Hammer Brand (NYK) Frankenknife?

[ea42]

OK, I'm adding some corrections right here for the post I made below. Seems I didn't do enough research on that one. Thanks to the commenters below for keeping me on my toes! I still think there's a blade missing, as I'm not convinced that they would use just their trademark on a regular pocket knife, but I could be wrong. With the exception of the cokebottle pattern I don't recall ever seeing it. The shield was definitely a NY Knife shield judging by the old Biddle catalog image I scanned a few posts down. Here's my original post, didn't want to simply correct it since that would throw the whole conversation out of whack:

Hey folks, I'm pretty sure this blade doesn't belong in these handles. NYK never had just "Hammer Brand" stamped on the blade(s) of a knife. If it was was a single blade, Hammer Brand was on the pile side and NY Knife Co was on the mark side. Blade also looks short, yet full. That shield doesn't look like any shield I've seen on a NY Knife Co knife either, which makes me think that the blade was taken from another knife and put in those scales. Kind of looks like Empire.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Hammer ... SwtAlcmm0H

Eric

[Gunsil]

I don't like that knife either, I think it should have another blade or more also. BUT, to say that NYK NEVER made a single blade knife with only the Hammer Brand on the mark side is not quite true. I have a very nice NYK 188 large coke bottle with the 188 model number on the back side of the tang and the Hammer Brand on the mark or front side. It is a correct knife.

[btrwtr]

I don't like that knife either, I think it should have another blade or more also. BUT, to say that NYK NEVER made a single blade knife with only the Hammer Brand on the mark side is not quite true.

Agreed. A one blade jack of that pattern would be very unusual. I have a single blade 5 1/8" pattern186 coke bottle with no mark side tang stamp. It has a blade etch and the pattern number stamped on the pile side tang. Empire frame is a good guess.

[Gunsil]

NYK did make a knife with a frame like the OP knife, I had a mint bone one etched "STAUNCH" with a saber ground spear main blade and it was a two blade jack. I think the frame may be an NYK frame. My big coke may be a 186 also, the 188 is from memory, but mine has wood scales.

[ea42]

Wayne and Gene, thanks for setting me straight, I'd forgotten all about the coke bottle! With the exception of that one I don't believe I've ever seen a NY Knife pocketknife with simply the Hammer Brand logo though. I was also wrong on that shield, found a catalog image from an old Biddle catalog with a knife that utilized the shield. This one had bolster ends that were of different thickness, but I did also find an image of the frame that's on the knife posted up for bid:

Left knife is the pattern in question, with the general blade layout:

Here's a knife (center) with the shield that I had questioned, which turns out to be authentic:

Eric

[Gunsil]

Looks like pics from Barry's catalog reprint!! If you don't have one get one!!

[ea42]

Yep that's it, he did a fantastic job!

Eric

[wlf]

But no FJ's in it.

[peanut740]

The 186 pattern is the swing guard folding hunter with no tang stamp.

[kootenay joe]

Has a consensus been arrived at as to: all original or not ?
This is one for the experts. I can only observe & learn.
kj

[ea42]

Roland I personally feel like it's missing a blade. Might have been removed some time ago but I think there used to be a pen blade in there. That would have been marked New York Knife Co, while the spear would be marked with the Hammer Brand logo. That's just my opinion though. Would probably explain the crack and the brassy looking bolster pins. You don't generally see that on the older knives, nickel silver was usually the same composition on both the bolsters and the pins.

Eric

[kootenay joe]

Eric, thank you for explaining your thoughts on this knife. Threads like this are a helpful learning experience for many of us.
kj

[Gunsil]

The 186 pattern is the swing guard folding hunter with no tang stamp.

My memory must be working, mine has no swing guard, model 188, only tang stamp Hammer Brand with the model on the back.

[Gunsil]

Roland, I agreed from the git-go that there is a blade or two missing. Could have been a two blade jack or a whittler when new.

[peanut740]

Gene,here is a 186 pattern.

[cbfd]

Nice one, Roger! I`ve owned 3 or 4 of them,they were all marked the same as your knife! Bill

[Gunsil]

Nice photo, nice knife! Thanks. Yes I am aware of what the large folding guard one looks like, I have examined them in person and also have Barry's NYK catalog reprint for reference. I don't know where my 188 is right now, I have a lot of stuff packed in tubs to take to the Shenandoah show next weekend. I think it is in there, but I don't know which tub, y'all must know the drill.

[ea42]

Roger that's a beauty! That model has eluded me for some time.

Gene are you going to the Mystic show next month? If it's anything like last year it should be a great time.

Eric

[Kevin11b]

I don't like that knife either, I think it should have another blade or more also. BUT, to say that NYK NEVER made a single blade knife with only the Hammer Brand on the mark side is not quite true. I have a very nice NYK 188 large coke bottle with the 188 model number on the back side of the tang and the Hammer Brand on the mark or front side. It is a correct knife.

I also have a knife like you described with just the hammer brand on front and 188 on the back single blade. Do you have any time frame for a manufacturer date ? Thanks. Kevin

[Gunsil]

I don't have any info on the dates these were made. The Hammer Brand only came into existence in the late 1880s and the company went under in 1931, so sometime between those dates. I have never seen anything written regarding when certain NYK models came and went. Fifty years is a long run but I wouldn't be surprised if the model 188 ran for most of that time.

[Kevin11b]

Ok thanks. I also looked at one identical to ours with a little darker wood cocobolo ? Had hammer brand on front and instead of 188 it had New York knife co Walden NY frustrating but is what it is Thanks again Kevin

[Miller Bro's]

A two year old thread with no pictures posted of the OP knife!!!


There is a "sticky" at the top of the counterfeit page, please post pictures of the knife you are discussing For Posterity!

[Kevin11b]

Ok didn’t know. At what age is a thread too old to post on and I thought this absolutely the best place since this is where gunsil posted the description of his knife wouldn’t have made any sense to me anywhere else. Also have no idea what a “sticky” means. Thank you Kevin

[peanut740]

Ok didn’t know. At what age is a thread too old to post on and I thought this absolutely the best place since this is where gunsil posted the description of his knife wouldn’t have made any sense to me anywhere else. Also have no idea what a “sticky” means. Thank you Kevin

No worries, you can post on any old post.What he was referring to was the original poster didn't save a picture from the ebay auction that started this thread.
Welcome to AAPK,and don't be afraid to jump on.

[Kevin11b]

Thanks Roger. That is appreciated more than you know