Old pocket knife with a nail file and a pencil

[gabatgh]

Hey folks, I've come across this little knife. The blades are so small that the maker's name has been cut off so I'm not certain whose it is, though I'm guessing it's Greer. Has anyone seen anything like this, or know anything about it? Thanks so much!

[djknife13]

Goins list's a Greer and Laing Wheeling from West Virginia circa 1914. If it says Green, there are about 10 possibilities. Good luck with your investigation. ____Dave

[1967redrider]

Very cool old combination knife, what do you think the frame is made out of (bone or ivory)?

[woodwalker]

Neat little knife!!

[edge213]

Can't help, but it's a cool little knife.

[kootenay joe]

Handle could be ivory or a synthetic, but likely not bone. I have a few old knives with handles that i cannot be sure if they are ivory or a plastic of some sort, i.e. similar to this knife.
kj

[knife7knut]

The lettering type(font is the name usually used now)looks to be from the mid 1800's. I think the handle is carved ivory.I'm curious as to what the slide button's function is;possibly to open the blades.It doesn't look like it has anything to do with the pencil as they are usually twisted to extend the lead.I have an Unwin & Rogers mechanical pencil knife from that era and the pencil looks identical except mine folds.

[Ridgegrass]

Levine lists a Theo Green (Domar Cutlery) in Oklahoma City and a Green Duck Co, in Chicago c. 1916-1920's. ??? Neat piece, looks about that vintage.
J.O'.

[gabatgh]

[quote=knife7knut post_id=894454 time=1613241323 user_id=3571]
I'm curious as to what the slide button's function is[/quote]

Ooh, an easy question The slide is for the thing on the with the cylinder, which I am assuming is for pencil lead. I'd like to mention that the slide is ridiculously hard to actually slide, and I'm reluctant to add any lubricant without knowing which is the correct product to use.

[TazmanTom18]

Old wives tale ??? place the knife under a piece of plate glass (glass on display case should be plate). We did it at shows by opening the case and placing the unknown handle material against it from underneath.. If it's ivory you will be able to see black spots appearing on handle material. Supposedly the carbon in the glass creates this optical illusion. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, try it, seems to work. Try known ivory and others to compare. Tom

[gabatgh]

The lettering type(font is the name usually used now)looks to be from the mid 1800's. I think the handle is carved ivory.I'm curious as to what the slide button's function is;possibly to open the blades.It doesn't look like it has anything to do with the pencil as they are usually twisted to extend the lead.I have an Unwin & Rogers mechanical pencil knife from that era and the pencil looks identical except mine folds.

Sorry it's taken so long for me to get back to this. It occurred to me some time ago to roll up a small piece of paper and insert it into the end tube. When I did that and spun the paper, I was rewarded with pencil marks on the paper, so that removes any doubt of what that part is for.

I also posted a four second animated gif of the pencil being ...opened? ejected? I'm not sure what the proper term would be
https://photos.app.goo.gl/onSX18ZyWRAbM5Xa9

Edit: This is very similar in style to those seen in the pics floating around the web of the reprint of the 1914 Greer & Laing Cutlery Catalog. I just cannot find any actual folding pocket knife of theirs to compare it to for any kind of valuation.

[jmh58]

Kool knife!!
John

[knife7knut]

The lettering type(font is the name usually used now)looks to be from the mid 1800's. I think the handle is carved ivory.I'm curious as to what the slide button's function is;possibly to open the blades.It doesn't look like it has anything to do with the pencil as they are usually twisted to extend the lead.I have an Unwin & Rogers mechanical pencil knife from that era and the pencil looks identical except mine folds.

Sorry it's taken so long for me to get back to this. It occurred to me some time ago to roll up a small piece of paper and insert it into the end tube. When I did that and spun the paper, I was rewarded with pencil marks on the paper, so that removes any doubt of what that part is for.20210608_233848.jpg

I also posted a four second animated gif of the pencil being ...opened? ejected? I'm not sure what the proper term would be
https://photos.app.goo.gl/onSX18ZyWRAbM5Xa9

Edit: This is very similar in style to those seen in the pics floating around the web of the reprint of the 1914 Greer & Laing Cutlery Catalog. I just cannot find any actual folding pocket knife of theirs to compare it to for any kind of valuation.

Thank you for the follow up.Even though the slide button opens the pencil housing there must still be some way to advance the lead inside.This is usually accomplished on a mechanical pencil by twisting some part of the body. If you want to try putting lead into the barrel,it is probably either 1.8mm or 2mm in diameter. Not readily available in stores such as Staples buy still available on line.
As for the slide being hard to operate it may be that way on purpose so when the pencil is extended it doesn't have a tendency to slide back inside while using it.I would leave it as is.

