Old Palette Knives

This forum is dedicated to the discussion and display of old knives. The rich history of all the many companies that made them through the early years will be found here as well as many fine examples of the cutlers art. Share pictures of your old knives and your knowledge here!
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Beechtree
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Beechtree »

K7K, I really like that Keystone advertising Miller Brothers.

Very Pretty Charlie ::drool::

Beautiful collection Berry. The Ulster pallet has a fine shape, the bottom of it reminds me of a violin or some other type of musical instrument. Now here's a question, have you ever seen a pocket knife with a folding tuning fork?
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1fartsmella
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

One of my favorites etched Sherwin Williams & Co. This one has no tang stamp.
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Barry
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

And of course a group shot.
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LongBlade
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Great herd of spatula/palette knives Barry and all ::tu:: ::tu::

Just my opinion (and speculation) but I think the palette knives had more of a thick blade and rather straight contours which no doubt made them better for painting or caulk. In contrast the spatula knife at least in my experience seems to be much more flexible, tapered towards the pivot bolster (but not in all cases) and was used more often in the pharmacy for pills etc... That is not to say that the thicker palette or spatula knives were perhaps also used by pharmacists.

Here is another spatula knife in MOP with an etch of W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago. I can't seem to find anything on W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago so that is still an unknown to me (and I searched high and low :) ) - but if anybody knows please share. Although there is no tang stamp I do think it was made by Russell based on style in comparison to other Russell made spatula knives and had agreement on that from a few local collectors at the NCCA. Thanks for looking...
DSCN4788 2.JPG
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FRJ
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

Here's an old J. Russell & Co. -- Green River Works.
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Joe
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Nice palette knife Joe ::tu:: ... got to like any old Russell buddy ... and in fact can I borrow it for some putty work I need to do this summer :lol: :lol:

Note in edit: I thought I posted to your putty knife Joe - but than didn't see it and didn't know it was a different thread - so excuse the same post here my friend :D ... though it looks like a handy tool ::tounge::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

No problem Lee. I'm taking this and my cattle knife to any window that will have me. :D
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by philco »

I'll admit my ignorance and say openly I'd never heard of a palette knife until I read this thread. Thanks to all those who have posted here and added to my education. This is what I absolutely love about AAPK. ::tu::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by knife7knut »

LongBlade wrote:Great herd of spatula/palette knives Barry and all ::tu:: ::tu::

Just my opinion (and speculation) but I think the palette knives had more of a thick blade and rather straight contours which no doubt made them better for painting or caulk. In contrast the spatula knife at least in my experience seems to be much more flexible, tapered towards the pivot bolster (but not in all cases) and was used more often in the pharmacy for pills etc... That is not to say that the thicker palette or spatula knives were perhaps also used by pharmacists.

Here is another spatula knife in MOP with an etch of W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago. I can't seem to find anything on W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago so that is still an unknown to me (and I searched high and low :) ) - but if anybody knows please share. Although there is no tang stamp I do think it was made by Russell based on style in comparison to other Russell made spatula knives and had agreement on that from a few local collectors at the NCCA. Thanks for looking...

DSCN4788 2.JPG
I would say that it could be either Weibusch & Hilger or(more likely)Whitehead & Hoag. Check those names out;both are associated with knives.
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LongBlade
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Thanks Ray for those leads ::tu:: ... so followed up on those suggestions but neither company was based in Boston & Chicago... Wiebusch & Hilger were NY and Whitehead & Hoag in Newark NJ - the latter company was big into making advertising buttons and commemorative medals... but I also realized my spatula knife was "WH & CO" whereas both your suggestions would actually have been "W & H Co" given just the initials.... I am thinking the etch on mine was related to the name of a pharmacy or drug retailer located in Boston/Chicago...

As an aside to all this - in the days of old pharmacies these spatula knives would have been used frequently - my grandfather was a pharmacist in Brooklyn in the 1930s into the 1940s - all drugs at that time were actually made by the pharmacists - they didn't count pills like today's pharmacists so in making up drugs they would have been using these spatula knives to weigh powders etc... Two other things not so much related but sharing: I remember my grandfather saying he was in the pharmacy 16 hours a day filling & making prescriptions from Drs, and the other thing was his store was a target for stealing alcohol during the days of prohibition... below is a photo of my grandfather in his pharmacy during the 1930s - check out the walls and shelving stocked with all chemicals needed to make prescriptions .... I imagine he had more than a few spatula knives....
Grandpa Max in his Pharmacy - 1930s.jpg
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by steve99f »

Lee,

That is a great photo. The traveling ladder to access the upper shelves is very cool. It's on the left of the photo, you can see the top rail it rides on going around the walls.

