Shapleigh Hardware Co.

[1967redrider]

Saddlehorn hunter . . . I like that pattern! Didn't Tony Bose re-create that pattern recently?

Great looking knives all around. That Boy's Knife is pretty cool looking too, in it's simplicity.

[Duffer]

Just in--Congress pattern Shapleigh DE folder. It is 3 & 3/8 inches closed. Stag handle I would guess. Very good overall condition. Has almost completely sunken joints. All blades W&T with no lateral blade play when blades fully extended. Pretty full blades. Lloyd

[FRJ]

A very smart and elegant little Congress, Lloyd. Good score.

[danno50]

Ditto what Joe said, Lloyd, beautiful knife! You sure seem to be able to find a lot of nice knives.
Dan

[Duffer]

Hey thanks Joe and Dan for the nice comments on this DE Congress! Dan what can I say, I am retired and spend a lot of time looking for high grade examples However, I have a champagne craving and a beer budget! I get lucky once and awhile simply because I turn over a lot of rocks Lloyd

[WelderBob]

A Shapleigh DE toothpick with bail. I assume they could be ordered with a bail, this looks like a factory job.

[FRJ]

Nice knife, Bob.
I'm curious about the bail. I doesn't look like nickel silver and it looks like it was tumbled but not finished.
Not to say it isn't factory. It certainly could be.

[WelderBob]

Thanks Joe, the bail and pin are steel, I've seen pictures of knives clipped to fishing vests.
I'm sure that was the reason on this one. Factory or not I think its a keeper...

[FRJ]

I think so too, Bob. Great knife.

[WelderBob]

Nice Shapleigh light trapper in stag.

[FRJ]

And that is a beauty!
Very nice, Bob. Thanks for showing it.

[danno50]

Couple of beauties, Welderbob! Great swedge on the trapper!
Dan

[Duffer]

Here is a Norvell Shapleigh DE Jack I just recently acquired. This jack is marked only on the master spear blade tang Norvell Shapleigh DE--no tang mark on the secondary pen tang. According to Goins page no. 250 the blades were all marked until the mid 1940s after which only the master blade was marked. This folder seems older than mid 1940s or later. I have some other Shapleigh DE folders (Jacks and Congresses) with all blades tang marked and several look very similar to this one. Although it has been lightly buffed and polished (not by me) it has what I would consider older pick bone handles and hand hammered pins. Am I missing something or is this indeed a mid 1940s produced folder? Thanks for your input and help!

[peanut740]

Duffer,I agree the bone appears to be consistent with Empire who made Diamond Edge knives until they closed.The pen blade could be a replacement.

[Duffer]

Thanks Roger I appreciate your input! It does look Empirish to me too It could very well be that the pen is a replacement blade if What Goins claims is true.

[FRJ]

That's a very nice looking jack you're showing, Lloyd.
Thank you for showing it here.

[danno50]

Very nice, Lloyd!
Dan

[Duffer]

Thanks Joe and Dan. I appreciate your kind comments on this DE Jack!!

[gsmith7158]

Thanks Joe and Dan. I appreciate your kind comments on this DE Jack!!

Lloyd here's something i noticed about your knife. It certainly looks Empire made to me, but if it is then our theory about Hdwe and Hdw did not hold true in the Norvell Shapliegh days.

[Duffer]

Here is a Shapleigh HDW DE equal end opposite end Jack that I have been meaning to post some photos of but the heat here has lately made me lazy and forgetful B. Levine calls this a Texas Jack or Moose pg. 190 4th edition. Total closed length is 4.25 inches and has pretty full blades with minor blade loss. What looks like handle chip below mark side middle pin is just lack of focus and the light. It is a heavy and pretty impressive folder in hand. On the primary spear blade back tang is the Shapleigh pattern no. B639. In the Schrade catalog supplement of 1930 is a folder that looks just like it identified as pattern no. R7973. This one has been cleaned and polished at some point in the past (not by me) but nonetheless is a nice vintage folder pattern you don’t see often.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Lloyd, I love Double-Ended Jacks, Texas Jacks or Moose patterned knives, whatever one chooses to call them.

And that one is a dandy.

Charlie Noyes

[peanut740]

Lloyd,I agree with Charlie,that is a dandy!

[FRJ]

Lloyd, you brought this thread back with another beautiful knife. Thank you for showing it here.
That thing is beautiful in every way.

[biglmbass]

That's a jewel of a knife, Duffer.

[BWT]

Beautiful knife Lloyd, thanks for sharing!!