All About Pocket Knives

My friends, I friend of mine have this knives but we can't identify them.

The first one have a fine blade, with 6 inches width, cow horn handle, uses a system of "ratchet" that keeps it firmly open, to open is enough hurls it ahead. It possesss registration in the blade "Solingen", and must have behind been done to the much time.

The second one possesss two blades of a steel inox of excellent quality, stag handle, with also 6 inches of width, to close has that if to pull the ring for top, liberating the mechanism in its superior part, and when opened is open is very safe and firm. It possesss registration in very small letters, something seemed as "Paul Main", I don't know if "France", or "Swiss".













If somebody know and will have information in we thank them.

I use a translating program, my apologies for any mistake in text.


Best regards

Hello paulorocha. Welcome to the forum I don't know about your knives but they look very interesting. I didn't want your post to go unanswered. good luck s-k

I don't know about the 1st and am just guessing on the 2nd but the 2nd one looks like a custom to me since it revolves around a piece of stag. Again I am just guessing.

The second knife looks to be a folding hunter...a ring release, with an external backspring, and a bone saw. I've seen French and Italian knives that were similar, but the crown (also called the rose) was at the pivot end, acting as a guard....

http://www.cutlerytogo.com/staghorhanwi.html


An interesting knife in any event.

Bill

i have seen many knives with the crown at the rear. the saw blade looks like the one on german knives to me. does the blade say inox?

Saludos desde Mexico.

I don't know about the first knife, use of the ratchet lock in a German knife is interesting, it is common in classic Spanish Navajas.

The second knife seems typically French to me, looks like this one by Mongin.

Some similar knives are shown in the book: "L'universe de couteaux" by Jean-Noel Mouret (pages 34 and 35 in mine which is the Spanishversion of the book).

A Web search for Cornillon or Mongin may bring some info, probably in French (that's where I found the Mongin knife).

Luis

Johnnie,

You're right about knives with the crown to the rear...I wasn't very clear, and I should've said "most of those I'VE seen"...as they do, of course, come in both configurations.

I do feel if it was German, it would say rostfrei rather than inox...but, that's just my first blush of the knife.

Bill

bill, i think we are both right but i think don luis has it nailed. french or spanish, but i won't rule out germany.

Ah yes,

That speedy Don Luis posted while I was pecking out my post. The French knife does look to be of the same ilk.....

Bill

Very, very thanks to all, my friends. If anyone have other informations, please report-me.

Best regards

Hi;
Nice looking knife. The crown is a different turn for that knife. Check this site out, it references the evolution from Germany to South Africa.
wb

http://www.okapi-knives.com

Don't know about the first but I may have an answer for the second. As luck would have I bought a book last night titled 100 Legendary Knives and in it there is a knife called the Hemmingway model made by the Kindal firm. According to the book Kindal was a Sweedish knife maker who moved to Paris where he encountered Ernest Hemingway, who when he took his knife to him to be sharpened, Kindal liked it so much that he started making copies of it and has made it since. Although I feel I should mention that the knife in the book has an extra smaller blade and instead of the crown it is capped with a piece of ivory. I could'nt find much about on the internet but the knife pictured in the book is remarkably similar to the knife in question.

That second knife reminds me of an older German made Okapi. Very strong resemblance. The Okapi is now made in South Africa. It may have been made by a custom maker, there are also things that tell me that it is not an Okapi, especially the way the blade is ground and the nail nick shape and placement.

It is very similar to knives that claim to be 17th century knives. I like it!

does the second knife have corkscrew on it?

It appears to have a corkscrew to me.

I have a knife with a near identical profile and dimension of the first knife with the brass bolsters cut on an angle where they butt up to the scales and horn scales and is stamped,"Frosolone" which is a knife making area in Italy.The ratcheting mechanism is VERY unusual in this style of knife.

I have several French knives with the exposed back spring/ring lock mechanism;one is two bladed(wide spear point/marlinspike)and has a one piece horn body with slots cut into it and nickel silver liners inserted.I have a multi-blade on made similarly but it is in pieces.

Cold Steel is selling these "ring " knives. They say they are very popular in South Africa.

From:
http://www.ernest.hemingway.com/inourtime.htm

"Nick and his Uncle George, have to watch as his father operate on the Indian woman with only a pen knife and no anesthestic for the woman.
Nick's father saves the woman's life, delivers a baby boy and brags about his achievements in operating with such crude equipment; a pen knife and tapered gut leaders to sew up the cut in the woman's body. (In real life Hemingway was persuaded by his father to have his tonsils removed, which was performed without anesthestic). Nick asks his father to stop the woman's screams, but his father states 'No, I haven't any anesthestic, but her screams are not important. I don't hear them because they are unimportant'.

The husband of the Indian woman, who had cut his foot very badly with an axe, three days before, slits his throat because he can not bear to watch his wife suffer in such pain."

Hard times…

That second knife seemed to be of interest to all of us...................................but I have to say.....Can we please see a picture of the Hemingway Knife???????

Secondary, Does the Hemingway knife also have the Corkscrew?

Don Luis wrote:Saludos desde Mexico.

I don't know about the first knife, use of the ratchet lock in a German knife is interesting, it is common in classic Spanish Navajas.

The second knife seems typically French to me, looks like this one by Mongin.

Some similar knives are shown in the book: "L'universe de couteaux" by Jean-Noel Mouret (pages 34 and 35 in mine which is the Spanishversion of the book).

A Web search for Cornillon or Mongin may bring some info, probably in French (that's where I found the Mongin knife).

Luis

I'm agree with you, the second is very Similar to Mongin products (cornillon model). Any mark on the blade ? it's seem there is a oval mark which is the general form for Jacques Mongin products

The screw on the Hemingway knife is interesting...the crowned knife seems to have an allen wrench screw.

Thank you for the picture.

yes, I did not notice. The mongins are not assembled with allen screws, but with screws split (I do not know the English word). may be he was restored ?