2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

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YuriRealman
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2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by YuriRealman »

Anyone have thoughts on these two knives? Maybe "weird" wasn't the right descriptor ...

First is a small two-blade knife by "Edwards Sons & Co" ... though actually, you can only make out WARDS, now EDWARDS, so I'm open to other interpretation. There seems to be very little known about this knife maker.
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Second is an Imperial (tang stamp I didn't shoot: "IMPERIAL / PROV R.I." ... I am confused by two things on this knife. First is the main blade, which seems to have been reshaped--not factory like that, is it? But it's a strange mod ... The handle has cutouts on both sides but the second blade doesn't extend far enough into the well area, so that doesn't make much sense to me either.
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Thanks for your assistance!
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philco
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by philco »

The blade on the second knife most likely took on that shape when someone tried to use it as a prybar or screwdriver and created enough torque to break away a large chip off the blade. I seriously doubt that was a deliberate modification.
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by Gunsil »

The Edwards knife appears to be German made with the steel pins in nickel bolsters. The Imperial is a WW2 made for the military "easy opener" jack knife. The main blade has been horribly altered in shape, most likely from somebody putting a big chip in it and then grinding or filing the blade away to get rid if the sharp chip. It was originally a flat ground spear point blade. Easy open pocket knives are so called since they have the cut out which makes it possible to open the main blade without using the nail nick and there are examples with no nail nick on the big blade. They will all have nail nicks in the small blade since the small blades never reach the "easy open" cut out.
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YuriRealman
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by YuriRealman »

Gunsil wrote:Easy open pocket knives are so called since they have the cut out which makes it possible to open the main blade without using the nail nick and there are examples with no nail nick on the big blade. They will all have nail nicks in the small blade since the small blades never reach the "easy open" cut out.
Did not know this, thank you.
BWT
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by BWT »

Goins says Edwards and Son USA 1920-1940, nothing else.
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by Gunsil »

Not related to the OP knife which is Edwards & Sons Co. The little Co and the steel pins still say German made.
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by bonezcustoms »

I have an Edwards Sons & co knife as well. Boy, not much info out there at all! I don't usually have such a time with identifying a blade. Mine is very similar with 2 blades and MOP handle as well as the exact tang stamp, though harder to read than the OP. The knife just feels/looks OLD(pre 1900)... and I deal with lots of OLD knives, but a rough life can look like an extra few decades very easily. I will post mine when I get home, and hopefully one day we will find some info! It really seems like a well made little knife.
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by FRJ »

Gunsil wrote: the "easy open" cut out.
Gene, help me out here a little bit. I question the "easy open" on this Imperial. Wouldn't they have ground the cut out a little bit further from the bolster? And wouldn't they have ground it a bit deeper? Just wondering. Thanks.
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btrwtr
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by btrwtr »

The easy open notch in the Imperial looks factory original to me.
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FRJ
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Wayne, I certainly appreciate your experience. I wonder if the bail, too, is a factor in the easy open pattern.
Thanks.
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by Gunsil »

Joe, the EO Imperial is a WW2 knife made on contract for the military. It is proper and original other than the messed up blade. I have had a few of them, all similar, and all have had the bail and steel liners and bolsters. I think the bail was a military contract specification.
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Re: 2 weird ones ... Edwards Sons & Co, Imperial

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Gene. ::tu::
Joe
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