What was this Robeson used for?

[0078]

Looks to be a 1900-1916 tang, I was wondering what it was for? Sewing, pedicure?

[knife7knut]

The pointy blade is a manicure blade and the hook was used to attach ladies' gloves. If the hook were larger it would have been used to attach buttons on shoes.Style went out of fashion in the early 1900's.

[Colonel26]

That is a nice old Robeson, and a very interesting pattern too!

[RobesonsRme.com]

Nice little old knife.

Long pulls on Robeson are generally an indicator of advanced age.

I've never seen one of these with a pattern number, another indicator of age.

Does the OP knife have one?

I've seen that very pattern with three blades, as well, and I've seen it with pearl handles and both three and four blades.

I have a three blade version in what was referred to as "Rose Pearl".

Robeson produced about a half dozen patterns with this material, all of them essentially, "ladies' knives".

A four blade version in rose pearl sold on Ebay a few years ago. I don't believe I was able to save the photos from that, but I'll check to be sure.

Here's my little three blade. I keep it in a little leather "Knife Purse" with a snap closure.

You might think about pairing one with your picked bone version.

Notice that the added fourth blade was apparently that nail file.

Charlie Noyes

[kootenay joe]

What is this pattern called ? It is not a Senator. Robeson must have had a name for it, especially as it has no pattern number, or how could management tell the cutlers to make some. "Hey Joe, we're making that thing today, you know the thing with a hump in the spine, for the ladies." "oh, that one".
kj

[0078]

Thanks for the replays. And there is no pattern number? All blades are tang stamped.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Roland, I have no idea.

I don't believe it's in the catalog reprint that David Clark published, as all those knives have pattern numbers.

I guess we would need some really old factory documents or design charts to find out and I have no idea if any of those still exist.

It would be a treasure trove if they did.

They are small knives, 2 5/8" long, according to the entry in my database.

They do have a decidedly "Eureka" shape or "Humpback" as you stated.

Charlie Noyes