Henry Sears and Son 1865

[peanut740]

I have a Phoenix made Henry Sears 1865 toenail.

Do you have any pictures of this knife that you would care to share? I hope.

Joe,it is packed up to take to Tulsa.I will try to remember to take some photos when I get back.

[FRJ]

Thanks, Roger. All the best in Tulsa.

[peanut740]

Thanks Joe,we'll see how it goes.

[Mumbleypeg]

So henry sears had nothing to do with sears roebuck? I've seen the brand around but never knew anything about them.

No connection. Sears Roebuck was founded in 1886. Henry Sears Co. was founded in 1865, later became Henry Sears & Son in 1883. Not the same company.

Ken

[peanut740]

I have a Phoenix made Henry Sears 1865 toenail.

Do you have any pictures of this knife that you would care to share? I hope.

Here you go Joe.The tight sarrations on the long pull are the tell for Phoenix made.

[FRJ]

Thank you for the pictures, Roger. What a great looking knife.
Thanks for the heads up with the tight serrations on the matchstrike for the Phoenix connection.

[americanedgetech]

What a spectacular looking knife! 1865??? Amazing condition.

[OLDE CUTLER]

1865 was when the company started, not when all the knives were made. I have only one Henry Sears & Sons knife, I would group it into the camper pattern, although others may call it a bartenders knife. The main blade is quite short, indicating that at some point the tip has snapped off. The multipurpose blade has bottle & can opener. It has nice bone handles. I carry it from time to time.

[FRJ]

Thanks for showing that very nice knife, Olde Cutler.

That old bone looks like it has been under a lot of use as does the blade.
It may have just been sharpened to that dimension. Or not ..........
An honest old knife for sure.

[OLDE CUTLER]

I picked up this Henry Sears & Son 1865 Jr. cattle knife yesterday at a gunshow. Doesn't look like it has been used much and is in good shape except for the one crack in the celluloid. The tang stamp on this one is in much smaller letters that the other one I have. Can dates be deduced on Henry Sears & Son knives by this difference?

[1fartsmella]

I was attracted to this unusual pattern. 3" closed. Nice jigged bone with birds eye rivets. Looks like a Candle end lobster frame, but it's constructed like a stock man's knife. I've shown this one around, some thought it was made by Utica, someone else thought Robeson. Has anyone seen this pattern with a stamp other than HENRY SEARS & SON 1865 U.S.A.

[FRJ]

That's a nice knife, Barry. Remarkable blade combination for that size and pattern.
How many resilient springs does it have?
It sure dresses up this thread. Thanks for posting it.

[tongueriver]

I was attracted to this unusual pattern. 3" closed. Nice jigged bone with birds eye rivets. Looks like a Candle end lobster frame, but it's constructed like a stock man's knife. I've shown this one around, some thought it was made by Utica, someone else thought Robeson. Has anyone seen this pattern with a stamp other than HENRY SEARS & SON 1865 U.S.A.

That is just exceptional.

[OLDE CUTLER]

I was attracted to this unusual pattern. 3" closed. Nice jigged bone with birds eye rivets. Looks like a Candle end lobster frame, but it's constructed like a stock man's knife. I've shown this one around, some thought it was made by Utica, someone else thought Robeson. Has anyone seen this pattern with a stamp other than HENRY SEARS & SON 1865 U.S.A.

Yes, that is a rare and unusual knife. I have pictured my only 2 Henry Sears & Son knives above and they have to be from a much later era that this one. I have never seen one like this.

[1fartsmella]

Thanks olde cutler, Joe & Cal. The knife has 2 back springs, one for the master blade and one for both small blades. Here's a few more pix:

[1fartsmella]

This next one is an Ebony whittler 3 3/8" closed with birds eye rivets stamped HENRY SEARS & SON PRUSSIA. The unusual thing about this knife is the master blade does not rest on the kick when closed. The tip of the blade sits in a tiny groove in the spacer between the 2 small blades. I try to be gentle when closing the master blade. It's got wicked snap. Barry

[FRJ]

Thanks Barry. I assumed it had two springs. I always wince when I see two ends sprung,
It would sure be nice to know the maker.
I have a little candle end tiped bolster in a lobster pattern with similar scales.
It's a Keen Kutter, so were back to square one.

[1fartsmella]

This one is a 2 3/4" closed congress whittler with abalone handles. I've seen abalone handled knives made by Utica, New York Knife Co, Robeson & Cattaraugus. Although that is no indication of who made this one stamped HENRY SEARS & SON 1865 on all 3 blades. It sure would be nice to find some documentation about who made these knives for HS&S.

[kootenay joe]

Regarding the 3 3/8" Ebony whittler, i thought the grooved spacer was there to allow master blade to have maximum possible length, not to support the blade at the tip.
kj

[FRJ]

That's a beautiful whittler, Barry.
Thank you.

[peanut740]

Henry Sears and Son Prussia teardrop toenail,Aka Tom Thumb.

[FRJ]

Wow!
Beautiful knife and beautiful pictures, Roger.
Thanks for showing that one.

[espn77]

Roger, that is about as mint as mint gets. Very nice

[kootenay joe]

Wow. Amazing !
With "Prussia" this is at least 110 years old. Roger do you agree that "Prussia" indicates prior to about 1910 ?
kj

[djknife13]

This one is a 2 3/4" closed congress whittler with abalone handles. I've seen abalone handled knives made by Utica, New York Knife Co, Robeson & Cattaraugus. Although that is no indication of who made this one stamped HENRY SEARS & SON 1865 on all 3 blades. It sure would be nice to find some documentation about who made these knives for HS&S.

I see you posted another whittler knife with both blades working off the same spring open. You may have missed what Joe meant when he said he winced when he saw both blades open. If you open both blades all the way it doesn't overload the spring. When you open them both half way you could and sooner or later will snap the spring in two and wreck the knife. It makes for a nice picture but isn't worth sacrificing the knife for. ___Dave