Homage to Traditional Pen Knives

[royal0014]

I just finished a rehandle on this Camillus 48 pen from yellow plastic advertiser to ironwood.

I like it! Good job . . .

[doglegg]

I just finished a rehandle on this Camillus 48 pen from yellow plastic advertiser to ironwood.

I like it! Good job . . .

I agree, excellent work.

[KAW]

WOW!!!... just the kind of thread I like... pen kinves are one of my favorites... glad it got bumped up as I had missed this one.

There's a few I have posted to other posts... but should belong here too. Can't do them all now as I have to head off to work... but will start with one of my earlier acquisitions & still one of my favorites and smallest at 2½"...

a Schrade Cutlery Co. Equal End,Senator; №7933T identified from the 1932 catalog...

[Duffer]

Ken, wonderful Schrade CC EE tip bolster Senator Pen Knife!

Here are a couple of celluloid handled Schrade Cut Co Senator pen folders 3 & 5/16 inches closed. These are just wonderful little knives with sunken joints—feels like a well used bar of soap in hand. These are super clean with not a hint or sign of any corrosion or gassing out indicators yet I found these in the Schrade 1928 catalog E on page #60. Pattern No. SS7784ACB. I may have posted the psychedelic blue (that’s what I call it) earlier in this thread can’t remember. Charlie (upnorth) gifted me the copper canyon handles one at the recent OKCA show. Thanks Charlie!!

[FRJ]

Lloyd, those are indeed wonderful little knives.

[LongBlade]

Olde Cutler - Nice job rehandling that knife ...

Ken - Sweet old Schrade - looks lightly used too ...

Lloyd - Those are 2 sweet Schrades as well - that copper canyon just lights up ... and that blue psychedelic one is not too shabby either .... Sunken joints indeed have that special appeal both in hand and by eye !!!

[LongBlade]

One of the pen knife patterns not yet posted to this thread are tuxedo knives - those eloquent Ladies' or Gentlemen's knives - another recent thread started by FRJ (Joe) linked below has some good examples by a few members and info that I summarized from a few sources for those interested - viewtopic.php?f=2&t=56964

Here's my lttile group from old CT makers to add to this thread for reference (starting at top):
Northfield Knife Co (jigged bone)
Southington Cut Co (ivory)
H&B (tortoise shell)
Union Knife Co Naugatuck (MOP)
Miller Bros (MOP - and some lost its lustre)
Empire Knife Co (MOP - and some of the most fiery MOP I own - funny but the center pin looks like there is a hole around it but in fact the pin was hammered on an angle and didn't catch the light)

[Duffer]

Thanks Lee for your kind remarks on my two Schrade Celluloid pen knives!

You have a wonderful assortment of beautiful and nice condition tuxedos Those are some premier Cutlery Companies you have examples from Wouldn’t these tuxedos be described as a Swell Center Ballon Pen Folder? I don’t have any but I would like to find one nice example!

[peanut740]

Lloyd,2 nice Schrades.Lee that is quite a lineup!

[LongBlade]

Thanks Lloyd and Roger ...

Lloyd - I think they also can be considered swell-center balloon pen knives but note not all had balloon bolsters even in my group - the Northfield and Union Knife Co Naugatuck had pointy and pinched bolsters, respectively, so to cover them all the other name used for these small slim pens are Tuxedos... Honestly I think it is just a matter of knife terminology which can be confusing and redundant at times ...

[Duffer]

Good explanation Lee I should have looked closer of course you are right. I like the name tuxedo and won’t forget to now keep an eye open for a nice example. Again, Lee your tuxedos are like the varsity team of makers!

Thanks Roger appreciate your comment!

[KAW]

Lloyd... Those are an exquisite pair Schrade pen knives!!!
I can just drool all day long over those celluloid handles. Despite all the warnings, I still find them to be the most attractive looking knives. Excuse me a moment as I wipe the screen off with a towel... Okay now I can proceed...
Does the SS stamped on the tang mean those are stainless steel blades?

Ken - Sweet old Schrade - looks lightly used too ...

Lee... I do believe it was not used and has its original factory edge. Just has some patina due to age.
... and that is one fine grouping of tuxedos you got there.
At the Lehigh Valley Knife Show in Easton, Pennsylvania a couple weekends ago, there was a dealer that had a Holley tuxedo with tortoise shell handles that he was asking $100. It was a nice shape although had worn blades, but I felt at the time the price was a little high so I walked away, but now I'm beginning to regret that decision.

... anyway here's my contribution of the Hudson Valley region of New York knife manufacturers' examples of Pen Knives...

First example is a Napanoch jigged bone... 2-11/16"...


Next is a 2-3/4" Walden Knife Company half congress with MoP handles.

... and another Walden... a salesman sample... 2-3/4" sleeve board with jigged bone... "0751F" etched on the pile side of the master blade... the other blade is a nail file...


