8 blade folding knife

[timdog44]

I recently purchased a knife with 8 blades. Appears like a congress style jack. Looks to be MOP handles with long bolsters. The liners are brass. Tang stamp “Edward Barber — Sheffield”. I can not find information about this maker or about jack knives with 8 blades. Help, please.

[Paladin]

Edward Barber didn't make it in Goins but LV4 has him listed with little info and date of 1893.

Ray

[1967redrider]

Very cool and great condition if it's that old.

[ea42]

A lot of those large multi bladed knives were made in Germany at the time, even some marked Sheffield. Not sure if they were German companies with Sheffield offices or if Sheffield makers contracted them out.

Eric

[danno50]

Tweedale has a listing for Edward Barber. Edward Barber was listed as a pen and pocketknife cutler on Scotland St. and then Rockingham St in 1816 and 1822, respectively. Edward Barber died in 1834, but, the business continued, being listed as Barber and Brookes in 1839 and 1841. The business was gone by 1845.

However, the mark passed on to Michael Hamilton. Michael Hamilton ran an advertisement in 1860 describing his firm as "late Edward Barber". He was listed as a cutler and general merchant in 1862. He died in 1862.

The mark then passed to Manico, listed in Tweedale as E.C. Manico & Company. This company was started in 1879 as an export house. By 1887 it was bankrupt. They tried to continue the business using the name Edward Barber. A descendant of Barber challenged the use of the name in court, but, was unsuccessful. By the mid 1890s another firm was using the Manico name, Roberts & Manico. There is no mention of them using the Edward Barber mark. The firm was dissolved in 1894.

The Edward Barber mark was then acquired by Thomas Ellin & Company Ltd. in 1919. In 1945 Joseph Elliot & Sons took over the Ellin factory and marks. The listing for Joseph Elliot states that in a 1953 listing of marks by the Company of Cutlers, Elliot's listing took up four pages. In the 1952 Iron Monger Diary Ellin's marks were advertised by Elliot as stand alone brands. Elliot still sold hunting and pocket knives into the 1980s. The company was wound up in 1998.

The original Barber mark was a picture of a crown over EDWARD BARBER over CUTLER TO HER MAJESTY over SHEFFIELD.

I have no idea which of the firms that used the name Edward Barber actually manufactured you knife. It is a nice one. Great find!!

[danno50]

Just looking at your pictures again and noticed the steel pins in the nickel silver bolsters. An indication of German manufacture, as ea42 was alluding to. Maybe from during the time that Manico used the name, perhaps they imported as well as exported?

[Reverand]

It is a gorgeous knife! I love any old knife that shows both wear and care. Someone used it and sharpened it, yet did not abuse it. The discoloration on the MOP even shows that the oiled it.
I have no input on the age or origin, but I still think that it is a definite keeper!

[timdog44]

Thanks for all the information and thanks also for the nice comments. Collecting knives and researching them is never straightforward.

[knife7knut]

Posted this one awhile back: stamped,''H.W.MASON SHEFFIELD''. Wish it was in better shape.

[knife7knut]

Posted this one awhile back: stamped,''H.W.MASON SHEFFIELD''. Wish it was in better shape.

Here is the pic(I hope).

[knife7knut]

Just looking at your pictures again and noticed the steel pins in the nickel silver bolsters. An indication of German manufacture, as ea42 was alluding to. Maybe from during the time that Manico used the name, perhaps they imported as well as exported?

Steel pins are also fairly common on early Sheffield knives.

[danno50]

Thanks for that info, Ray. I did not know that.

[FRJ]

Here is a Mfr's Union Cutlery Co.; 3 1/2" closed.
Goin's has a date for this knife at 1887-1888. That is the only information offered.
My Tweedale's directory and Sheffield knife book do not show this stamp.
Perhaps it is American made. That would be great.
All half stops and a stamp on every blade.
There is no rust on this knife. The reddish tarnish you see is just that ,tarnish. It's 134 years old.
I couldn't bring myself to clean it. I'm glad I didn't break a spring.
That's probably the last time I'll photograph it like that.
I have shown this knife elsewhere on the forum. I don't know where.
It's a well made beauty.

[knife7knut]

Seeing 3 identical(except for the tang stamps)knives makes me think that they were made in a time when knives were assembled by individuals from parts supplied tm them by the,'' factors'' & then brought to the,'' factories'' tm be paid. Can you say,'' 'liver & draw'' ? JMHO

[FRJ]

Interesting thoughts, Ray. They do look quite similar. I believe mine has nickel silver pins.

I found no timeframe on your H.W.MASON SHEFFIELD knife in Goin's. Did not see him in Tweedale's or Sheffield knife.
Dans informational post, third paragraph, suggests the Edward Barber knife and my Union could have been made in the same timeframe, but I'm guessing on both sides of the pond. Mine USA and his English.
So I wonder about your theory but I certainly don't discount it. I really don't know if my knife was USA made.

[knife7knut]

BRL also lists Mfrs. Knife as being from Chicago as a distributor but England as a possible point of manufacture.

[Miller Bro's]

Nice knives posted

Here's one I have, 12 blades!

Tang simply marked Sheffield make.

I'm not going to open all the blades for a picture!

[peanut740]

MB

[danno50]

Nice knives, Ray, Joe and Dimitri!

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks Dan, Thanks Roger

[wlf]

A lot of those large multi bladed knives were made in Germany at the time, even some marked Sheffield. Not sure if they were German companies with Sheffield offices or if Sheffield makers contracted them out.

Eric

The Germans used the Sheffield names illegally to sell knives in America. I have an old newspaper or hardware magazine warning hardware companies of being duped by forgeries.I'll see if I can dig it out of the computer.

[FRJ]

Thank you, Dan.