on genuine pearl and abalone and abalone cell. Favorites are the very old solid handled Imperial and colonials in wild and crazy cell handles. Best one ever made in production: The Camillus Classic Cartridge #3, with polished bone handles, 7mm mauser blade etches and inert cartridge bottom shield, and grooved bolsters. I keep a few on hand to give to close friends. In one of these photos is the only toothpick ever issued by the US military, a Single bladed emergency fishing knife. It is by Camillus, has a bail on the front bolster, handled in rough black.

I offer you one man's obsession. Been collecting them for many, many years.

Phil

Phil that is some collection, very nice!

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Molon labe

You're up early, Jim. Three AM here in our state of Michigan. Good to 'see' ya. I think I was pretty well smashed when I last saw you, I can't believe a couple dealers actually sold me guns at that show.

About celluloid: I stay away from known maker's whose cell doesn't seem to hold up, like early Frank Busters (Fight'n Rooster). And I only buy those that show no evidence of destruction beginning to take hold. But I don't worry over it. I keep those cells I value most on display, in open air.

Phil

ps... Jonet, I like the Northwoods! Is it a five incher?

Hey Phil,
Nice collection!
Good to see you back & posting.
Been kind of boring without you.
I always enjoy looking at your collection.

Dale

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Dale
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"Buy more ammo!" - Johnnie Fain

Welcome back Phil! We missed ya!
Nice collection! But you should add a few toothpicks, to balance it out !

_________________
"Buy More Ammo!"
Johnnie Fain
1949 - 2009

hey phil, great collection. yes the northfield is a 5 incher.

here is my camillus fish knife.

_________________
johnnie f 1949

on the cutting edge is sometimes not the place to be.
please support our troops - past and present
if not a member...join the NKCA! they're on our side.

Phil, I work the midnight shift in the prison so I have some free time on the internet. If you were smashed at the knife show I sure couldn't tell it, I thought you were just camera shy.

_________________
Molon labe

Jonet, I will seek out a Northwoods. That Camillus fishknife of yours is a WW2 Emergency fishing knife. All steel liners, right? Brass was rationed and saved for munitions. One of the old surplus outfits bought thousands of unissued ones after the war and sold them with a little piece of paper showing many Camillus wartime knives.

Hukk, I like that you have the paperwork with the knives. I think that adds much to the collection.

Pen, I have been meaning to comment on the source of that old Schrade collection of Imperial Toothpicks, but I don't have all my facts straight yet. For once, I am not going to hammer on the Ebay seller of those items.

Thanks friends for the warm welcome back.

Jim, I didn't want my parole officer aware that I had put my ankle bracelet around my cat's neck and had left town, so no pics.

Pattern Collecting: It allows one to sample the knives of many, many manufacturers and develop a collection with some cohesion. To appreciate the strengths and understand the weaknesses of every brand, in a historical context. Take a look at my old solid handle Imperial toothpicks and then the shell handled ones they later came out with.. and made 10,000 of those things a day. Those sharpies that ran the company recognized a sea change in manufacturing & marketing and moved quick (GM, Ford Chrysler could have taken lessons from them) to position themselves in the market place. Colonial kept pace with them in that strategy. Study an old Queen 'user' toothpick and then look at the new ones made for the showcase. Note the differences and similarities, it being easy (for me, anyway) when the pattern is the same.

Of course my collection doesn't just include Ticklers. But it was a Fight'n Rooster pearl TP that exposed me to the wonders of German made knives (MOP handled ones) from the 70s and 80s and I keep on eye out for any Hickey and Shouse or Hickey and Sons, and others. It was a Schrade Walden Fish knife that led me to the pleasures of collecting that brand. Ever heard of 'Star' knives, imported by a Chattanooga company in the seventies, from Japan? I never paid them any mind until I found a beautiful checkered glitter handled tickler issued by them. I now own one of every model (I think) they ever had made. And it goes on and on and another knife joins the pile...

Phil

Well this is not a US toothpick but it does have real nice pearl for a prototype. It does have some fire which I like!

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Hukk