This is a vintage Imperial "End-of-Day" (also known as Christmas Tree or candy stripe) celluloid handle pocket knife, featuring a multi-blade design with a standard jackknife pattern.there is considerable amount of patina and pitting on the blades .the handles seem good, please look at pictures I did apply some high quality synthetic oil to keep from rusting further did not clean knife other then wiping with a cloth .    Key Characteristics

• Handle Material: The distinctive handle scale is made of a swirled multi-colored celluloid plastic, often referred to by collectors as an "End-of-Day" pattern because early factories supposedly mixed leftover scraps of different colors together at the end of a shift.
• Markings: The base of the blade (tang) is stamped with PAT. NOS., indicating it was manufactured utilizing shell-handle technology patented by the Imperial Knife Companyduring the mid-20th century.
• Construction: It uses a shell bolster construction over a metal liner, typical of mass-produced consumer pocket knives from the 1930s through the 1950s.

  The patent number stamped on your blade tang is US Patent No. 2,037,943.  This specific number confirms that your knife utilizes the foundational shell-handle pocket knife construction originally developed by the Imperial Knife Company.    Patent and History Details

• The Patent: Issued on April 14, 1936, to inventor Felix Mirando (co-founder of Imperial), patent 2,037,943 describes a manufacturing process where a thin, decorated metal shell wrapped in plastic (celluloid) is tabs-folded or wrapped over a skeletonized metal liner. This allowed factories to mass-produce durable, lightweight, colorful pocket knives at a fraction of the cost of solid bone or genuine stag horn. 
• The Brand: While Imperial held this patent, they frequently stamped it onto knives across their corporate umbrella brands. The most notable brand using this stamp alongside the beautiful "End-of-Day" candy stripe pattern is Hammer Brand, a subsidiary brand Imperialoperated from roughly 1936 to 1955.

    measures roughly 3 inches closed with a main blade just under 2 inches, placing it in the standard "jack knife" category. Small, everyday-carry pocket knives of this build style generally command modest prices compared to specialized patterns 

For Sale By: Ace jewelry & Antiques

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