... and last but not least an Ulster tuxedo with MoP handles (again)


Oh... of course there's my avatar... a Schrade Cutlery Co. Slim Senator; №7784KT @ 3-5/16” with Butter & Molasses celluloid handles. (I guess I should include a full size picture in my gallery for posting. )

[LongBlade]

Thanks Ken ..

Ken - Superb additions to the thread ... MOP is always nice but I really find jigged bone appealing on those small knives .. Actually I think that Ulster Tuxedo should be your avatar

[KAW]

Thanks Lee... While the Ulster tuxedo does tickle my fancy... I have yet to come across anything that surpasses a Schrade Cutlery Butter & Molasses celluloid handled knife.

I had forgotten to include one of my more unusual pen knife...
a Electric Cutlery Co., Walden, NY (a New York Knife Co. brand) @ 3-5/16" with large flat candy-striped celluloid handles.
Altho made between 1913 - 31, it was never carried or used and retains it factory edge, but does have some "age" spots on the blades. Still don't know what the name of this style of knife is called?

[LongBlade]

Nice Electric Cut Walden Ken - another cool addition ... I would call it an oval or equal-end pen knife... It does have liners so not a skeleton knife and actually with celluloid it probably was difficult to make a skeleton pattern with no liners... BTW - Keep an eye on those celluloid covers for any signs of outgassing which I hope for your sake and collection never occurs ...

[KAW]

Its one of my favorite chores to keep an eye on my celluloid collection.
... but I'm not to concerned about outgassing. I figure if they have remained stable for nearly a century now, so long as I keep them in proper storage conditions, it should not be a problem.

[Duffer]

Yeah Ken that’s what you have to do with celluloid handled vintage folders! I keep mine segregated from my other collectible vintage knives in a special room that is darkened, temperature controlled year round and check on them often. The thing about celluloid is it can look great one minute and then go (outgassing or show symptoms) the next without warning. I have a Schrade Cut Jack with celluloid handles salesman sample in perfect condition one day and then next it starts to out gas. Not to bad yet but definitely showing signs. Handles starting to shrink and curl away at the bolsters. I will have it rehandled here soon because it is NOT going to get better. Vigilance is the key with these knives But boy oh boy do I love them

[Duffer]

Here are some more of my Robeson pen knives that include PocketEze, Mastercraft, No-Rustain and PermaLube brands. The largest of these is 3 & 3/8 inches closed. There are two blade Jacks, three blade Whittler pattern and a four blade.

Thanks for looking!

[LongBlade]

Stunning Robeson pens Lloyd ... though not sure the few 2 blade jacks are considered pen knives or maybe I am confused by your post ... I really find the bone and jigging on Robeson knives quite appealing (& I really like worm groove jigging) - too bad they weren't based in New England or I would have a few more Robesons myself .... Thanks for sharing these Lloyd

[Duffer]

I have a couple Jacks I threw in the mix solely because of their diminutive size similar to my other Robeson pens. But Lee you are right and thanks for pointing this out, they are technically for sure not pens! They just look good in the Robeson gang of pens

I guess Robeson was not quite geographically located in New England but not to far off for sure but no cigar! Out west we may have had some hardware companies that sold big name Cutlery brands but nothing produced out here (maybe excepting Western States Cutlery Co. in CO) but that is back east to someone in Las Vegas NV

[LongBlade]

Lloyd - Those jacks do indeed look good among the pen knives ....

If CO is out east relative to Las Vegas than we must be on another planet in this part of the country ... There are some great old NY (and PA) companies - I just need to be more disciplined in my collecting unless a special opportunity arises ...

[danno50]

Lot's of great knives posted the last month or so. Lee, I really like the IXLs, especially the ivory. The tuxedos are pretty special as well. I like the pointy bolsters on the Northfield and the tortoise shell on the H&B! Olde Cutler, great job on rehandling the Robeson and the Camillus! Really nice old Case pen, Ted! Some great knives, Ken! Nice bone on the Cut Co, the Waldens and the Napanoch. The pearl Ulster tuxedo is very nice as well. Lloyd, beautiful pair of Cut Co celluloids! Also a great batch of Robeson's.

[LongBlade]

Thanks Dan ...

Here’s one I never posted – a Joseph Rodgers double blade swell-center quill – “Cutlers to her Majesty” - blades are in great shape – great snap & and tight – MOP still has lots of luster though a hairline crack in center of MOP on both sides but such is life – I let it slide given the rest of knife is more than acceptable for an oldie… No doubt shows some Rodgers high end quality… Check the backspring photo – the knife tapers towards the back end on all sides which I thought was that extra bit of quality one often associates with Rodgers… Also added to my few other quills it is my first double bladed and different than the double-ended quill I previously posted from Wostenholm… ..

[galvanic1882]

Man thats a sweet knife!

[LongBlade]

Thanks Mike ...