Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
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Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
I wanted to start a new thread on vintage pocket knives that are handled with Genuine Mother Of Pearl.
These were some of the most expensive knives to buy back in the day.
Working with this substance is dangerous to your health and when the knives were being assembled it was easy to crack it. The workmen that hafted knives in Pearl were the highest paid! Too bad it ended their life prematurely
Most every pattern knife could be bought with MOP, at a higher price, therefore you see very few large knives with it as a handle material. The few examples like E. Toenails that have it command a very high price from collectors.
Lots of tiny, small, and medium sized pen knives come handled this way, I even have a 15/16" charm knife in MOP. It seems every small scrap of this material was used and not wasted.
Some of this pearl is what is called "Firey", meaning it has color. Some of this type is very attractive.
Here is a Boker MOP handle Office Knife, firey mother of pearl on the front and back side! It measures almost 4" closed, so these are big slabs.
If you have any vintage MOP handled knives, big or small, Let`s see `em
These were some of the most expensive knives to buy back in the day.
Working with this substance is dangerous to your health and when the knives were being assembled it was easy to crack it. The workmen that hafted knives in Pearl were the highest paid! Too bad it ended their life prematurely
Most every pattern knife could be bought with MOP, at a higher price, therefore you see very few large knives with it as a handle material. The few examples like E. Toenails that have it command a very high price from collectors.
Lots of tiny, small, and medium sized pen knives come handled this way, I even have a 15/16" charm knife in MOP. It seems every small scrap of this material was used and not wasted.
Some of this pearl is what is called "Firey", meaning it has color. Some of this type is very attractive.
Here is a Boker MOP handle Office Knife, firey mother of pearl on the front and back side! It measures almost 4" closed, so these are big slabs.
If you have any vintage MOP handled knives, big or small, Let`s see `em
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- Boker
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- Boker
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Here's a C. Lutters(sp?) Lion Brand
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Here's another one of MB's knives..
A pretty little Union Cutlery he traded me out of a while back.
It has some AWESOME pearl on it.
Just hard to get a good picture of that stuff.
Here's an old S&M
Back scale is cracked
ANd a pretty little UNITED CUTLERY Co Germany whittler I got from MB quite a while back in a roundtable trade.
Got some more oldies but I need better pics.
A pretty little Union Cutlery he traded me out of a while back.
It has some AWESOME pearl on it.
Just hard to get a good picture of that stuff.
Here's an old S&M
Back scale is cracked
ANd a pretty little UNITED CUTLERY Co Germany whittler I got from MB quite a while back in a roundtable trade.
Got some more oldies but I need better pics.
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- Miller Bro's
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Just picked up this little jewel today, a Case XX 8261 pattern.
Check out the secondary pen blade, yes it came this way from the factory!
Check out the secondary pen blade, yes it came this way from the factory!
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
TJ,
Nice one!
Willie,
I like that old Schatt, crack and all
Nice one!
Willie,
I like that old Schatt, crack and all
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Whatcha got to trade? You know what trips my trigger. LOLMiller Bro`s wrote:TJ,
Nice one!
Willie,
I like that old Schatt, crack and all
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
This is one of my favs
Not quite as old as some of the others but 30 some years
Gerber Saki silver knight
Not quite as old as some of the others but 30 some years
Gerber Saki silver knight
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Here's a few from my collection.Some are in relic condition and others near mint;I love them all.
First up is a really old multiblade marked,"A*Tyler Celebrated Cutlery" a little over 2" long.Some of the blades have tabs to assist in opening.
Second is a favorite:an Empire 2 blade with sterling silver bolsters and came in a nice chamois pouch.
Third is a 2 blade(Wharncliffe and coping)marked,"G&J Allen Superior Cutlery" with pique work and threaded bolsters on one end.Dates around 1840.
Fourth is an 8 bladed congress marked,"H.W.Mason &Co."Not in the greatest of shape but most unusual.
Fifth is a 4 bladed Krusius Brothers with button hook.
Sixth is a Needham Brothers with an ivory master blade;likely a fruit knife.
Seventh is a nice 4 blade Rodgers No.6 Norfolk St.
Eighth is a half congress by R.Bunting & Sons circa 1840.
Last is a 2 blade marked,"R.Thomson & Co."What is unusual is the length of the master blade;it barely fits in the handle.Not replaced as far as I can tell.
First up is a really old multiblade marked,"A*Tyler Celebrated Cutlery" a little over 2" long.Some of the blades have tabs to assist in opening.
Second is a favorite:an Empire 2 blade with sterling silver bolsters and came in a nice chamois pouch.
Third is a 2 blade(Wharncliffe and coping)marked,"G&J Allen Superior Cutlery" with pique work and threaded bolsters on one end.Dates around 1840.
Fourth is an 8 bladed congress marked,"H.W.Mason &Co."Not in the greatest of shape but most unusual.
Fifth is a 4 bladed Krusius Brothers with button hook.
