Robeson pocket knives

The first Robeson knives were imported by Millard Robeson from England and Germany exclusively. This continued from 1979 until 1896 when Robeson began manufacturing knives in the United States. Since inception, the company has gone through several reorganizations & eventually ended up as a Queen Cutlery brand.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by FRJ »

Thank you Charlie.
What a beautiful knife that is. And what a beautiful corkscrew. That is really classy!
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by Landersknives »

Here is a new edition to my Robeson addiction. A nice little knife pattern #622319. Great snap. It makes me smile cause I like it and I got it at a crazy price. ::groove::
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Very nice piece! ::tu:: Hard to beat an old Robeson.

Wonder what's going to happen to the brand name now that Queen has gone under? Hope it doesn't end up on China-made cutlery. ::barf::

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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by Landersknives »

Mumbleypeg wrote:Very nice piece! ::tu:: Hard to beat an old Robeson.

Wonder what's going to happen to the brand name now that Queen has gone under? Hope it doesn't end up on China-made cutlery. ::barf::

Ken
Thanks Ken. Yeah I hope that it does not go to the land of the rising sun. Wouldn’t it be great if GEC could acquire the brand!
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by kootenay joe »

Was this pen knife made by Robeson ? or a more recent Queen made knife ?
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by woodwalker »

Landersknives wrote:Here is a new edition to my Robeson addiction. A nice little knife pattern #622319. Great snap. It makes me smile cause I like it and I got it at a crazy price. ::groove::
Very nice Ed!! Pretty and in very good shape!! Congratts buddy! :)
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by Landersknives »

kootenay joe wrote:Was this pen knife made by Robeson ? or a more recent Queen made knife ?
kj
KJ I am not sure but I believe the stamp is dated 1965-77. I don’t know when Queen started building the Robeson knives. Maybe Charlie will come along and help us out.
woodwalker wrote:
Landersknives wrote:Here is a new edition to my Robeson addiction. A nice little knife pattern #622319. Great snap. It makes me smile cause I like it and I got it at a crazy price. ::groove::
Very nice Ed!! Pretty and in very good shape!! Congratts buddy! :)
Thanks woodwalker. I have been on a roll the last week or so. I have several more that I need to put up. I appreciate you my friend.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

As far as I know, a Robeson with the pattern number on the front of the tang is a post 1965 knife. That's what all the published collector books say, anyway.

Robeson went out of business in 1965. A company called Cutler Federal acquired the name and had knives made by Camillus with that stamp.

Cutler Federal eventually sold the name to Ontario Knife, owner of Queen.

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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by kootenay joe »

Neat ! I did not know that some Robeson branded knives were made by Camillus. It is the numbers on front tang that had me asking about the maker. I appreciate having it confirmed that numbers on front = not made by dear old Robeson. To me who made a knife is more important than the name marked on the knife, but i have learned that not all collectors see it this way.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by brucegodlesky »

Whoa! Lets get things straight here. Queen was not owned by Ontario. They were sister companies under Servitronics.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by kootenay joe »

"They were sister companies under Servitronics".
I don't see that it matters whether owned or 'sister companies'. There were knives made by Queen marked "Robeson". The exact relationship between Queen & Ontario is of academic interest but it does not aid in deciding who made a Robeson marked knife.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

The knife in the OP does, however, have the same strawberry colored Delrin handles that Robeson was using at the end of their existence. I have a similar knife, a serpentine jack. The knives were also packed and shipped in the white/green/black boxes that Robeson was using in the 50's and 60's.

Tom Kalcevic, in Knives Can Talk, stated that Emerson Case agreed to stay on for one year to assist with the transition and finally retired in 1966.

Apparently, initially, the earliest knives from this period were made with original parts.

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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

"Whoa! Lets get things straight here. Queen was not owned by Ontario. They were sister companies under Servitronics (sic)."

Mea Culpa.

I misspoke.

And it's "Servotronics", not Servitronics".

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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by Landersknives »

RobesonsRme.com wrote:The knife in the OP does, however, have the same strawberry colored Delrin handles that Robeson was using at the end of their existence. I have a similar knife, a serpentine jack. The knives were also packed and shipped in the white/green/black boxes that Robeson was using in the 50's and 60's.

Tom Kalcevic, in Knives Can Talk, stated that Emerson Case agreed to stay on for one year to assist with the transition and finally retired in 1966.

Apparently, initially, the earliest knives from this period were made with original parts.

Charlie Noyes
So Charlie would you say that the OP knife is probably an early knife in the transition period. This knife is made well. Which I like Camillus knives also. Thank you Charlie. Your knowledge is a great gift to us here at AAPK. Also thanks to you I have quite the accumulation of Robeson knives. Your love and passion for them has helped feed my fire. The more I get the more I like them.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

I suspect that is the case.

Maybe, we should get together. I have lots of knives to sell.

Charlie
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by brucegodlesky »

not a problem Charlie. Fact is, Q and Ontario had an incestuous relationship thru the years. :-)
The current CEO of Ontario was formerly the CEO of Queen......
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by edge213 »

Need some help with this one.
Tang stamp:
ROBESON
Shuredge (script)
Rochester NY
According to Romance of Collecting the stamp is 1901-1948.
Back of blade 628518.
Single blade even though pattern number indicates 2 blades.
Handles are rough black with worm groove. 3 3/4 closed.
Nickel silver frame, liners, bolsters.
Life long handles? The frame wraps around the handles.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by edge213 »

How about a little help on this one.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

It’s a quandary.

Allow me to do a little research.

Looks like a Robeson, but there are questions, as you suggested.

Charlie
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by edge213 »

Thanks Charlie. I look forward to your help. I couldn't find anything in my books.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

The pattern is one that Robeson did make and the handle material and shield are quite common to both Robeson and Terrier knives, putting it, at least consistent with a 1910 to 1916 time period and probably beyond.

Dewey and Lavonna Ferguson had limited access to Robeson tang stamps and they broke them down as best they could, at the time. When, in actuality, there were several tang stamps that were used between 1901 and 1948.

Tom Kalcevic, in Knives Can Talk!, dates that stamp 1911 to 1921. I use Tom's dates, but I do not guarantee them to be totally accurate.

I do not know exactly when that handle attachment technique was initiated, but the patent information for it is available somewhere on the internet, as there was a protracted discussion re' it in Bernard Levine's Whut-Izzit? column in KnifeWorldsome years ago.

I have seen stabber jacks by Robeson, but all I have seen had two blades. I do not recall any pattern numbers from the ones I've seen and I do not recognize the handle-die shape number 518, as on your knife.

Did the cutler simply put the wrong stabber jack blade in the knife or has the secondary pen been broken and subsequently removed?

I don't know.

The knife is, most likely, a Robeson, but whether or not it left the factory as it is now or not is a question I cannot answer.

Here is a bone handled two blade coke bottle stabber jack photo that I took off the internet, but there was no published info on the pattern number, nor a photo of the back of the blades. Given that impressive long pull, that knife probably pre-dates yours.

Here, also, is a photo of a CARPENTER'S CHOICE three blade with the patented handle attachment technique. Given the lack of a bottom bolster on your knife, it needed a pin in that location.

Charlie
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by edge213 »

Thanks Charlie.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by FRJ »

Here's a nice little Robeson jack. So well built. 3" closed. 62226

Thanks for looking.
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by royal0014 »

Nice 'un Joe .... love that bone !
::drool::
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Re: Robeson pocket knives

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Chris. ::tu::
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