[gabatgh]

Ever have one of those "DUH" moments? I knew it was a mechanical pencil, and that's what I've been using since the 1980's, I personally hate 'regular' pencils. The barrel that ejects out has a knurled ring on it. Never once, in all the years that I've owned this thing, did it ever occur to me to TURN the stupid thing. There is *still* a piece of lead/graphite in it.

As for it being hard to slide, that isn't the case any more. It moves easily, comfortable but firmly, now.

[knife7knut]

Ever have one of those "DUH" moments? I knew it was a mechanical pencil, and that's what I've been using since the 1980's, I personally hate 'regular' pencils. The barrel that ejects out has a knurled ring on it. Never once, in all the years that I've owned this thing, did it ever occur to me to TURN the stupid thing. There is *still* a piece of lead/graphite in it.
20210609_200031.jpg

As for it being hard to slide, that isn't the case any more. It moves easily, comfortable but firmly, now.

Been there;done that;don't want the T-shirt! I think it might be the 2mm size.If you can get the piece out far enough to measure it,a 2mm lead will measure just about 1/16th of an inch on a ruler. Those are available at most Staples stores under the Staedtler brand.They are used in drafting pencils.If it is the smaller(1.8 mm)size you might have to shop on line to find them.I use both sizes in my work.The 2mm I use in a drafting pencil to clean rust off knife blades. The 1.8mm I use in my vintage mechanical pencils for drawing.

[gabatgh]

Thanks for the continued help. I want to put this in our case in an antique mall. Any thoughts on a value?

[knife7knut]

Thanks for the continued help. I want to put this in our case in an antique mall. Any thoughts on a value?

I'm not really well versed in evaluating items.If you had a store on this site you would probably generate more interest as there would be more knife people looking at it.There are several people on this site who collect vintage knives such as this.

[gabatgh]

Alas, I'm an antique dealer and this didn't even come to me from that path. It was handed down from within the family and we have no (professional) knowledge of knives. We happen to be knife fans and can appreciate knives. My wife and I, back in the early 1990's, used to go to knife trade shows in the NYC area, where we bought a Kelgin miniature knife (apparently one of the first), and a Victor McCrackin railroad spike knife. We watch Forged in Fire and our eleven year old, she's loves it. I'm hoping to sign her up for a local blacksmithing class this summer.

[Mumbleypeg]

It’s such an unusual item it will likely be difficult to find comparable items from which you might derive a value. Hard to tell from the pictures what the handles are made from. That could be a big difference in value. If celluloid many buyers will not pay much due to its peculiar unstable nature - the investment could go “poof” at any time. If ivory (they don’t look like ivory to me) the value could be higher but the market limited due to the government regulation of ivory items.

Ken

[gabatgh]

If it is ivory that prohibits it from being sold at any quality antique mall. As I'm by Adamstown, PA, Antiques Capital USA, that means all of them...

[knife7knut]

Alas, I'm an antique dealer and this didn't even come to me from that path. It was handed down from within the family and we have no (professional) knowledge of knives. We happen to be knife fans and can appreciate knives. My wife and I, back in the early 1990's, used to go to knife trade shows in the NYC area, where we bought a Kelgin miniature knife (apparently one of the first), and a Victor McCrackin railroad spike knife. We watch Forged in Fire and our eleven year old, she's loves it. I'm hoping to sign her up for a local blacksmithing class this summer.

just out of curiosity is the Kelgin a balisong(butterfly)knife? I have a Kelgin balisong and it is a beautiful little knife;much smaller than a conventional model. I hate to say this but those handles appear to be of "pachyderm incisor" aka ivory. If you decide to sell it on here and come up with a price on it,let me know as I might be interested in it. I'm sure there are several others here that would be as well.
EDIT: Here is a picture of the Kelgin.The name is derived from the maker's name(Ken Largin).

[gabatgh]

Not even close to that butterfly! This whole conversation is really ironic. You see, when we moved in 2003 we lost the knife. About two weeks ago I was knocking around the garage and I found the papers that came with the knife, but no knife. Three days ago, my wife found the knife in the back of her desk. The box it's in is the original box that came with it.

[knife7knut]

Not even close to that butterfly! This whole conversation is really ironic. You see, when we moved in 2003 we lost the knife. About two weeks ago I was knocking around the garage and I found the papers that came with the knife, but no knife. Three days ago, my wife found the knife in the back of her desk. The box it's in is the original box that came with it.
20210610_220906.jpg20210610_220959.jpg20210610_220833.jpg

Great story! Glad you finally found it;that is definitely a keeper!