In today's world he would have needed an armed guard in that store.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

Great post, Lee.
Very interesting picture and also interesting that your grandfather "made" the prescription from the doctor.
A different time for sure.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Thanks Steve and Joe ::tu:: ::tu:: ...

Steve - great eyes to note that sliding ladder, and no doubt there was a time period after my grandfather sold the pharmacy when Brooklyn changed for the worse and in fact the pharmacies were heavily secured as the drugs became the target of the criminals - I had examined that photo with a magnifier long ago and was picking up all those details like the ladder and trying to note any of the products in the store... Long ago my Aunt asked me to borrow the photo but she kept it, after-all it was her father, but recently I asked her to scan it but with no scanner she photographed it and I played with photo editing to straighten it out to the best of my ability. One of these days I will borrow it back when I see her (she is outside of Philadelphia) and get a high quality scan of it for all the family.... a high quality scan will bring out the details much more clear...

Joe - yes indeed a period of time that was so much different in so many ways ::nod:: ::nod::

Thanks again!!
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Old Folder »

I have four to share. Three Palette & One Pill Sorter.
Camillus 4 liner. 1902 through WWII
Ulster Knife Co. 1876-1941
L.F. & C. Universal 1909-1930s
Canton Knife Co. 1879-1949
I had always thought that there were many more Dr./Pill sorter knives than Palette/Graphite knives, but after seeing all the postings here I now believe that Palette Knives outnumber all others. ::shrug::
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N.C. Co. Canton Ohio USA<br />Novelty Cutlery Co. 1879-1949
N.C. Co. Canton Ohio USA
Novelty Cutlery Co. 1879-1949
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ULSTER KNIFE CO.
ULSTER KNIFE CO.
Reverse side of Ulster Blade
Reverse side of Ulster Blade
Camillus 4 Liner
Camillus 4 Liner
Camillus 4 Liner
Camillus 4 Liner
Camillus 4 Liner
Camillus 4 Liner
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Old Folder
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Old Folder »

Page 2.
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This is the Logo on the above blade. Very faint.
This is the Logo on the above blade. Very faint.
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ludwig26
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by ludwig26 »

Got this one in today. J.Russell MOP. Still snaps with nice crack free pearl.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by gsmith7158 »

Very nice Kerry! Did you get that on ebay?
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by ludwig26 »

gsmith7158 wrote:Very nice Kerry! Did you get that on ebay?
Yes, on a buy it now or best offer. I made them an offer.
I probably paid too much but it had been a slow week and I'm a sucker for mother of pearl.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by gsmith7158 »

ludwig26 wrote:
gsmith7158 wrote:Very nice Kerry! Did you get that on ebay?
Yes, on a buy it now or best offer. I made them an offer.
I probably paid too much but it had been a slow week and I'm a sucker for mother of pearl.
Kerry
Me and you both buddy, I love the look of those MOP handles. That's a great pick up. Congrats! ::tu::
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Miller Bro's
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Re: Old Palette Knives

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Nice one's Dan and Kerry ::tu::
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Miller Bro's
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Here's an old Camillus I've had for a while.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by knife7knut »

Thought I would resurrect this thread today. Awhile ago I got another palette knife thanks to our fellow member PC Wizard aka Gary(thanks again my friend!)who won it off e-Bay for me.A long story but as the seller would only accept PayPal(which I don't have)he bid for me and won it.
Probably paid more than it was worth but that wasn't a problem as the advertising on the blade was for the George E.Watson Co. of Chicago who were a manufacturer and distributor of sign painting supplies.I just happen to own a Watson sign painter's kit from the mid 1920's and thought it would make a great addition to it. It does!
The tip of the blade has a small crack in it and is not shaped like most of my palette knives but I think it was made that way as I came across another non folding one with a similar tip.
Anyway here is the palette knife along with a pic of the sign kit it now resides in.
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Geo.E.WatsonCo.PaletteKnife2.JPG
PaletteKnives3 002.jpg
WatsonSignKit3.JPG
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Miller Bro's
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Finally found a nice pearl handle Palette knife :D
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

That's a very nice palette knife, Dimitri.
Who made it?
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Miller Bro's
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Thanks Joe, it was made by Russell
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