Sixth is a Needham Brothers with an ivory master blade;likely a fruit knife.
Seventh is a nice 4 blade Rodgers No.6 Norfolk St.
Eighth is a half congress by R.Bunting & Sons circa 1840.
Last is a 2 blade marked,"R.Thomson & Co."What is unusual is the length of the master blade;it barely fits in the handle.Not replaced as far as I can tell.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Gerber
Silver knight ( only 30 something years old)
but one of my favs
Silver knight ( only 30 something years old)
but one of my favs
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
holler when you get tired of looking at my CATTARAUGUS knives. numbers on these are cattle knife 32183, congress whittler 32053, long bolster equal end 22793, equal end 22683, and tip bolstered whittler 32683.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
here is another cattle knife number 32203, a tip bolstered whittler and a knife that jewelers used to stock and personalize with your name number 3093.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
K7K,
Nice pearls
JKB,
I ain`t tired yet...........keep `em coming
Nice pearls
JKB,
I ain`t tired yet...........keep `em coming
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
What he said!!Miller Bro`s wrote:K7K,
Nice pearls
JKB,
I ain`t tired yet...........keep `em coming
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
I'll third that;JKB those are some beautiful pearls!I could stay up all night looking at them!
Here's a few more to keep the thread going.:
First up is a Schrade lobster candle end with a black pearl scale on one side and regular pearl on the other from the factory.
Second is a Wahkonsa Cutlery Co.3 blade.Levine's guide(#3)lists the name but no information except a High rating.
Third is a W&G Vogel Cutlery Co.2 blade with a built in nail clipper.To access the clipper,there is a slide button that releases the spring loaded handle.
Fourth is three views of a W.H.Morley multi-blade knife with very fancy file work on the spine and file blade.
Last is a four blade marked,"Silver Steel" on one side and an owl's face on the other.I have no info on this knife at all but it looks old.
Here's a few more to keep the thread going.:
First up is a Schrade lobster candle end with a black pearl scale on one side and regular pearl on the other from the factory.
Second is a Wahkonsa Cutlery Co.3 blade.Levine's guide(#3)lists the name but no information except a High rating.
Third is a W&G Vogel Cutlery Co.2 blade with a built in nail clipper.To access the clipper,there is a slide button that releases the spring loaded handle.
Fourth is three views of a W.H.Morley multi-blade knife with very fancy file work on the spine and file blade.
Last is a four blade marked,"Silver Steel" on one side and an owl's face on the other.I have no info on this knife at all but it looks old.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Goins doesn't have much to say about Wahkonsa Cutlery Co. either: c. 1928 - 1930
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Here is a Swell-Center Balloon pen knife by New York Knife Co.
Some nice pearls posted here so far on this thread
Some nice pearls posted here so far on this thread
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
JUST REMEMBERED THE WINCHESTER PEARLS. 2378, 2337, AND 3343 WHITTLER.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Here's two of mine. Both are advertisers, pre-prohibition I'd guess, and both are somewhere in the near mint to mint range, not counting the ink loss on the pearl. The Schlitz is a Wester Bros Germany and the Old Log Cabin/Golden Wedding is a PAL Brand, which Levine sez is a UK&R import brand from Germany or Czechoslovakia. I think the most interesting part of it is the bolsters, which I think are bakelite. Eric
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Eric,ole_muddy wrote: think the most interesting part of it is the bolsters, which I think are bakelite. Eric
I have a knife with those bolsters I think they are made of Rubber or possibly dyed Leather.
I know one thing they are soft if you test them with your fingernail
Check yours closer and let me know if they are soft
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
Thought I'd add a few more to the mix;this time in a smaller vein.All of the pennies in the pictures are actual size.Most of these are unmarked except for the Peres,the Hart Cutlery,and the Krause.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
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Here's an old Torrey I got awhile back, don't really collect them but just couldn't resist. I still am not sure if the engraving on the bolsters is original or added.
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Here's an old Torrey I got awhile back, don't really collect them but just couldn't resist. I still am not sure if the engraving on the bolsters is original or added.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
WoW!
Nice Torrey
If the bolsters are Aluminum, and I suspect they are, the engraving is original.
Nice Torrey
If the bolsters are Aluminum, and I suspect they are, the engraving is original.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
That is the most beautiful pearl knife I have EVER seen!!! I would agree that the engraving is original to the knife and I would bet it was a VERY expensive piece in it's day.Judging by the condition it is in,whomever owned it treasured it.msteele6 wrote:-
Here's an old Torrey I got awhile back, don't really collect them but just couldn't resist. I still am not sure if the engraving on the bolsters is original or added.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
In the interest of time and space:
Enlarge the photo twice.
You guys are showing some great knives in this thread. I love pearl handled knives.
Charlie N.
Enlarge the photo twice.
You guys are showing some great knives in this thread. I love pearl handled knives.
Charlie N.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives
SHA - ZAMM!! Really nice Charlie. I'm kinda surprized there are any left.
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