All About Pocket Knives

This knife came up on ebay and I just couldn't swing it, had already bought too many knives that week, so I let it go. Fortunately he relisted it and the second time I got it. Pradel was a French brand of the highest reputation. I am lifting this from Britishblades.com, where Saint-Just, one of the moderators, posted this:
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The history of Pradel knives is set between 1850 and 1960. The company was owned by 4 successive generations of Pradel.
Etienne Pradel created the first "Pradel", closely based on a single blade type from Sheffield.


It was somewhat a revolution:
First, the way the knife was built allowed a quick adjustment after assembling, not before like the rest of the production at the time (I am quoting loosely from the French here, maybe Russel can bring some light to this). The cutting of the scales was also very accurate, with always the same thickness: Therefore all knives were strictly identical and perfectly adjusted

Second, the "notch" (we call it "chin") on the blade protruded significantly, allowing a sharp closing snap without damage to the edge (unlike the laguioles). People would recognise the knife just by the noise it made when it snap shut, and would comment "C'est un Pradel!". The image was that of a strong, quality knife.

Made in Thiers, it was mainly sold in Brittany and Normandy to both farmers and fishermen (hence the stamp).
In 1862 E. Pradel stamped his blades with an anchor.

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/sho ... adel-story
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That's the background. Evidently the Pradel was such a renowned knife that dozens of other companies made similar knives and adopted stamps that looked confusingly like the Pradel anchor. My Veritable Fedide is one of them.

Here is a site (in French, but Google Translate does a good job) that explains all the real and many of the fake stamps:

http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/marques_pradel.htm

You can see the Veritable Fedide stamp in the section labeled B) - Les faux PRADEL ( contrefaçons ).

Regardless of it's fraudulent origins, my knife is a solid, quality item with the Pradel style snap.

The term "Tout Acier" on the handle means "All Steel", and "Depose" means "registered design", more or less like our "trademark registered".

On the reverse handle is stamped "Inusable" which is French for "Indestructible".

I wonder how this knife came to be in America? Somehow I doubt if there are many more on this side of the pond.

very nice find and history . thats why this is one of my favorite threads ! good luck with it...............

I'm with you Paul, I love this thread.

Here is a pair of hard ones to find. I was going to start a new thread on Dynamite Knives but thought it would be better to put them here. I have had one of these for a few years and just picked up another. On page 294 of LV4 Bernie writes about the knife but does not show a picture. He dates the knife 1892!!

If there are any other Dynamite knives out there please post them

Here is one. Anyone ever heard of them?

Julius Ohliger Solingen

galvanic, those are really neat knives! Thanks for showing them.

Check out this old thread on an E.B Sears knife that is identical to galvanic's dynamite knife, right down to the Griffin's Waterproofer etch:

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 45&start=0

Trail nice job finding that post of long ago. I bought the knife from him right after the posts

very nice seeing those old ones

I've already posted this knife elsewhere, but I think it belongs here too. It's stamped Clark's XLT Cutlery, a trademark of Baker, Hamilton, & Pacific. Dates from 1899-1926.

That's one I've been waiting to see. I have read about Baker, Hamilton & Pacific but never saw one of their knives. It's great to see these regional stamps.

very nice .never seen one before

Here is another German made small pen knife, imported by James Milward & Co.

nice Trail
i found a B.B. knife co. Beaver Brook, Mass . this knife company was a one year company 1902 . there knives were sold to Pacific hardware & steel., San Francisco. another nice easyopener from a AAPK store

Great old Beaver Brook knife. I have a real weakness for those old wooden handled knife, especially easy openers.

msteele6 wrote:Great old Beaver Brook knife. I have a real weakness for those old wooden handled knife, especially easy openers.

MSsteel6, they are my favorite, thanks

Paul, that is one awesome looking easy open jack.That shield is sweet. I love it!!!!!!!

gino wrote:Paul, that is one awesome looking easy open jack.That shield is sweet. I love it!!!!!!!

Gino, Thanks

I love the look of that BB knife Paul it's a beauty.

Could use some help or thoughts on this one. It is marked Spalding & Co Phoenix on both blades. The back tang has a Phoenix bird on it. According to Goins it was made 1910-1930 but nothing else. Phoenix Knife Co was in Phoenix NY and I wonder if Spalding had any connection to Phoenix Knife Co? They used the Phoenix bird also as a trademark?? Another mystery

Galvanic, thanks .i couldn't even tell you where Phoenix New York is . sometimes its a challenge finding info. nice old Knife

galvanic1882 wrote:I love the look of that BB knife Paul it's a beauty.

Could use some help or thoughts on this one. It is marked Spalding & Co Phoenix on both blades.

Haven't heard of that one before but for what it's worth;the nail mark looks a lot like the old American Knife Co marks.

I have a few knives with the same pull on them, thanks for showing yours.

I don't know if I ever posted this one before? It is Marked LEVER CUTLERY CO. There are patent dates on the back of both tangs. The company appears to have been in Brooklyn NY. You pull the levers down to open the blade so that you can grab it to open it all the way. I think the handles are Gutta Purcha but am not sure. This is a rare knife and I have only seen 2 of these. The one I own and another that sold on ebay awhile ago for over 400. It is 2 3/4" closed not counting the levers that stick out when the knife is closed.

great old knife . so many knife company's back in the day

Yes you're right and of course I need to find at least one from every NY marked knife LOL

Interesting knife that Lever.Haven't seen one of those before.Here are a couple with similar opening devices:
The first is made by Schmactenberg Brothers in Germany.It has two blades(sadly one is broken)at opposite ends and the round button is pushed down parallel to the blade to elevate it at about 20 degrees so it can be pulled open manually.
The second is by the Automatic Knife Co of Middletown CT and when the tab on the end is pushed sideways the spring pushes the blade out to about 20 degrees so that it also can be pulled open.This one is in near mint condition and made just before or around 1900.

those are great ones to have in a collection 100+ years and mint