Empire Knife Company

[upnorth]

Glad you like it Lee!
I suspect it's expensive to get big pearl like that today, if in fact there is much around.

[FRJ]

Here is a finely made four blade, equal end Empire with fine worked nickel silver liners, tipped bolsters, a smart bar shield and
the ever desirable sunk joints. What a beauty at a full 3 1/2 inches long.
Also, it has two different stamps on the tangs from different times in production.
The W. Winsted stamp is from 1880-1930.
The Empire Knife Co. Winsted Ct. stamp is from 1856-1860.
All according to Goins'.
Thanks for looking.

[gsmith7158]

Very nice Joe. That's in great condition!

[FRJ]

Thanks, Greg.

[peanut740]

Way to go Joe!

[FRJ]

Thanks, Roger.

[danno50]

Beautiful, Joe, you sure find a lot of nice ones!

[wlf]

Excellent find Joe.

[FRJ]

Thank you so much, Dan and Lyle.

[LongBlade]

I missed you sneak this one in Joe

Beauty Joe ... High end old Empire with milled liners and MOP at 3 1/2" ...

[FRJ]

Thanks Lee.

[Woodly]

Well I finally got one of these bad boys. She's waiting for me at home and I'm 2600 miles away.Sellers Pics.

I own one of these but mine doesn't have the bail hole and it has a different shield. I'd like another for a user. The back of the blade is marked [stamped by Empire] 179 3/4 E...can anyone tell me what it means?
The knife I'm referring to is on pge 22 and is the ebony handled lock blade.

[gsmith7158]

Well I finally got one of these bad boys. She's waiting for me at home and I'm 2600 miles away.Sellers Pics.

I own one of these but mine doesn't have the bail hole and it has a different shield. I'd like another for a user. The back of the blade is marked [stamped by Empire] 179 3/4 E...can anyone tell me what it means?
The knife I'm referring to is on pge 22 and is the ebony handled lock blade.

Woodly I'm not sure about that stamp on your Arkansas Hunter. A picture would be most helpful.

Here is a nice 3 1/2 inch closed slit spring whittler with tip bolsters that I just picked up.

[Woodly]

Greg, sorry, for now, no photos but the knife is real no doubt about it. And that one you just posted is a beauty.

[gsmith7158]

Greg, sorry, for now, no photos but the knife is real no doubt about it. And that one you just posted is a beauty.

Woodly, I just looked through The Knife Album by Robert Mays and although the particular knife we are talking about isn't pictured that is undoubtedly a pattern number. The succession of numbers and letters is unmistakable in their patterns. Here's an example.

[LongBlade]

Nice Empire Greg ... The bone and jigging on it is striking - almost like 4 horizontal rows of jigging which is cool, and I never quite seen a jigging pattern quite like that bone - but I do like the style/design ...

[FRJ]

That's a beautiful whittler you have there, Greg. Nice snag.

[gsmith7158]

Thanks Lee and Joe!

[Woodly]

Greg, much thanks. I wonder, does that ad have a date? That's not a book I have.

[gsmith7158]

Woodley the book itself was compiled I the early 1970's by Col. Robert Mayes. The Knife Album is really a collection of old catalogs from old retailers. There are no dates on these that I have ever noticed but the cut that I showed is from a Norvell-Shapliegh hardware catalog which would place those cuts in the early 1900's. It's a great book for Empire, Case, Challenge, Remington and more you can periodically find it on Amazon or Ebay.

[wlf]

Great bone on that little whittler Greg. The Col. Mayes’s book is a great resource for Empire.

According to Goins, the Norvell Shapleigh name ended before 1915. There is a great book out there that Sanders Norvell wrote about his time with Simmons and Shapleigh , and the hardware business in general in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “Forty Years of Hardware “ by Sanders Norvell

[Woodly]

Thanks guys.

[upnorth]

I guess I am an incurable Empire collector! I love seeing these wonderful knives posted , such as Joe's and Greg's!!
Just back from Oregon yesterday, I dragged these home with me!
Both are patterns I have never beheld before - 3 5/16" and 3 9/16" respectively.

[espn77]

Those are pretty sweet

[gsmith7158]

Oh my! That big sleeveboard is a sight to behold Charlie and the the other is no slouch either! Great looking Empires.