All About Pocket Knives

The boy's knife is a variety that has faded into oblivion. I'm sure many country boys still carry knives, but it is probably one of Dad's hand-me-downs or a small version of a regular knife, like a Case Tiny Trapper (or more likely some kind of "tactical"). Levine introduces his section on Boy's Knives like this - "A boy's knife is a small (3 1/2 inch or under) regular jack or curved regular jack, ordinarily with a single spear blade...Up into the 1930s, most boy's knives sold for ten cents or less, so their construction is the cheapest possible." I'm sure many a boy spent Saturday afternoons at hard labor trying to save up the dime necessary to buy the boy's knife in the display at the local hardware store.

According to Levine, there were even knives made for "little boys" with blunt ends.

Over the years the handles of boy's knives went from coined brass to malleable iron to tin alloy to pressed mild steel to folded sheet steel. Imperial produced shell handled boy's knives after 1936, and Colonial capped things off with plastic handled knives.

My knife was made by United Cutlery. There have been several companies by this name, but I think mine is from a New York importer active from around 1901 through 1920. A friend in the model shop at our plant said he thought the handles on mine were "pewter" (tin alloy) which would be right for that time period. It is a very cheaply made knife, but even so it has hard snap and no blade wobble.

Any other boy's knives out there?

trail i have two easy opens that are metal handled just as yours is. one is from magnetic cutlery with the words "beats all" on the handle, and the other is from westfield cutlery with the words "easy opener" on the handle. both knives are from germany. i would assume that they are meant to be boys knives also.
chet

Here are a few more examples for review, top to bottom:
1st photo
Metal handles stamped Saxonia Cut. Co. Germany
Metal handles stamped Merimac Cut. Co.
Imitation jigged bone, no mark - cool airplane shield
2nd photo
Metal handles stamped I.K. Co (Imperial)
Metal handles stamped I.K. Co
Imitation tortoise handles stamped C.K. Co (Colonial Knife)

That airplane shield would catch a boy's eye for sure.

Nice little collection, farside.

A boy's knife made by H. Boker.

I wonder if these would qualify. These are 3" knives. Just right for a young boy.
Left to right: Imperial, Imperial, Syracuse, Hammer.
I had knives as a boy. Always took them to school.

FRJ, yours have many of the characteristics that Levine laid out, and some differences as well. They look to be fairly inexpensive knives that a boy could afford, and they are small for young hands. But the clip blades and secondary blades are not characteristic. They would add cost, and boy's knives were the cheapest of the cheap. The capped ends are an extra cost as well. I think it just shows how the edges blur between the various patterns and types. I'm thinking about cattle knives and stock knives, or large trappers and folding hunters. All said, I think any boy of the classic days of knives would have been proud to have one of your knives.

Thanks Trail,
I do see the differences now. I can see how mine wouldn't quite fit with cap and extra blade.
I wish I would have paid closer attention.
The idea of a boys knife of years gone by appeals to me.
I keep learning. Thanks again.

Here's an Imperial, and some advertising. The hollow handle is painted, as cheap as it gets, but the snap is wonderful, and the blade is sharp!

Here's a boy WITH a knife!
Doesn't look like a boy's knife though. . . . .

For a little change of pace, here is a 'child's ' fixed blade and sheath by Carl Schlieper. On the far left side of the photo, part of the leather that went onto an overall or shirt button can be seen.

Ray

Some great additions and they help emphasize one more characteristic of a boy's knife that Levine didn't mention - some way to attach the knife to the boy. Oh how tragic it would be to spend months of Saturdays working hard to save a dime and then to lose the knife! So most of these boy's knives seem to have a bail, a lanyard hole or a button hole to help attach them. Imperial even included the vital chain with their "Johnnie Junior Model 1109CH."

I've always liked those chain knives.
This one could have been intended for a boy, maybe for a special occasion. I realize it's not the cheapest, one-blade construction, but neither was it an expensive model.
(It is now though! ).

Ghost Tales of the Uwharries is a lot easier to handle if you've got your trusty Imperial boys knife close by. "Yes, mom, I did my homework. Honest."

This should fall into the same class as Upnorth's. United Cutlery Germany

H. Boker & Co's Improved Cutlery.

I've got a couple to show you. First is a Red Goose shoes boys knife. I think that they gave you one when you bought a pair of their shoes. Second one is an Alantic Cutlery Co. boys knife with a pewter handle. It has a scene with a monkey teasing a chained up dog. The caption says "O YES" .The back side has the initials A K. Maybe Adolph Kastor?

I'm thinking these were probably marketed as a "Boys Knife".
WB

How about a Winchester boy's knife.

NICE ONE!!!

I DIG THE BUTTON HOOK CHAINS
anybody have one they wanna sell -lemme know

A Schatt & Morgan about 1905.

David that is an awesome piece !

Nice ones shown on this page so far

This is the only one I have in my collection and I like it a lot.

COOL.... I love these boys knives. I will have to be on the lookout for one of those!
(My grandson needs one!!)