Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

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danno50
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by danno50 »

Snuff spoon, maybe, looks kind of small though?
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by Mumbleypeg »

galvanic1882 wrote:No it's a spoon. For salt?? Never knew what a spoon that size could be for.
Earwax spoon. That's what I've been told.

There's one on this old Rather & Co. MOP gentleman's grooming knife. Also has a button hook, mustache comb, scissors, and a tortoiseshell toothpick, among other blades.

Ken
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by galvanic1882 »

Cool knife!!
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by Mumbleypeg »

galvanic1882 wrote:Cool knife!!
Thanks Mike. The knife is interesting in that it's only 3 inches long and 3/4 inch thick. Every time I look at it I'm amazed at the workmanship that went into making it, even more so given its age and the tools that had to have been used at the time. Other than a small chip in the tortoiseshell toothpick and some patina, all the blades are as they came from the factory - does not appear it was ever re-sharpened.

Unfortunately the mark side MOP cover is broken and about 90% is missing. ::teary_eyes:: If I can find someone that can put new pearl covers on it I will restore it. I just recently had a 100+ year old MOP restored by Case factory repair and it turned out great, but this one's not a Case, so I'll need to find someone else for it. ::hmm::

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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by gsmith7158 »

It's kind of semi cloudy outside, thought I'd use this good light for one of my favorite old pearls. Here is a 84062k from the tested era.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Greg, that's a beautiful knife and looks to be in great condition. Don't see many of those. ::tu:: ::tu::

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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by BWT »

Very nice Greg, nothing not to like about that knife, thanks for sharing ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by kootenay joe »

Beautiful older knife. I very much like the "Butter Bean" pattern.
Here is a vintage German Whittler with long pulls that go through the tang. All blades are marked: "A.Kastor/& Bros/Warranted/Cutlery" and "Germany" on the back tang.
I think it was made between 1890's to about 1914. Adolph Kastor was the major importer of German knives into USA from 1880's to 1920's. He also bought Camillus Cutlery in 1902.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

I don’t think Camillus Cutlery existed before the Kastor Brothers bought the building of what was the Sherwood/Bingham cutlery from Millard Robeson.

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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by kootenay joe »

Yes, i did not want to type all the info. just wanted to make the connection that Kastor was a significant 'player' in supplying America with knives.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Beautiful old knife Roland! ::drool::
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by BWT »

Very nice Roland ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by tongueriver »

According to charts, this would either be German 1869-1910 or U.S. 1899-1920s? Wedged springs. Appears to be un-used. Secondaries have half stops.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by thegreedygulo »

Nice knives guys!

Cal: I would date your H. Boker post 1891 - 1914 range based on those tang stamps. NICE knife! ::tu::
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by kootenay joe »

I think the "Improved Cutlery" is a USA Boker marking.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by thegreedygulo »

That particular Improved Cutlery tang stamp was the only one used by Boker for both U.S. and German made knives. I'm basing this on Mark Zalesky's Boker article in Knifeworld and familiarity with the brand.
A pocket knife is still an intimate personal possession of the individual who carries it and consequently deserves the best of materials, finish and workmanship in its production. (Quoted from Boker's 1928 cutlery catalog).
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by Dinadan »

Very fine old whittler, Cal. That is some nice pearl! I think it is especially interesting to see two different tree stamps on the same knife.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by ObsidianEdge »

Since I'm not sure if Ulster actually made this Ellenville Knife Co. cattle knife I'll put it here.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by peanut740 »

Mike,I like! ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by ObsidianEdge »

Thanks Roger. It's a bit beat up. Must have been something brand new.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by kootenay joe »

Mike you regularly come up with rather rare knives and always in excellent condition. Beautiful cattle knife which is at least 100 yrs old.
My pearl contribution is not quite as rare but is an interesting pattern: Keen Kutter (E.C.Simmons i think), 2 7/8" swell center congress whittler, pearl with 'cigar band', sunk joints. Likely this was a premium knife in it's day.
Any info the K.K. collectors care to post about this knife will be appreciated.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by FRJ »

That is a beautiful Ellenville, Mike. What a stamp and what a history. Little I read from Goins'.
How long is it?

Also a beautiful little shadow whittler.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by BWT »

Mike and Roland two beautiful old knives, thanks for sharing
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by ObsidianEdge »

Very nice shadow whittler Roland! Does the cigar band mean it's older? That seems to be true of some German knives with pearl and a band, but no idea on a KK.

Thanks for the nice words on the Ellenville, Roland, Joe and Bill. Joe, it's 3 7/16 (I think) closed. I didn't know anything about the Ellenville mark until I read Goins as well. I thought it was an Ulster when I bought it.
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Re: Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

Post by danno50 »

Beautiful cattle knife, Mike! ::tu::
Very nice little Keen Kutter, Roland! ::tu:: I believe that is a K3808, made between 1905 to 1908, according to Sellens. Below are catalog pages form 1912 and 1917, showing the K3808. They show a bar shield and no cigar band, however, I am sure there were variations in handles that never made it into the catalogs. Between 1905 and 1918 there were years when no catalogs were put out: the years 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911 and 1916 did not have catalogs issued. There are also a few pearl handled knives in the Keen Kutter catalogs that have cigar bands, so I know that they were used occasionally. Your knife also has no pattern number (may have originally had an etched pattern number) and I believe that the KKs with no pattern number, or an etched pattern number, are Walden made knives.
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